Subject
Norwegian literature -- Translations into Finnish Books
Best books
Knut Hamsun
Muuan katuvallankumous
"Muuan katuvallankumous" by Knut Hamsun is a novel written in the early 20th century, likely reflecting the socio-political climate of that time. The book explores themes of revolution and civil unrest, specifically focusing on an uprising that arises in Paris due to the perceived oppression of artists and students by the authorities. This narrative encapsulates various perspectives on the tumultuous atmosphere of a society on the brink of change. The story is narrated by an unnamed protagonist who is drawn into the chaos of a student-led revolt in Paris. It begins when he is roused from sleep to hear about a revolution sparked by a police intervention during a ball at the Moulin Rouge, where artistic expression meets public outcry. As the protests escalate, the protagonist witnesses the growing unrest as students unite with the working class, leading to violent confrontations with police and a breakdown of order in the city. Amidst the chaos, the protagonist struggles with his own opinions about the uprising and is swept along by the tide of events, ultimately confronting the moral complexities of the revolutionary fervor. The narrative culminates in both the physical and emotional turmoil that accompanies societal upheaval, leaving readers with reflections on the cost of change and the nature of freedom.
Knut Hamsun
Elettyjä pikkuseikkailuja
"Elettyjä pikkuseikkailuja" by Knut Hamsun is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The pieces are autobiographical vignettes of “lived little adventures,” shifting from American prairies and Parisian boulevards to a stark Norwegian parish. A frank, restless first-person narrator observes fear, crowds, work, and the uncanny with sharp sensory detail and dry humor. Readers get atmospheric snapshots rather than a single plot, anchored by the narrator’s roaming life. The opening of the collection first offers a compact biographical sketch of the author’s life and major works, then moves into several first-person episodes. In “Pelkoa,” the narrator recalls a night in Madelia on the American prairie when intruders break into a house, triggering overwhelming terror as he bluffs them off with a single bullet. “Muuan katuvallankumous” recreates Paris street unrest in the 1890s, from barricades and smashed lamps to scuffles with police and soldiers, mixing menace with absurdity (an umbrella “confiscated” because “it’s a revolution”). “Aave” returns to a northern childhood: after pocketing a tooth from a graveyard, the boy is haunted for years by a red-bearded apparition with a missing tooth. “Vehnäaavikolla” sketches grueling harvest work on the Red River wheat plains, the eccentric Irishman Evans, a snake slipping into a Swede’s boot, and the raucous post‑payday spree where Evans borrows the narrator’s wallet to gamble, then regains control and wins back money.
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