My Estonia 2: Berry Junkies, Nordic Elves, and Real Estate Fever

Minu... #27

by Justin Petrone

The year was 2003, the country Estonia. Great changes were blowing across this small land perched in the fringes of the north - a vote to join a union of European nations, a blizzard of Western consumerism, a feverish demand for real estate. Bankrolled by Scandinavian moneymen, it promised to draw a sheet over the corpse of the socialist economy and make everything shiny and new. While Estonia pondered its fate as a new member of the glittering West, I wrestled with my own fate as a husband and father to be, at the age of 23. I had been drawn to northern Europe by its gem-like allure but now had to deal with the permanence of my decisions. I was being pulled apart, tugged back and forth between this land of forest people who were hard to befriend and the needs of my own big Italian-American family. As the days grew crushingly short and the polar night set in, a tense debate between destiny and free will stormed within me. Was this what I had wanted?

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

370 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2011

About the author

A native New Yorker, writer and journalist Justin Petrone has been living in Northern Europe for more than 20 years. With a dozen books to his name and hundreds of articles, he specializes in travel memoirs and experimental dream fiction. His work has appeared in Standart and Edasi.

Reviews

[Daniela Medina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first book of the Minu Eesti series earlier this year, and while I didn't properly "hate" it, I did feel certain sort of capricious angst against Justin, the writer and protagonist of the book(s). I just didn't like the way he approached life, made decisions, expressed himself… I just didn't like him! His inability of thinking about others rather than just himself pissed me off from the first to the last page. And, in addition, I found his constant whining utterly childish and annoying. But the book gave me a priceless chance to get a bit closer to the Estonian ways, culture and language, and I appreciated that.

With this second book of the series, luckily and contrary to what I had expected, the experience was quite different. I was surprised to find Justin acting more like a mature dad-to-be and less like a selfish teenage-ish bastard. There's no doubt he's grown up and has finally started focusing on the important stuff: while in the last book he spent endless pages complaining about the dark and depressing years of his past life (not such a big deal, to be honest) and acting all drama-queen about everything and anything permanently, this time he has started to realize that he's actually taking roots in his beloved wife's country and there's still much work to do. He has finally started to sort important issues out and worry about real adulthood problems: job, money, flat, wife, present, future. About time, Justin! I was starting to lose my hope on you.

The plot of this book is much more interesting than the previous one's. This time, Justin goes deeper and deeper into regular human fears, weaknesses and concerns and I even felt some sort of sympathy for him. He has grown up and learned a lot, he has already had his shares of up and downs and consequently he's started to think like a proper adult. Although there're a couple of quirky passages and some chapters are quite boring, my overall experience with this book is absolutely positive.

Epp is still my favourite character. She's just hilarious, spontaneous, a bit freak-ish, yes, but still unavoidably lovable. I like her outlandish ways and bright way to see life. I also liked that drunken friend of hers who later turned out to be surprisingly charming.

And well, once again I have to insist on the fact that the very best thing about these books is their capacity of bringing a bit of the Estonian culture to you, no matter where you are or where you were born. This book has increased my curiosity on this tiny but particular and beautiful country in the opposite side of the world. Can't wait to be there!

[Mary Germain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Not quite as good as Book 1 but I like Justin's writing and now follow his blog.

[Maria Lasprilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part had more of a central story to it. This one had it too: the search of what wants in life. But it was weaker. And it felt at times that some of the ideas where incomplete and chapters finished that way. In the plus side, I liked that after having lived in Estonia longer than when I read the first part I understood a lot more of the local culture from a foriegners perspective. The mystery remains. Also, one will always have one leg here and one leg there. Wise Leena. Lastly, what's up with us foreigners wondering whether we truly want to be here forever, weighing options yet standing still. Slowly making our lives in and out of dark and cold winters? Forgetting all about it every summer...

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ei tea, kas viga oli raamatus või minus, aga esimesed parkümmend lehekülge ei tahtnud eriti edeneda, Peale seda suutis autor aga teost aina põnevamaks kruttida ja viimasel leheküljel oli juba kahju, et lõpp nii ruttu saabus.
Meeldib, kuidas autoril on igal leheküljel mitu sidusat uut mõtet, mis kenasti lugeja jaoks terviku moodustab.

[Liis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esimese osaga ei anna võrreldagi kuna seal oli rohkem eestluse teemat. Selle raamatu teemad mind isiklult niivõrd ei kõiguta, kuigi huvitav oli lugeda näiteks oma pesa otsinguist. See raamat ei kuulu kategooriasse, mida mina isiklikult lugeda soovitaksin.

[Gerly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book! Read longer from my blog.

[zbindenap · Rating 4 out of 5]

not quite as intriguing as volume 1, but still worth reading.

I also liked the pictures in the appendix

[Preili Pipar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huhh...:) I need to improve my English :D So I could read faster.
But I liked that book and recommend. It is interesting to read how foreigner sees Estonian people. Yeah, we are quite funny nation:)

[Kristel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mõned inimesed elavad siin juba viiskümmend aastat ega oska ainsatki sõna.. .

[Brita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kuna Justin Petrone mõtted ja tegevused Eestist ei mahtunud ühte raamatusse, siis tegi ta neid lausa 3. Käesolev on 2. osa ning kirjeldab taaskord pigem eneseotsinguid, Tallinnas elamiskõlbuliku korteri otsimist ning Saaremaa inimesi. Nagu eelmisestki raamatust, traditsioonilist Minu-sarja reisiraamatut siit ei leia.

Hea on see, et ma ei pidanud selles raamatus enam pettuma, kuna sarja esimene osa mulle enam mingisuguseid ootuseid 2. osa jaoks ei jätnud. Justini mõtted ja teod on minu jaoks endiselt arusaamatult naiivsed. Ainus positiivne tõik selle raamatu juures on, et see ei jätnud mind lollimaks, nagu mõned 1-tärnilised raamatud seda teevad.
Mis seal ikka, ennastkaristavalt võtan ette ka kolmanda osa, siis saab linnukese kirja- ka sel korral plaanin läheneda raamatule ilma igasuguste ootusteta, kuna lootust, et läheb paremaks, ei ole.

[Margit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Petrone kirjutab päris hästi ja humoorikalt. Kui ma tema raamatut alustan, siis saab see tavaliselt üsna kiirelt läbi.
Ta käsitleb Eestit üsna põhjalikult ja uudishimuga. Seda võib ta teha nii positiivsete kui negatiivsete nähtuste puhul ning negatiivsete puhul rõhutab või eksotiseerib ta neid eriliselt.
Naiste puhul leiab tihtipeale äramärkimist nende büsti suurus.
Tõlkija Raivo Hool on head tööd teinud, jutt on ladus.

[Reelika Raimet · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://raamaturiiulike.wordpress.com...

[Indigoaalane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raamatu põhiteema näol oli tegemist ääretult aktuaalse küsimusega- kas ja kuidas on võimalik kohaneda teises kultuuriruumis. Väga tahaks lugeda selle muinasjutu järellugu, kuidas kohanevad need lapsed, kelle ema räägib üht, isa teist ja lasteaiakaaslased kolmandat keelt. Kuidas lepitakse vanemate ja vanavanematega, kes elavad lastelastest tuhandete kilomeetrite kaugusel (armas jumal, palun ära anna mulle sellist saatust...)
Ma võin sõnades olla ülitolerantne, kuid tegelikult, andke mulle andeks, ma ei tahaks oma perre isegi mitte soomlast.
Vastik dilemma, mille ühel pool on poliitkorrektne tolerantsus: inimene on inimene, ma ju armastan oma last ja tahan, et ta oleks õnnelik. Kuidas saan ma keelata või vastu olla kui väilismaine George Clooney ta õnnelikuks teeb? Ja teisalt- egoistlik soov armastada ja oma lähedal hoida lapselast....
Armastuses ja suhetes võidab lähedus. Nii see paraku on.

Loe veel
http://indigoaalane.blogspot.com/2011...