Kerjäläinen ja jänis

by Tuomas Kyrö

Romanialainen Vatanescu haluaa itselleen tulevaisuuden ja pojalleen nappulakengät. Matka kerjäläiseksi kylmään ja pimeään maahan alkaa. Vatanescu tuntee Suomen Arto Paasilinnan romaaneista, mutta kovin toisenlaiselta maa asvaltin pinnasta polvillaan katsottuna vaikuttaa. Tulee konflikti, jonka jälkeen Vatanescun on paettava niin kansainvälistä rikollisuutta kuin suomalaista poliisiakin. Pakomatkalla sankarimme löytää kohtalotoverin, kuolemaantuomitun citykanin. Yhteinen matka kuljettaa kerjäläistä ja kania ensin Lappiin marjanpoimijoiksi, sitten Kansallis-Ideaparkin rakennustyömaalle - ja lopulta suomalaisen politiikan huipulle.

Kerjäläinen ja jänis on kiihkeätempoinen ja lämminhenkinen satiiri Suomesta ja Euroopasta, rikkaista ja köyhistä, almuista, aatteista ja armosta. Kyrömäistä terää unohtamatta. Mukana kuvioissa pyörivät myös venäläinen ihmiskauppias Jegor, kiinalainen kokki Ming, suomalainen ukko Harri Pykström ja virolainen rakennusmies Öunap. Tarinan erityisvieraana piipahtaa maan johtava populistipoliitikko Simo Pahvi.Kyrön uusin romaani Kerjäläinen ja jänis pohjautuu tekijän samannimiseen kuunnelmaan, joka sai ensiesityksensä YLE:n Radio 1:ssä 27.3.2011.

Genres: Fiction, Finnish Literature, Humor, Contemporary, Novels, Animals, Classics

327 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Tuomas Kyrö is a Finnish author and comic book illustrator.

FI: Tuomas Kyrö on suomalainen romaaneja, kolumneja, pakinoita, draamaa sekä sarja- ja pilakuvia tuottanut kirjailija ja sarjakuvapiirtäjä. Kyrö on palkittu muun muassa Kalevi Jäntin rahaston palkinnolla vuonna 2005 ja Nuori Aleksis -palkinnolla 2006. Hänen teoksensa Liitto oli ehdolla Finlandia-palkinnon saajaksi vuonna 2005. Kyrö oli Eeva Joenpellon kirjailijakodin ensimmäinen stipendiaatti vuosina 2005–2009. Nykyisin hän asuu perheineen Janakkalassa.

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This poetic journey through Finland by an illegal Romanian immigrant and a lost rabbit he adopts shows off the problems of homelessness, human traffickers and the "good" societies that depend on cheap, foreign labour for their business towers and golf courses.

It's all about the haves and the have nots, but told in a magical and urban-legend-like fashion.

The plot meanders somewhat and you can't expect a realistic description of the proper care of a wild rabbit, but the wonderful tone and simple beauty of the story make up for the flaws.

According to other reviews, it's a spin or a type of fan fic on the modern Finnish classic The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna.

[Antonomasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5] A really charming semi-comic novel. At least I think so - the average rating disagrees. (I rounded up my stars here because of that.)

My biggest criticism, one important enough to put near the top of the review, is that it would be very bad for a rabbit (or indeed hare) to feed it the diet mentioned here. The protagonist, being outdoors most of the time, could have set it down on lawns regularly to graze, without the plot needing to be changed. Also, near the end it's kept on its own in a hutch - and that's worse still when there's money available to give it a great environment, and that it was more than attached enough to its human to pretty much need to be a house rabbit. This is a sweet fairytale-like novel which is also a tribute to a classic; I think people realise that real wild animals won't usually become tame this easily, and that droppings would be an issue if carrying a pet around all day - but pet rabbits are commonly not fed well and the author should have done some research and tried not to perpetuate that. Also, they're unlikely to put their ears down when they're frightened - they have them to listen for danger.

The Beggar and the Hare (the creature in the book is actually a rabbit) is a contemporary retelling of The Year of the Hare, which I also loved. In The Year of the Hare, Vatanen, a journalist, drops out of mainstream society and travels rural Finland in the company of an injured hare he adopted. Here, a trafficked Romanian, Vatanescu, evades his Russian gangmaster and goes on the run, with a rabbit with a broken leg, who'd escaped teenagers killing pests for cash-in-hand. The books' atmospheres are quite different, due to the personalities of their respective protagonists. Vatanen is cynical and stressed, like a marginally younger Reginald Perrin with a love of the outdoors. Vatanescu has a quality described as 'purity' by one character, but that sounds worse out of context... he has something like the stumbling openness of Forrest Gump or Chauncey Gardner but is still fairly quick-witted. On some level he hasn't lost hope or become as cynical as do most people who've lived through difficult circumstances at his age (mid 30s). Vatanen has a choice, Vatanescu doesn't; he tries to point this out when he meets a fan of the original.I loved the bit where he realised he'd read the book in Romania, after finding a copy in a skip... I can't be the only person on GR who's re-read a book from their teenage years and realised, bloody hell, I re-enacted that scene.

It's more akin to Harold Fry and The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window, and I liked it more than both of those. I'm very fond of this format; a long, more or less picaresque, journey where the reader and the protagonist meet a succession of characters. Of the story archetypes, perhaps it's a quest without any McGuffin known to the protagonist. This has more detail and depth than either the Joyce or the Jonasson, in its well-observed descriptions of people and culture, whilst not losing humour and flippancy. (I also love when translations don't erase half-mysterious little allusions to other cultures ... e.g. that in the 80s most people preferred to watch rural cop shows - there's evidently a particular long-running hit referred to - or the two supermarkets often found on the same road, one beginning with K rather like our Waitrose and the one beginning with S that's more like Tesco.)
It has the sentiment and something of the trajectory of Harold Fry but I found this book sweet and moving where Rachel Joyce's novel was sickly and saccharine. (Perhaps because it seemed the author wasn't preaching to the reader, simply telling the characters' stories. The bits in italics, Vatanescu's thoughts and speech, could have been cheesy but I felt they were pitched just right; I heard them as having a sometimes koan-like quality, a person trying to get out the things most important to them in a language not their own; not in touch with an idiom rather than cloying.) Allan Karlsson, the Hundred Year Old Man, is a bit cold, and the politics of that book perhaps subtly lean rightwards. And there's little doubt that a book with an undocumented Romanian migrant as the hero doesn't... although the politician who adopts Vatanescu has some conservative opinions. Karlsson was very amusing as a character but not necessarily someone I'd want to hang out with, and Harold Fry was in all honesty a bit boring aside from his adventure. But Vatanescu: nice guy, interesting life, good opinions. I observed before that the currently popular subgenre of old-man-has-adventure makes the protagonist unthreatening via his age - Kyrö instead plays it less safe, taking a type of person widely considered threatening and making him a sympathetic hero. (As one character observes, the animal is the key to his seeming sweet, not scary.)

This book, has, I think, been under-promoted given that there is a good-sized UK audience for light Nordic fiction. I only knew about it through following the translator's blog, and have never seen it mentioned elsewhere without searching for it. Okay, it's never going to appeal to UKIP voters, but they surely aren't a big part of the audience for translated contemporary fiction - and for all that the last couple of chapters aren't as good as the rest, this was almost as funny as huge hit The Hundred Year Old Man whilst having a lot more heart and likeability, and politics that will sit more comfortably with many who read translated books.

[Katia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet book, written in an intricate and unique way. Questions on society are raised by this simple man and his hare - with the author able to draw metaphors efficiently, clearly and eloquently. The whole book is exciting - you have no idea what could happen on the next page.

[Jemysieni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tähän oli melko pieneen tilaan saatu pakattua ihmisoikeuskysymyksiä, rikollisuutta, populismia ja kani. Ainakin äänikirjana tähän meni hetki päästä sisään, mutta sen jälkeen varsin viihdyttävä yhteiskuntaa satiirisesti käsittelevä teos. Vähän kihisin siitä, ettei teoksessa kanille tarjottu lähes lainkaan kanille sopivaa ruokaa. Tähtiä putosi myös sen vuoksi, etten lopulta saanut kaikista oleellisista hahmoista otetta. Vaikka Pirjo Heikkilä oli tähän oivallinen lukija, toivon että olisin lukenut tämän fyysisenä kirjana, koska Kyrön kielellistä ilotulitusta olisi tehnyt paikoin mieli jäädä makustelemaan pidempäänkin. Luulen myös, että teoksesta olisi saanut enemmän irti, jos olisi lukenut Paasilinnan Jäniksen vuoden alle.

[Morana Mazor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovo je super, KAO jednostavno, a u stvari govori toliko toga..

[Mark McKenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for free when I was working at Waterstones and have only just got round to reading it, some 6 years later... Glad I kept hold of it though, it's an interesting read exploring themes of migration, capitalism and class. The translation has been handled well I feel, I'll definitely look out for more translated Kyrö in the future.

[Angel 一匹狼 · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Beggar and the Hare" is a very interesting and fun book that doesn't stray to far away from the quirky comedy formula that seems to be one of the two huge genres popular in the North of Europe (the other being mysteries). I'm pretty sure that there is more variety, but we just seem to get those two (The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, A Man Called Ove..., The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Faceless Killers...).

"The Beggar and the Hare" differs from the two I referred to above in which the hero in this one is an illegal Romanian immigrant that ends in Finland "working" as a beggar for a mafia. He soon finds himself released from this job and on the run, where we he teams up with a hare, and they both together travel around the country and meet all kind of strange people (Vietnamese restaurant owner, retired army man, etc etc...). With these kind of books, which are kind of one joke (out of water fish crossing paths with more or less your average Joes, who are kind of exposed through the "innocent" eyes of the hero) it is easy for the joke to get old. Kyrö overcomes this problem giving something to do to some other characters (specially bad guy Jegor) and keeping the irony coming. But he struggles a little bit, and the novel loses steam as it advances.

The novel is easy to read, with an style that is direct, simple, but good. Tuomas Kyrö is trying to make you think, but not too much, and not too obviously. If you just want to enjoy the story of Vatanescu, you can. If you want to think about it, that you can too. But critics to our 21st society, we have a lot published every year and Kyrö doesn't break apart from the pack.

It has to be noted too that Tuomas Kyrö's novel is kind of a homage (he doesn't hide the fact, as he references it in the novel) to Arto Paasilinna's The Year of the Hare. Reading this novel and knowing more about Finnish culture and literature would probably help in enjoying this "The Beggar and the Hare". It is still a lot of fun. With a side of critic to today's society

6,5

[Päivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

..."Sen kun ihminen voisi ihmiselle antaa, mutta tilalla on kiire, ansainta, kuolemanpelko ja ainainen väsymys. Renkaat silmien alla, renkaat leasing-auton alla, tuli perseen alla, liekki lusikan alla, täällä pohjantähden alla." Kielelle kolme tähteä, tarinalle kaksi hölmön lopun takia.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike anything I've read before. A whimsical-yet-satirical fable that reminded me a little of a Nordic take on the Odyssey, filled with fully realised characters and stories, insightful commentary, and a wonderfully wry humour. Brilliant.

[Saskya van Nouhuys · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is inspired by The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna, which is a book I really enjoyed. I liked the premise of this one, and some parts of it, but it had an overall superficial feel to it.

[Janne Paananen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tuomas Kyrön "Kerjäläinen ja jänis" on kuin turboahdettua Arto Paasilinnaa. Vatanescu on romanialainen kerjäläinen, joka päätyy Suomeen hommiin. Venäläinen Jegor pyörittää kerjäläisjengiä ja muitakin hämäriä bisneksiä menestyksellä.

Vatanescun kohtalona ei kuitenkaan ole kerjätä venäjän mafialle rahaa. Kumppanikseen läpi Suomen kulkevalle matkalleen hän saa jäniksen. Vatanesculla on yksi tavoite. Ansaita sen verran rahaa, että voi ostaa hienot jalkapallokengät ja lähettää ne Romaniaan pojalleen. Tavoite vie hänet lapin hillasoille, sieltä kauppakeskuksen rakennustyömaalle ja lopulta junaan taikurin avustajaksi. Matkalla luottamus ja ystävyys jäniksen kanssa syvenee ja löytyy sieltä jostain matkan varrelta se epätodennäköisinkin, rakkaus. Hän saa myös osansa myös sosiaalisessa mediassa ja päätyy lopulta politiikkaan.

Kyrö viljelee reilusti yhteiskuntakritiikkiä. Populistisen puolueen nousu ja tuho, syyt ja seuraukset käydään läpi. Malli on haettu luonnollisesti Perussuomalaisista. Tämänkaltaiset viittaukset ovat kirjassa ehkä liiankin ilmiselviä.

Kirjan tempo on rivakka ja se on helppolukuinen, joskin alussa oli hieman hankala päästä jyvälle, että mistä kirjassa on kysymys. Kyrö marssittaa esiin melkoisen henkilökavalkadin, josta lapissa alasti maillaan hihhuloiva Harri Pykström on mielestäni oikein hersyvä hahmo.

Paikoitellen "Kerjäläinen ja jäniksen" tarina hieman leviää ja en erityisesti pitänyt Perussuomalaisten tarinan uusinnasta, mutta siitäkin huolimatta ihan pätevä teos. Muutamat röhönaurut tuli päästettyä.

[mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a re-working, sequel-ish but not really, homage-ful take on Paasilinna's "The Year of the Hare", a modern classic of Finnish literature. Both have a hare found alongside the road by a character who has lost his moorings, the hare providing the "human" warmth that the character has been unknowingly seeking. Both are a sort of bildungsroman abounding in picaresques episodes. Highly recommended, as is the original - and to fully get this one, it is highly recommended to read the Paasilinna book first.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, if at times depressing and a little scary reflection on western society and where we are heading. I know it is supposed to be a heart warming (oh I hate that term!) And whimsical tale of a Romanian beggar and his rabbit (it is a hare not a rabbit, they are two different things) through the length of Finland. And through it there's a lot on commentary on today's society, which I guess is unavoidable given the subject. I can't decide about the ending, was it supposed to be happy or were they all just sucked into the great machine. It also references a famous Finnish book, Year of the Hare, which I have not read, so perhaps I am missing some clever witty thing because of that.

[Tanabrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Questo romanzo, che già dal titolo richiama il celebre L'anno della lepre, è un bel connubio di parodia e satira.

Comincia parodizzando il libro di Paasilinna,attualizzandolo, e mostrandoci a metà anni '70 Vatanescu (ovviamente il nome rimanda a Vatanen, l'eroedi Paasilinna) che da un villaggio poverissimo della Romania viene portato clandestinamente in Finlandia da un trafficante di esseri umani (insieme alla sorella, che invece verrà depositata in un bordello lungo la strada).
Il suo scopo è semplice: fare un po' di soldi per poter comprare al figlio delle scarpette da calcio, il suo sogno.
Il modo per raggiungere tale scopo è apparantemente altrettanto semplice: Kugar, il trafficante russo, lo introduce alla professione dell'accattonaggio professionale, presentandolo come un business moderno, con tanto di benefit, piani assicurativi e quant'altro.

Alla fine Vatanescu, quasi per sbaglio, si ribella attaccado il trafficante e fuggendo. Nella sua fuga raccoglie un coniglio, salvandolo da una banda di ragazzini che gli dà la caccia in quanto coniglio fuorilegge, colpevole di avere sconfinato nel territorio urbano.
La coppia Vatanescu-coniglio comincia quindi a vagare per la Finlandia, come a suo tempo la coppia Vatanen-lepre. Però se Vatanen era finlandese, conosciuto, con i documenti in regola e soldi a disposizione, nel nuovo mondo globalizzato e caotico Vatanescu è un clandestino, senza soldi, documenti né diritti, e nemmeno parla la lingua finlandese. Il suo viaggio, ben meno poetico di quello di Vatanen, è il viaggio alla ricerca di un lavoro, di soldi, di un minimo di sicurezza.

Anche lui finisce con l'incontrare la gente più disparata, ma mentre le pagine scorrono finiscono anche le somiglianze forzate con l'altro libro, e resta solo l'ironia (nel libro stesso Vatanescu viene indicato come emulo di Vatanen da un finlandese che aveva voluto seguirne le orme senza però riuscirci), assieme alla satira che attacca la società contemporane finlandese e globale, con l'apoteosi del presidente del Partito dei Piccoli Agricoltori Qualunque poi diventato il Partito dell'Uomo Qualunque, populista all'ennesima potenza.

Un libro piacevole, che si legge velocemente, ma che non ha la profondità del libro di Paasilinna né la sfrontatezza di uno Stefano Benni, sul piano della satira. Uno scrittore comunque interessante, e un bel libro che ci mostra una finlandia tristemente più vicina al mondo che conosciamo, tra corruzione, sfruttamento dei lavoratori stranieri, disoccupazione, abusi e immigrazione clandestina.

[Matti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ei tämä hyvä ollut. Muistuttaa hyvin läheisesti Arto Paasilinnan teoksia, joihin myös kolmeen otteeseen viitataan. Varmasti siis jonkinlaisesta pastissista tai kunnianosoituksesta Jäniksen vuodelle on kyse. Kyrö on kehitellyt laajan hahmogallerian, joka sitten yksi kerrallaan esitellään lukijalle, kun päähenkilö heidät tapaa. Hahmot on tarkoitettu ilmeisen harkituiksi ominaisuuksiltaan ja humoristisiksi kansanluonteen kuvaajiksi, mutta näin tarinan ohikulkijoina jäävät kovin ohuiksi, eivätkä huvita.

Kirja on pyritty vimmaisesti sitomaan aikaansa, tekstiin on siroteltu häiritsevän paljon ajankohtaisia aiheita, kuten Perussuomalaiset, ilmaveivi, Facebook, Zumba, navigaattorit, "terveysjukurtti", pikavippi, Master Chef -ohjelma, Kreikan luottokelpoisuusongelma – jopa kirjan aihe on ajankuva: romanialaiset kerjäläiset Helsingissä.

Tarinassa on tasan yksi viittaus kirjailijaan itseensä: "...olen kaikkitietävä kertoja". Tämä tuo yhtäkkiä täysin irrallisen ja ärsyttävän metatason muuten suhteellisen ehjään kerrontaan.

Päähenkilö Vatanescun mietteitä kuvataan kursiivilla. Sen käyttö on sikäli hämmentävää että välillä kursivoitu teksti on hänen ajatuksiaan, välillä puhetta. Välillä ehkä englantia, välillä suomea tai jotakin muuta kieltä. Koskaan ei voi tietää mitä tarkoitetaan.

Kirjailijalla on ilmeisesti käsitys että syntymässä lapsille annetaan molempien vanhempien sukunimet ja näin ollen eri kansalaisuuksien edustajien saadessa keskenään lapsia syntyy hassunhauskoja nimiyhdistelmiä tyyliin Anneli Vatanescu-Pommakka ja Ling Irmeli Po-Virtanen. Myös jotkin hahmojen nimet kuten Simo Pahvi kuulostavat yksinkertaisesti liian keksityiltä ollakseen enää hauskoja.

Kirja on selkeästi mietitty kivaksi kulutustavaraksi. Moni varmasti tästä kovasti nauttii mökillä iltalukemisena. Mutta en usko että tällä on muutaman vuoden päästä enää mitään annettavaa. Jos tarkoitus oli vain muistuttaa Paasilinnasta, siinä onnistuttiin kyllä.

Paras kohta: "Miksi samana vuonna piti pystyä ratkaisemaan hiusten väri, sukupuolinen suuntaus, opiskeluala, elämänasenne ja se mitä puoluetta äänestää?"

[Libros Prestados · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro es una sátira, de la sociedad finlandesa, pero también de la sociedad europea. De una sociedad aletargada, con buenas intenciones pero muchas veces errada en el método. Y en el caso de Finlandia, una sociedad que tiene la mayor parte de sus necesidades cubiertas (hogar, comida, sanidad) pero ha perdido algo en el camino, como el compañerismo o la empatía.

Al final este libro es un drama vestido de comedia. Nos habla de Vatanescu, un rumano que al no tener dinero para comprarle unas botas de fútbol con tacos a su hijo, se ve en la obligación de viajar a Finlandia a trabajar a las órdenes de un mafiso ruso llamado Jegor Kugar. Y con ironía y un puntito (bastante) de mala leche, nos va mostrando la sociedad finlandesa, intercalando dentro de la historia de Vatanescu, las pequeñas historias y biografías de los personajes que se encuentran con él (al mismo tiempo que vamos también lo que pasa con Jegor). Y al final tienes una idea de cómo es Finlandia, o al menos una aproximación a sus gentes. Porque este libro no contiene un paisaje de lugares (aunque Laponia sea uno de ellos) sino de personas. Todo tipo de gente, a la cual más extravagante. Y aunque hay muchas situaciones absurdas y divertidas, lo cierto es que dejan un poso amargo, porque la historia en definitiva es el drama de un padre que es tan pobre que tiene que emigrar para comprarle unas botas a su hijo.

Ahora bien, aunque el libro es una sátira y el autor apunta muchas veces con bala (como su descripción de la política finlandesa a través del PGC, el Partido de la Gente Corriente), aún parece creer en cosas como la amistad y el amor. Así que la sátira no es tan descarnada como otras. Es además, un homenaje o revisitación de "El año de la liebre" de Arto Paasilinna, uno de los libros más famosos de Finlandia. Una vuelta de tuerca, si se quiere.

En definitiva, un libro divertido y mucho más ligero de leer de lo que parece, que gustará a aquellos que buscan una crítica ácida a la sociedad escandinava (y, en general, a nuestra sociedad globalizada) y a quienes no desagrade el humor ácido que te hace pensar e incluso revolver algo en su interior.

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κριτική Στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...

This was a weird book, but weird in a good way. A beggar from Romania, a Finish rabbit (yes, it is a rabbit despite of the title, you have to read the book to understand) and their Russian nemesis, are the protagonists of this book. There is humor, there are clever puns and a quirky take on things, but the story deals with many other, more serious issues and is more multilayered than what it seems at first sight.

The narration takes a dreamy quality, not exactly fantasy, no magic realism but not exactly allegory either. There are many references that I'm sure I missed, but I got the general picture.
I'm not sure I appreciated the final chapters so much, the end got too poignant and far-fetched on an already farfetched and illogical story.

But still this was an original, interesting and touching novel. I liked it.


Ένα παράξενο βιβλίο, όμως παράξενο με την καλή έννοια. Όχι ακριβώς από αυτά τα βιβλία που δεν θες να αφήσεις κάτω, αλλά σίγουρα ενδιαφέρον. Βασικοί πρωταγωνιστές ένας Ρουμάνος ζητιάνος, ένα Φινλανδικό κουνέλι (ναι, κουνέλι κι όχι λαγός) και ένας Ρώσσος κακοποιός που τους καταδιώκει. Υπάρχει χιούμορ, υπάρχουν έξυπνες ατάκες, ένα σχετικά ανάλαφρο κλίμα, αλλά η ιστορία ταυτόχρονα καταπιάνεται με πολύ σημαντικά θέματα.

Δεν είναι εύκολο να εξηγήσω αυτό το βιβλίο, πρέπει να το διαβάσει κανείς. Δεν είναι ακριβώς φαντασίας, δεν είναι μαγικού ρεαλισμού, δεν είναι αλληγορία, δεν είναι εντελώς σουρεαλιστικό, είναι κάτι ιδιαίτερο. Υπάρχουν κάποιες αναφορές που δεν έπιασα καθώς δεν είμαι εξοικειωμένη με τη Φινλδανδική πραγματικότητα, αλλά τα περισσότερα πράγματα είναι πανανθρώπινα και η γενικότερη εικόνα σαφής.

Δεν ξέρω τι περίμενα για το τέλος, αλλά η τροπή που πήρε η -ούτως ή άλλως παράλογη και υπερβολική- ιστορία στα τελευταία κεφάλαια δεν μου άρεσε πολύ.

Όπως και να έχει, το βιβλίο ήταν πρωτότυπο, ενδιαφέρον και τολμώ να πω, σε πολλά σημεία συγκινητικό.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, lovely book this is. An absolutely endearing quirky story following Vatanescu, a trafficked Romanian beggar as he travels around Finland searching for a way to fulfil his ultimate goal; to bring home a pair of football boots for his son. Along the way he encounters all manner of ordinary and extraordinary Finnish citizens, as well as an injured rabbit, who becomes his firm friend and travelling companion. His journey takes him far into the frozen north in search of elusive cloudberries, and through the cities of Finland, all the time staying one step ahead of the Russian trafficker who's life he has ruined. This is a sweet and funny fable, that I am lead to believe owes much to the Finnish classic The Year of The Hare, sadly although this particular book has been on my to read list for a while I have yet to get round to it, but it will now be pushed further to the top after reading the frequent references to it in Kyro's book. I am guessing that the links to Paasilinna's book are the reason why the title of this one mentions a Hare despite the text being pretty firm that the adorable spirited little creature is in fact a rabbit, that or it is down to a minor translation issue.

Either way this is a very sweet, funny and moving book about making your own way in the world, and about the varied goodness of strangers. I kept thinking about Doppler as I read this and felt that there are many similarities between the two books. This one is helped by an absolutely gorgeous cover which is always a good thing.

[George Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

About halfway through reading this I found myself, for no particularly good reason, reading the dedication page. Which isn’t a patch on my favourite dedication page, which goes to one of my favourite authors, PG Wodehouse, and reads thusly:

To
J. Alastair Frisby
Who
Told Me I Would Never Have A Book Published
And
Advised me
To
Get a job selling jellied eels
SUCKS TO YOU , FRISBY

I’m not actually sure if that’s actually real, actually, and the somewhat sporadic capitalisation rankles a little. Anyway the dedication page to the Beggar and the Hare isn’t really a dedication page but more of an admission, which says that this is a modern retelling of the Finnish classic The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna. Which I have not read, so I’m kinda like those people who think Blinded by the Light was actually written by Manfred Mann. I’d be hated by hipsters everywhere. I wasn’t there at the beginning, man. Besides that the hare throughout is referred to as a rabbit, and the protagonist is a beggar for a negligiable portion of the book. So the title isn’t really accurate, as such, I would say.

But those things aside I rather enjoyed the book – it’s quite, quite mad and reads a bit like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry had it been written by a cynical Finn rather than a by pleasant lady from outside Stroud. I would definitely like to read The Year of the Hare, now, and see what the original is like.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a quirky tale! Vatanescu, a Romanian, finds himself in Finland under the thumb of a human trafficker, where he is sent to beg on the streets. After a disagreement over working conditions, Vatanescu breaks free from his "work contract", and, after a happenstance meeting with a rabbit (that's all I'm going to say about it), embarks on what turns out to be a fantastical journey through Finland, meeting fascinating people along the way.

The story is one of the great things about this book, and the writing is the other. Lovely turns of phrase, laugh-out-loud analogies and wording, and creative use of language make this a joy to read.

A couple examples:

Pahvi left Jesus at the local service station, and although I am the omniscient narrator, I cannot say if this really was the Savior, or simply Jesse Mahonen who had recently escaped from the mental hospital...

She was outside because of her suspicions towards underfloor heating. It was like hellfire burning down below.

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ebben a könyvben van szívmelengető történet, édi szőrös kisállat (nyúl, ráadásul!), valamint még egy orosz maffiózó is. Ami azt illeti, minden adott, hogy felidegesítsem magam rajta. És mégsem. Azt hiszem, ez azért van, mert ez a Tuomas Kyrö egy intelligens fószer, aki úgy képes egyensúlyozni az érzelgősség szakadéka fölött kifeszített cukorspárgán, hogy néha mintha megbotlana, de mégsem pottyan le. Meg aztán nagyon okos dolgokat mond. És még humora is van. Birtokában van a rejtélyes tudásnak: úgy írni, hogy az olvasó azt higgye rólunk, jó fejek vagyunk, holott közben mit tudja ő, lehet, szabadidőnkben ártatlan szitakötőlárvák kínzásával töltjük időnket.

A koldus és a nyúl egy román vendégmunkás története, aki a legaljáról (hajléktalan bérkoldus) a legtetejére (miniszterelnök) jut. Kyrö tudatosan rájátszik erre az abszurd szituációra, és voltaképpen egy népmesét kerekít a regényből. Van itt minden, ami a finn társadalomban előfordulhat: bőrfejűektől a vietnámi bevándorlóig, lelketlen multiktól a lelkes falusi öregekig, és bár a végére egy cseppet mintha elfogyna az erő, de összességében tartja saját ötleteivel az iramot. Ebből a kollázsból a legtöbb író valami eszeveszett katyvaszt csinálna, de Kyrö a már említett intelligencián felül még empatikus is, és ez a tulajdonság megakadályozza, hogy sematikus figurákkal csapja agyon a cselekményt. Tetszett, na.

(A könyv vélhetőleg Paasilinna A nyúl éve c. könyvének a tiszteletteljes remake-je. Nem tudom, leellenőrzöm, ha elolvastam.)

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nearly gave up on this book in the first few chapters because, for some reason, I found it quite hard to follow the prose. However, I got used to it and I'm glad I persevered because I actually ended up enjoying the book.

It's an odd tale with a bizarre plot, but very memorable characters. I was continually impressed by how fleshed-out the side characters are, which really adds another dimension to what would otherwise be a bit of enjoyable nonsense.

However, the lack of continuity often makes the story terribly confusing. For example, we'll leave Vatanescu driving a car and then the next chapter he is on a train, how did he get there? Who can say! I don't necessarily mind this, it rather fits with the feel of the story, but it was annoying to keep having to go back and check I hadn't missed or forgotten something.

The political angle that made up the majority of the latter quarter of the book was a little bit unnerving. I think it was supposed to show how the world could be a better place, but the dictatorship-feel that I felt was implied was not as comforting as I think it was meant to be!

Finally, that poor rabbit at the end! It was heart-breaking to read about how badly they were treating it. I really don't know what the point of that bit was. To be honest, I'm not sure what value the rabbit added to the story anyway, except making people like Vatanescu more than they otherwise would have.

As I say, it was an enjoyable story and I'm glad I decided to finish it.

[Rachel (Smelleykins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I won this book via Waterstones years ago. It's translated from Finnish which is often where I struggle as books translated from one language to another often loses the story and meaning. But surprisingly this one was very good and except names of people, I guess you couldn't really tell.

The Beggar & the Hare is a story of Vata who is smuggled from Romania to Finland to beg, all he wants to do is get enough money to buy his son some football boots. Nothing more. The story goes through his journey in being taken advantage of, he only gets to keep 25% of what he collects and the rescue of the hare. The people he meets along his way from moving place to place throughout Finland. And how the rise and fall of his traffickers happen as a result of the beggar rising up and not putting up with their treatment.

The relationship between Vata and the Hare is pretty sweet, he protects him as if he was his child. Keeps him warm from the cold, fed and watered. As a result of this they become somewhat famous. As if they are both symbols of what the world needs to improve.

Of course, they get noticed by the rich and powerful and used once again and this time they change. Gone is the lonely beggar and in its place is a public figure. The Hare doesn't go with his lifestyle anymore and thus change has come.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I didn't mind this book, it didn't blow me away. It reminded me of other books and movies, Forrest Gump most vividly, where the protagonist is a bit of a naif and wonders from situation to situation, his actions serving to comment on society. When the protagonist, Vatanescu thinks and speaks, Kyrö shows this by italicizing his speech/thoughts. This unfortunately reminded me of Paul Stanley's whiny inner voice in his autobiography where the italics served the same purpose, and may have contributed to my not fully becoming invested in this book. I also had a problem with Vatanescu's original occupation as part of a ring of beggars. He lives like a beggar and splits the little he makes with the organization that has arranged it, having almost nothing for himself. I didn't understand why he would sign on to this as it seems like he'd do better off if he just took to the streets and begged.

There were some enjoyable moments in the book, but overall, I didn't think it was as clever as I feel Kyrö did when writing it. You always wonder if a novel loses something once it's been dragged through translation. In any event, an OK read, but nothing special.

[Marja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jonkinlainen modernisaatio Paasilinnan Jäniksen vuodesta. Muistan tykänneeni siitä, mutta tähän en kyllä päässyt oikein sisälle. Olin kuunnellut äänikirjaa varmaan maksimissaan puoli tuntia, kun jo havahduin ajatukseen, että onneksi tämä on vain viisi ja puoli tuntia pitkä. En vain tykännyt hahmoista, tarinasta enkä huumorista. Oli tässä muutamia ihan hauskoja ja koskettaviakin oivalluksia, mutta noin yleisesti ottaen en suuremmin välittänyt. Tuomas Kyrö on minusta ollut panelistina hauska Pitääkö olla huolissaan -ohjelmassa ja Mielensäpahoittajastakin tykkäsin kirjana, niin odotin vähän enemmän. Tämä valikoitui luettavaksi ennen kaikkea siksi, että tämä sopi Popsugar-haasteeseen, mutta myös Helmet-haasteeseen, joten en nyt niin kauhean pettynyt loppujen lopuksi osaa olla, vain vähän.

Ai niin ja se on mainittava, että minusta Pirjo Heikkilä on todella hauska nainen, mutta en ole ihan varma hänestä kertojana. Olen aiemmin kuunnellut Anni Saastamoisen Sirkan hänen lukemanaan ja se oli todella hyvä, mutta nyt tuntui kuin olisin kuunnellut uudestaan Sirkkaa. En tiedä mikä siinä oli, mutta joku lukutyylissä toi mieleen Sirkan enkä pitänyt sitä hyvänä asiana.

[Claudia Lady Circumference · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romanian underdog Vatanescu is freshly divorced, unemployed and broke. He doesn't need much but he wants to buy football boots for his little boy.
Desperate for work, he signs up with shady Russian businessman Yegor who smuggles him into Finland to work for his ring of street beggars. The work is soul-destroying and soon Vatanescu is at odds with his boss and after hitting him in a brawl, on the run.
Thus begins a picaresque journey though Finland without money, without papers, his only companion a rabbit rescued from becoming tiger food.
Vatanescu bumbles along, depending on the mercy of strangers and pondering the state of the world and how to live one’s life while circumstances propel him into the unlikeliest of places.

This meandering little fable is sometimes hilarious, sometimes a bit too quirky for quirky’s sake but still an entertaining and endearing read, a commentary on modern European life.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

nagu lubatud, on tegu uusversiooniga Arto Paasilinna "Jänese aastast" (raamatutegelased saavad sellest ise ka ühel hetkel aru ja Paasilinna viide käib mõned korrad läbi) ja no... on küll üsna Paasilinna vaimus, mida edasi, seda rohkem vinti peale keeratakse. minu eksemplari tagaküljel võrdleb keegi arvustaja ka Jonassoni saja-aastase mehe looga ja seegi on üsna tabav võrdlus.

Vataneni asemel seikleb sel korral siis Rumeeniast saabunud Vatanescu, sidekickiks on jänes, toimub roadtrip läbi Soome Helsingist Lapimaale ja tagasi ja tee peal kohatakse värvikat galeriid tegelasi (sh meie kõigi rõõmuks eestlane Õunap). kui just norida, siis üsna mitu neist kõrvaltegelastest jäi kuidagi õhku rippuma - ma ootasin mingit sümmeetrilisemat lahendust, kus kõigi osas oleks lõpus otsad kokku sõlmitud.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The character building reminds me of Ben Elton's style, stark and amusing. But unfortunately, even baddies get notoriety! I felt like some of the events could have been explored in more depth. Characters appeared and new threads started but the story was racing off again before they had been fully explained. I was also deeply saddened by the rabbit. The idea that people/rabbits who have been so important in your life can simply be pushed to the sidelines when they don't fit an image is a sad lookout for the society we live in. Vatenescu was a great character in the beginning but by the end he's just an accessory for someone else's political success. His own desires and happiness are just pushed to the sidelines too. He may have a prettier cage now but he's still being used. I hoped for a better ending for him! A good book but it made me sad.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that it’s not a good book. It’s not a good book to me. It’s probably good to someone else.
The journey it took is too long. Too many backstories of secondary characters and too many ramblings about football boots. The rabbit got fed the wrong diet and the probability of a live one staying put in your jacket is zero. It would have put up a fight which includes kicking your gut and clawing your nose.
From rock bottom, Vatanescu met random encounters which eventually brought him random surprises. I guessed that was the spirit this book was trying to convey. They were indeed new beginnings; in fact, plenty.
It’s probably a good, maybe celebrated, book in its original tongue (Finnish). And while I give credit to the translator for doing a good job transforming it into flawless language, the writing style and the dull pacing just isn’t cut out for me.

[Grant Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is weird. The two main characters were interesting but vatanescu doesn't really do anything of his own accord apart from maybe one occasion. Things just seem to happen to him. It feels like a series of coincidences. And although I did enjoy the ending I didn't really find it believable. Perhaps both of these were intended by the author but it felt more like he was just existing.

Also whenever a side character comes in we get at least two or three pages of backstory and usually some polemic or two about why things are the way they are in society. A lot of these polemics were interesting and made some good points on their own but felt quite didactic and interrupted the flow of the story quite a bit.

My cup of tea but I'm not a big fan of tea.