Booklist

Our dear Helsingin sanomat published a review of a recent book by Jason Lavery: History of Finland Their conclusion: Written from clearly an American vantage point, this is a welcome addition to general presentations of Finnish history.

Inside Finland, the most influential books about history are the books by Väinö Linna:
Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) , the realistic war novel about Continuation war. And Under the North Star (Pohjantähden alla) , story of Pentinkulma village from late 19th centrury through civil war. These are books as well known and frequently quoted as Shakespeare and Harry Potter in the English-speaking world; quotes have become proverbs and the characters celebrities and stereotypes, strengthened by filmed versions. So when a Finn says "Thank you so very much, I'll manage with this at least for half a year", there is more in it than the plain words. Unfortunately, the English translations have a bad reputation (are there newer versions ?) . See the movie.

Talking about books: The real Moomin are the thick black-and-white books. These are the guys in Moomin mugs. The pink and lavender Japanese cartoons and soft toys based on them are .. not the real thing.

However, when I bring books from Finland as gifts to foreign kids, I prefer Mauri Kunnas
His Santa Claus book is available in zillion languagaes, and he has made versions of many Finnish classics (Canine Kalevala, Seven brothers) and pieces of history (the Vikings) !