Our Daily Bread

[Ravvy]

Had some great time off work last week; went to mom & dad's house in northern Minnesota with my daughter. Cross country skiing, saunas, mom's cooking, and some good books.

I finally finished reading an English translation of "Our Daily Bread" by Kalle Päätalo. Anyone have any comments about this book and/or this series? Halfway through the book, I had quit reading it about a dozen times. My thoughts were "how many times can one write about skiing to the rich people's houses to beg for a sack of flour?" Over and over again, I quit reading but reluctantly returned to the book. I'm glad I stuck with it because the 2nd half went much better (or I got better acclimated), and now I'm into the 2nd book of the series.

Any comments from the fearless Finland Forum members out there?

[EP]

Well, some years ago I honestly tried to read one of his books. I don´t think I ever accomplished the task, and I am still totally perplexed why people bought and read his books every single year for decades. He used to be "the most productive" author in Finland. But I raise my non-existent hat for you for completing the task.

Was it a translation by Richard Impola? He is getting old, and I wish he would have chosen some other books to translate, now there would be more readable Finnish books in English. Why did he have to choose Päätalo?

[Hank W.]

There is this infamous book that describes *one day* and is almost a thousand pages... Seriously, I read long books, even Finnish like Waltari and he has his low moments.. and lengthy books but still...

[Ravvy]

Was it a translation by Richard Impola?

YUP.

"Before the Storm" seems to be off to a better start. However this pace is sometimes excruciating. I'm almost expecting to read how many steps it is from the Naavala house to the new bridge, then get a description of each step and how it differs in daylight vs. night, and summer vs. winter. But somehow I'm sticking with it. Sometimes sisu doesn't make any sense.

[Karhunkoski]

Any comments from the fearless Finland Forum members out there?

Yup, his books are extremely boring IMHO, however for some older Finns his work has helped explain some parts of Finnish history that was avoided when they were at school.

[EP]

There is a Finnish author who beats Päätalo in slowness: Volter Kilpi. In 1933 came a book named Alastalon salissa. It has about 800 pages, and it is all about some men talking about investing to a ship. All 800 pages in one room. For example there is a scene where one of the men walks across the room to choose himself the most suitable pipe. His walk across the room and choosing the pipe takes about 70 pages.

[Hank W.]

All 800 pages in one room.

Yup, thats the one I was referring to.

[sammy]

There is a Finnish author who beats Päätalo in slowness: Volter Kilpi. In 1933 came a book named Alastalon salissa. It has about 800 pages, and it is all about some men talking about investing to a ship. All 800 pages in one room. For example there is a scene where one of the men walks across the room to choose himself the most suitable pipe. His walk across the room and choosing the pipe takes about 70 pages.

It must be a bit like Proust then - the first book of his famous "Remembrance of Things Past", Combray, takes hundreds of pages and all that 'really' happens is that the protagonist wakes up (well to be honest there's a lot of reminiscing over a piece of pastry but essentially the real-time action is limited to a fleeting moment of waking up)

Haven't read the Volter Kilpi thingy, probably should at leat give it a try. It's supposed to be in the same league somewhat as the more knotty James Joyce novels. Päätalo's use of language isn't so complicated perhaps, but his Iijoki, I've heard, still is another ultimate snooze-a-thon if you don't fancy long-winded storytelling.

[Hank W.]

I think Alastalon Salissa was one of the "required reading" for literature class at school...

»Olihan Langholma isonen ja kieltämättä pitäjän pää, eikä Alastalo sitä vastaan napissut, koska hyväkin pyörä kärrynrattaissa aina tarvitsee akselinnavan huhkiaksensa kehillänsä, ja koska tuolupuissakin tukki on tarpeen, jotta on lointa ja loimissa tämmi sukkulan syöstä kuteitansa ja kaiteen naputtaa kangastansa, mutta ylpeäksi meni Alastalon niska kuitenkin nyt ja tukan alla karahutteli veren varsa korskiansa, koska viimein oltiin näin pitkällä, ja vaelto nyt salissa käärö kourassa ja kahden talven työn ähinä piirtopaperilla valmiina puhtain viivoin ja linjaalivedoin, eikä Langholmallakaan muuta tekemistä kuin keikutella keinutuolilla ja odotella niin kuin muutkin ja kuka hyvänsä: napa kuin napa, mutta rattaan hyrrä virstat jättää; ja loimi tukilla lointa tukilla, mutta kankaan verka vasta kyynärissä mitataan.»

Rrrright... Then again I've been reading Josephus and his history of the Jewish War and the fall of Jerusalem and it isn't any much better.

[RA]

Jeepers, that was one long sentence. By the time I got to the middle of it I lost sense of what the beginning was... I got Waltari's something Kaupunki from my MIL when I'd been here just over a year, I still haven't managed to make it past page one without dozing off. I can read newspapers and can even get through my course books and notes and lectures, but Finnish 'classic' literature...aaarrggh.

[Ravvy]

but his Iijoki ...

Curious coincidence that our destination for next summer is generally the area of Finland which is the setting for his story. The place we are renting is on the Iijoki east of Ii.

[Hank W.]

I find it appropriate the longest series of books to be economically named according to the shortest (named) river

[Andrew_S]

All 800 pages in one room.

Yup, thats the one I was referring to.

Reminded me of, is it Ulysses by James Joyce? I haven't read it - long and difficult they say. All set in one day, the day Eugen Shauman shot Bobrakoff (sp?) - which gets a mention, apparently.

[littlefrank]

I have read most of his books, I don't usually read historical novels, but I studied social history and thought they might be worth a read, some friends said they were a fairly accurate portrayal of Finnish life. Some interesting things came out of the books e.g. finn's crossing the border into the Soviet Union' in search of a 'better' life, I liked to look more into that, so yeah they're ok. To perpetuate a myth, what were you expecting from a Finnish author, dialogue?

[Ravvy]

... what were you expecting from a Finnish author, dialogue?

heh heh, I understand your point, and I wasn't trying to compare his works to "Hunt for Red October" or Lonesome Dove". Just that it seems like V. Linna or Heitamies (Red Moon Over White Sea) created scenes a bit more "efficiently", lets say. Perhaps this pace is intended to reflect the pace of life in the selko; not exactly the most dynamic and exciting lifestyle in the world.