The Maid Silja

by Frans Emil Sillanpää, Alexander Matson (Translator)

The history of the last offshoot of an old family tree, a girl called Silja, who struggles to survive in the agrarian Finland of the first half of the 20th century.

Genres: Classics, Nobel Prize, Finnish Literature, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Novels, Audiobook

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1931

About the author

Frans Emil Sillanpää was born on the 16th of September, 1888, at Ylä-Satakunta in the Hämeenkyrö Parish of Finland on a desolate croft of the same name. The cottage had been built by his parents, his father Frans Henrik Henriksson, who had moved there some ten years before from Kauvatsa in the Kumo Valley, and his mother, Loviisa Vilhelmiina Iisaksdotter, whose family had lived in the Hämeenkyrö Parish from times immemorial.

Sillanpää's parents had experienced all the trials and tribulations common to generations of settlers in those parts of Finland. Frosts had killed their seeds, farm animals had perished, and the farmer's children, too, had died, until only Frans Emil, the youngest of the offspring, was left.

There was only a mobile school for the farm children, and it was purely by accident - young Sillanpää's life was to abound in accidents - that the crofter's son, who was regarded as a bright lad, came to attend a regular school where he displayed a real aptitude for learning. Some idealists decided that nothing less than a secondary school at Tampere would do and, after giving the matter some thought, old Sillanpää consented to send his son away. For five years, Sillanpää's parents pinched and scraped to keep their son in school, after which he supported himself for another three years and, in 1908, matriculated with good marks. This was a time in Finland when a promising young man could study almost indefinitely on borrowed money, and young Sillanpää was not slow to avail himself of this miscarriage of educational zeal. He plunged into learning and his studies were as chaotic as they were long drawn-out. He did, however, choose biology as his basic subject and worked hard in the laboratory, cutting up things, studying them under the microscope, and drawing what he saw until, one fine day, he woke up to find that five years had gone by; his examination day was still far off and the kind old gentlemen who had been lending him money were not prepared to do so any longer. He scraped together enough cash to return to his home, where he found his father and mother poorer than ever. He lived in their hut and shared their meals, which could hardly excite a gourmet's palate.

His student days were over, his amorous escapades a thing of the past, but at least it was easy enough for him to start from nothing. Sillanpää acquired at a nearby village shop some stationary of the type favoured by village lads for private correspondence and wrote a short story, which he sent to the editor of a large city paper without much hope of seeing it published. To use an expression popular in those days, the story must have been written with his heart's blood because, after a very short time, it appeared on the front page of the aforesaid paper and its author received a very handsome letter from the editor's secretary, as well as his fee, which was more than welcome. The story had been published under a pen name but the literary world of Helsinki soon discovered the identity of the author and the erstwhile eternal scholar found himself, to his amazement, receiving letters of extravagant praise. After several more of his stories had been published in the same paper, something very unusual happened. He was approached by a wellknown publisher who asked to be borne in mind should Sillanpää's literary output stretch to a whole book. The publisher went so far as to offer him a reasonable advance to enable him to work in peace.

Yet another wonder - one of a series - occurred at that time. At an unimportant village dance, Sillanpää met a shy seventeen-year-old girl who, insisting that she could not dance, sat far at the back of the dance hall. In spite of her resistance, Sillanpää dragged her out onto the dance floor to discover that she could dance after all, which she proceeded to do with the utmost seriousness and concentration. This was the beginning of a twenty-five-year saga, during which Sigrid Maria (for such was the name of the se

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am surprised that I have never heard of this book by the Nobel Prize winner in Literature of 1939. It was a difficult book to read at the start because it is obviously a translation from Finnish. It took me a while to get accustomed to the rythm and style of the writing translated into English, and then I found myself really enjoying the story. The Maid Silja is a rather depressing story of the downfall of the Salmelus family who suffer one tragedy after another until, in the end, Silja dies alone in poverty. The story is beautifully written.

Sillanpaa offers this at the end as a message of the tragic story:

"So ends the tale of the last flourishing of an old family tree that happened to end at that time; they are always ending. But these 'trees' are not like the trees of the forest. There is no real death for a family; if we could look unhindered through time, we should see 'branches' of every of every family still alive...In the widest sense of all we are al members of the same family and can therefore respect each other's struggles in all time. You too, the farthest reader in point of time of this narrative, may respect our battles. This natural sress of battle is only a sign, the meaning and significance of which we are permitted, indeed constantly compelled, to study."

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silja é o último elemento de uma família de trabalhadores rurais finlandeses do início do Século XX. Para conhecer a sua curta vida precisei de alguma paciência; o que vale é que morre no primeiro parágrafo dispensando-me de ler tudo.

_____________
Prémio Nobel da Literatura 1939
Frans Eemil Sillanpää nasceu na Finlândia em 16 de setembro de 1888 e morreu na Finlândia em 3 de junho de 1964.

[Shawn Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in Finland as an exchange student. It seemed to me that it revealed a lot about the essential character of the Finns and the land they love. Interesting history and story.

[Ralu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

N-am prea reușit să rezonez cu neoromantismul domnului Sillanpää. Nici sociologică, nici psihologică, cu multe exprimări patetice, cartea am asociat-o mai degrabă cu poporanismul românesc și cu didacticismul ulterior a lui Slavici, nicidecum cu modernismul european ce se afirma pe atunci.
Mai caut autori finlandezi.

[El Bibliófilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

My comments in video: https://youtu.be/hG0g0ibmKRk

Tribute to insignificance? Parallel to "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak, and inspiration for "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel García Márquez?
This marvelous work presents us with the decline of a landowning family, and the end of his modest lineage, as it tells us how Kustaa, Silja's father, loses his properties while the members of his family decrease, until only Silja remains. He then tells us of her, her development, her occupations as servant, her loves, and finally her tragic fate. The play is set in Finland, before World War I and during the Russian revolution. This context creates innumerable references with other works of the time, because with Iván Bunin we have the perception and innocence of infants in the face of death; During our youth we have the desire to make a place for ourselves in the world, of a man in Eyvind Johnson and of a woman in Sillanpaa (highlighting the great sensitivity of this male author to describe and evoke feminine thoughts and feelings), but presenting the great differences, within which the fate of humble women doubly constrained by fate and by men is profound (similar to the legend of Elena presented with Johnson), and who also recall the mistreatment and appalling conditions described by Benito Pérez Galdós in Marianela; also the difference between Bjornson's moralizing tone in "a good-tempered boy" versus the rawness and instinctive passions that he presents to us; and the most important, which seems to me to be a precedent for "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak, since it shows us this woman subject to the fluctuations of fate, also set in the Russian revolution, and a protagonist united to nature in a poetic and melancholic way. And one cannot fail to mention the diseases of the heart, of love, which unites Silja with Marianela.
Aspects that I do not want to fail to highlight are: 1) the structure of time that seems to be an antecedent of "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel García Márquez. 2) The tribute to parents, similar to "Silas Marner" by George Eliot. 3) The curious reflection that aroused in me, since the decline of the family, by losing its properties, the author as an agent of destiny was saving Silja from succumbing during the revolutionary struggles? Or is poverty a more implacable condemnation? It occurred to me because the author almost always saves Silja in extremis from many difficult situations, except for the spiritual one. 4) It seems a reaction to Tolstoy who only spoke of the great ones, since he presents us with the delicious insignificance of the story of a humble servant.
I look forward to your comments.

Homenaje a la insignificancia? Paralelo de "Doctor Zhivago" de Boris Pasternak, e inspiración para "Crónica de una muerte anunciada" de Gabriel García Márquez?
Esta maravillosa obra nos presenta la decadencia de una familia terrateniente, y el fin de su modesto linaje, pues nos cuenta de cómo Kustaa, el padre de Silja va perdiendo sus propiedades al mismo tiempo que van menguando los miembros de su familia, hasta que solamente queda Silja. Luego nos cuenta de ella, su desarrollo, sus ocupaciones como sirviente, sus amores, y finalmente su trágico destino. La obra está ambientada en Finlandia, antes de la Primera Guerra Mundial y durante la revolución rusa. Ese contexto crea innumerables referencias con otras obras de la época, pues con Iván Bunin tenemos la percepción e inocencia de los infantes frente a la muerte; tenemos durante la juventud las ansias de hacerse un lugar en el mundo, de un hombre en Eyvind Johnson y de una mujer en Sillanpaa (destacando la gran sensibilidad de este autor hombre para describir y evocar pensamientos y sentimientos femeninos), pero presentando las grandes diferencias, dentro de las cuales resulta profundo el destino de las mujeres humildes constreñidas doblemente por el destino y por los hombres (similar a la leyenda de Elena presentada con Johnson), y que también recuerdan los malos tratos y pésimas condiciones descritas por Benito Pérez Galdós en Marianela; también la diferencia entre el tono moralizante de Bjornson en "un muchacho de buen temple" frente a la crudeza y pasiones instintivas que nos presenta; y la más importante, que me parece un antecedente de "Doctor Zhivago" de Boris Pasternak, pues nos muestra a esta mujer sujeta a los vaivenes del destino, también ambientada en la revolución rusa, y una protagonista unida a la naturaleza de forma poética y melancólica. Y no se puede dejar de mencionar las enfermedades del corazón, del amor, que une a Silja con Marianela.
Aspectos que no quiero dejar de destacar son: 1) la estructura del tiempo que pareciera un antecedente de "Crónica de una muerte anunciada" de Gabriel García Márquez. 2) El homenaje a los padres, similar a "Silas Marner" de George Eliot. 3) La curiosa reflexión que me suscitó, pues la decadencia de la familia, al perder sus propiedades, el autor como agente del destino estaba salvando a Silja de sucumbir durante las luchas revolucionarias? o la pobreza es una condena más implacable? Se me ocurrió porque el autor casi siempre salva a Silja in extremis de muchas situaciones difíciles, excepto de la espiritual. 4) Parece una reacción a Tolstoi que solo hablaba de los grandes, pues nos presenta la deliciosa insignificancia de la historia de una humilde sirvienta.
Espero sus comentarios.

[Cristian1185]

En Silja se auspicia el fin de la historia familiar de los Salmelus. Es ella quien representa el último vestigio de todo un linaje ,y encarna forzosamente todas las consecuencias derivadas del declive de la posición privilegiada que antaño gozaron gran parte de sus ancestros.

Silja como historia nos narra los marcados contrastes de la vida rural de Finlandia de a principios del siglo XX. Un relato que conjuga bellamente los paisajes finlandeses, describiendo poéticamente las estaciones y sus accidentes, con la dura vida de los seres que habitan y trabajan la tierra, ya sean estos aparceros, dueños, sirvientas, etc.

Silja, hija de Kustaa Salmelus, es abatida lentamente por quienes le rodean. Ya sea mediante el prejuicio y la mala intención, como así también por medio del amor y el afecto. Su vida está cruzada por encuentros perniciosos que la llevan a dramáticos resultados, todo esto conjugado en ambientes de ensueño, donde Silja en ocasiones puede encontrar refugio. Increíbles paisajes que impertérritos observan el camino de la protagonista.

Leer Silja nos facilita conocer un poco más de la historia finlandesa, en especial la cruda guerra civil entre "rojos" y "blancos", que se asemeja en parte a los terribles sucesos narrados por Hemingway en Por quién doblan las campanas". Un escenario político que lleva a funestos destinos a quienes en lo cotidiano conviven juntos en una misma aldea. El extremismo que convierte en enemigo a quien le compras el pan y la leche a diario.

Una lectura profundamente descriptiva. Lenta, que toma su tiempo en avanzar. Finlandia se torna personaje a partir de este ritmo. Sin embargo, puede parecer inconexa a ratos, debido a la cantidad importante de personajes que aparecen durante toda la obra, y que aparentemente, algunos, no tendrían roles dignos para la historia. Sin embargo, a título personal, creo comprender que esto se debe a la fragilidad de las relaciones entre los mismos, atados a salvaguardar sus propias vidas en condiciones ambientales a ratos extremas, como así también para reflejar la dificultad para establecer grupos de apoyo confiables a una personaje profundamente solitaria y errante.

[S Cearley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Nobel committee said in 1939 that Sillanpää won expressly for this book. It was....it was an uninspiring book. I don't see how I'm supposed to harbor any compassion for the main character, a girl named Silja who starts out in her pre-teen years as semi-well off but then her father dies, the farm is lost, and she leads a life of being a farm maid at one farm then another. Then she dies.

It sounds harsh to describe a plot so flatly but there is no connection to the main character, no sympathy or empathy, so everything feels dull and listless.

[Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started this book three hours ago, and I'm already through the half of it. It's an enjoyable reading, as a fan of Scandinavian literature, i can say that this book gives you a good opportunity to observe and contemplate the life of the finnish people at the end of the 19th century. It also takes you on a journey where you'll be smiling (imagining the young Silja running outside in the sun), going sad (there are some sad deaths throughout the book) and overall enjoying the descriptions about the Finnish scenery and life there in general.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to stop reading after 30 pages because I couldn't stand it anymore. The author keeps jumping from one thing to another with no apparent connection, using characters that come out of thin air, and there's almost no action, it's mostly a description of actions. It's too chaotic, I really don't like it. I rarely leave a book unfinished and I usually love anything related to Finland, but this is just too much.

[Tiia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harvoin olen kokenut hiljaisuuden kirjassa näin voimakkaana. Voisin arvella, että loppuratkaisun kertominen alkuun oli harkittua, jotta kirjassa ei olisi turhia jännitteitä vaan se pysyisi juuri tällaisena, jotta Silja kokonaisteoksena omaisi samat laadut kuin Silja henkilönä. Samaa tunnelmaa ruokkivat myös ennakoivat lauseet pitkin tarinaa.

Ihan erikoisen tyyni kirja, vaikka (sisällis)sotakuvaustakin oli verevöittämässä.

Voisin kuvitella, että tämä olisi kirja jota lukisin ääneen vanhuksille palvelutalossa (en ole koskaan ollut lukemassa, mutta ehkä joskus vielä). Tyyli on siveää ja siistiä ja sanat soljuvat kepeästi, mutta silti koskettavat.

[Jorge Camacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sospecho que esta traducción no se hizo directamente del finés, pero tampoco me importa mucho: se lee bien y me devuelve a las diferentes temporadas que pasé en Finlandia, hace ya tantos años. Las veces que habla de una sauna no aparece esta palabra sino "estufa" (cuando se trata de la propia construcción) o la expresión "baño de vapor", que me parece un calco del sueco, traído al castellano tal vez a través de una versión en francés. Por lo demás, es muy interesante la parte donde se trata la guerra civil finlandesa de 1918 entre rojos y blancos.

[Aidan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Fairly well written but a little uneven. The prose is lovely and at times outstandingly accomplished but the story is a bit muddled and unclear at certain points. Recommended if you want a great view of life in the Finnish countryside in the 1800s.

[Ion · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Death came to Silja”. This is how Frans Eemil Sillanpää chose to start his most celebrated work, “The Maid Silja”, a novel about the life of a young lady, the last in the Salmelus family tree. Inspired by the life of his real maid Silja Ihantola, this story speaks with warmth about family, the unfair treatment of women, the relationship people have with their material and spiritual existence, war and ultimately the ever-changing nature of societies.

Sillanpää is an outstanding story-teller. His narrative, enhanced by detailed descriptions, possesses a vivid clarity. The richness of his writing emerges from simplicity, leading to remarkable inevitability. This is why the knowledge of the death of the central character becomes a door towards knowledge, rather than a thrilling spoiler. We learn all we need to know about the plot of the novel in the first chapter. Silja is the daughter of Kustaa Salmelus, who inherited his farm young, due to the premature death of his parents. His marriage, as short as his own life, led to the loss of his property, two children, a wife. The only remaining gift was his only surviving daughter, Silja, who he managed to raise till puberty. After his death, Silja becomes a maid, moving from one farm to another for the remainder of her short life. This overture allows us to focus on characters, pay attention to their life, savour their experiences intimately; all without the cheap thrills of traditional plot development.

Death is the leitmotif of the novel. Its expectant mournfulness acts as a liberating force against materialism. Death brings ultimate freedom to the spirit to exist outside of the injustice of the world, and re-connect back to the nature, whose cycle of birth and decay defines the clockwork of earth’s existence. Silja lived a largely uneventful life, but in death the significance of her short life achieves meaning. She is a fragment of history, the memory of a family, the memory of a society that found itself transitioning in the 20th century from feudalism into a modern capitalist society. Her helplessness against time talks of a young Finnish state that had to endure the bruises of a civil war to find its own identity in this new world.

Sillanpää did not overtly talk about politics in “The Maid Silja”, nor did he take sides. His narrative speaks with tenderness about a time that passed, a time of struggle, a time that the reader needs to remember in the future. His only aim is to keep the memory of history alive. Silja is a girl from common family, that had a common life, in a common place. Her apparent insignificance is her strength. The history of Finnish peasants is as worthy of memory as that of world leaders. In that, we find the ultimate humanism in Sillanpää’s novel.

[Iulia Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am citit „Silja” în urmă cu mai mulți ani, fără să știu nimic despre autor – în afară de faptul că a fost primul finlandez care a primit premiul Nobel pentru literatură (în 1939). Dacă e să țin cont de premisa narativă, n-aș fi crezut că mă va impresiona povestea Siljei. Mi-a plăcut, totuși.

Simplitatea cu care ni se dezvăluie viața ei, fragilitatea poveștii și grija cu care autorul finlandez își înconjoară personajele m-au făcut să-mi pese de soarta Siljei, devenită slujnică, în urma declinului familiei sale – o soartă tragică, tristă, tăcută.

Pe fundal, atmosfera dimprejurul Primului Război Mondial și evenimentele ce au dus la Revoluția rusă. Istoria mare rămâne totuși un fundal, nu „fură” atenția de pe viețile personajelor, doar ne oferă cadre din istoria Finlandei, desfășurate organic, pe măsură ce asistăm la maturizarea Siljei.

În mod cert, lirismul frazelor a contribuit la vraja pe care cartea a aruncat-o asupra mea.

Fără legătură cu romanul, am aflat ulterior: asteroidul descoperit de astronomul și fizicianul Yrjö Väisälä poartă numele autorului (asteroidul 1446 Sillanpää).

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want romance and a happy ending don't read this: we are told on Page 1 that Silja dies young. But if you want to learn what life was like in Scandinavia a century or two ago, do read it. The farms, forests, lakes and flowers of Finland are beautifully described. I learned much about Finnish social customs and farm life (hard, but didn't sound unbearable even for hired hands male or female). The book has a dreamy quality. For the first 150 pages or more, there is no clue as to what year it is set in: I assumed 18th or 19th century. Suddenly we learn it's 1917 and Finland is part of the Russian Empire; but, although Bolsheviks appear and cause some trouble, the Revolution doesn't play a large part in the story. It's the story of a young woman on her own from a young age (after the death of her loving father), who possesses a certain nobility, never whines or gives up, and might even be said to die happy. I salute all the real Siljas.

[Gastjäle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yksi vuoden hienoimpia kirjallisia yllätyksiä: Sillanpään unenomainen kertomus 22-vuotiaana "rintatautiin" menehtyneestä orvosta Siljasta on mitä upeimmalla proosarunoustaidolla maalailtu teos, joka alakuloisuudestaan huolimatta ei kuitenkaan äidy tragediaksi.

Teoksessa Silja kuolee kirjan ensimmäisessä lauseessa, jonka jälkeen hänen ja hänen perheensä elämäntarina alkaa takautuvasti. Täysin tasaista kulkua tämä takaus ei kuitenkaan ole, sillä kerronnalle on tyypillistä ajallisesti luonteva siirtyily menneestä tulevaan. Sillanpään henkilöhahmo elää osittain sammuvan sukunsa historian ja osittain ihmissuhteidensa kautta, mutta ennen kaikkea Siljan henkisen elämän fenomenologiset kiinnekohdat toimivat hänen taivaansa pohjantähtinä. Lukija tuntee Siljan vanhempien tarinan Siljaa paremmin, joten hän tuo mukanaan oman tiedollisen ja tunteellisen painolastinsa, mutta Silja puolestaan tuntuu välillä kätkeytyvän omien muistojensa, harhojensa ja aistisaavutustensa verkostoon, josta lukija ei aina ole varma, onko hän ollut mukana näitä todistamassa. Näiden viitteiden varassa kerronta kulkee edestakaisin – ja toisinaan ylittää kerronta myös tutut rajansa ja kuvaa ympärillä olevien ihmisyhteisöiden arkipäiväisempää toimintaa.

Kerronta on harkitun kyllästettyä ja kuvankaunista. Se on ennen kaikkea roiman sisäistä: en ehkä kutsuisi sitä psykologiseksi, sillä Siljaa ei loppu viimeksi tunnu hirveästi kiinnostavan hänen ajatustensa laatu saatikka muiden päänsisäiset liikkeet, vaan hän elää yksittäisten kokemustensa totaliteeteistä, joskus pirstaleittain, joskus kokonaisvaltaisemmin. Ympäröivä luonto ja kulloisenkin tilan tunnelmat saavat sekä Siljan että hänen vanhempiensa tarinassa merkillisen voimalliset piirteet, ihan kuin ne olisivat henkilöhahmoja tai hämärästi läsnäolevia olentoja. Siljan perhe ei rajaa kokemuksiaan selkeästi esimerkiksi tunteisiin tai tapahtumiin tai päiväyksiin, vaan he kantavat mukanaan yllämainitsemiani totaliteetteja ja elävät maailmassa, joka on yhtaikaisesti outo ja hyvä.

Kirja on kirjoitettu modernismin aikakaudella (julkaisuvuosi 1931), jolloin ihmiselämän vieraus on jo tuttua kauraa proosakuvauksissa. Elon epävakaus näkyy myös Suomen sisällissodan kuvauksissa, jossa vallinnut yhteiskuntajärjestys alkaa järkkyä (joskin kirjan kontekstissa ei lopullisesti). Sillanpään kuvaama outous on kuitenkin omaleimaista, sillä se on niin vahvasti yhdistettynä hänen luonto- ja tunnekuvauksiinsa. Hänen kertojaäänensä on leppoisa ja sympaattinen, joskus vähän maalaismaisen töksäyttelevä, ja näin ollen kirjan oudoimmatkin hourekuvaukset kerrotaan hyvin rauhoittavaan ja hyväksyvään sävyyn. Sillanpään kerrontasävy on myös omiaan luomaan kuvaa Siljan elämästä jonain muunakin kuin surullisena tragediana: vaikka kanssaeläjien mielestä Silja saattaakin elää vähän tärähtäneen neidon elämää, kirjan hienoimmat kohtaukset liittyvät niin vahvasti Siljan kokemuksiin, ettei lukija voi niitä kovasydämisesti ohittaa minään poikkeuksina. Etenkään kun ympärillä olevat ihmiset näyttäytyvät huomattavasti elämäänsä kyllästyneimmiltä kuin kaiken himmeästi säteillen hyväksyvä Silja.

Tässä on ote kirjan viimeisiltä sivuilta, kun taudin jo edetessä Silja nuupahtaa tienposkeen:

Lämmin oli, mutta sittenkin puistatti tien ohessa istuvaa väsynyttä ihmistä, puistatti ja tuntui myös janottavan. Ehkäpä ei enää todesta ollutkaan niin lämmin, aurinko oli ehtinyt metsän latvan tasaan, sen voima särkyi puhuin, mahtaviin kuusiin, jotka seisoivat kaikkialle jatkuvana joukkona, vahvoina ja vanhoina, joita eivät juuripuolen istuskelijat liikuttaneet. Ihmisiltä kulunut päivä oli ikäänkuin noussut sinne ylös herkimpien latvakerkkien tasaan, saavuttamattomiin, mahtava metsä piti sitä viimeksi omanaan.

Ote on kirjan kokonaisuutta ajatellen vieraannuttavimmasta päästä, mutta silti siitä ei paista läpi mitkään tähtitaivaan planetaarinen kylmyys ja Absurdin kolkko galaktinen nauru. Sen sijaan se on hennon vieraannuttava, runollisesti polkeva ja kunnioitusta herättävä. Kuusia ei liikuta niiden juurilla hytisevä Silja, mutta tämä liikutus ei näyttäydy kolkkona vaan pikemminkin ymmärrettävänä. Mitäs se kuusi pienemmistä, kun melkein pilvirajassa huiskuttelee?

Kuitenkin unenomaisuudesta ja hennosta nuotistaan huolimatta teos osaa olla myös kumman kiihkeä. Siljan rakkauselämää kuvaillaan läkähdyttävän hienosti vihjaillen, tunteita paisutellen ja yli subjektin rajojen säteillen. Eipä se rakkauselämä nyt kauhean tapahtumarikas ollut, mutta sitäkin vastustamattomammin kuvattu. Ei ole mikään ihme, että se jätti Siljaan niin lujan jäljen.

Teos antaa arvoa yksilön kokemukselle ja tulkinnoille, mutta siltikin sen hienoimpia ansioita on se, että yksilön elämä on aina iskostettu yksilön maailman moninaisuuteen. Sakraalin iltaruskonkin aikana kuvaukset vilisevät yksityiskohtia, jotka eivät varsinaisesti vahvista kokemusta. Rääväsuisia ihmisiä töksäyttelee runohetken rikki aika ajoin, ja lopussa jo sairauden uuvuttamana ja kaikkea hieman houreisesti ihastellessakin Silja näkee pirtistä astuessa ensimmäisenä kusta paakarin seinustalla ja paskaa polulla. Sillanpään kynä on kauneutta pullollaan, mutta se on maailmaa nähnyttä ja tarkoin tarkastellutta kauneutta, joka saattaa särkyä maailman tarjoamasta moninaisuudesta – tai saattaa olla särkymättä, lukijakohtaisesti.

En kommentoi teoksen nobeliutta, sillä en loppuviimeksi osaa sanoa, milloin teos on palkinnon ansainnut – eikä asia minua hirveästi edes kiinnosta. Sen voin kuitenkin sanoa, että Nuorena nukkunut on eräs parhaita lukemiani suomalaisia romaaneja. Siinä yhdistyvät Joel Lehtosen lämmin kansankuvauksellinen ääni ja Volter Kilven syväluotaava humaanius – ollen kuitenkin selkeästi omintakeinen teos.

[Peter Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange and beautiful, though I am reading Matson's English translation perforce. The story uses romantic tropes but is anyithing but romantic. It seems spiritual, but the only redemption is one of random beautiful but merciless nature. Very different than humanist literature, because both the characters and their "humanity" are almost tangential to the storytelling. Very different from what I have sampled of Swedish and Norwegian literature. Reminds a bit of Gogol. Very worthy. Wish more of Sillanpaa was available in translation.

[Marianne Shrader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book received the Nobel Prize in 1939 and is translated from Finnish. It was interesting in that it presented a vivid picture of rural life in Finland at the turn of the 20th Century.

[Margarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It´s a wonderful book with very beautiful language, and it portrays the connection between man and nature in an incredibly poetic way.

However, I think it´s also a deeply Christian book. Although it is about simple living in a Finnish village, where the church might not play a significant role, the book is imbued with Christian symbolism. First of all, there is the motif of light. Silja (the main heroine) was born with sunlight and died with it as well. Light followed her through the entire story, and she herself was like a light during that difficult time - kind, fair, and innocent. Even the country boys remarked that only Christ would be good enough for her. Secondly, there are some episodes from the Bible that are referenced in the novel and connected to Silja´s lifepath. Thirdly, there is the motif of songbirds, which are always present around Silya wherever she goes. According to the Bible, songbirds symbolize God´s care and providence.

It may sound a bit crazy, but I would argue that the author elevates his heroine to a Madonna-like figure in someway. This is suggested, first, by the symbolism of light. Secondly, when Silja came to the place where she spent her first night with Armas, she imagined a burning bush. In the Christian theology, the burning bush is closely associated with the Virgin Mary. Finally, an important argument for me is the title of the novel. In Finnish, it is called "Nuorena Nukkunut" (jung life sleeping). The German translations offer two versions: "Silja, die Magd" (translation from 1932, corresponds with English translation) and "Jung entschlaffen" ("falling asleep young", translation from 2017). The latter echoes the description of the Virgin Mary, who, according to tradition, did not die but "fell asleep."

By the way, in the novel Silja fell ill and died after she betrayed her neighbour (despite doing so with good intentions).

I highly recommend reading this book because of the magnificent language and it´s fascinating depiction of Finnish rural life, enriched with many amazing details. This book is full of feelings and allusions, it captures the reader from the very first page and doesn´t let go until the end.

[Yobaín Vázquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mi primer problema con esta novela es que me parece que está muy desfasado de cómo se escribía ya en los años 30, que es cuando se publicó. Nos lleva a una zona rural, con descripciones de campo y con un interés por contarnos la cotidianidad de una familia que lo tenía todo y empieza a perderlo con el tiempo.

Pero no todo es malo, me parece muy moderno y hasta propositivo que desde el inicio se nos diga que Silja muere, de ahí habrá tomado el Gabo esta técnica de revelar el final, porque eso no es lo importante sino el proceso. Constantemente se nos recordará que la aparente protagonista de esta historia no tuvo otro destino que el fallecimiento.

Con esto nos hace enfocarnos en ese pasado que construye el contexto de dónde viene esa muchacha. Me parece un poco flojo, no llega despertar gran interés. La segunda parte es cuando se muestra con todo a Silja y lo que tiene que hacer para sobrevivir a la carencia económica y un contexto político convulso. Y ni siquiera así llega a ser emocionante. No le interesa a Sillanpää imitar a una anita la huerfanita ni un Oliver Twist.

Padecí esta lectura, ni siquiera es densa, simplemente no logra cautivar ni con la historia ni con la prosa. Es muy plano o no sé si escapa algo por la traducción, pero no le encuentro mucho valor, ni que sea una de las novelas más representativas de un premio Nobel.

[Taija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jo oli aikakin lukea ainoan nobelistimme ehkä tunnetuin teos! Vanhahtavaa tekstiä oli yllättävän haastavaa lukea, mutta kyllä se siitä sitten lähti rullaamaan.

”Huokoinen multa odotti auran terää niinkuin kaipauksen kiihdyttämä naaras lähenevän uroksen väkivaltaista otetta”

Teksti on yllättävän seksuaalissävytteinen. Aika avoimesti ja yllättävän ronskistikin Sillanpää kuvailee tapahtumia, rengit käyvät tiuhaan piikojen aitoissa, ja sitä rataa.

”Niin kului varsinainen kevätkesä. Yö oli yhteen aikaan melkein olematon, avaruus vain ikäänkuin hiukan pidätti henkeään, siirtyessään edellisestä illasta seuraavaan aamuun.”

Luontoa ja vuodenaikoja kuvataan kauniisti, usein tapahtumaympäristönä on kesäyö. Romanttista! Ja uskomattoman herkästi Sillanpää kuvaa nuoren tytön mielenmaisemaa, tunteita, rakkauselämää. Kirja paranee keskivaiheilla. Isästä kertova alkuosa oli vähän puuduttava, mutta Siljan tarina rakkaselämineen kiehtoi. Loppupuolella sisällissodan tiimellyksessä mielenkiinto taas vähän herpaantui.

Nykyään nuoriso valittaa kun keski-ikäiset käyttävät niin paljon kolmea pistettä lauseiden perässä (esim WhatsApp-viesteissä), mutta tunsin nyt saaneeni synninpäästön kun nobelisti-Taata viljeli aivan älyttömän paljon kolmea pistettä...

[Nepreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fina naturskildringar - i synnerhet sommarnätters ljus och magi lyckas Sillanpää beskriva på ett väldigt fint sätt. Men i övrigt är det inte mycket med den här boken som jag tycker om.

Jag känner ingenting för Silja och tycker att kapitlen om hennes far Kustaa var långt mer intressanta än de om henne, trots att hon är huvudperson. Men hon går omkring som i ett töcken, som en zombie, genom sitt liv, sina olika arbetsplatser, inbördeskriget och till slut sin dödliga sjukdom. Hon förälskar sig, och återigen är naturbeskrivningarna vackra när Sillanpää skriver om hennes och Armas natt tillsammans, men det är också bara där och bara kopplat till Armas som vi ser lite mer av henne. Men inte heller det når någon känslohöjd som får mig att känna med henne. Och i övrigt är det som att världen inte riktigt når fram till henne, eller som att hon är lite bakom flötet?

Jag tror helt enkelt inte att jag riktigt förstår vad Sillanpää velat med boken?

Det är också olidligt med alla män runt omkring henne som hela tiden försöker förgripa sig på henne...

KNAPPT två stjärnor. Betyget dras upp av naturskildringarna - jag tycker att jag ibland ser norra Finland framför mig - och av att det ändå är lite kul att ha läst Finlands ende nobelpristagare i litteratur.

[Javier de la Peña Ontanaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esta novela narra la historia de Silja, una chica que queda huérfana de padre y madre en una localidad rural de Finlandia, poco antes de que estalle la guerra civil en el país y el conflicto entre bolcheviques y blancos. Silja pasará toda su (corta) vida trabajando en distintas casas como sirvienta. En una de ellas conoce a Armas, un joven del que se enamora pero que será enviado al frente y caído en combate.

Un libro breve, de apenas 200 páginas, pero bastante insulso. La historia de la sirvienta Silja es aburrida, cae en lo monótono de idas y venidas de casas, amos y otros sirvientes. Tampoco aparece prácticamente nada —hasta casi el final— del contexto histórico de la novela, la guerra civil finlandesa, que era uno de los atractivos para mí en esta novela. Sillanpää ganó el Nobel de Literatura en 1939, pero en cuanto a esta historia, me ha dejado frío.

[Dolf van der Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobel Prize 🏆 in Literature 1939.
The only book still available in English by Frans Emil Sillanpää is The Maid Silja. It is written in a complex style, which had me go back every now and then checking for events that happened somewhere between the lines. The somewhat archaic translation didn't help much either.
The story is somewhat odd, starting from the background of Silja's parents, after which there are a couple of identical cycles where Silje goes to work on a farm, meets a boy, gets into trouble with him, and then needs to move to the next employment opportunity. Towards the end, the novel briefly turns into a war story, before the cycle concludes where the book started: Silja's death.
It was worthwhile reading this novel, but I am still curious what else the author produced that would be a bit more coherent.
3.5 stars.

[Henrique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Livro de um Nobel praticamente desconhecido no Brasil e que trata da história de uma jovem e sua família na Finlândia do final do século XIX e primeiras décadas do século XX. O livro é dividido em duas partes, a primeira delas com histórias dos pais de Silja, e a segunda com ela propriamente dita. Particularmente, gostei mais da primeira parte, com os dramas dos pais, que nunca foram exatamente um casal feliz. Na segunda parte, há bons momentos com Silja já orfã e tendo se arrumar emprego como criada em diferentes casas, mas sinceramente a leitura me cansou depois que chegou aos acontecimentos políticos de 1917 e 1918 na Finlândia, o que me fez ler com muita impaciência. Há muito sofrimento envolvido, com ar de romantismo, e algumas belezas, em meio a uma relação profunda com a natureza que parece típica dos países nórdicos. Mas não posos dizer que gostei.

[Sergio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silja no es más insignificante que cualquiera de nosotros. Su desgracia era inevitable tras la muerte de su padre, puesto que sobrevivir en este mundo estando solo es complicado, aún poseyendo ciertos recursos como en su caso. Ella fue feliz a su manera, durante poco tiempo, y en las condiciones que se le impusieron; intentémoslo nosotros también.

Un libro cargado de descripciones extraordinarias de los campos finlandeses. El autor consigue transportarte a cada estación del año, en aquellos parajes tan lejanos ya en el tiempo. Hay flores blancas y puras que solo pueden disfrutarse durante la noche, puesto que cuando amanece, se puede comprobar que en lugar de ser blancas, eran de un amarillo tísico.

[Peony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the melancholic beauty of this book. I wished all good things for Silja during the entire book, even if the reader knows right from the start her life is not going to be about lasting happiness, but more about giving things up, one by one. Sometimes, no matter how kind a soul you are or how hard you work, you won't be rewarded/get what you "deserve". The parts that took place during the Finnish civil war (first years of independency of Finland and Russian revolution) were fascinating and showed events from the perspective of ordinary people. I might have given 5 stars without some repetitions and some unnecessary sentences of foreshadowing.

[Berk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fin edebiyatından adını şimdiye kadar duymadığım bir yazar, Engin Yayınları'nın çevirilerini 90'larda okuduğum klasiklerde çok beğenmem sonucu 2010'ların başında Kitapyurdu'dan baskısı halen bulunan Engin Yayınları klasiklerini toplu halde aldığım sırada kitaplığıma dahil olmuş bir kitap. İş yoğunluğundan hızlı okuyabileceğim bir kitap olsun diye kitaplığımdan rastgele seçtim. Sonuçta Taşra Kızı sürpriz yaptı. Adını ilk kez duyduğum değerli bir yazarla tanıştım; kitabın hem öyküsünü hem yazarın hikayenin akışı içine serptiği dünya görüşünü, felsefesini çok beğendim.

[Mette Løkeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frans Emil Sillanpaa fekk nobelprisen i litteratur i 1939 og skal vere den einaste finnen som har gjort det. Boka kom ut på norsk i 1957, men eg finn korkje den eller forfattaren på biblioteket appen og heller ikkje på norsk i Goodreads. Boka er ein finsk klassikar og handlar om tenestejenta Silja. Den byrjar med korleis foreldra kjem saman og korleis faren set garden over styr. Litt vondt å lese, men livet til den milde og romantiske Silja derimot er lettare sjølv om den tar oss gjennom vinterkrigen og ho døyr ung. Flott samtidsskildring av Finland.

[Anita Straujuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modesty and humility are the words coming up to my mind. In a positive sense, as a virtue. Life of a girl and her tremendous power, how she trusts that whatever next stage of her life brings, it is hers to live through. The story has amazing rhythm as if Silja embodies the nature and vice versa - as nature rules and reflects our lives.
Grāmata ir tulkota latviešu valodā, 1981.gada izdevums "Silja" Franss Ēmils Sillanpē - lasīju latviski. No sirds iesaku, patiks Virzas Straumēnu faniem.