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annarella's review
4.0
What a lovely story! It starts slow and it developed into something that enthralls you. The descriptions of Finland are fascinating and the book moves and entertains at the same time.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC
Recommended.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC
hobbes199's review
I went back to it after a while, but still no love for the main character, so it's a DNF at 30%
abookishtype's review
5.0
Do not be fooled by the cover of Secret Passages in a Hillside Town. Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen’s novel, skillfully translated by Lola Rogers, is a lot deeper than the lightness of the cover implies. At the start of the book, Olli Souminen is a middle-aged man with a middle-aged life. He works for a small publisher in Jyväskylä, Finland. His wife is a teacher. His son is a quiet boy. Things only start to change when old friends from his childhood reach out on Facebook—then the memories come slipping back and Olli gets another chance at the life he might have had...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
justjenn's review
5.0
I’ve been waiting my whole life for a book like this. As someone with a very faulty memory, I find it difficult to believe the clarity with which characters in most books remember their past. Much of the mystery in this book comes from the main character’s inability to remember the details of his adolescence. When he does start remembering, we are treated to a unique, fascinating, and truly magical love story.
joecam79's review
4.0
A few years back I had read Jääskeläinen’s [b:The Rabbit Back Literature Society|18367594|The Rabbit Back Literature Society|Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377234365s/18367594.jpg|3380442]. That novel had been compared to “Twin Peaks meeting the Brothers Grimm” and was a dark and cryptic work which hovered rather awkwardly between outright supernatural fiction and magical realism. I had found this ‘ambivalence’ ultimately disappointing, but the novel was intriguing enough to make me want to sample the author’s latest offering, recently translated into English by Lola Rogers.
In its initial chapters, this novel seemed quite different from its predecessor, apart from its small-town setting and “bookish” background. Indeed, it starts off as a gentle, if quirky, tale of mid-life romance. Olli Suominen, the head of a publishing company based in Jyväskylä, is going through a crisis. Book sales are not what they used to be and, as far as family-life is concerned, he seems to be growing distant from his wife and young son. Through Facebook, he gets in touch with Greta Kara, an old flame who has since become the bestselling author of an influential self-help guide to “living a cinematic life”. He somehow convinces her to issue her next book – a ‘magical’ travelogue about Jyväskylä – through his publishing house. This promises to boost Olli’s business, and amorous, prospects.
But Olli’s Facebook exchanges with Greta also rekindle memories of another group of childhood acquaintances – the three Blomroos siblings and their cousin Karri. Together with Timi, Olli’s dog, they formed a Finnish equivalent of the Famous Five. In true Enid Blyton fashion, they spent their summer holidays together, shared long, glorious, sunny days on riverside picnics and solved mysteries along the way. Typically, they also explored secret passages. And here things start to get weird, because unlike the relatively workaday secret passages in Blyton’s novels, the Toulura tunnels seem to warp reality and cause time to go completely off-kilter. Unsurprisingly, Olli’s memories of the secret passages are vague and confused, but we eventually learn that they were the theatre for shocking happenings experienced by Greta and the Tourula Five.
Whether you will enjoy the novel from this point forward will depend on how crazy you like your fiction to be. In my case, I generally prefer novels which follow an internal logic, however strange their premise. And to be honest, it was sometimes difficult to understand where this book was going . But it still hooked me to the last chapter. Or chapters, given that the novel rather puzzlingly presents us with an alternative ending – probably a nod to “alternate movie endings” which are sometimes available on certain movie DVDs.
So, how should we interpret Secret Passages? Should we take it at face value as a work of supernatural fiction? Or is this actually realist fiction, using elements of fantasy to give us a glimpse of the workings of Olli’s mind? Is the book a satire on modern life which, thanks to social media, seems to be all about living a “cinematic life” worth sharing with the world at large? Or is this an adult parody of Enid Blyton mysteries, particularly the underlying gender politics simmering below their surface? Perhaps it’s all of this, but it makes for a wild and crazy ride.
In its initial chapters, this novel seemed quite different from its predecessor, apart from its small-town setting and “bookish” background. Indeed, it starts off as a gentle, if quirky, tale of mid-life romance. Olli Suominen, the head of a publishing company based in Jyväskylä, is going through a crisis. Book sales are not what they used to be and, as far as family-life is concerned, he seems to be growing distant from his wife and young son. Through Facebook, he gets in touch with Greta Kara, an old flame who has since become the bestselling author of an influential self-help guide to “living a cinematic life”. He somehow convinces her to issue her next book – a ‘magical’ travelogue about Jyväskylä – through his publishing house. This promises to boost Olli’s business, and amorous, prospects.
But Olli’s Facebook exchanges with Greta also rekindle memories of another group of childhood acquaintances – the three Blomroos siblings and their cousin Karri. Together with Timi, Olli’s dog, they formed a Finnish equivalent of the Famous Five. In true Enid Blyton fashion, they spent their summer holidays together, shared long, glorious, sunny days on riverside picnics and solved mysteries along the way. Typically, they also explored secret passages. And here things start to get weird, because unlike the relatively workaday secret passages in Blyton’s novels, the Toulura tunnels seem to warp reality and cause time to go completely off-kilter. Unsurprisingly, Olli’s memories of the secret passages are vague and confused, but we eventually learn that they were the theatre for shocking happenings experienced by Greta and the Tourula Five.
Whether you will enjoy the novel from this point forward will depend on how crazy you like your fiction to be. In my case, I generally prefer novels which follow an internal logic, however strange their premise. And to be honest, it was sometimes difficult to understand where this book was going . But it still hooked me to the last chapter. Or chapters, given that the novel rather puzzlingly presents us with an alternative ending – probably a nod to “alternate movie endings” which are sometimes available on certain movie DVDs.
So, how should we interpret Secret Passages? Should we take it at face value as a work of supernatural fiction? Or is this actually realist fiction, using elements of fantasy to give us a glimpse of the workings of Olli’s mind? Is the book a satire on modern life which, thanks to social media, seems to be all about living a “cinematic life” worth sharing with the world at large? Or is this an adult parody of Enid Blyton mysteries, particularly the underlying gender politics simmering below their surface? Perhaps it’s all of this, but it makes for a wild and crazy ride.
charlieb's review
3.0
This book got stranger and stranger as it progressed. Interesting read though
The is a very strange book and a difficult one to review. The narrative is almost split into thirds. The first seems fairly normal and enjoyable exploration of life in a Finnish city. It is very much grounded in the place and time. Olli loses umbrellas, joins a film club and discovers that his old flame, Greta is the writer of a book that has become a Finnish sensation.
A Guide to the Cinematic Life is a book which encourages those that read it to live in a more cinematic way. There is talk about M-particles which are prevalent in magical places, and it is mentioned throughout the book but never really explained.
Olli’s film club seem to specialise in watching black and white classic movies which is stylistically where the Guide to the Cinematic Life is directing people towards. Smoking is encouraged, stolen kisses and artful deaths are all within the remit.
The second third gets odder and more surreal where Olli “remembers” and relives his childhood with kids he used to play with during his summer holidays and most importantly the secret passages. The third part just goes over the edge into just plain weird.
At its heart, this is a love story between Olli and Greta who are forced together by forces outside their control. Olli is the only character in this book who seems like a real person, all the others seem to be two-dimensional stereotypes.
The pacing was slow, and the endless dream sequences started to become a bit boring. This book has taken me months to read, and I kept on hoping that it would get better, but if anything it got worse as it went on.
This book was really well received in Finnish so maybe some of the dark comedy that is supposed to be part of this book has been lost in translation as I really didn’t get the joke.
The is a very strange book and a difficult one to review. The narrative is almost split into thirds. The first seems fairly normal and enjoyable exploration of life in a Finnish city. It is very much grounded in the place and time. Olli loses umbrellas, joins a film club and discovers that his old flame, Greta is the writer of a book that has become a Finnish sensation.
A Guide to the Cinematic Life is a book which encourages those that read it to live in a more cinematic way. There is talk about M-particles which are prevalent in magical places, and it is mentioned throughout the book but never really explained.
Olli’s film club seem to specialise in watching black and white classic movies which is stylistically where the Guide to the Cinematic Life is directing people towards. Smoking is encouraged, stolen kisses and artful deaths are all within the remit.
The second third gets odder and more surreal where Olli “remembers” and relives his childhood with kids he used to play with during his summer holidays and most importantly the secret passages. The third part just goes over the edge into just plain weird.
At its heart, this is a love story between Olli and Greta who are forced together by forces outside their control. Olli is the only character in this book who seems like a real person, all the others seem to be two-dimensional stereotypes.
The pacing was slow, and the endless dream sequences started to become a bit boring. This book has taken me months to read, and I kept on hoping that it would get better, but if anything it got worse as it went on.
This book was really well received in Finnish so maybe some of the dark comedy that is supposed to be part of this book has been lost in translation as I really didn’t get the joke.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
What a lovely story! It starts slow and it developed into something that enthralls you. The descriptions of Finland are fascinating and the book moves and entertains at the same time.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC
Recommended.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the ARC
mithilareads's review against another edition
5.0
First things first, the cover. I love the colour scheme, because of two reasons. It's pleasing to the eyes, and it also summarises a major chunk of the story. Blue and yellow are two colours that I will clearly associate with the book whenever I think of it in the years to come.
The plot of 'Secret Passages in a Hillside Town' by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen goes like this:
In a small hillside town of Jyväskylä, Olli Suominen - publisher and discontented husband - is constantly losing umbrellas. He has also joined a film club. And Greta, an old flame from his teenage days, has added him on Facebook. And he suffers from slow continuum attachment. He is also going through a mid-life crisis.
Olli's life becomes more and more entangled with the lives of his friends from his pre-teen and teenage days and Greta's. Thanks to this, Olli and his wife (Aino) and their son are dragged into a major conspiracy of revenge and romance. Can Olli successfully walk through this icy path created by his former friends, a path that leads away from his family and towards his teenage love? Does he really want to relive the past? What exactly was the dynamic shared by Olli's friends, Greta and Olli? Can he be sure that Greta is who she seems to be?
To read the entire review of this book, click here: https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/06/22/mithilareviewsbooks-secret-passages-in-a-hillside-town-by-pasi-ilmari-jaaskelainen/
The plot of 'Secret Passages in a Hillside Town' by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen goes like this:
In a small hillside town of Jyväskylä, Olli Suominen - publisher and discontented husband - is constantly losing umbrellas. He has also joined a film club. And Greta, an old flame from his teenage days, has added him on Facebook. And he suffers from slow continuum attachment. He is also going through a mid-life crisis.
Olli's life becomes more and more entangled with the lives of his friends from his pre-teen and teenage days and Greta's. Thanks to this, Olli and his wife (Aino) and their son are dragged into a major conspiracy of revenge and romance. Can Olli successfully walk through this icy path created by his former friends, a path that leads away from his family and towards his teenage love? Does he really want to relive the past? What exactly was the dynamic shared by Olli's friends, Greta and Olli? Can he be sure that Greta is who she seems to be?
To read the entire review of this book, click here: https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/06/22/mithilareviewsbooks-secret-passages-in-a-hillside-town-by-pasi-ilmari-jaaskelainen/
paperbookmarks's review against another edition
3.0
I'm incredibly unsure as to how to rate this book. The writing beautiful, and the concept of the secret passages is incredibly innovative and liberating. As magical realism, it's wonderful. However, the representations of non-binary/trans identities made me feel uncomfortable; it may be me misinterpreting Karri/Greta's character, but the story definitely seemed to conflate their gender identity with mental illness and the abuses they suffered at the hands of other people (even the main character) completely fetishised them. It was like like the manic pixie dream girl trope was taken even further. I understand that the book was exploring liminality/slippage/changing identities but I felt like it crossed the line and misrepresented and fetishised trans experience.