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Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan
«Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan» on A. H. Tammsaare kui romaanikirjaniku luigelaul, eredalt omapärane ja sügavalt elu ning kodanliku ühiskonna vastuoludesse süüviv teos. Reaalelu tasandil vaadelduna kujutab «Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan» endast lugu lihtsameelsest mehest, kelle teine oma kavaluse abil orjastab.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
27 people are currently reading
578 people want to read
About the author
A.H. Tammsaare
84 books64 followersA.H. Tammsaare, born Anton Hansen, was an Estonian writer whose pentalogy Truth and Justice (Tõde ja õigus; 1926 – 1933) is considered one of the major works of Estonian literature and "The Estonian Novel".
Tammsaare was born in 1878 into a farming family. He attended secondary school in Tartu from 1898 to 1903 and from 1903 to 1905 he worked as an editor at the Tallinn newspaper, Teataja. In Tallinn he was able to witness the Russian Revolution of 1905.
In 1907 he enrolled as a law student at Tartu University, but in 1911 he was unable to sit his finals, as he became very ill with tuberculosis. He was moved to Sochi on the Black Sea and then to the Caucasus Mountains, where his condition improved. On his return to Estonia, he lived for six years on his brother's farm where he was again affected by illness. Unable to work, he threw himself into his studies and mastered English, French, Finnish and Swedish.
After his marriage in 1920 he moved to Tallinn and embarked on the most productive period of his life. His greatest influences were the Russian classics of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Gogol, butt his work also shows the influence of Oscar Wilde, Knut Hamsun and Andre Gide. He occupies a central place in the development of the Estonian novel and is a figure of European significance.
Tammsaare was born in 1878 into a farming family. He attended secondary school in Tartu from 1898 to 1903 and from 1903 to 1905 he worked as an editor at the Tallinn newspaper, Teataja. In Tallinn he was able to witness the Russian Revolution of 1905.
In 1907 he enrolled as a law student at Tartu University, but in 1911 he was unable to sit his finals, as he became very ill with tuberculosis. He was moved to Sochi on the Black Sea and then to the Caucasus Mountains, where his condition improved. On his return to Estonia, he lived for six years on his brother's farm where he was again affected by illness. Unable to work, he threw himself into his studies and mastered English, French, Finnish and Swedish.
After his marriage in 1920 he moved to Tallinn and embarked on the most productive period of his life. His greatest influences were the Russian classics of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy and Gogol, butt his work also shows the influence of Oscar Wilde, Knut Hamsun and Andre Gide. He occupies a central place in the development of the Estonian novel and is a figure of European significance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 5, 2022
All things timeless are timeless only because people won't change
God doesn't believe anymore that humans can attain salvation and decides to close heaven and hell. Satan gets outraged as he doesn't get any new souls during the annual reaping, so what are he and his boys going to do from now on? Peter intercedes on Satan's behalf, and God accepts to ponder things over if Satan himself can attain salvation as a human being. Thus Satan is sent to Earth together with his wife, and he begins toiling in the Estonian backlands as Jürka, a mere mortal with superhuman strength and a not-so-brilliant brain. But he is swindled right and left by his neighbor (who he sees as a friend) Ants, a despicable man who exploits and robs Jürka until his last breath.
Despite being heralded as one of the best Estonian books ever written, this novel exceeded all my expectations. Don't be fooled by its theme and plot: this novel is not at all about religion. Anton Tammsaare surely makes use of Christian and Estonian pagan myths and folklore (which, amusingly, is very, very similar to Portuguese folklore, which comes to prove that Europeans do share a common cultural background, whatever people may say), but only in a way as to expose social and political problems, mainly the one which he seems the more concerned about - the exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful. Despite having been published in 1939 and having a few subtle anti-Soviet and anti-Communist remarks, one could consider The Misadventures of the New Satan a anti-capitalist novel. Money corrupts people, profit comes first, and the rich are always protected by the authorities. From this point of view, church and religion are shown only as accomplices of the powerful: the pastor recognizes that Ants is always conniving to steal and make Jürka work as a slave for him, but he still offers him absolution, as it's not in his power to judge anyone. One must accept fate! Religion is therefore only one effective means of controlling the poor, and - in 1939 as nowadays - the rich get richer and the poor, who get poorer, even protect and obligingly serve those who oppress them.
This timeless novel is really well-paced and a pleasure to read. Its dialogues propel the action with a mix of realism and absurdism, and some conversations about the world's logic, or the lack of it, sustained by Jürka and the other characters are particularly noteworthy.
Translated from Estonian by Olga Shartse and Christopher Moseley. The translation is good but could do with some proofreading since I found many typos.
God doesn't believe anymore that humans can attain salvation and decides to close heaven and hell. Satan gets outraged as he doesn't get any new souls during the annual reaping, so what are he and his boys going to do from now on? Peter intercedes on Satan's behalf, and God accepts to ponder things over if Satan himself can attain salvation as a human being. Thus Satan is sent to Earth together with his wife, and he begins toiling in the Estonian backlands as Jürka, a mere mortal with superhuman strength and a not-so-brilliant brain. But he is swindled right and left by his neighbor (who he sees as a friend) Ants, a despicable man who exploits and robs Jürka until his last breath.
Despite being heralded as one of the best Estonian books ever written, this novel exceeded all my expectations. Don't be fooled by its theme and plot: this novel is not at all about religion. Anton Tammsaare surely makes use of Christian and Estonian pagan myths and folklore (which, amusingly, is very, very similar to Portuguese folklore, which comes to prove that Europeans do share a common cultural background, whatever people may say), but only in a way as to expose social and political problems, mainly the one which he seems the more concerned about - the exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful. Despite having been published in 1939 and having a few subtle anti-Soviet and anti-Communist remarks, one could consider The Misadventures of the New Satan a anti-capitalist novel. Money corrupts people, profit comes first, and the rich are always protected by the authorities. From this point of view, church and religion are shown only as accomplices of the powerful: the pastor recognizes that Ants is always conniving to steal and make Jürka work as a slave for him, but he still offers him absolution, as it's not in his power to judge anyone. One must accept fate! Religion is therefore only one effective means of controlling the poor, and - in 1939 as nowadays - the rich get richer and the poor, who get poorer, even protect and obligingly serve those who oppress them.
This timeless novel is really well-paced and a pleasure to read. Its dialogues propel the action with a mix of realism and absurdism, and some conversations about the world's logic, or the lack of it, sustained by Jürka and the other characters are particularly noteworthy.
Translated from Estonian by Olga Shartse and Christopher Moseley. The translation is good but could do with some proofreading since I found many typos.
January 2, 2023
First published in 1939.
Põrgupõhja Uus Vanapagan (In English translation: The Misadventures of the New Satan) by Anton Hansen-Tammsaare (Estonian author) is a partly surrealistic, partly acute social novel about Satan coming to Earth as a human to get God's grace. Satan, named Jürka, turned himself into a dimwitted, less-than-poor Estonian peasant and rented an abandoned farm Põrgupõhja (literally 'The Hell's Bottom'). His neighbor Clever Ants lends household goods and animals in exchange for work on his farm. Ants convinces Jürka that one can get God's grace through hard work (while Ants sacrifices his soul for his workers since he doesn't work). No matter how diligently Jürka labors, he can't pay back the leases. His second wife works for Ants, then their children...
The easy-to-read story is appealing as the author puts the realities of an Estonian peasantry into an otherworldly context. To highlight the differences between the poor and the rich, the author uses Jürka and Ants as two extreme points. Jürka doesn't understand a thing in human affairs, and he's constantly exploited by Ants, who claims to be his friend. When Jürka, already old and robbed of everything, refuses to obey Ants's order, he's mercilessly thrown out of Põrgupõhja. The injustice in which characters exist is exemplified by this paragraph:
See oli ju avalik saladus, et Ants oli juba sedavõrd rikas, et temal polnud enam tarvis oma rahvuslikku meelt või isamaa-armastust mõne kohustusega tõendada, teda usuti palja sõna peale. Maksusid ei maksnud ta üldse, või kuigi ta pidi seda tegema, siis oli tal õigus need vaesemate kaela veeratada, sest nende rahvuslikkus ja isamaa-armastus olid muidu kahtlased. Kui Ants rääkis isamaa-armastusest - ja seda tegi ta väga sagedasti -. siis mõtles ta ikka oma õigustele ja eesõigustele, ja niihästi tema kui kõik teised leidsid selle täesti loomulikku olevat.
(Due to Ants's wealth, he didn't have to convince others of his national identity or patriotism. Everybody believed his words without reserve. Under patriotism, he meant his rights and privileges, and others thought it to be a natural order of things.)
Much of the surrealism lies in dialogues that constitute maybe three-fourths of the book. Characters' logic looks twisted, their thinking distorted by poverty and titbits of Biblical studies. For example, a pastor tells Juula, Jürka's second wife, that it's a good thing that her children will grow horns; then they'll be successful with women or become world champions in boxing.
The English version was released in 2018 by Norvik Press. I haven't read that translation, but I hope it contains a preface and afterward that weren't included in some Estonian editions. From the text itself, it's hard to understand if Jürka is Satan or if he believes himself to be Satan.
Põrgupõhja Uus Vanapagan (In English translation: The Misadventures of the New Satan) by Anton Hansen-Tammsaare (Estonian author) is a partly surrealistic, partly acute social novel about Satan coming to Earth as a human to get God's grace. Satan, named Jürka, turned himself into a dimwitted, less-than-poor Estonian peasant and rented an abandoned farm Põrgupõhja (literally 'The Hell's Bottom'). His neighbor Clever Ants lends household goods and animals in exchange for work on his farm. Ants convinces Jürka that one can get God's grace through hard work (while Ants sacrifices his soul for his workers since he doesn't work). No matter how diligently Jürka labors, he can't pay back the leases. His second wife works for Ants, then their children...
The easy-to-read story is appealing as the author puts the realities of an Estonian peasantry into an otherworldly context. To highlight the differences between the poor and the rich, the author uses Jürka and Ants as two extreme points. Jürka doesn't understand a thing in human affairs, and he's constantly exploited by Ants, who claims to be his friend. When Jürka, already old and robbed of everything, refuses to obey Ants's order, he's mercilessly thrown out of Põrgupõhja. The injustice in which characters exist is exemplified by this paragraph:
See oli ju avalik saladus, et Ants oli juba sedavõrd rikas, et temal polnud enam tarvis oma rahvuslikku meelt või isamaa-armastust mõne kohustusega tõendada, teda usuti palja sõna peale. Maksusid ei maksnud ta üldse, või kuigi ta pidi seda tegema, siis oli tal õigus need vaesemate kaela veeratada, sest nende rahvuslikkus ja isamaa-armastus olid muidu kahtlased. Kui Ants rääkis isamaa-armastusest - ja seda tegi ta väga sagedasti -. siis mõtles ta ikka oma õigustele ja eesõigustele, ja niihästi tema kui kõik teised leidsid selle täesti loomulikku olevat.
(Due to Ants's wealth, he didn't have to convince others of his national identity or patriotism. Everybody believed his words without reserve. Under patriotism, he meant his rights and privileges, and others thought it to be a natural order of things.)
Much of the surrealism lies in dialogues that constitute maybe three-fourths of the book. Characters' logic looks twisted, their thinking distorted by poverty and titbits of Biblical studies. For example, a pastor tells Juula, Jürka's second wife, that it's a good thing that her children will grow horns; then they'll be successful with women or become world champions in boxing.
The English version was released in 2018 by Norvik Press. I haven't read that translation, but I hope it contains a preface and afterward that weren't included in some Estonian editions. From the text itself, it's hard to understand if Jürka is Satan or if he believes himself to be Satan.
April 3, 2011
Essentially, God has decided that man has reached a point where no one is able to live a good enough life to go to heaven. Since this means everyone is going to be sent to hell, God has compassion and decides to close Hell. Naturally, Satan is peeved about this so he makes a deal: If he can live life as a human and earn redemption, thus proving mankind is capable of living good lives, then Hell will be reopened for those who are incapable of living good lives. So, Satan is sent to Earth as an Estonian farmer.
As one may suspect, this is a satire. Published in 1939 in Estonia, I'm sure it skewers the religious, social and political practices of the day there, none of which I'd be familiar with. Thankfully, you don't need to know about such things to thoroughly enjoy this book. Satan, as depicted here, is a dimwitted gullible behemoth of a man whose attempts at living a decent life are thwarted by a well meaning but ineffectual priest, rigid bureacracy, and a scheming landlord who scams Satan at every opportunity.
As one may suspect, this is a satire. Published in 1939 in Estonia, I'm sure it skewers the religious, social and political practices of the day there, none of which I'd be familiar with. Thankfully, you don't need to know about such things to thoroughly enjoy this book. Satan, as depicted here, is a dimwitted gullible behemoth of a man whose attempts at living a decent life are thwarted by a well meaning but ineffectual priest, rigid bureacracy, and a scheming landlord who scams Satan at every opportunity.
December 20, 2015
Enjoyed this - a livelier, bucolic, less predictable antecedent of the grim Eastern Bloc satires of two or three decades later - but not sure how logical it was. I can understand why some would downrate it for that; on the other hand, the 'illogic' might refer to sources I don't know, unfamiliar Estonian folktales and literature that presumably form the background to the story.
Info about Tammsaare in English is limited - I'd love to know more about his politics to shed more light on the intentions of this book, set in inter-war independent Estonia. Russia is briefly portrayed as a place one might plausibly flee from, and where churches might have been shut down. The premise of Misadventures, which drew me to it, reads nowadays as something perhaps most fitting with social democracy or the libertarian left: God has realised that most humans and their lives are such that it's unfair to expect them to behave righteously enough to get into heaven; as a test of whether hell should be wound up altogether, Satan is incarnated as Jürka, an ordinary agricultural smallholder, and if he can live well enough to achieve salvation, he can then keep on running hell. The most contemporary (as in 2010s-seeming) aspect of the book is that Jürka's greatest torment is debt: he is forever in hock to bigger local farmer Cunning Ants, and the false promises he makes Jürka about how great his life will be once he has something else Ants will lend him money to obtain. They may live mostly with pre-Industrial Revolution technology (in stark contrast to the towns and authorities, who do seem to be in the 1930s much as the West knew them) but right now it's terribly easy to read Ants as a symbol of consumerist capitalism. The wonderfully neutral and compassionate attitude Tammsaare took towards his all-human characters in Andres & Pearu at times makes this different, partly allegorical novel inscrutable rather than understanding. [Review of A&P not finished, I still feel too fuzzy-headed to write this one - never mind the epic that was becoming - but this doesn't seem too awful on the page]
Different in some respects, anyway. Misadventures is told more like a fable or fairytale, and in that manner, some things and some roles just are, just have to be taken on trust - whereas the earlier, and much longer, Andres & Pearu, likely influenced by Tolstoy (though less condescending), led the reader into the minds of many characters in turn. There are still occasional moments of that in Misadventures, but usually we are watching from the outside, and it lacks the richness of characterisation, especially of the supporting cast.
Elements of the story, though, are alike: in both cases life begins as a childless couple arriving on a farm in the middle of nowhere; the family structure is similar [spoiler for both books] . Jürka and Andres are both big men and the strongest in their neighbourhoods: Andres quite plausibly so (strongman contests were a big tradition in Estonia - they still host them somtimes on Eurosport - and he seems part of that), Jürka, an actual devil incarnate, is preternaturally strong; both work at a rate that can and does drive others into the ground. Both, to varying extents, have a temper which flares at particular events, but a day-to-day stoicism (Andres can be quick-witted, but he nonetheless believes in his thankless work of farming and improving a swamp and reads the book of Job frequently; Jürka can appear simple-minded in his devotion to manual labour, which he believes will earn him salvation).
From plugging a few synopses into Google Translate, it's evident that Tammsaare did write about other scenarios; it just happens these two rather similar ones have ended up in English. Perhaps as his health was failing (Tammsaare died the year after Misadventures was published) he again was drawn to a structure that, like A&P, first of a semi-autobiographical pentalogy - Andres being based on his own father - contained elements of his own beginnings.
Anyone who's read much contemporary fantasy perhaps can't help but think in detail about how such incarnation takes place: principles are not set out, nor are we shown-not-told, like an example I frequently thought of, Kate Atkinson's Life After Life in which the reincarnated Ursula retains elements of implicit memory from her prior existence, which drive some decision making by apparent reflex or instinct. Having to make up my own framework for Jürka, what was established was this: he knows he is Satan (some think him mad for this) so he is more conscious of his other existence than Ursula, but like her he isn't exactly the same; he retains certain elements easily associated with Satan - an interest in fire, his red hair, his unpredictable temper; but that is also grafted on to an ordinary, dogged labourer who distinctly lacks the wily seductive nature many folk tales attribute to devils. Instead that particular type of badness belongs to the world, in particular to Cunning Ants and the legal system that supports his extortions.
Sometimes I wondered if seeing if this Satan could attain salvation was a real and fair test applicable to other humans: he had more of a temper than manys. I loved Tammsaare's neutrality and understanding of people in the other book, but here I wasn't sure if some of Jürka's angry reactions were supposed to be typical in his milieu, outrageous, or somewhere in between. My thoughts often flitted back to the high rates of violent crime recorded in some European medieval communities, e.g. Yorkshire, some Italian city states. He would fit with those; he was provoked by events we'd still consier unfortunate, but we'd be more censorious and less normative about violent responses to them now. Such violence has always been a crime in law, but many communities used to consider retributive violence par for the course. As in medieval texts, Jürka's lashing out sounds fairly commonplace and well understood by locals; he is considered a basically decent and stoic man who's had a lot to put up with. But at what point in history was this acceptance of violence also characteristic in rural Estonia? As late as the 1930s, or not? Perhaps it's more characteristic of the story's timeless, folkloric setting than the real twentieth century.
I've never got as much out of those Communist Era allegorical satires as I'd hoped (typically Czech, things like Havel plays and some Czechoslovak New Wave films), but Misadventures of the New Satan was far more satisfying; I just like rural settings, but also the atmosphere of the writing wasn't so claustrophobic and grey, it seemed more possible actually to laugh, and the ideas about both debt, and human fallibility and blameworthiness seemed extraordinarily current.
Info about Tammsaare in English is limited - I'd love to know more about his politics to shed more light on the intentions of this book, set in inter-war independent Estonia. Russia is briefly portrayed as a place one might plausibly flee from, and where churches might have been shut down. The premise of Misadventures, which drew me to it, reads nowadays as something perhaps most fitting with social democracy or the libertarian left: God has realised that most humans and their lives are such that it's unfair to expect them to behave righteously enough to get into heaven; as a test of whether hell should be wound up altogether, Satan is incarnated as Jürka, an ordinary agricultural smallholder, and if he can live well enough to achieve salvation, he can then keep on running hell. The most contemporary (as in 2010s-seeming) aspect of the book is that Jürka's greatest torment is debt: he is forever in hock to bigger local farmer Cunning Ants, and the false promises he makes Jürka about how great his life will be once he has something else Ants will lend him money to obtain. They may live mostly with pre-Industrial Revolution technology (in stark contrast to the towns and authorities, who do seem to be in the 1930s much as the West knew them) but right now it's terribly easy to read Ants as a symbol of consumerist capitalism. The wonderfully neutral and compassionate attitude Tammsaare took towards his all-human characters in Andres & Pearu at times makes this different, partly allegorical novel inscrutable rather than understanding. [Review of A&P not finished, I still feel too fuzzy-headed to write this one - never mind the epic that was becoming - but this doesn't seem too awful on the page]
Different in some respects, anyway. Misadventures is told more like a fable or fairytale, and in that manner, some things and some roles just are, just have to be taken on trust - whereas the earlier, and much longer, Andres & Pearu, likely influenced by Tolstoy (though less condescending), led the reader into the minds of many characters in turn. There are still occasional moments of that in Misadventures, but usually we are watching from the outside, and it lacks the richness of characterisation, especially of the supporting cast.
Elements of the story, though, are alike: in both cases life begins as a childless couple arriving on a farm in the middle of nowhere; the family structure is similar [spoiler for both books] . Jürka and Andres are both big men and the strongest in their neighbourhoods: Andres quite plausibly so (strongman contests were a big tradition in Estonia - they still host them somtimes on Eurosport - and he seems part of that), Jürka, an actual devil incarnate, is preternaturally strong; both work at a rate that can and does drive others into the ground. Both, to varying extents, have a temper which flares at particular events, but a day-to-day stoicism (Andres can be quick-witted, but he nonetheless believes in his thankless work of farming and improving a swamp and reads the book of Job frequently; Jürka can appear simple-minded in his devotion to manual labour, which he believes will earn him salvation).
From plugging a few synopses into Google Translate, it's evident that Tammsaare did write about other scenarios; it just happens these two rather similar ones have ended up in English. Perhaps as his health was failing (Tammsaare died the year after Misadventures was published) he again was drawn to a structure that, like A&P, first of a semi-autobiographical pentalogy - Andres being based on his own father - contained elements of his own beginnings.
Anyone who's read much contemporary fantasy perhaps can't help but think in detail about how such incarnation takes place: principles are not set out, nor are we shown-not-told, like an example I frequently thought of, Kate Atkinson's Life After Life in which the reincarnated Ursula retains elements of implicit memory from her prior existence, which drive some decision making by apparent reflex or instinct. Having to make up my own framework for Jürka, what was established was this: he knows he is Satan (some think him mad for this) so he is more conscious of his other existence than Ursula, but like her he isn't exactly the same; he retains certain elements easily associated with Satan - an interest in fire, his red hair, his unpredictable temper; but that is also grafted on to an ordinary, dogged labourer who distinctly lacks the wily seductive nature many folk tales attribute to devils. Instead that particular type of badness belongs to the world, in particular to Cunning Ants and the legal system that supports his extortions.
Sometimes I wondered if seeing if this Satan could attain salvation was a real and fair test applicable to other humans: he had more of a temper than manys. I loved Tammsaare's neutrality and understanding of people in the other book, but here I wasn't sure if some of Jürka's angry reactions were supposed to be typical in his milieu, outrageous, or somewhere in between. My thoughts often flitted back to the high rates of violent crime recorded in some European medieval communities, e.g. Yorkshire, some Italian city states. He would fit with those; he was provoked by events we'd still consier unfortunate, but we'd be more censorious and less normative about violent responses to them now. Such violence has always been a crime in law, but many communities used to consider retributive violence par for the course. As in medieval texts, Jürka's lashing out sounds fairly commonplace and well understood by locals; he is considered a basically decent and stoic man who's had a lot to put up with. But at what point in history was this acceptance of violence also characteristic in rural Estonia? As late as the 1930s, or not? Perhaps it's more characteristic of the story's timeless, folkloric setting than the real twentieth century.
I've never got as much out of those Communist Era allegorical satires as I'd hoped (typically Czech, things like Havel plays and some Czechoslovak New Wave films), but Misadventures of the New Satan was far more satisfying; I just like rural settings, but also the atmosphere of the writing wasn't so claustrophobic and grey, it seemed more possible actually to laugh, and the ideas about both debt, and human fallibility and blameworthiness seemed extraordinarily current.
October 23, 2024
This was weird. Very funny though.
August 14, 2022
“inimene on ju niisuke, et valeta talle kas või kõige hullem asi ette, kohe usub, aga katsu tõtt rääkida-kahtleb.”
tammsaare ületab iga kord ootused. mõlemad korrad, kui ma teda lugenud olen, siis see on olnud põnev ja kaasahaarav, kuigi paljud arvavad, et tammsaare on igav. see raamat ei valmistanud pettumust
tammsaare ületab iga kord ootused. mõlemad korrad, kui ma teda lugenud olen, siis see on olnud põnev ja kaasahaarav, kuigi paljud arvavad, et tammsaare on igav. see raamat ei valmistanud pettumust
February 27, 2023
- "Nüüd pole enam endised ajad."
- "Ajad on teised, inimesed endised."
1939. a kirjutatud teos mõjub vägagi ajakohasena ka tänapäeval. Irooniline ja kohati väga naljakas, kuid samas sügavalt ühiskonnakriitiline ja traagiline lugu, mis paneb mõtisklema headuse ja kurjuse, inimeseksolemise ja igavikuliste teemade üle. Nii nagu "Tões ja õiguses" (mille 1. osa on üks mu lemmikraamatuid), on ka siin keskseteks teemadeks usk, töö ja armastus, aga märksa sarkastilisemas ja pessimistlikumas võtmes. Tekitas küsimuse, mis suhe Tammsaarel endal jumalaga oli. Toomas Liiv on 2006. a Eesti Kirikus kirjutanud:
"Tammsaare suhtumine kirikusse ei olnud just kõige positiivsem, maetigi ta Tallinna Metsakalmistule ilmalikult. Ometi on tema loomingus teoloogilised probleemid tihtilugu esikohal. Piibel oli tekst, mida Tammsaare kõige rohkem n-ö kasutas."
See selgitab tegelikult väga hästi, miks Tammsaare looming on ajatu.
---
"Jumal on hakanud inimeses kahtlema. /---/ Taevas on nimelt hakanud kahtlema, kas inimene üldse on nõnda loodud, et ta võiks õndsaks saada. Ja kui ta ei ole, mis õigusega saadetakse ta siis pärast surma põrgu? /---/ kui inimene on ehk tõesti nõnda loodud, et ta üldse ei või õndsaks saada, s.t. kui inimese loomine on äpardunud, siis tuleb see tagasi võtta. /---/ See tähendab seda, et inimsugu, nagu ta on, lastakse hävineda ja olnud inimeste hinged kogutakse taevast ning põrgust kokku ja saadetakse sinna tagasi, kust nad on tulnud."
- "Ajad on teised, inimesed endised."
1939. a kirjutatud teos mõjub vägagi ajakohasena ka tänapäeval. Irooniline ja kohati väga naljakas, kuid samas sügavalt ühiskonnakriitiline ja traagiline lugu, mis paneb mõtisklema headuse ja kurjuse, inimeseksolemise ja igavikuliste teemade üle. Nii nagu "Tões ja õiguses" (mille 1. osa on üks mu lemmikraamatuid), on ka siin keskseteks teemadeks usk, töö ja armastus, aga märksa sarkastilisemas ja pessimistlikumas võtmes. Tekitas küsimuse, mis suhe Tammsaarel endal jumalaga oli. Toomas Liiv on 2006. a Eesti Kirikus kirjutanud:
"Tammsaare suhtumine kirikusse ei olnud just kõige positiivsem, maetigi ta Tallinna Metsakalmistule ilmalikult. Ometi on tema loomingus teoloogilised probleemid tihtilugu esikohal. Piibel oli tekst, mida Tammsaare kõige rohkem n-ö kasutas."
See selgitab tegelikult väga hästi, miks Tammsaare looming on ajatu.
---
"Jumal on hakanud inimeses kahtlema. /---/ Taevas on nimelt hakanud kahtlema, kas inimene üldse on nõnda loodud, et ta võiks õndsaks saada. Ja kui ta ei ole, mis õigusega saadetakse ta siis pärast surma põrgu? /---/ kui inimene on ehk tõesti nõnda loodud, et ta üldse ei või õndsaks saada, s.t. kui inimese loomine on äpardunud, siis tuleb see tagasi võtta. /---/ See tähendab seda, et inimsugu, nagu ta on, lastakse hävineda ja olnud inimeste hinged kogutakse taevast ning põrgust kokku ja saadetakse sinna tagasi, kust nad on tulnud."
Read
September 20, 2020-"Tõepoolest on aga nõnda, et õdsakssaamine on tänapäev häbiasi nagu näpuga nina nuuskamine."
-"Aga mina nuuskan."
-"Mina ka," kinnitas Ants. "Aga mitte kõik pole äravalitud nagu meie."
((Eksole.))
-"Aga mina nuuskan."
-"Mina ka," kinnitas Ants. "Aga mitte kõik pole äravalitud nagu meie."
((Eksole.))
Read
October 20, 2022Kas inimene on võimeline õndsaks saama, aga ei taha või tahab, aga polegi võimeline?
Kuidas sa teed Vanapagana sümpaatseks ja inimese ebasümpaatseks? Nii.
Miks me ei suuda enam võimatut uskuda? Kui keegi tuleb sulle vastu ja väidab, et on Vanapagan, siis miks sa teda ei usu?
Kuidas sa teed Vanapagana sümpaatseks ja inimese ebasümpaatseks? Nii.
Miks me ei suuda enam võimatut uskuda? Kui keegi tuleb sulle vastu ja väidab, et on Vanapagan, siis miks sa teda ei usu?
January 10, 2024
ise ka imestan, aga tõesti meeldis?! Tammsaarele omaselt pikad ja kirjeldavad laused, peategelaste suhe sarnane Pearu ja Andrese loole. Veidi keerulisem mõista, palju sümboleid, sügavamaid mõtteid, kirjanduse õpetaja seletas ülihästi lahti!! Olen rahul, et lugesin, soovitan (tõeline eestlaslik üllitis — masendus, töö, pettus ja kurbilus lõpp)!!
November 17, 2024
Можна сказати, це спойлер, але не може Сатана бути настільки наївним. От аби якогось рядового чорта відправили на землю і водили його за носа, то можна було б і повірити, але ж не Сатану…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2020
A novel from one of the best known Estonian authors on the topic of the Great Farmers’ Plight. This one is about that as well, but only on the surface. In this one, the Devil is mixed with humanfolk, and shenanigans ensue only to show how morals and ethics are sometimes rather a grey area for all. It’s a philosophical, suspenseful read, showing the expectantly worst character in, surprisingly, the best possible light.
Tammsaare manages to reach more existential and moral grounds with his slightly newer novel and transcends the farmlands by several notches. Phantastical occurrences transcend their phantasy because the philosophical point still prevails. This perspective is highly interesting and borders on magical realism – very impressive even for Tammmsaare, who is impressive on his own anyway.
On top of the philosophical subtext, the reader also finds quite hands-on reflections about one humans insignificance and the overall necessity of laughing over one’s problems, since none of them matter in any case. Take it from the Devil himself – if you don’t succeed at first, try try try again.
This is a must-read for any Estonia Enthusiast.
My weekly book and movie blog: https://sandrafalke.wordpress.com
Tammsaare manages to reach more existential and moral grounds with his slightly newer novel and transcends the farmlands by several notches. Phantastical occurrences transcend their phantasy because the philosophical point still prevails. This perspective is highly interesting and borders on magical realism – very impressive even for Tammmsaare, who is impressive on his own anyway.
On top of the philosophical subtext, the reader also finds quite hands-on reflections about one humans insignificance and the overall necessity of laughing over one’s problems, since none of them matter in any case. Take it from the Devil himself – if you don’t succeed at first, try try try again.
This is a must-read for any Estonia Enthusiast.
My weekly book and movie blog: https://sandrafalke.wordpress.com
December 13, 2019
Oleks igav ja ettearvatav mainida, kuidas see teos kritiseerib väikese mütoloogilise kiiksuga ühiskonda ja inimeste omakasupüüdlikkust. Kuidas see kirjeldab teatud realistliku julmusega, kuidas saab lapsele, töölisele, vaesele ja naisele vaadata kui tähtsa otstarbega asjale, mitte inimolendile. Kuidas usku ja headust peetakse millekski, mille pärast enne surivoodit muretseda pole tarvis; surivoodilgi oluline ainult, et kindlustada oma koht kõikvõimsa tiiva all. Kuidas inimene, keda peeti kõrgemale jõule kõige lähedasemaks, oli võimeline väljendama samaaegselt, et kõik on jumala seatud, ent teatud jumala seadmised ei ole jumala järgi, ja näha innukaid noogutusi sellega nõustumas.
Seega mainin parem sammalt. Seda erkrohelist sammalt, mis Vanapagana naise puusärgi sisemust kattis ja nõnda oma pehmusega ka lapsemeelt surmast mõtisklema suutis panna. Too sammal, millele on oluline ainult hea muld, puhas vesi ja hingav metsapõrand. See on minu meelest mainimist väärt.
Seega mainin parem sammalt. Seda erkrohelist sammalt, mis Vanapagana naise puusärgi sisemust kattis ja nõnda oma pehmusega ka lapsemeelt surmast mõtisklema suutis panna. Too sammal, millele on oluline ainult hea muld, puhas vesi ja hingav metsapõrand. See on minu meelest mainimist väärt.
June 6, 2021
Keskkooli ajal sai teist ju loetud, aga mingeid sooje mälestusi tollest ajast ei jäänud. Nüüd, kui oma järeltulija samamoodi gümnasistina kohustuslikus korras seda luges, võtsin uuesti ette. Kohe teine asi! :)
August 7, 2024
Liebe diese Geschichte
May 15, 2021
Tammsaare teostest kindlasti mu lemmik.
March 12, 2014
This is a fantastic satire with a lot of heart. Unfortunately my copy has some typos in it, they could have used a better editor.
God has become dissatisfied with Man once again and begins to wonder if he should just abolish the human race. This would mean that Satan's contract is up and he would no longer be able to collect souls. As a test, Satan is given the opportunity to go down to earth and live a righteous life to earn salvation. (Christian theology is not strictly adhered to). Satan takes the challenge and at St. Peter's recommendation he comes to Estonia to be a farmer. He becomes convinced that if he works like a dog that he will be righteous and earn salvation for himself, proving that Man is capable of it and just chooses not to, so that way he can keep hell open and the truly righteous people can still earn salvation.
Unfortunately for Satan, named Jürka on earth, his landlord and neighbor Ants, is a truly selfish, bad man. Tammsaare brilliantly creates a story where you feel sorry for SATAN! Jürka is aware that he is Satan and what is purpose on earth is. And he tells people. He has numerous blunt, simple conversations with the pastor and Ants about his goal and people don't understand. The pastor is moved by his misguided faith and says he wishes all people could have faith as staunch as Jürka's. These round-about conversations are some of the most entertaining aspects of the book.
Tammsaare's satire exposes the real social and religious hypocrisy that people struggle with. One of the manipulations that Ants uses with Jürka is to say to him how they're both the "little guy" when in reality Ants is gaining by Jürka's extremely hard work. Ants represents all the people in the world who get rich off of the exploitation of the working class poor. The pastor represents the struggle between legality and religious morality. He is bothered by the abuse of Ants but does nothing about it. He could act as a witness for Jürka in a couple of different situations but declines not to. He maintains that his job is to offer salvation to the repentant, and not judge. I see religion as valuable but I have always struggled with the idea of Confession, where a person can say anything and it is kept in the vault, sometimes at the expense of victims, which Jürka surely is.
Tammsaare uses folklore and and fantasy as social commentary. I couldn't figure out how this story was going to end. The end was not what I expected but after dwelling on it for awhile I have found it to be (darkly)hopeful. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel for Man, but will we choose it?
This gem of a novel only has one flaw. Jürka does something truly evil which would absolutely prohibit salvation, especially as he is not repentant. He should have been dragged back to the gates of heaven immediately as a failure, and then given another chance on earth. Instead, after this incident I spent the rest of the book trying to forget about the fact that pretty much everything else would be irrelevant.
God has become dissatisfied with Man once again and begins to wonder if he should just abolish the human race. This would mean that Satan's contract is up and he would no longer be able to collect souls. As a test, Satan is given the opportunity to go down to earth and live a righteous life to earn salvation. (Christian theology is not strictly adhered to). Satan takes the challenge and at St. Peter's recommendation he comes to Estonia to be a farmer. He becomes convinced that if he works like a dog that he will be righteous and earn salvation for himself, proving that Man is capable of it and just chooses not to, so that way he can keep hell open and the truly righteous people can still earn salvation.
Unfortunately for Satan, named Jürka on earth, his landlord and neighbor Ants, is a truly selfish, bad man. Tammsaare brilliantly creates a story where you feel sorry for SATAN! Jürka is aware that he is Satan and what is purpose on earth is. And he tells people. He has numerous blunt, simple conversations with the pastor and Ants about his goal and people don't understand. The pastor is moved by his misguided faith and says he wishes all people could have faith as staunch as Jürka's. These round-about conversations are some of the most entertaining aspects of the book.
Tammsaare's satire exposes the real social and religious hypocrisy that people struggle with. One of the manipulations that Ants uses with Jürka is to say to him how they're both the "little guy" when in reality Ants is gaining by Jürka's extremely hard work. Ants represents all the people in the world who get rich off of the exploitation of the working class poor. The pastor represents the struggle between legality and religious morality. He is bothered by the abuse of Ants but does nothing about it. He could act as a witness for Jürka in a couple of different situations but declines not to. He maintains that his job is to offer salvation to the repentant, and not judge. I see religion as valuable but I have always struggled with the idea of Confession, where a person can say anything and it is kept in the vault, sometimes at the expense of victims, which Jürka surely is.
Tammsaare uses folklore and and fantasy as social commentary. I couldn't figure out how this story was going to end. The end was not what I expected but after dwelling on it for awhile I have found it to be (darkly)hopeful. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel for Man, but will we choose it?
This gem of a novel only has one flaw. Jürka does something truly evil which would absolutely prohibit salvation, especially as he is not repentant. He should have been dragged back to the gates of heaven immediately as a failure, and then given another chance on earth. Instead, after this incident I spent the rest of the book trying to forget about the fact that pretty much everything else would be irrelevant.
March 8, 2020
Vanemuise ooperi tutvustusest:
"Mis veider maailm – üks kaljukindlalt usub, et ta on Vanapagan, aga elab kui inimene; teine usub, et ta on inimene, aga elab nagu Vanapagan. Nõnda on inimesega siin maa peal: ta kas usub võõriti või elab võõriti. Kuidas teha nii, et inimene usuks õieti ja ka elaks õieti? Kas see oleks Jumala endagi käes võimalik?" (A. H. Tammsaare „Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan”)
Tammsaare ise kommenteeris oma romaani nii: „Jah, võib-olla esiotsa teile tundub, et selle raamatu autor on hull, kuid edasi lugedes te jõuate veendumusele, et selle lugeja on hull. Ja kui te veel edasi loete, siis peaks teile selge olema, et terve maailm on hull.”
Tammsaare jutustab lugu ja vaatleb oma tegelasi huumoriga. Tundub, nagu oleks autor pea kõigi inimlike omaduste suhtes sarkastiline, välja arvatud armastus.
Romaan mõjub päev-päevalt üha aktuaalsemana, see näitab kuidas ühiskonnas toimuvad protsessid on korduva iseloomuga. Täna tahaks tõesti hüüda: „Maailm on hulluks läinud!“
Mis on jääv?
Kindlasti armastus. Ja huumor.
Ardo Ran Varres, helilooja
https://www.vanemuine.ee/repertuaar/p...
"Mis veider maailm – üks kaljukindlalt usub, et ta on Vanapagan, aga elab kui inimene; teine usub, et ta on inimene, aga elab nagu Vanapagan. Nõnda on inimesega siin maa peal: ta kas usub võõriti või elab võõriti. Kuidas teha nii, et inimene usuks õieti ja ka elaks õieti? Kas see oleks Jumala endagi käes võimalik?" (A. H. Tammsaare „Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan”)
Tammsaare ise kommenteeris oma romaani nii: „Jah, võib-olla esiotsa teile tundub, et selle raamatu autor on hull, kuid edasi lugedes te jõuate veendumusele, et selle lugeja on hull. Ja kui te veel edasi loete, siis peaks teile selge olema, et terve maailm on hull.”
Tammsaare jutustab lugu ja vaatleb oma tegelasi huumoriga. Tundub, nagu oleks autor pea kõigi inimlike omaduste suhtes sarkastiline, välja arvatud armastus.
Romaan mõjub päev-päevalt üha aktuaalsemana, see näitab kuidas ühiskonnas toimuvad protsessid on korduva iseloomuga. Täna tahaks tõesti hüüda: „Maailm on hulluks läinud!“
Mis on jääv?
Kindlasti armastus. Ja huumor.
Ardo Ran Varres, helilooja
https://www.vanemuine.ee/repertuaar/p...
September 18, 2022
God has decided that humanity might have been a mistake, since people seem to be incapable of living a righteous life. To change God's mind and keep his beloved Hell open, Satan must take human form and earn salvation. Great premise, right? And by that I mean, you hear those two sentences and immediately you can think of a dozen entertaining places the story will go. Never before being a mortal, will Satan be a fish out of water? Or perhaps Satan will struggle to keep his infernal anger under control when dealing with stupid people and petty problems. Will he use supernatural powers to punish people committing sins, and perhaps take a liking to a better side of humanity he hasn't had a chance to see before in Hell? It's a premise with which an author could have a lot of fun with while still tackling serious topics, and it made me excited to read Tammsaare's The Misadventures of the New Satan.
The book's opening prologue kept this excitement alive. There are many different depictions of Satan as a character, and the prologue introduces a unique one: Satan as a polite, even nervous figure timidly knocking on Heaven's door. This isn't a malevolent Devil or a prideful Lucifer, but something different. Unfortunately, once Satan becomes a mortal in the first chapter and the story proper begins, this difference remains, but that's a bad thing. In his human form of Jürka, Satan is not just a pushover, but a simpleton, failing to understand human society and being constantly taken advantage of. How is he so ignorant of human nature and society? What has he been doing in the eons since his failed rebellion against God? Apparently he has a very hands-off approach to running hell, since being a human is so new to him. You can, perhaps, write an entertaining story about a strong but mentally challenged person being cheated for 200 pages, but Tammsaare doesn’t do so here. Whether it was Jürka getting his papers in order, or dealing with a government land improvement loan, or handling a sticky-fingered maid, I found Jürka’s exploits more boring than anything else, at least until the book’s final tenth.
In addition to the problems inherent in a story about a slow person being exploited over and over and over again, the nature of Satan’s attempt to earn salvation is also so nebulous that it was frustrating. Some of the first things that Jürka does in the story are murder a man by burning him alive and commit adultery, acts that don’t exactly comport with his mission to live a life worthy of salvation. These acts aren’t driven by urges that Satan tries to resist but ultimately succumbs to, rather they’re things he does with no hesitation beforehand and no regrets afterwards. The book acknowledges that Satan committed these crimes, but doesn’t actually address them in the context of Satan’s desire to live a righteous life, leaving me confused. Initially I though that there was going to be a twist where it was eventually revealed that giving in to all your base urges actually gets you into heaven, flying in the face of traditional Christian values, but nope. Tammsaare never squares Satan’s supposed mission with his mortal actions.
In fact, when you get right down to it, The Misadventures of the New Satan never really takes a strong stance on anything. Jürka and other characters have frequent discussions with a priest, but he’s disbelieving at first and never has anything interesting to say even when he’s more open to the possibility that Jürka is Satan. There’s some social commentary about financial cheats, the poor being taken advantage of by the rich, mechanization, etc. but none of it is insightful. Perhaps Tammsaare’s writing speaks to some things particular to Estonia that I didn’t pick up on, but I doubt it. Even the book’s epilogue is a wishy-washy non-ending that leaves the success or failure of Satan’s mortal life up in the air (though given his actions I can’t imagine he pulled it off). There is potential to use this book’s premise to say a lot of things about the world, but Tammsaare doesn’t manage to say anything worth reading.
It’s this unrealized potential that exemplifies The Misadventures of the New Satan more than anything else. Even if you don’t have anything insightful to say through the vehicle of Satan living as a mortal, there’s so much fun to be had with the idea! Where’s the scene of the card sharp trying to cheat Jürka, only to realize he’s challenged the devil himself? Or the silver-tongued Satan turning a conman’s grift around on him? Or him trying desperately to resist indulging in vices and hating the fact that he’s seen as an upstanding citizen? There are a total of two instances in the entire book that I would describe as fun: (1) Jürka telling Ants with certainty that he’s going to hell, and Ants knowing in his heart of hearts that Jürka is telling him the truth, and (2) Jürka’s spree at the book’s end, which really didn’t have anything to do with his being Satan except that it relied on his supernatural strength. These are slim pickings of amusement for a 250-pager with a premise so conducive to entertaining scenarios.
This was a big disappointment for me, since I thought that the premise was sure-fire, but the execution was poor enough that it proved me wrong. A book about Satan in mortal form trying to live a good life could have been fun, or insightful, or both, and instead The Misadventures of the New Satan was mostly neither. It didn’t help that the Norvik Press edition translated by Olga Shartse and Christopher Moseley was rife with errors, though I don’t hold that against the text itself. Perhaps this is unfair, but if this book had a worse premise, then I’d probably give the largely boring but overall mediocre story a 3/5. Because it had such a good premise, however, the book’s failures seem all the more severe, meaning that my rating for this one is a 2.5/5, rounding down. I hope that when this book becomes public domain someone takes the premise and does it much, much better.
The book's opening prologue kept this excitement alive. There are many different depictions of Satan as a character, and the prologue introduces a unique one: Satan as a polite, even nervous figure timidly knocking on Heaven's door. This isn't a malevolent Devil or a prideful Lucifer, but something different. Unfortunately, once Satan becomes a mortal in the first chapter and the story proper begins, this difference remains, but that's a bad thing. In his human form of Jürka, Satan is not just a pushover, but a simpleton, failing to understand human society and being constantly taken advantage of. How is he so ignorant of human nature and society? What has he been doing in the eons since his failed rebellion against God? Apparently he has a very hands-off approach to running hell, since being a human is so new to him. You can, perhaps, write an entertaining story about a strong but mentally challenged person being cheated for 200 pages, but Tammsaare doesn’t do so here. Whether it was Jürka getting his papers in order, or dealing with a government land improvement loan, or handling a sticky-fingered maid, I found Jürka’s exploits more boring than anything else, at least until the book’s final tenth.
In addition to the problems inherent in a story about a slow person being exploited over and over and over again, the nature of Satan’s attempt to earn salvation is also so nebulous that it was frustrating. Some of the first things that Jürka does in the story are murder a man by burning him alive and commit adultery, acts that don’t exactly comport with his mission to live a life worthy of salvation. These acts aren’t driven by urges that Satan tries to resist but ultimately succumbs to, rather they’re things he does with no hesitation beforehand and no regrets afterwards. The book acknowledges that Satan committed these crimes, but doesn’t actually address them in the context of Satan’s desire to live a righteous life, leaving me confused. Initially I though that there was going to be a twist where it was eventually revealed that giving in to all your base urges actually gets you into heaven, flying in the face of traditional Christian values, but nope. Tammsaare never squares Satan’s supposed mission with his mortal actions.
In fact, when you get right down to it, The Misadventures of the New Satan never really takes a strong stance on anything. Jürka and other characters have frequent discussions with a priest, but he’s disbelieving at first and never has anything interesting to say even when he’s more open to the possibility that Jürka is Satan. There’s some social commentary about financial cheats, the poor being taken advantage of by the rich, mechanization, etc. but none of it is insightful. Perhaps Tammsaare’s writing speaks to some things particular to Estonia that I didn’t pick up on, but I doubt it. Even the book’s epilogue is a wishy-washy non-ending that leaves the success or failure of Satan’s mortal life up in the air (though given his actions I can’t imagine he pulled it off). There is potential to use this book’s premise to say a lot of things about the world, but Tammsaare doesn’t manage to say anything worth reading.
It’s this unrealized potential that exemplifies The Misadventures of the New Satan more than anything else. Even if you don’t have anything insightful to say through the vehicle of Satan living as a mortal, there’s so much fun to be had with the idea! Where’s the scene of the card sharp trying to cheat Jürka, only to realize he’s challenged the devil himself? Or the silver-tongued Satan turning a conman’s grift around on him? Or him trying desperately to resist indulging in vices and hating the fact that he’s seen as an upstanding citizen? There are a total of two instances in the entire book that I would describe as fun: (1) Jürka telling Ants with certainty that he’s going to hell, and Ants knowing in his heart of hearts that Jürka is telling him the truth, and (2) Jürka’s spree at the book’s end, which really didn’t have anything to do with his being Satan except that it relied on his supernatural strength. These are slim pickings of amusement for a 250-pager with a premise so conducive to entertaining scenarios.
This was a big disappointment for me, since I thought that the premise was sure-fire, but the execution was poor enough that it proved me wrong. A book about Satan in mortal form trying to live a good life could have been fun, or insightful, or both, and instead The Misadventures of the New Satan was mostly neither. It didn’t help that the Norvik Press edition translated by Olga Shartse and Christopher Moseley was rife with errors, though I don’t hold that against the text itself. Perhaps this is unfair, but if this book had a worse premise, then I’d probably give the largely boring but overall mediocre story a 3/5. Because it had such a good premise, however, the book’s failures seem all the more severe, meaning that my rating for this one is a 2.5/5, rounding down. I hope that when this book becomes public domain someone takes the premise and does it much, much better.
January 20, 2019
"Aga õpetaja, kui ta pani pärast lõunat oma pikavarrega piibu suitsema, mis oli jumala andide seas veel ainuke tõsine himutekitaja ja rõõmuvalmistaja, mõtles: üks usub kaljukindlalt, et ta on Vanapagan, aga elab kui inimene, teine usub, et ta on inimene, aga elab nagu Vanapagan. Nõnda on inimesega siin maa peal: ta kas usub võõriti või elab võõriti. Kuidas teha nõnda, et inimene usuks õieti ja ka elaks õieti? Kas see oleks jumala endagi käes võimalik? Ja kui see oleks võimalik, miks ta siis pole seda juba ammugi nõnda seadnud?
Aga enne kui õpetaja jõudis selle küsimuse lahendada, algas lõunauinak, mis muutus aastatega aina magusamaks."
Minu meelest parim Tammsaare teos. Arvan, et ka enamikule paremini loetav kui T&Õ.
Aga enne kui õpetaja jõudis selle küsimuse lahendada, algas lõunauinak, mis muutus aastatega aina magusamaks."
Minu meelest parim Tammsaare teos. Arvan, et ka enamikule paremini loetav kui T&Õ.
January 13, 2022
Mulle isiklikult raamat väga meeldis. Lõpp oli minu jaoks natuke ootamatu, aga tuöeb tunnistada, toetudes senistele kogemustele Tammsaare teostega, et vägagi rahuldav.
Kuna Tammsaare ise sellele teist osa kirjutada ei jõudnud võiks seda teha näiteks Andrus Kivirähk, kelle käekiri sobiks selleks kindlasti suurepäraselt.
Kuna Tammsaare ise sellele teist osa kirjutada ei jõudnud võiks seda teha näiteks Andrus Kivirähk, kelle käekiri sobiks selleks kindlasti suurepäraselt.
April 7, 2012
Kaasahaarav ja rohkete emotsioonidega teos. Annab ka hea aimduse kunagisest eestlaste elust ja mõtteviisist. Rohkelt mõtteainet pakkuv. Loetud Tammsaare teostest lemmik!
April 7, 2013
Twinges of existentialism. I like the allegory, but I felt it did not delve as deeply as it could have.
September 27, 2022
3,5 -> 3
"Nowy Piekielnik z Czartoryi" Tammsaare wpadł mi nieco na fali powieści Andrusa Kivirähka "Listopadowe porzeczki". Nie pamiętam już, czy wyłapałam powieść przeglądając rekomendacje, ale jeśli tak, to czasami warto zerknąć do szalonych propozycji Goodreads, jakkolwiek dziwne by nie były. Literatura Litwy, Łotwy czy Estonii jest mi dużo mniej znana, więc tym bardziej cieszy mnie, gdy trafia się okazja do naprawiania tego karygodnego przeoczenia!
Jeżeli kojarzycie sposób przedstawienia diabła przez Kivirahka, to tu poczujecie się jak w domu. Niezbyt straszno, niezbyt mądro. Jeśliś cwany i masz łeb na karku, to nawet i diabła ocyganisz. Tak też i tytułowy Piekielnik okazuje się postacią posiadającą, powiedziałabym sprzeczną duszę, oraz trochę wykolejoną moralność. Nieco prostolinijny, silny fizycznie, ale niekoniecznie błyskotliwy, a przy tym niesamowicie uczciwy. Nieźle nie? Ale lepiej nie zapomnieć o jego gwałtowności, czy braku skrupułów by zabijać i zmalować sobie dzieci poza małżeństwem. I znowu pojawia się kolejny kontrast. Przy całej swej diabelskiej naturze Jurka obsesyjnie chce się zbawić. Jakby nie patrzeć jego żona, "Stara" jak ją określał, jest dużo zmyślniejsza.
. W tym momencie zahaczamy już o magiczny realizm, ale z mocnym postawieniem na realizm. Elementów fantastycznych występuje tyle co nic, jedynie nadludzka siła bohatera lub rogi u niego oraz jego dzieciaków. Bo i też zainteresowania Tammsaare leżały raczej obnażeniu problemów życia chłopów niż fantastyką.
W pewnym momencie zaczęłam się zastanawiać kto tu jest prawdziwym diabłem. Diabeł czy człowiek? Ten co nie ukrywa, czy ten co intryguje? Jurko czy Ants?. Nie sposób również nie dostrzec pewną obłudę ówczesnych norm społęcznych. Żona bierze kochanka? Gacha trza spalić. Mąż robi bękarty? Żona nie ma nic do gadania, może tylko walczyć o swoją pozycję z kochanką.
Dla tłumaczenia kciuk w górę ode mnie. W zależności od wykształcenia i charakteru postacie mówią odmienną polszczyzną :)
"Nowy Piekielnik z Czartoryi" Tammsaare wpadł mi nieco na fali powieści Andrusa Kivirähka "Listopadowe porzeczki". Nie pamiętam już, czy wyłapałam powieść przeglądając rekomendacje, ale jeśli tak, to czasami warto zerknąć do szalonych propozycji Goodreads, jakkolwiek dziwne by nie były. Literatura Litwy, Łotwy czy Estonii jest mi dużo mniej znana, więc tym bardziej cieszy mnie, gdy trafia się okazja do naprawiania tego karygodnego przeoczenia!
Jeżeli kojarzycie sposób przedstawienia diabła przez Kivirahka, to tu poczujecie się jak w domu. Niezbyt straszno, niezbyt mądro. Jeśliś cwany i masz łeb na karku, to nawet i diabła ocyganisz. Tak też i tytułowy Piekielnik okazuje się postacią posiadającą, powiedziałabym sprzeczną duszę, oraz trochę wykolejoną moralność. Nieco prostolinijny, silny fizycznie, ale niekoniecznie błyskotliwy, a przy tym niesamowicie uczciwy. Nieźle nie? Ale lepiej nie zapomnieć o jego gwałtowności, czy braku skrupułów by zabijać i zmalować sobie dzieci poza małżeństwem. I znowu pojawia się kolejny kontrast. Przy całej swej diabelskiej naturze Jurka obsesyjnie chce się zbawić. Jakby nie patrzeć jego żona, "Stara" jak ją określał, jest dużo zmyślniejsza.
. W tym momencie zahaczamy już o magiczny realizm, ale z mocnym postawieniem na realizm. Elementów fantastycznych występuje tyle co nic, jedynie nadludzka siła bohatera lub rogi u niego oraz jego dzieciaków. Bo i też zainteresowania Tammsaare leżały raczej obnażeniu problemów życia chłopów niż fantastyką.
W pewnym momencie zaczęłam się zastanawiać kto tu jest prawdziwym diabłem. Diabeł czy człowiek? Ten co nie ukrywa, czy ten co intryguje? Jurko czy Ants?. Nie sposób również nie dostrzec pewną obłudę ówczesnych norm społęcznych. Żona bierze kochanka? Gacha trza spalić. Mąż robi bękarty? Żona nie ma nic do gadania, może tylko walczyć o swoją pozycję z kochanką.
Dla tłumaczenia kciuk w górę ode mnie. W zależności od wykształcenia i charakteru postacie mówią odmienną polszczyzną :)
March 15, 2020
Vot sain mina tembuga hakkama! Lugesin eesti kirjandust inglise keeles! Itsitasin muudkui omaette, et näe, kuidas mul vedas. Kolisin kodust kaugele maale ja hakkasin eesti kirjaniku raamatut inglise keeles lugema. See raamat sattus minuni inglise keeles tänu sellele, et ma igavusest trükkisin Amazoni selliseid nimesid nagu Tammsaare, Kross ja Hargla. Tahtsin näha, kui palju nende eest siin küsitakse. Mul oli igav väga õigel ajal, sest sellel ja ühel Hargla Melchiori-raamatul olid ulmeliselt ilusad hinnad. Sellised, mille puhul üldse ei mõtlegi, kas seda raamatut tegelikult vaja on enne, kui vajutad nuppu "osta". Niimoodi mulle saabuski koju "Põrgupõhja uus Vanapagan".
Vanapagan saadetakse inimesena maa peale, et teada saada, kas inimesel on üldse võimalik oma tegude läbi pääseda taevariiki. Tema naabriks saab Kaval-Ants, kes teda igal moel ära kasutab. Mul hakkas ausalt öeldes Jürkast kohutavalt kahju.
Täitsa kummaline oli Tammsaare raamatut lugeda inglise keeles, kuigi aju läks ikka täiesti inglise keele peale üle. Siis, kui esimest korda mainiti Kaval-Antsu nime, siis ma mõtlesin, et mis kuradi sipelgad?! Inglise keeles on Kaval-Ants tõlgitud kui Cunning Ants, mis minu peas muutus naljakaks pildiks kavalatest sipelgatest. Vot nii hästi läks mu aju inglise keelele.
Minu jaoks hästi üllatuslikult jooksis inglisekeelne tekst nii hästi. Mõnikord hakkasid küll silma igasugu vead ka, näiteks puuduolevad sõnad ja tähevead, aga suurt pilti need ei seganud.
Seda peab ka tunnistama, et selle raamatu lugemine läks mul üllatavalt aeglaselt. Selle peale kulus praktiliselt terve nädalavahetus, aga ju on selles süüdi see, et ma olen kaks nädalat iga päev hommikust õhtuni lugeda saanud. See koroonaviirus mõjub lugemishulgale ikka täiega hästi: ma olen praeguseks lugenud rohkem, kui terve veebruarikuu peale kokku. Postiljon võiks tihedamini raamatuid tuua!
Vanapagan saadetakse inimesena maa peale, et teada saada, kas inimesel on üldse võimalik oma tegude läbi pääseda taevariiki. Tema naabriks saab Kaval-Ants, kes teda igal moel ära kasutab. Mul hakkas ausalt öeldes Jürkast kohutavalt kahju.
Täitsa kummaline oli Tammsaare raamatut lugeda inglise keeles, kuigi aju läks ikka täiesti inglise keele peale üle. Siis, kui esimest korda mainiti Kaval-Antsu nime, siis ma mõtlesin, et mis kuradi sipelgad?! Inglise keeles on Kaval-Ants tõlgitud kui Cunning Ants, mis minu peas muutus naljakaks pildiks kavalatest sipelgatest. Vot nii hästi läks mu aju inglise keelele.
Minu jaoks hästi üllatuslikult jooksis inglisekeelne tekst nii hästi. Mõnikord hakkasid küll silma igasugu vead ka, näiteks puuduolevad sõnad ja tähevead, aga suurt pilti need ei seganud.
Seda peab ka tunnistama, et selle raamatu lugemine läks mul üllatavalt aeglaselt. Selle peale kulus praktiliselt terve nädalavahetus, aga ju on selles süüdi see, et ma olen kaks nädalat iga päev hommikust õhtuni lugeda saanud. See koroonaviirus mõjub lugemishulgale ikka täiega hästi: ma olen praeguseks lugenud rohkem, kui terve veebruarikuu peale kokku. Postiljon võiks tihedamini raamatuid tuua!
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May 23, 2024Kas päriselt on selle raamatu kirjeldus venekeelne??? Paluks õigesse keelde panna.
Enne raamatukogu avastamist 10-aastasena lugesin lapsena seda, mis kodus riiulil oli. Lemmikud olidki näiteks Vilde ja Tammsaare. Seega ootasin selle raamatu taaslugemist väga suure huviga ja tõin lapsepõlvekodust just sama eksemplari, mida lapsena nautinud olin. Mäletan, et Vanapagan oma õndsaks saamise teemaga jättis tollasele lapsele sügava mulje ja stseenid, kus kukk olevat justkui surnu kohal tiibu lehvitanud ja taevasiniste silmadega must pika sabaga loom kalmistule volksas, jäid meelde kui millegi müstilise ja õudsana.
Nüüd lugedes hoomasin muidugi esimesena kohe seda, mida kirjanik väidetavalt selle teosega olevatki öelda tahtnud ehk klassivahesid ja rõhumist. Kohe nii hoomasin, et oleksin ise tahtnud minna ja nendele Antsudele virutada või siis Vanapaganale ühe tou anda, et ära ometi ole nii loll ega lase enda turjal ratsutada. Vanapagan sümboliseeris minu jaoks ka Eesti rahvast tervikuna ja ka meie rahvuskangelast Kalevipoega, kel rammu nii et tapab, aga mõistust napib.
Kui filosoofilisema poole peale süveneda, siis Tammsaare on ikka Tammsaare. Keerdkäikudega monoloogid usu, elu ja õndsaks saamise nimel võivad ühtepidi juhtme krussi ajada, teistpidi on aga jälle nii lihtinimese lihtsa loogikaga, et loe ja imesta.
Selles raamatutrükis on olemas ja proloog ja epiloog, mille Tammsaare kirjutas küll teosega samal ajal, kuid mida ta sellele lisada ei soovinud, nii et need avaldati alles hiljem pärast kirjaniku surma. Kui ilma nendeta jäi lahtiseks, kas siis ikka oli päris Vanapagan või ei olnud, siis see annaks justkui kindla lahenduse kätte. Samas pean tunnistama, et ega ma ise ka isegi praegu lugedes kõikidest allegooriatest ja sümbolitest ei pruukinud aru saada.
Igatahes minule meeldis see teos täiskasvanuna lugedes sama palju kui lapsena.
Enne raamatukogu avastamist 10-aastasena lugesin lapsena seda, mis kodus riiulil oli. Lemmikud olidki näiteks Vilde ja Tammsaare. Seega ootasin selle raamatu taaslugemist väga suure huviga ja tõin lapsepõlvekodust just sama eksemplari, mida lapsena nautinud olin. Mäletan, et Vanapagan oma õndsaks saamise teemaga jättis tollasele lapsele sügava mulje ja stseenid, kus kukk olevat justkui surnu kohal tiibu lehvitanud ja taevasiniste silmadega must pika sabaga loom kalmistule volksas, jäid meelde kui millegi müstilise ja õudsana.
Nüüd lugedes hoomasin muidugi esimesena kohe seda, mida kirjanik väidetavalt selle teosega olevatki öelda tahtnud ehk klassivahesid ja rõhumist. Kohe nii hoomasin, et oleksin ise tahtnud minna ja nendele Antsudele virutada või siis Vanapaganale ühe tou anda, et ära ometi ole nii loll ega lase enda turjal ratsutada. Vanapagan sümboliseeris minu jaoks ka Eesti rahvast tervikuna ja ka meie rahvuskangelast Kalevipoega, kel rammu nii et tapab, aga mõistust napib.
Kui filosoofilisema poole peale süveneda, siis Tammsaare on ikka Tammsaare. Keerdkäikudega monoloogid usu, elu ja õndsaks saamise nimel võivad ühtepidi juhtme krussi ajada, teistpidi on aga jälle nii lihtinimese lihtsa loogikaga, et loe ja imesta.
Selles raamatutrükis on olemas ja proloog ja epiloog, mille Tammsaare kirjutas küll teosega samal ajal, kuid mida ta sellele lisada ei soovinud, nii et need avaldati alles hiljem pärast kirjaniku surma. Kui ilma nendeta jäi lahtiseks, kas siis ikka oli päris Vanapagan või ei olnud, siis see annaks justkui kindla lahenduse kätte. Samas pean tunnistama, et ega ma ise ka isegi praegu lugedes kõikidest allegooriatest ja sümbolitest ei pruukinud aru saada.
Igatahes minule meeldis see teos täiskasvanuna lugedes sama palju kui lapsena.
January 5, 2021
Üks usub kaljukindlalt, et ta on Vanapagan, aga elab kui inimene, teine usub, et ta on inimene, aga elab nagu Vanapagan.
Kaval-Ants:
Valetab
Räägi halva heaks
Annab võlgu
Kasutab teise lihtsameelsust ja usaldamist ära
Võidab kiirelt usalduse ja siis hakkab kuritarvitama
Ise teeb vähe tööd
Jääb alati kõigis asjades õigeks: kui Jürka teda “laimas”, rendimaja, Jürka tütre Maia tapmine, noore Jürka süüdilavastamine kui oli kolm ühe vastu,
Käis pihtimas, tundis end taas hästi ja tegutses edasi
Kes esimesena teist süüdistab, see on paremal positsioonil
Makse ei maksa
Vanapagan
Muidu totu, ei tunne siinset elu
Töökas
Oma põrgu asjus vankumatu
Julge
Otsekohene ja sirgjooneline
Oleks see olnud tema võimuses, ta oleks kõik inimesed rääkimise asemel tööle pannud.
Kõige paremini sööb see, kes midagi ei tee.
Kaval-Ants:
Valetab
Räägi halva heaks
Annab võlgu
Kasutab teise lihtsameelsust ja usaldamist ära
Võidab kiirelt usalduse ja siis hakkab kuritarvitama
Ise teeb vähe tööd
Jääb alati kõigis asjades õigeks: kui Jürka teda “laimas”, rendimaja, Jürka tütre Maia tapmine, noore Jürka süüdilavastamine kui oli kolm ühe vastu,
Käis pihtimas, tundis end taas hästi ja tegutses edasi
Kes esimesena teist süüdistab, see on paremal positsioonil
Makse ei maksa
Vanapagan
Muidu totu, ei tunne siinset elu
Töökas
Oma põrgu asjus vankumatu
Julge
Otsekohene ja sirgjooneline
Oleks see olnud tema võimuses, ta oleks kõik inimesed rääkimise asemel tööle pannud.
Kõige paremini sööb see, kes midagi ei tee.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2022
Mäletan, et kohustusliku kirjandusena meeldis. Nüüd lugesin uuesti läbi ja olin vaimustunud Tammsaare oskusest dialoogi kirjutada. Tegelaste omavahelistest vestlustest selgub juba nende iseloom.
Raamatu keskosas mu vaimustus hääbus ja lugu võttis tõsisemad noodid, korraks tundsin isegi igavust (mis oli mulle üllatuseks). Ma arvan, et ma olin harjunud naljatleva alatooniga ja selle kadumine tingiski igavuse. Enam ei olnud lõbus, vaid kurvameelne. Raamatu lõpuosad jällegi meeldisid.
Põhirõhk on inimeste omavahelistel suhetel, inimese suhtumises töösse ja tõe väärtusel (kui väärtuslik on tõde?).
Raamatu keskosas mu vaimustus hääbus ja lugu võttis tõsisemad noodid, korraks tundsin isegi igavust (mis oli mulle üllatuseks). Ma arvan, et ma olin harjunud naljatleva alatooniga ja selle kadumine tingiski igavuse. Enam ei olnud lõbus, vaid kurvameelne. Raamatu lõpuosad jällegi meeldisid.
Põhirõhk on inimeste omavahelistel suhetel, inimese suhtumises töösse ja tõe väärtusel (kui väärtuslik on tõde?).
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