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A review by unfoldingdrama
New Finnish Grammar by Judith Landry, Diego Marani
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this in translation so all my comments reflect that.
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It's a well-written book but that for me was perhaps one of its flaws. Purporting to be the reconstruction of a sailor's diary, notes and letters as he sought to reclaim his lost identity, the prose of all four main voices which form the text is equally ornate, often filled with vivid metaphors and poetical reflections, the likes of which it is difficult to reconcile with figures that have been presented behind those voices (except perhaps for the shamanistic Lutheran priest who becomes the protagonists closest connection). This adds a sense of melodrama that often feels artificial.
As a linguist too, I appreciated Marani's understanding of language and the processes of learning but was also sometimes left wishing he had gone deeper with his research. For instance, most linguists do not believe languages evolve towards simplicity over time and in fact most people who studied language would not have identified as such until after the second world war. I can give these statements a pass though, as they can be attributed to the narrator rather than the author himself.
Having said all that, it is a good book and asks many important questions about the nature of language, belonging and identity. Ultimately though, I feel it's conclusions, implied through the perhaps unnecessary epilogue, are wrongheaded - although each persons quest for identity though language learning will inevitably be singular and shaped by the times and places they find themselves the quest for belonging amongst people who we do not share a history or language is not a hopeless one
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It's a well-written book but that for me was perhaps one of its flaws. Purporting to be the reconstruction of a sailor's diary, notes and letters as he sought to reclaim his lost identity, the prose of all four main voices which form the text is equally ornate, often filled with vivid metaphors and poetical reflections, the likes of which it is difficult to reconcile with figures that have been presented behind those voices (except perhaps for the shamanistic Lutheran priest who becomes the protagonists closest connection). This adds a sense of melodrama that often feels artificial.
As a linguist too, I appreciated Marani's understanding of language and the processes of learning but was also sometimes left wishing he had gone deeper with his research. For instance, most linguists do not believe languages evolve towards simplicity over time and in fact most people who studied language would not have identified as such until after the second world war. I can give these statements a pass though, as they can be attributed to the narrator rather than the author himself.
Having said all that, it is a good book and asks many important questions about the nature of language, belonging and identity. Ultimately though, I feel it's conclusions, implied through the perhaps unnecessary epilogue, are wrongheaded - although each persons quest for identity though language learning will inevitably be singular and shaped by the times and places they find themselves