Шляпа Волшебника

Mumintrollen #3

by Tove Jansson

Vsyu zimu Mumi-troll', kak izvestno, provodit v spyachke - i etim on nichem ne otlichaetsya ot lyubogo drugogo mumi-trollya. Zato vesnoj, prosnuvshis', on ochen' dazhe ne proch' predprinyat' chto-nibud' neobychnoe. Naprimer, podnyat'sya na goru v kompanii svoih druzej Snusmumrika i Sniffa i obnaruzhit' na vershine zabytyj kem-to chyornyj cilindr. I, okazyvaetsya, eto ne prosto krasivaya shlyapa, a shlyapa, umeyushchaya tvorit' chudesa! S eyo pomoshch'yu mozhno pobedit' Murav'inogo L'va i pokatat'sya na simpatichnyh tuchkah, no est' odna nikogda ne znaesh', chto shlyapa vykinet v sleduyushchij raz. Mozhet byt', stoit ot neyo izbavit'sya? No, kak vyyasnilos', i eto ne tak-to prosto. A glavnoe volshebstvo nachnyotsya, kogda v Mumi-dolinu yavitsya nastoyashchij hozyain shlyapy...

Kniga, kotoruyu vy budete slushat', - nastoyashchee sobytie. Vpervye za dolgie gody ves' cikl o mumi-trollyah zanovo perevedyon na russkij yazyk! Tem, kto uzhe znakom s obitatelyami Mumi-doliny, budet lyubopytno po-novomu vzglyanut' na ih priklyucheniya. A tem, komu pervaya vstrecha so skazochnym mirom Tuve YAnsson tol'ko predstoit, mozhno lish' po-horoshemu pozavidovat'!

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Classics, Finnish Literature, Middle Grade, Adventure

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Tove Jansson was born and died in Helsinki, Finland. As a Finnish citizen whose mother tongue was Swedish, she was part of the Swedish-speaking Finns minority. Thus, all her books were originally written in Swedish.

Although known first and foremost as an author, Tove Jansson considered her careers as author and painter to be of equal importance.

Tove Jansson wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), during World War II. She said later that the war had depressed her, and she had wanted to write something naive and innocent. Besides the Moomin novels and short stories, Tove Jansson also wrote and illustrated four original and highly popular picture books.

Jansson's Moomin books have been translated into 33 languages.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

haters mad because i retain a sense of childlike whimsy

there is literally nothing i would prefer to living in moomin valley and like eating a bunch of picnics and hanging out at the beach and making wishes from hobgoblins.

in fact i am almost too jealous to bear reading this series.

continuing is an act of bravery.

bottom line: i wish i read these in childhood!!!

3.5

[Rachel Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the reason I learned to read.

My mother read it aloud to me once and then refused to read it again. In fact, she washed her hands of the whole series on the grounds that it was "creepy". I was forced - forced! - to teach myself to read, if I wanted any more Moomins, ever. I got my revenge, however: I read this book out loud to HER while she was working in the kitchen and couldn't get away.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's finished. There isn't a stamp, or an error that I haven't collected. Not one. What shall I do now?"
"I think I'm beginning to understand," said Moomintroll slowly. "You aren't a collector anymore, you're only an owner, and that isn't nearly so much fun."

My children and I believed we were only "owners" of the Moomins nowadays, not collectors of their adventures. However, by accident we discovered that one can collect the same stamp twice, and be a happy Hemul. No stamp is an identical twin. To put it in a less Moominish way: we all of a sudden discovered we wanted to reread our collection of Moomins. And what a strange experience it is to read aloud to three teenagers who suddenly understand all the character traits of the inhabitants of Moomin Valley. When we started comparing and contrasting with whom we identified most, I added some valuable memory stamps to my rich collection of "reading with my children". My son said he now knew exactly why I need to be alone sometimes. If you wander off alone, you will be all the happier when you return.

As for the wizard - what a kind and wise old man he turned out to be.

Knowing people makes them less scary. And just remember to offer them pancakes. That is the ultimate test.

Loved it!

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.



A charming return to the land of Moomin Valley, in which Moomintroll and his friends discover a Hobgoblin's magical top hat. Delightful mayhem ensues.

[Spencer Orey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this out loud to my kid, and we both loved it. The cast of characters in the moomin house grows, and the meandering adventures are great.

When we got to the end, my kid asked me to start reading it all over again.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked, but didn't love Comet in Moominland. Finn Family Moomintroll though really captures the same wonderfulness that the Moomin comic strips do. This book is a bit more episodic than Comet, but it feels more cohesive. Maybe the Moomintroll is best when he isn't on long adventures with his friends, short adventures serve them nicely when they can return home to rest and enjoy the simple pleasures of Moominvalley. If I had kids I would read this to them, if they didn't like it, I'd drive them to the mall and leave them there and realize I'm better off without such shitty kids.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, I absolutely adore Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls and their exploits, and the 1970s German language translations by Vivica and Kurt Bandler (of three of the Moomin novels) were massive favourites of my childhood (and are still considered sweet and nostalgic gems to be reread over and over again, although my copies are now falling apart and I do need to somehow find replacements). And with this fact in mind, when the Children's Literature Group decided to read Elizabeth Portch's English language translation of the third Moomintroll book, of Trollkarlens Hatt a couple of years ago (in 2010 to be exact), I joined with eager and yes even glad anticipation, although I did wonder why Ms. Portch had chosen the title of Finn Family Moomintroll, as it kind of harkens back to Johann D. Wyss' classic Swiss Family Robinson (and I definitely failed to see and still have trouble understanding how and why a group of Scandinavian troll like creatures should somehow be related in any manner to a tale of a Swiss family marooned on a deserted island).

But that all being said, and my happy reading anticipation notwithstanding, Finn Family Moomintroll has in many if not most ways been a major and sad disappointment, both in 2010 and still remaining thus for my recent reread (which I engaged in both to finally post a real review and also because I did want to give Elizabeth Portch's translation a second chance, but my disappointment with Finn Family Moomintroll persists and rather massively so, I might add).

Now I do still enjoy and appreciate the characters, the plot, the events, the ideas presented by Tove Jansson thematics wise in Finn Family Moomintroll, but indeed I have had rather massive amounts of trouble getting even remotely into the flow of Elizabeth Portch’s translated English language narrative. And considering how much I personally have always and repeatedly enjoyed the 1970s German translation of precisely this same book (and the others of the Moomintroll series rendered by the Bandlers), I do now absolutely believe that it is more than likely Elizabeth Portch’s to and for me rather mediocre feeling translation that has caused this rather annoying sense of disconnection and being on the outside looking in (and yes, at times even tedious boredom, something that I certainly NEVER once experienced with Vivica and Kurt Bandler's always engaging and adventuresome translations of Jansson's original Swedish into German). And thus, while I still do more than love and adore the 1970s German translations of the Moomintroll series that had graced and sweetened my childhood, I can only and will only consider but two stars for Finn Family Moomintroll, as the flow and rhythm of Elizabeth Portch's translated text (or rather the lack of the former, the lack of adequate narrative flow and rhythm) is and continues to be both annoying and disappointing enough to in no way be able to consider a higher ranking (and also making me ever more eager to reread the Bandlers' 1970s German language translations).

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

(in Finnish/Swedish - "The Magician's Hat", first released in Swedish (1948), then in Finnish 10 years later. Some later books were translated faster.) I like how you don't really need to start from the beginning in this series. Some parts of the book are already familiar to me; there's no Little My in this book...

So: one day after the moonmintrolls have woken up from their winter hibernation, Moomintroll goes with his friends to look around a nearby mountain, where they find a strange top hat; they later learn it can change things into other things, mostly fun, but not always (like when it changes Moomintroll for a while, but luckily Moominmamma recognises him so the change back happens faster). A lot of fun and scary things happen after that, including an island trip, and a battle with a sea creature. And two small creatures bring something secret with them, as they seek shelter in the Moomin house....

I've read about the winter hibernation the moomins have; it's nice to read about the details (starts in November when snow arrives, not-moomins can also do it). And the whistle codes between friends is also cute! The magician actually makes a brief appearance already in a winter dream, though the hat is not found until spring. The visit to the island was interesting, and how they think about the gold is interesting: good garden decoration! And I love Moominmamma's attitude, care, and cooking skills (eggs, pancakes with jam, coffee, tasty bubble and squeak-like dish (pyttipanna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyttipanna), sandwiches.... she actually makes pancakes in a bathtub for a great party).

I love how although there are dangerous moments, sad moments, exciting moments, happy moments and pondering moments, everything is cleared and everyone is happy in the end; and the magician is not a particularly aggressive and possessive in the end, but is perfectly happy to grant some wishes for everyone at the party, which surprised me in a happy way. Although I knew some of the details from cartoons/comics in a sort of passive way, the reading of this story made everything so rich, with great atmosphere.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up with the Moomintrolls could be every child's wish because Moominmamma loves all her family no matter what they do.



The Hobgoblins magic hat had changed Moomintroll into a strange creature. Now he needed his mother's help.
Moomintroll felt quite confused and took hold of a pair of enormous crinkly ears.

'But I am Moomintroll!' he burst out in despair. 'Don't you believe me?'

'Moomintroll has a nice little tail, just about the right size, but yours is like a chimney sweep's brush,' said the Snork.

And, oh dear, it was true! Moomintroll felt behind him with a trembling paw.

'Your eyes are like soup-plates,' said Sniff. 'Moomintroll's are small and kind!'

'Yes, exactly,' Snufkin agreed.

'You are an impostor!' decided the Hemulen.

'Isn't there anyone who believes me?' Moomintroll pleaded. 'Look carefully at me, mother. You must know your own Moomintroll.'

Moominmamma looked carefully. She looked into his frightened eyes for a very long time, and then she said quietly: 'Yes, you are my Moomintroll.'

And at the same moment he began to change. His ears, eyes, and tail began to shrink, and his nose and tummy grew, until at last he was his old self again.

'It's all right now, my dear,' said Moominmamma. 'You see, I shall always know you whatever happens.'

On preparing for a picnic
Moominmamma hurried off to pack. She collected blankets, saucepans, birch-bark, a coffeepot, masses of food, suntan-oil, matches, and everything you can eat out of, on or with. She packed it all with an umbrella, warm clothes, tummy-ache medicine, an egg-whisk, cushions, a mosquito-net, bathing-drawers and a table cloth in her bag. She bustled to and fro racking her brains for anything she had forgotten, and at last she said: 'Now it's ready! Oh, how lovely it will be to have a rest by the sea!'

Moominpappa packed his pipe and his fishing-rod. 'Well, are you all ready?' he asked, 'and are you sure you haven't forgotten anything? All right, let's start!'

...a little time later...
Moominmamma hunted in all her baskets for a bottle of raspberry juice.'Oh dear, how sad!' she burst out. 'I think I've forgotten the raspberry juice!'

'Well, I asked you if you had everything, didn't I, my dear?' said Moominpappa, virtuously.



The End of our story
Never had there been such a celebration in the Valley of the Moomins.

Oh, what a wonderful feeling when you have eaten up everything, drunk everything, talked of everything and danced your feet off, to go home in the quiet hour before the dawn to sleep!

And now the Hobgoblin flies to the end of the world and the Mother Mouse creeps into her nest, and one is as happy as the other.

But perhaps the happiest of all is Moomintroll who goes home through the garden with his mother, just as the moon is fading in the dawn, and the trees rustling in the morning breeze which comes up from the sea.



It is autumn in Moomin Valley, for how else can spring come back again?


Enjoy!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child, I loved The Moomins, and as an adult, I adore them, and I think my obsession with them has gone just one step further. I mean, I have Moomin candles, a tea caddy, plushes, a bag, various mugs and a beautiful Moomin poster, right above my bookcase. They shaped my childhood, and if one needs an excuse to visit Covent Garden in London, The Moomin shop is a good enough reason in my humble opinion.

This book is beautifully presented, with a pull out map of Moominland in it, which just adds to the magic. The stories are gorgeously written, allowing one to feel they are on an adventure with Moomin and his dear friends. Reading this book, has made me want to watch The Moomins original TV series again.

This was a delightful trip down memory lane, and I intend to read more from Tove Jannsson in the near future.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

As everyone knows, if the first butterfly you see is yellow, the summer will be a happy one. If it is white, then you will just have a quiet summer. Black and brown butterflies should never be talked about - they are much too sad.

✧✧✧

a magical summertime volume of moomin adventures. this book begins as the residents of moomin valley are drowsily coming out of their winter hibernation, and it ends with a party under the harvest moon on a late summer night.

swimming, sailing, hiking, picnicking, napping to the sound of rainfall, pancake-eating, wish-making - i want to have this sort of summer!

my favorite part of the book is when moomintroll is magically transformed into the physical opposite of himself - a gangly thing with big eyes and ears and a small nose. his friends can't recognize him, no matter how much he despairs and pleads. but moominmamma looks him carefully in the eye, and says 'Yes, you are my Moomintroll.' This recognition triggers his transformation back into his old self. 'It's all right now, my dear,' said Moominmamma. 'You see, I shall always know you, whatever happens.' oh how i cried.

jansson nails the bittersweetness of it all. summer is glorious, but it must end. friends are dear, but they must leave. there's always a wash of sadness beneath all the whimsical fun.

fewer illustrations here than in the first two moomin novels, and i did miss them! i'll never tire of looking at this growing group of weird lil creatures, and i'm beginning to look forward to eventually reading the comic series.

✧✧✧

Glass-green and white waves rolled in over the sand. Oh, to be a Moomin and to dance in the waves while the sun gets up! The night was forgotten and a long June day lay before them. They dived like porpoises through the waves and sailed in on the crests towards the beach where Sniff was playing in the shallow water. Snufkin was floating on his back far out and looking up into the blue and gold sky.

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn! I loved the 2020 Finnish movie Tove, which was beautiful, romantic, and extremely respectful of its subject. But now I find that it interferes with my appreciation of the Mumin books. Every time I hear Tofslan and Vifslan using their secret language, my thoughts are drawn to Tove Jansson and Vivica Bandler, who at least according to the film had the same private joke going, and my mind's eye shows me Alma Pöysti and Krista Kosonen in bed together . This simply doesn't work.

I suppose though that it is a good example of why knowing something about the author's life isn't necessarily an advantage...

[ნინო კერესელიძე · Rating 5 out of 5]

ამ ქვეყნად თუ კი სადმე რამე ვარსკვლავი არსებობს ყველას დავუწერდი და მაინც არ მეყოფოდა.
საოცრად მაგარია. არ ვიცი, ნაკლი ვერ ვუპოვე, პირველი ორი ნაწილიც მომეწონა, მაგრამ ამაზე მთლად გადავირიე, რომ დავხურე მაშინვე ხელახლა წაკითხვის სურვილი მომეძალა. გადასარევი პერსონაჟები ჰყავს ამ წიგნს, სადმე, რომელიმე სამყაროში თუ არსებობს ნეტავ დედა მუმინისნაირი დედა? სნუსმუმრიკზე ვგიჟდები, მუმინტროლზე ნაკლებად მეც არ შემომწოლია ნაღველი, როცა სამოგზაუროდ წასვლა გადაწყვიტა. სნიფი უსაყვარლესია, მისი ზომიერი ეგოისტობა, ფეთქებადი ხასიათი და უსაყვარლესი საუბრის მანერა ვის არ მოხიბლავს?
ზოგადად, საოცარი მყუდროება სუფევს მუმინების სახლსა და ხეობაში, დედას მაჭკატების მადისაღმძვრელი სუნიც გეცემა, მამას კალმის წრიპინსაც გაიგონებ, რომელიც ოთახში დამჯდარი საკუთარი მემუარების წერას შესდგომია, წვიმის შემდგომ მოღრუბლულ ცაზე ჯადოქარსაც დაინახავ, ციცინათელების შუქში შუაღამით მარტო მოსეირნე სნუსმუმრიკსაც დალანდავ და უსაზღვრო სიხარული, სიმშვიდე, სიყვარული დაგეფინება გულზე.
და კიდევ, ერთი შეხედვით საბავშვო წიგნში როგორ ლამაზად აქვს ჩაქსოვილი ზოგადსაკაცობრიო იდეები.
ახლა დავჯდები, შემდეგ ნაწილს დავიწყებ და მშვიდად დაველოდები მუმინების ხეობაში ახალი გაზაფხულის დადგომას, რომელსაც თან სნუსმუმრიკის დაბრუნება მოჰყვება და აღარც მე, აღარც მუმინტროლს დარდი აღარასდროს შემოგვაწვება..

[Karenina (Nina Ruthström) · Rating 4 out of 5]

De vaknar i våren efter att ha sovit sedan november (skulle man ju önska ibland) och somliga har dåligt morgonhumör haha. De hittar en magisk hatt som gör att de kan sväva på rosa moln för en stund (vårkänslor?). Jag anar att Jansson ironiserar pga kritiken hon fått för sina tidigare verk som varit för mörka. Den här boken är lättsammare än Kometen kommer, kanske roligare för barn, men inte för vuxna. Fast den är fan bra för vuxna också, jag gillar den jättemycket.

Hemulen har fått problem, hans frimärkssamling är nämligen komplett. Han börjar om med att samla till ett herbarium.

En sommarutflykt kräver stor ansträngning av mamman som måste packa allt som man behöver ha med. När det tyvärr visar sig att hon glömt saften säger muminpappan ”hjälpsamt”: ”jag fråga ju om du packat allt”.

De blir sura i värmen och mamman ber dem att flytta ut i en grotta och inte komma hem förrän de är glada. Hon städar vilket får ödesdigra konsekvenser. Författaren framför också vinster med att vara slarvig.

Nya roliga karaktärer kommer till Mumindalen; de oskiljaktiga Tofslan och Vifslan (Tove och hennes hemliga kärlek Vivica). De är utlänningar (finlandssvenska och homosexuella), de stjäl saker, men menar inget illa (konstnärer) och de har den röda kungsrubinen i sin kappsäck (kärleken). Hemulen självutnämner sig till tolk fast han inte heller förstår vad de säger.

Psykoanalysens vindar drar genom dalen när Mumintrollet förvandlas. Allt hans runda blir smalt, allt smått blir stort och endast hans mamma kan känna igen honom. Själv ser han inte att han förändrats.

Snorkfröken önskar sig nya stora ögon men ångrar sig. Hon blev inte mer attraktiv för Mumintrollet.

Mamman blir av med sin väska och det gör henne nästan till en främling. Hon är inte samma utan sin väska. sig.

Igenkänning, humor, intelligens, charm och fantasi i en ljuvlig kompott. Längtar till nästa bok i serien.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully idiosyncratic, wholly original, and immensely engaging, this charming fantasy from Finnish author Tove Jansson is a classic of world children's literature, and it is not difficult to see why. The tale of an eclectic family of beings who live together in Moominvalley - distracted Moominpappa, always writing his memoirs; kind but fair-minded Moominmamma, with her all-essential handbag; sweet Moomintroll himself, so anxious for everyone to get along; the somewhat aloof Snufkin, a musician with wanderlust, if ever there was one - it somehow manages to be both unhurried and exciting, involving the reader in its characters' adventures - finding the Hobgoblin's hat, and discovering its unusual qualities, sailing to the Lonely Island, and encountering the Hattifatteners - as well as their inner emotional lives.

I loved so many things about Finn Family Moomintroll, from Jansson's hilarious little footnotes, to her adorable illustrations, that it's difficult to single out what it is that makes the story so appealing. In the end, after much discussion over in the children's books group to which I belong - where this was our June selection, for The International Book Club - I have settled on three essential qualities to Jansson's creation, that make it truly outstanding. To wit: the respect that the Moomins show to one another, and through them, that Jansson shows for her readers; the sly humor to be found in both text and image; and the tolerance - the celebration, even - of diversity and difference.

These are highly individual characters all, with distinct interests and personalities, but there is always the sense that they are welcome. I was particularly struck by the way in which the Moomintroll household seems to continually be expanding to include newcomers. Bob and Thingummy, for instance, arrive toward the end of the book, and Moominmamma's first thought, when she discovers that their language is difficult to understand - that they are, in a sense, "foreigners" - is not, "what are they doing here?" but "how will I know what to make them for their special birthday feast, if we can't communicate?" Although the incorporation of these two is the only family expansion that occurs within the book's narrative, the text hints that other members were likewise adopted, in the past.

This generosity of spirit is reflected, not only in the welcoming of new (and highly unusual) family members, but in the way that the established Moomins interact with each other. Every one has their flaws, but Jansson invites us to accept and forgive them, recognizing that, despite these failings, they are each an important part of the whole. The Hemulen, for instance, may be a bit of an obsessive-compulsive collector, more interested in the process of amassing objects than in really studying them, but that in no way means he isn't a feeling creature - someone to be treated with consideration. This is made clear in the scene, early on, when Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden discover him in the forest, deeply upset. Concerned, but also respectful, they avoid pressing him for details, but make it clear that they are there to listen.

Of course, all this analysis might lead one to suppose that Finn Family Moomintroll was a very serious book, but nothing could be further from the truth! Jansson has a subtle but very appealing sense of humor, that emerges in sly little asides - as when she writes of the Hemulen: "(he) continued to look worried because he thought he oughtn't to look happy after such a big sorrow" - and humorous incidents, like the one in which the Muskrat barrels past the beach-bound Moomins. The adventures themselves - whether it be Moomintroll and friends riding on the little egg-shell clouds, or the Moomin family each discovering something washed up on the shore of the Hattifatteners' island, after the big storm - are absolutely magical, and young readers wills wish that similar things might happen to them.

In short: this is that rarest of books which manages to succeed, both as entertainment and art, and I cannot recommend it highly enough! I have read bits and pieces of Tove Jansson's work, over the years - enough to know I liked it - but this is my first experience sitting down and reading one of her books straight through. All I can say is: where's the next?

[Trzcionka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muminki i ich szalone przygody i pomysły nigdy nie zawodzą. Jak zaczęłam to nie mogłam skończyć.
W tej części ujął mnie Piżmowiec i jego bunt, zabawa w Tarzana (gdzie Włoczykij był szympansem Cziką xD), niemożliwy Paszczak oraz oczywiście debiut Buki.
Specyficzny świat, bohaterowie oraz sposób opowiadania historii się nie zmienia, choć wydaje mi się, że w tej części fabuła płynie zgrabniej i wszystko ładnie się ze sobą łączy.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel sacrilegious in rating this book with just 2 stars. I almost “graded” it higher.

I apologize to everyone who loves this book. I’ve gotten over it now, but for years I was extremely perturbed when others I knew didn’t love A Wrinkle in Time and some of my other favorites.

I apologize to The Muskrat (who is a real hoot) and to Moominmamma (because she really is a great character) and some of the other characters too. I apologize to the author because there were glimmers and glimpses throughout the book of a book I’d have found great, including a few choice lines that I appreciated greatly.

Thanks to all the members of the Children's Books group who kept me motived to continue reading by explaining why they loved this book/series in this thread: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3..., and who also gave some specific information helpful to enjoying the story, including a link to a character list. And thanks to my old Goodreads friend Jenny (who unfortunately left Goodreads shortly after she’d joined – we used to incessantly discuss the book Into the Forest at a time when very, very few Goodreads members had shelved it and when only two of my real world friends had read it) who was (I think) from Finland and who raved about these books, which is why I read an owned copy.

I had an excruciatingly difficult time getting into this story. I felt irritable while reading it. If not for the help I received from the Children's Books group members in understanding the book and its background, I doubt I'd have enjoyed it at all. This might be due, in part, to my mood at the time of reading it and my stage of life.

It didn’t help that I needed a magnifying glass to read the letter to the reader and the map (yes, this book does have one of my beloved maps!) at the beginning of the book.

There are hints of psychological sophistication and wry humor, and it seems to be the kind of tale I “should” enjoy.

I hated the positive depiction of tobacco.

I loved the mother sending the kids to the cave until they were in better moods and really enjoyed it when the house turned into/grew overgrown with foliage because of the magic hat.

I eventually warmed to the characters, though I do wish I had first read the book where they were first introduced: Comet in Moominland because I might have enjoyed them from the beginning rather than being confused by them; in this book there is a lack of introduction to the world/characters. I also ended up enjoying some of the events that take place. However, I didn’t like the writing style, which I blame on the translation. (Never have I wished so fervently that I could read Swedish or Finnish.)

This book has the same feel to me as Winnie-the-Pooh, other books I never read as a child but read one of them only after I was a Goodreads member. I liked that one better than this, even though the sense of humor in this is much more sophisticated and probably better able to be appreciated by adults as well as by children.

The illustrations were very cute, but I think I’d have enjoyed them more if I’d known something, anything, about the characters before I’d started reading.

I will keep thinking and if I ever read the earlier book, I’ll try to reread this book too and see if I like it any better the second time around.

And, pay no attention to me, but take a look at the ratings breakdown for this book. Obviously. I’m not a typical reader of this book.

[Austra · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Cik žēlsis, - Tupsis līdzcietīgi sacīja. - Varbūt tu kļūsi priecīgāksis, ja paglaudītsis Tupša purniņsis?

Man šķita, ka es atceros šo stāstu, bet patiesībā es no visa stāsta atcerējos vien mazu daļu - par to, ko Tupsis ar Vipsi staipīja apkārt savā koferī. Un kas notika, kad ieradās Burvis. Bet pirms tam te notiek visādas citādas interesantas lietiņas - Muminielejā atnāk pavasaris, Burvja cepure taisa visādus brīnumus (nez, kas tur īsti sanāca no tiem Bizamžurkas liekajiem zobiem?), notiek brauciens uz neapdzīvotu salu, lasīti vētras sanestie dārgumi un apzagti baltie zuši (stulba ideja, bet ko var gribēt no Murmuļa kleitā). Un tikai tad ierodas Tupsis ar Vipsi. Nabaga Muminmāmiņa vien nopūšas, ka šie ārzemnieki izskatās ieradušies uz palikšanu un teic Mumintētim, lai uztaisa divas jaunas gultiņas. Ko lai dara, ka Muminmāja ir tik viesmīlīga... Bet Muminmāmiņa ir ne tikai mīļa, bet arī gudra - ne velti aizsūta bērnus padzīvoties savā vaļā un saka: “Un nenāciet ātrāk mājās, iekams nebūsiet kļuvuši līksmi.” Vienkārši sakot - perfekta un sirsnīga lasāmviela visiem vecumiem un īpatņiem.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed Finn Family Moomintroll, it was not nearly as delightful as Comet in Moominland. When Moomintroll and the tramp Snufkin discover a stovepipe hat, they unwittingly bring home what turns out to be a Hobgoblin’s Hat. The hat wreaks all sorts of havoc until Moominmamma wisely hits on a solution.

Neither as witty or as funny as Comet in Moominland, Finn Family Moomintroll does introduce the odd little Thingumy and Bob, who have some very unusual ideas about stealing.

[Martyna Antonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jak dotąd najlepszy tom, był literackim aktem beztroski i przy okazji formą słownego lekarstwa na mój życioból. Zdałam sobie także sprawę z tego, że jestem charakterologiczną mieszanką Włóczykija i Piżmowca (sama się zastanawiam, czy mi się to odkrycie podoba).

[P42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cztery części "Muminków" już za mną i ta jest zdecydowanie moją ulubioną. Dzieje się dużo, jest różnorodnie, dynamicznie, ciekawie i... pięknie! Ten tom jak dotąd zawiera chyba najwięcej charakterystycznych dla tej serii scen (Buka, magiczny kapelusz, obłoczki), które znamy z animacji. Bardzo udzielił mi się sielski nastrój tej baśni, wspaniale było czytać ją w ostatnich chwilach lata. Polecam zarówno młodszym jak i starszym, bo każdy może się tu dobrze bawić. Nie spieszy mi się z kończeniem tego cyklu, więc najprawdopodobniej poczekam do grudnia i sięgnę po "Zimę Muminków" jako kolejną część :)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes things do work out as they ought to: my son is well on the road to loving the Moomintroll books just as much as I do. We breezed through this second book in the series really fast -- T was able, without much effort, to persuade Mama to read a chapter aloud pretty much any time of day, as long as he wasn't supposed to be in school.

This charming tale of one Spring and Summer in the lives of the Moomin family picks up where its predecessor left off. Every member of the Moomin household from the previous book is still there in this one, a circumstance that never repeats itself. It opens with Moomintroll and his friends Snufkin and Sniff waking up from their long Winter sleep on the first day of Spring, a day when everything is fresh and anything seems possible. Atop a local mountain which they impulsively climb, they discover a hat which they soon learn has some surprising magical properties.

The different transformations wrought by the hat over the next few months give the book an episodic feel, and to an extent, I missed the sense of urgency and narrative momentum which the impending arrival of the comet provides in the first book. However, a more meandering storyline suits Jansson's whimsical style just fine, and ironically, considering that in the first book Moomintroll and his friends went off alone into the wilds and encountered many great dangers, this one speaks more, in its quiet way, of growing up and making one's own choices. After Moomintroll's parents decide that the hat is dangerous, they try to get rid of it by throwing it into the river. Snufkin and Moomintroll sneak out late at night to retrieve it. "You know", said Moomintroll seriously, "it's the first time we have done anything that we can't tell mother and father about." And indeed, even though their motivation for wanting the hat back is the fun that the hat has given them, they have done the right thing and discovered that parents, as much as one loves them, are not infallible. Throwing the hat in the river where it was wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, turning water into raspberry juice and fish into canaries was a pretty terrible idea! But the greater lesson for Moomintroll is that the joys of being out at night, of being Snufkin's most trusted friend, and eventually, after they have hidden the hat, of seeing a lovely sunrise on the beach -- these are a far greater magic than anything produced by the hat.

There is a sadder lesson at the end of the book, when as Autumn begins to arrive, Snufkin decides to leave his friends and wander South: sometimes we have to say goodbye to the people we love the most. I had been surprised at the beginning of the book that Snufkin had spent the previous Winter hibernating with the Moomins. That seemed out of character for him, and I suppose it was the last time he did it. Ultimately though, the book is joyful, and the hobgoblin's magic turns Moomintroll's sense of loss into one of expectancy. And everyone has a lot of fun in the meantime.

[Nada Elshabrawy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeper than anticipated. Much more moving than what I expected too.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I am fiscally conservative but liberal in most other things. You want to marry the same gender; you should. It’s none of my damn business as you are both consenting adults. Your womb is none of my damn business. You want to change gender, go right ahead – none of my damn business.
And incidentally, you can reverse that.
I blame Moomins for this. I just realized this.
When my family went to Sweden when I was in third or fourth grade, I was given copies of Jansson’s children books and really, really read them.
Seriously, I know this because I just re-read the first one, and you can tell it was well loved.
I re-read Finn Family Moomintroll after reading a collection of Jansson’s short stories. I realized I totally forgot about the Hemulen. He wears a dress that his aunt left him, and no one cares.
In fact, it is the strangest family, you will ever meet and is so about interspecies dating.
But that’s the Moomins for you – love, togetherness, and adventure!
Jansson plays with ideas of self, of words, of autobiography, with hats.
Harry Potter’s Sorting Hat has nothing I tell you on the Hobgoblin’s hat. Plus the Hobgoblin rides a panther.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the first full length story I have read of the Moomintroll family and their friends and I have to say that it is the perfect escape. Work and the world these days are getting awfully stressful and sometimes you want to just hideaway. Sadly rarely is that possible so second best to that is escaping in a book and this was a perfect place for.

I remember the animated series (not the recent CGI I will admit) from my childhood and being equally entranced and disturbed by the various characters and their adventures. There is something slightly surreal about how they look and behave and so enchanting at the same time.

I guess what I am saying is that we all look for somewhere to hide - to recover, relax, recharge - what ever and this book was the place I needed for me and I have to say for that I will be both grateful and pleased in reading about the Hobgoblins hat and the adventures it brought to the Moomin Valley/

[EpidermaS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z perspektywy czasu stwierdzam, że Mama Muminka to była kobitka z jajami. Spójrzcie tylko na następujący fragment:

"- Mamusiu - powiedział Muminek - wymyśl dla nas jakąś zabawę! Wciąż się tylko kłócimy! Jest tak gorąco!
- Zauważyłam to już, kochane dzieci - odpowiedziała mama. - Przyznam się, że chętnie pozbyłabym się was na jakiś czas. Czy nie moglibyście przenieść się na parę dni do jaskini? Tam jest chłodniej, a poza tym moglibyście pływać sobie w morzu i bawić się, nie przeszkadzając nikomu.
- Czy będziemy mogli także sypiać w jaskini? - zapytał Muminek, którego zachwyciła ta propozycja.
- Oczywiście! - zapewniła Mama Muminka.- I nie wracajcie, zanim się nie uspokoicie!"

Nie wiem, co na to Rzecznik Praw Dziecka, ale domyślam się, że większość czytających to właśnie matek chciałaby żyć w pobliżu jakiejś jaskini... ;)

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite sentence from this profound & creative book is: "Moomintroll's mother and father always welcomed all their friends in the same quiet way, just adding another bed and putting another leaf in the dining-room table." There is exploration, adventure, personal growth, comfort, family & home all cleverly done with wit & wisdom.

[Charles Edwards-Freshwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous piece of nostalgic escapism. I used to watch the cartoon in the 90s, and finally reading the source material was a pure delight.

It's whimsical, sweet and almost faintly threatening in places - potentially why I found the cartoon so fascinating as a child. Jansson doesn't create perfect, well-behaved characters. Instead she gives real personality to her oddball creations, making them a real pleasure to read about.

I'm definitely going to hunt down the other moomin books!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of a "read a new book, reread an old book challenge" and because it's the 65th anniversary of the Moomin series (there's even a Moominweek at tor.com!), I decided to reread as much as I could of the Moomin series. Which ended up being only one book, unfortunately: Finn Family Moomintroll. I read this series when I was perhaps 8 or 9 years old, and loved it; I think it would also be a great choice to read aloud to younger children. The illustrations are adorable, and the names of the characters fun to say---the Snork, Hattifatteners, Thingumy and Bob--and in Finn Family Moomintroll, each of the chapters tells of a self-standing episode, although they are linked by the device of the Hobgoblin's hat.

If you've never read the Moomin books before, you may be wondering exactly what a Moomin is. They are round fuzzy creatures who look like white hippopotamuses and who live in Moominvalley, in a house that resembles a Finnish fireplace. Akin to the Moomins are the Snorks, who look just the same in the black and white illustrations, but who change color according to their moods. In fact, the little girl Snork, the Snork Maiden, has a crush on Moomintroll, the little boy Moomin. Moomins hibernate through the winter, and awaken in the spring.

On the first spring day the Moomins awaken from their hibernation, and Moomintroll decides to go on an expedition to the mountains with his friends, Sniff and Snufkin. In their explorations, the three children stumble upon a fine top hat, which they bring home, though it ends up being too big for everyone to wear. Instead, the hat is put to use as a wastebasket, and Moomintroll throws away his eggshells in it. Shortly thereafter, five small clouds appear, and the children amuse themselves by floating around upon them. From this point, the story primarily involves transformations brought about by putting things into the hat, some of them fun and positive, like the clouds, some of them not.

As you can probably tell, the Moomin books are very silly and imaginative, and it's really refreshing to read a book in which you never have to worry that things will work out in the end. There's not really a villain in Finn Family Moomintroll, though there are some characters who aren't pleasant: the eerie Hattifatteners, for instance, and the Groke, who freezes the ground wherever she walks. Yet even in the cheery and fanciful world of Moominvalley, there are hints of melancholy, which will become more pronounced in the later books of the series. The Groke, for instance, is very lonely and isolated by her condition; Moomintroll, while normally a cheerful child, doesn't understand Snufkin's need to wander off by himself. Though I never found him as cute as the Moomins---he always looked to me like a scarecrow, only wearing a smock---Snufkin was probably the character I identified with the most as a child, specifically because he was balanced the joy of spending time with friends and the peace of being alone. But I really loved most of the characters, even the grumpy Muskrat and the fussbudget Hemulen. If you love absurdist fantasy and have a sense of whimsy, I'm willing to bet you will, too!

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Moomins so much as a kid. I don't remember reading them, actually -- surprisingly, no sense of location or of my fingers on the pages comes back to me, though usually I'll remember where I read books and whether my edition was new or old, and the smell of the pages... In any case, I do remember that I loved the Moomins, and it was lovely to curl up and reread now I'm older, and wiser, and really not feeling well.

I do love the range of characters, all with different customs and such, that just happily get along. And I love everyone's consideration of everyone else's different needs. It's... accepting, and hopefully inspiring, without being the slightest bit preachy.