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532 reviews for:

Jäniksen vuosi

Arto Paasilinna

3.47 AVERAGE

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

This book is the epitome of sunshine. Just sunshine. Pure joy. I smiled SO much while reading this. 

After a man in the corporate world accidentally hits a hare while driving, he chases after it, and thus begins one of the best literary companionships I’ve ever come across. Vatanen (unofficially) quits his job and lacklustre marriage and traverses Finland from top to bottom (well, bottom to top) with his absolutely fucking ADORABLE bunny friend. We (quite literally) hop around from location to location and escapade to escapade, and it’s just the best thing ever. 

This is wholesome and heartwarming, and it also offers beautiful commentary on the modern man’s relationship with nature, and the absurd rules we have constructed for ourselves. It is an ode to (mis)adventure and spontaneity. I love love love! The perfect book for me to have spontaneously picked up at the beginning of spring and Easter! 
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No

at times brilliantly simple and almost magically wholesome, the book remains an example of man vs wild, with all the unpleasant trappings of that genre, which takes a little away from the otherwise wonderful quiet nordic absurdity.
i particularly enjoyed the first half and the ending is quite good.
the little prince x hemingway x kaurismaki
adventurous funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This was a let down. The first third/half of the book I would give a solid 3/5. Paasilinna writes a dry sort of humor that entertains the reader as they ask, "what the fuck is going on." Things are random and ridiculous in a great way, almost a parody of some aspects of Finnish culture. Paasilinna's absurdist style shines. That was short lived. The rest of the book gets a 0. There's profuse misogyny and sexism, Vatanen's naive charm is replaced with asshole behavior and alcoholism, seemingly out of nowhere. A section is devoted to making fun of Americans, Swedes, and Brazilians. The book becomes horribly boring. The "grand adventures" of Vatanen turn into mundane tasks, the points of which are elusive. The last two chapters allude to this all being some great reflection on life, promoting Vatanen as a kind of hero. There's nothing to back this up. Paasilinna's point was lost, if there was one intended at all. I really wanted to like this, but I am disappointed.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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