533 reviews for:

Jäniksen vuosi

Arto Paasilinna

3.47 AVERAGE


The standout moments of The Year of the Hare come when Paasilinna dwells on the absurd, the wry, the cynical, showing how small upsets in routine can upset even the most stolid and respectable-seeming person. Yet despite those moments, and despite the brisk pace of the prose, this slim novel didn't thrill me. Telling the tale of a middle-aged Finnish man who becomes fed up with his life after a chance encounter with a wild hare, throws in his job as a journalist in Helsinki and heads off into the forest to earn a living through honest labour, Paasilinna's work is sort of an archetypal white male hetero fantasy. There are some dodgy gender politics afoot (the main character, Vatanen, attracts beautiful young women for no discernible reason) and some hilariously dated geopolitics (it was written in the mid 70s, and there's a scene towards the end set in the Soviet Union that was clearly conceived through very rose-tinted spectacles). The end redeems the book somewhat—Vatanen saves the hare but destroys many other things, intentionally and otherwise—but I don't think this is a novel to which I will be returning.
hopeful reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Arto Paasilinna a le don pour nous plonger dans des histoires loufoques, poétiques, pleines d’humour et de tendresse. Les péripéties surréalistes de Vatanen nous laissent perplexes mais nous passionnent. Le manque apparent de logique fait le charme du récit. On s’attache vite à ce lièvre qui change la vie d’un homme en un instant. Fable sur la nature, la liberté, ce roman nous rappelle que nous ne sommes pas faits pour être esclaves d’une vie qui ne nous convient pas et qu’il ne tient qu’à nous de nous en libérer. Superbe !
adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No

Książka się postarzała raczej słabo
lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

"𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭."

Have you ever had a time in your life that you just wanna leave everything behind and walk away? I have. Many times. Reading this book, made me think that the idea doesn't seem too bad. 

The Year of the Hare is the story about this journalist, Vatten who rescues a hare from an accident and chooses to nurse it back to health in the wilderness. He decides that he isn't going back to his mundane life from then on. The hare afterwards becomes Vatten's little partner, travelling all over Finland and meeting all sorts of people.

The book takes you into the wilderness or countryside of Finland, a place I really want to visit. I have always been fascinated with the places there, ever since I was young. The book mentions several places in Finland that I definitely want to visit, including Helsinki, Ranua, and Turku. Also,  I wanna chase the Northern Lights.

I think this book is very interesting but it loses something in its translation. I personally believe that the book will resonate more when it is read in its original language. 

If you're at a mid-point in your life and looking for a slower pace or a light read, then this book is for you.

emotional inspiring medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Yes
adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No