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sachairi's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
lullabies's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
5.0
this is a lot like the lesbian frog and toad but with the complexity of entire orbits… which is to say this is in fact a perfect little book with very big ideas hidden within charming little mundane scenarios that i could just live inside. truly, truly wonderful
jportfolio's review against another edition
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
This book reads more like a series of short stories about the same two main characters than a linear novel. The chapters are mostly focused on their interactions in relation to their art, ideas, and mature years. It’s different and I had a little trouble placing my opinions about it but it’s also elegantly written and I appreciated their friendship.
thisisstephenbetts's review
5.0
These stories feel like they've been earned - you can't just set out to write something as understated, wise and sincere without the requisite experience. Jansson's storytelling is elegantly spare, and each tale conveys what feels like a lifetime's detail, encapsulated in a small vignette of a few pages. It is as if Jansson is sketching enormous, imposing landscapes in just a few strokes.
The theme of the book is the relationship between Mari (Jansson's proxy) and Jonna another artist - both around 70 years old - in all its fractious, stubborn argumentative devotion. They have clearly been together so long that each manages the other like one would an old car (or, more appropriately, an old boat), of which you know all that idiosyncrasies and annoyances and how to cope with them, and that, additionally, you dearly love. Contentment may be the word, but without any connotation of "settling".
Their stories are told in tiny vignettes, illustrating many varied aspects of their diverse life together. It's similar in that regard to The Summer Book, although personally I preferred this. In fact I started it again the moment I finished it, the first time I have done that with a prose novel, but, at just 100 pages, I was left wanting more. A beautiful little book.
The theme of the book is the relationship between Mari (Jansson's proxy) and Jonna another artist - both around 70 years old - in all its fractious, stubborn argumentative devotion. They have clearly been together so long that each manages the other like one would an old car (or, more appropriately, an old boat), of which you know all that idiosyncrasies and annoyances and how to cope with them, and that, additionally, you dearly love. Contentment may be the word, but without any connotation of "settling".
Their stories are told in tiny vignettes, illustrating many varied aspects of their diverse life together. It's similar in that regard to The Summer Book, although personally I preferred this. In fact I started it again the moment I finished it, the first time I have done that with a prose novel, but, at just 100 pages, I was left wanting more. A beautiful little book.
brookegabor's review
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bluestarfish's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. There's an excellent introduction by Ali Smith at the beginning that talks about how little seems to actually happen but how much also happens in the sparse language and tales in the book. Basically, wot she said. There are several short stories about work and love that interweave into a wonderful portrait of a couple, Jonna and Mari, to whom both are important. It is amazing how much Tove Jansson covers in so few pages.