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cricket_strom's review
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mrsakvile's review against another edition
3.0
Kaukiantis malūnininkas. Dar tik keli prisėdimai prie šios knygos, bet likę skaityti vos pora skyrių . Kažkas
mar_nieves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Ai gustoume e rinme moito pero deume moita pena
aotora's review against another edition
5.0
I read the version that was translated from original to Slovenian years ago and I loved it. I read the english version nos and this one was translated a few times and it shows because it looks like a few things got lost in translation. It just wasn't that funny or good. It was okay but it wasn't great.
katiecatbooks's review
4.0
Finnish humor. Modern classic. Madness.
Story: One day in 1951 in Northern Finland, Gunnari Huttunen shows up to a small village and buys their dilapidated mill. No one knows his background but the whole village gets to know his depressive spells and wild moods. When he starts howling in the middle of the night keeping all his neighbors awake then problems start. The villagers want him to stay so they can use his mill but on the other hand they all find him quite mad.
Language: This book is a translation from the French translation of the Finnish. While clearly some things must be lost in a double translation, the story and humor still remain. The story is told in third person, mostly from Huttunen's perspective but occasionally side characters too. It is set post war and pre Olympics over many seasons. The landscape and nature play large roles as does the mindset and lifestyle of small-town villagers of the time. The tone is dark but also humorous. The lexile rating is quite low and makes a light read for an avid reader and an accessible read to even high schoolers.
Characters: Huttunen is tall, large, hard working and keeps mostly to himself and his mill. His social interactions cause problems when he goes too far imitating animals or communicating inappropriately.
I was surprised how accessible this book was and how much I enjoyed it. It was a fast read and had me laughing out loud and sympathizing with Huttunen and cheering him on as village underdog. The ending was abrupt and I think could have been better, but overall I really enjoyed this modern classic.
Story: One day in 1951 in Northern Finland, Gunnari Huttunen shows up to a small village and buys their dilapidated mill. No one knows his background but the whole village gets to know his depressive spells and wild moods. When he starts howling in the middle of the night keeping all his neighbors awake then problems start. The villagers want him to stay so they can use his mill but on the other hand they all find him quite mad.
Language: This book is a translation from the French translation of the Finnish. While clearly some things must be lost in a double translation, the story and humor still remain. The story is told in third person, mostly from Huttunen's perspective but occasionally side characters too. It is set post war and pre Olympics over many seasons. The landscape and nature play large roles as does the mindset and lifestyle of small-town villagers of the time. The tone is dark but also humorous. The lexile rating is quite low and makes a light read for an avid reader and an accessible read to even high schoolers.
Characters: Huttunen is tall, large, hard working and keeps mostly to himself and his mill. His social interactions cause problems when he goes too far imitating animals or communicating inappropriately.
I was surprised how accessible this book was and how much I enjoyed it. It was a fast read and had me laughing out loud and sympathizing with Huttunen and cheering him on as village underdog. The ending was abrupt and I think could have been better, but overall I really enjoyed this modern classic.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
Quel livre bizarre ! Le rire fut le chant de bienvenue qui annonça l'installation de l'étrange Gunnar Huttunen dans un petit village du nord de la Finlande. Le rire des membres de la coopérative meunière et des paysans qui virent débarquer ce grand gaillard venu du Sud, élancé comme un roseau et fort comme un sapin, qui dépensa son argent en rachetant le vieux moulin délabré sur la rive du Kemijoki. Quelle idée saugrenue que de vider sa bourse de la sorte ? Mais le rire de ces gens comme il faut se voit bientôt supplanté par l'étonnement devant l'efficacité dont fait preuve Huttunen pour remettre en état le moulin... et devant l'étrangeté de son comportement. Tantôt clown et imitateur de génie, tantôt accablé de désespoir, lunatique et dépressif, hurlant à la lune pour calmer son angoisse, homme libre avant tout, Huttunen se fait des ennemis. À tel point qu'au village, on a vite fait de considérer que le meunier est un fou dangereux à enfermer de toute urgence entre les quatre murs blancs d'un asile.