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Mazā Sibīrija
Vīrs, kura prātu pārņēmušas tumšas domas, drausmīgā ātrumā, malkodams Koskenkorva šņabi, traucas pa nomaļās Hurmevāras ledainajiem ceļiem, līdz pēkšņi debesīs parādās zibsnis un viņa mašīnā kaut kas ietriecas. Šis “kaut kas”, kā izrādās, ir neiedomājami vērtīgs meteorīts. Negaidītais dārgums satrauc vietējos iedzīvotājus, un meteorīts uz laiku tiek ievietots muzejā, kur to uzmana modrais mācītājs Joels.
Tomēr Joela prātā domas virpuļo ne tikai par dārgās mantas – ko sūtījušas pašas debesis! – sargāšanu vien. Viņa sieva tikko pavēstījusi, ka ir gaidībās, bet Joelam diemžēl ir pamatots iemesls uzskatīt, ka bērns nav viņa. Tā nu Joelam nākas ne vien atvairīt vairākus mēģinājumus nozagt meteorītu, bet arī aprast ar paša situāciju, kā arī noskaidrot, kurš tad ir īstais bērna tēvs...
“Mazā Sibīrija” ir gan trilleris, gan melnāka par melnu komēdija par ticību un neticību, mīlu un nāvi un par to, ko darīt, kad spēriens no zilām debesīm – gan burtiskā, gan pārnestā nozīmē – sagriež dzīvi kājām gaisā.
Tomēr Joela prātā domas virpuļo ne tikai par dārgās mantas – ko sūtījušas pašas debesis! – sargāšanu vien. Viņa sieva tikko pavēstījusi, ka ir gaidībās, bet Joelam diemžēl ir pamatots iemesls uzskatīt, ka bērns nav viņa. Tā nu Joelam nākas ne vien atvairīt vairākus mēģinājumus nozagt meteorītu, bet arī aprast ar paša situāciju, kā arī noskaidrot, kurš tad ir īstais bērna tēvs...
“Mazā Sibīrija” ir gan trilleris, gan melnāka par melnu komēdija par ticību un neticību, mīlu un nāvi un par to, ko darīt, kad spēriens no zilām debesīm – gan burtiskā, gan pārnestā nozīmē – sagriež dzīvi kājām gaisā.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2018
441 people are currently reading
1417 people want to read
About the author
Antti Tuomainen
26 books591 followersAntti Tuomainen (b. 1971) is one of Finland’s most acclaimed and award-winning crime fiction writers. To date, Tuomainen’s works have been translated into more than 25 languages. Crowned “The King of Helsinki Noir,” Tuomainen’s piercing and evocative style has never stopped evolving.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards.
Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.
In The Man Who Died, Tuomainen displays a new side of his authorship and unveils his multifaceted ability in full. The novel, which combines Tuomainen’s trademark suspense with a darkly tinged humor, has won the hearts of readers and critics alike, and secured him the new title of King of Noir Comedy. The Man Who Died also became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards.
Palm Beach Finland was an immense success, with Marcel Berlins (The Times) calling Tuomainen 'the funniest writer in Europe'.
His latest thriller, Little Siberia, was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Awards and the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 280 reviews
October 18, 2019
Picture this...you are driving along minding your own business...along a snowy road, going about 240 km/hr (149 mph). Taking swigs of warm Koskenkorva vodka and contemplating life. How did you get to this point in your life where you are no longer a rally driver even though that is your identity? Then a meteorite falls from the sky, rips through the roof of your car and smack dab lands on the seat next to you. Whatttt??? What in hell did I just read?
I have been wanting to read something by Antti Tuomainen for ages and I could not say yes fast enough when I got an invitation from Anne Carter to be on this blog tour. This book was an entertaining crime drama that was filled with dark, sarcastic and gritty humor.
As word is spread across the world about this spectacular meteorite that has landed on the passenger seat in a car in Finland, it becomes clear it must be transferred to a secure location. It is speculated that the meteorite is worth million of dollars. So what do we do with it in the meantime? We leave it in a tiny museum in the village with a pastor named Joel to protect it. Joel alone is going to keep the Russian mobsters and everyone else in the world from stealing this precious piece of rock.
Sounds absolutely crazy right?! Yet Antti Tuomainen somehow has the ability to pull you in and make you believe this is perfectly rationale that this is all happening. I found myself yelling yeah Joel you get them!
Maybe even more intriguing than the mobsters and various others after their piece of the pie with the meteorite, was Joel himself. I was completely drawn into Joel's personality as he had me curious as to how a pastor got involved in this. He seemed a bit "street smart" shall we say. I began to question his past and his motives. He is expecting his first child with his wife Krista and yet, he was told he can't have kids.....so whose child is it? I found myself thinking, well hell we have a meteorite falling from the sky, could this be immaculate conception? I couldn't imagine his loving wife cheating on him. Especially in such a small village where he is the sole person that people confess to!
This book was much darker than I expected and I loved it. When I least expected it the author would throw in a humorous line and catch me off guard. A mysterious story filled with crime, mobsters, family drama and a touch of humor this book had me flipping the pages late into the night!
Huge thanks to Orenda and Anne Carter for this ARC and having me along on the blog tour. What fun this book was!
I have been wanting to read something by Antti Tuomainen for ages and I could not say yes fast enough when I got an invitation from Anne Carter to be on this blog tour. This book was an entertaining crime drama that was filled with dark, sarcastic and gritty humor.
As word is spread across the world about this spectacular meteorite that has landed on the passenger seat in a car in Finland, it becomes clear it must be transferred to a secure location. It is speculated that the meteorite is worth million of dollars. So what do we do with it in the meantime? We leave it in a tiny museum in the village with a pastor named Joel to protect it. Joel alone is going to keep the Russian mobsters and everyone else in the world from stealing this precious piece of rock.
Sounds absolutely crazy right?! Yet Antti Tuomainen somehow has the ability to pull you in and make you believe this is perfectly rationale that this is all happening. I found myself yelling yeah Joel you get them!
Maybe even more intriguing than the mobsters and various others after their piece of the pie with the meteorite, was Joel himself. I was completely drawn into Joel's personality as he had me curious as to how a pastor got involved in this. He seemed a bit "street smart" shall we say. I began to question his past and his motives. He is expecting his first child with his wife Krista and yet, he was told he can't have kids.....so whose child is it? I found myself thinking, well hell we have a meteorite falling from the sky, could this be immaculate conception? I couldn't imagine his loving wife cheating on him. Especially in such a small village where he is the sole person that people confess to!
This book was much darker than I expected and I loved it. When I least expected it the author would throw in a humorous line and catch me off guard. A mysterious story filled with crime, mobsters, family drama and a touch of humor this book had me flipping the pages late into the night!
Huge thanks to Orenda and Anne Carter for this ARC and having me along on the blog tour. What fun this book was!
June 21, 2024
The meteor...
No spoilers. 4 stars. The little village of Hurmevaara in Finland is about to see some big action...
It starts with a meteor falling out of the sky and landing in a car driven by local professional race car driver Tarvainen who was trying to commit suicide at the time...
The meteor, worth a million euros, is promptly taken away from Tarvainen, given to the village museum, and put on display. Volunteers, including Pastor Joel Huhta, are standing night watch over it...
...that is... until there is an attempt to steal the meteor during Pastor Joel's watch one night, causing Joel to volunteer for all the remaining watches... because it's personal now...
Meanwhile, back at home...
Joel's wife Krista announces that she is pregnant. The childless couple should be happy, but...
Unknown to Krista...
Joel is sterile after an injury he suffered while he was deployed in Afghanistan...
Joel soon learns that...
someone is again planning to steal the meteor and will stop at nothing this time to get it... but who can it be behind this scheme?...
Is it Tarvainen, whose car the meteor fell into as if he were picking up a passenger, jokinen the local storekeeper and butcher, or Raystainen, who is a fitness trainer...
Or it could be...
Himanka, a retired pensioner, or Pirkko, the church secretary, who seems to have an eye for Joel, or how about Turunmaa, the potato farmer...
It could also be Karoliina, the local bartender, and her two tough-guy Russian cohorts, Grigori and Leonid...
Joel must find out who is trying to steal the meteor and stop them...
Oh, and while he's at it, find the man responsible for Krista's pregnancy because it sure ain't him...
IKEA, anyone?
4 stars for this complex and at times comical whodunit. I was happy to find another book by this author after reading his excellent THE MAN WHO DIED. I removed a star because, at times, the story dragged, moving very slowly. Overall, it is quite enjoyable!
No spoilers. 4 stars. The little village of Hurmevaara in Finland is about to see some big action...
It starts with a meteor falling out of the sky and landing in a car driven by local professional race car driver Tarvainen who was trying to commit suicide at the time...
The meteor, worth a million euros, is promptly taken away from Tarvainen, given to the village museum, and put on display. Volunteers, including Pastor Joel Huhta, are standing night watch over it...
...that is... until there is an attempt to steal the meteor during Pastor Joel's watch one night, causing Joel to volunteer for all the remaining watches... because it's personal now...
Meanwhile, back at home...
Joel's wife Krista announces that she is pregnant. The childless couple should be happy, but...
Unknown to Krista...
Joel is sterile after an injury he suffered while he was deployed in Afghanistan...
Joel soon learns that...
someone is again planning to steal the meteor and will stop at nothing this time to get it... but who can it be behind this scheme?...
Is it Tarvainen, whose car the meteor fell into as if he were picking up a passenger, jokinen the local storekeeper and butcher, or Raystainen, who is a fitness trainer...
Or it could be...
Himanka, a retired pensioner, or Pirkko, the church secretary, who seems to have an eye for Joel, or how about Turunmaa, the potato farmer...
It could also be Karoliina, the local bartender, and her two tough-guy Russian cohorts, Grigori and Leonid...
Joel must find out who is trying to steal the meteor and stop them...
Oh, and while he's at it, find the man responsible for Krista's pregnancy because it sure ain't him...
IKEA, anyone?
4 stars for this complex and at times comical whodunit. I was happy to find another book by this author after reading his excellent THE MAN WHO DIED. I removed a star because, at times, the story dragged, moving very slowly. Overall, it is quite enjoyable!
January 16, 2021
Having enjoyed The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen, I wanted more. This was not quite as funny, but reflects his zany sense of humor. A small meteorite crashes through a race car driver's personal vehicle while he is racing home on icy roads drinking vodka. It is moved to a town museum pending transfer to a more permanent home, when opportunists decide that they can cash in by stealing it. Rare minerals and a per gram valuation for collectors makes the meteorite worth a million or more Euros. A local pastor becomes its guardian, whose life is unbalanced by his wife's announcement she is pregnant even though a war injury has left him sterile -- a fact he has withheld from her out of cowardice since she desperately wants children. Great cover.
August 13, 2021
When Elmore Leonard died in 2013 I was crushed. Who else would write such dependably great and funny crime stories? I’m beginning to hope that Tuomainen is going to be the shining knight. I’ve read The Man Who Died and now Little Siberia and am so pleased. Poor Mr. Tuomainen. The professional reviewers seem to have a great desire to compare him with others, i.e. Dave Barry or the Coen brothers. So unfair. He is very distinctive. Now I’m going on about Elmore Leonard. I guess it could be worse. To my knowledge, Zane Grey has not been mentioned.
Little Siberia deals with the dark night of the soul for one Finnish pastor. A meteorite has struck in his town (specifically the car of a failed race car driver) and appears to have great monetary value. The pastor, an Afghan War vet, not only is dealing with his larcenous flock as he guards the meteorite at night (in the War Museum no less) but the pregnancy of his wife. He has “neglected “ to tell her he is sterile from a war wound. Oops.
The poor priest is alternately bitter, jealous and stubborn about the whole situation. He realizes the jealousy is corroding him and the greediness of the town upsets his belief that the town is filled with ordinary good people. His day job, counseling, is described in a hilarious way. What the poor man must listen to and advise on when he has no answers!
Everyone attacks him after dark. Who are the real threats? That million euro meteorite is hot. There are even Russian mobsters hanging around town. Guess why? One of them points out that this community is a “cold, God forsaken backwater…a little Siberia. Indeed most of the action takes place in the dark and the cold. It’s a very effective setting.
I highly recommend this fun book.
Little Siberia deals with the dark night of the soul for one Finnish pastor. A meteorite has struck in his town (specifically the car of a failed race car driver) and appears to have great monetary value. The pastor, an Afghan War vet, not only is dealing with his larcenous flock as he guards the meteorite at night (in the War Museum no less) but the pregnancy of his wife. He has “neglected “ to tell her he is sterile from a war wound. Oops.
The poor priest is alternately bitter, jealous and stubborn about the whole situation. He realizes the jealousy is corroding him and the greediness of the town upsets his belief that the town is filled with ordinary good people. His day job, counseling, is described in a hilarious way. What the poor man must listen to and advise on when he has no answers!
Everyone attacks him after dark. Who are the real threats? That million euro meteorite is hot. There are even Russian mobsters hanging around town. Guess why? One of them points out that this community is a “cold, God forsaken backwater…a little Siberia. Indeed most of the action takes place in the dark and the cold. It’s a very effective setting.
I highly recommend this fun book.
October 5, 2020
A remote village in Eastern Finland. Everyone knows everyone. A meteorite comprising rare elements lands and is stored in the local museum waiting to be transported to the UK. The local pastor takes the night shift to guard the meteorite and a cast of characters are singularly or collectively trying to steal it.
There is some fine writing about the pastor dealing with his 'big' secret, the dangers that mankind faces, and the meaning of religion. The humour is a bit slapstick, there is plenty of weird deaths and the pastor has some tough body. Overall it is entertaining but the silly bits weighed down the good bits.
There is some fine writing about the pastor dealing with his 'big' secret, the dangers that mankind faces, and the meaning of religion. The humour is a bit slapstick, there is plenty of weird deaths and the pastor has some tough body. Overall it is entertaining but the silly bits weighed down the good bits.
July 19, 2023
❄️🌑Novela negra ambientada en Finlandia, en un pueblecito al norte del país, que nos lleva a vivir de lleno ese ambiente frio, oscuro y solitario. Sin duda, el punto que más destaco del libro es esa ambientación. Tras haber pasado algunas navidades por allí, no se me ocurre un lugar mejor donde ambientar todo tipo de historias oscuras. Ese frio, ese silencio, esa oscuridad y esa sensación que jamás he tenido en otro lugar del mundo. Escuchar tu respiración a 25 bajo cero, con un viento atroz, cubierto de nieve y con sonidos de la naturaleza de fondo es algo único.
😶🌫️😮Si a eso le añadimos una historia que atrapa, pues mejor que mejor. Un meteorito cae en el pueblo y permanecerá en el museo local para su traslado. Pero todo el mundo lo quiere porque tiene un valor incalculable. ¿Será capaz Joel, un pastor luterano, de conservar el meteorito hasta que sea trasladado?
😂Y si bien en la contraportada, The times indica que Toumainen es el escritor más divertido de Europa, siendo cierto que tiene unos toques de humor negro que me han hecho soltar alguna carcajada, el humor no es para nada una característica de este libro. Pero el autor si que tiene pinta de ser divertido metiendo esos toques en momentos de alta tensión.
En definitiva, si te gustan los libros con una carga de adicción, si te gustaría o te gustan los países nórdicos y sus ambientes y si te apetece conocer la codicia humana, este puede ser tu libro. 💫💫💫💫
🖊️Frases destacadas.
💫 “Sé muy bien que la antítesis del miedo no es el valor: la antítesis del miedo es la confianza, y la confianza es fe”
💫“Puede que todos odiemos alguna vez aquello que amamos”
💫“La compasión residen en el hecho de que podemos ayudar a los demás por medio de nuestras imperfecciones y de nuestros errores”
😶🌫️😮Si a eso le añadimos una historia que atrapa, pues mejor que mejor. Un meteorito cae en el pueblo y permanecerá en el museo local para su traslado. Pero todo el mundo lo quiere porque tiene un valor incalculable. ¿Será capaz Joel, un pastor luterano, de conservar el meteorito hasta que sea trasladado?
😂Y si bien en la contraportada, The times indica que Toumainen es el escritor más divertido de Europa, siendo cierto que tiene unos toques de humor negro que me han hecho soltar alguna carcajada, el humor no es para nada una característica de este libro. Pero el autor si que tiene pinta de ser divertido metiendo esos toques en momentos de alta tensión.
En definitiva, si te gustan los libros con una carga de adicción, si te gustaría o te gustan los países nórdicos y sus ambientes y si te apetece conocer la codicia humana, este puede ser tu libro. 💫💫💫💫
🖊️Frases destacadas.
💫 “Sé muy bien que la antítesis del miedo no es el valor: la antítesis del miedo es la confianza, y la confianza es fe”
💫“Puede que todos odiemos alguna vez aquello que amamos”
💫“La compasión residen en el hecho de que podemos ayudar a los demás por medio de nuestras imperfecciones y de nuestros errores”
August 8, 2019
Visit the locations in the novel
There are some writers who have that innate skill of mixing comedy, horror and that close to the knuckle, tongue in cheek characterization and yet still manages to bring the unexpected. There have been books about Finnish beaches, flamingos, mushrooms and..well now we have a UFO in the sky above a small Finnish village….
Could I love Antti Tuomainen any more? What writer not only reshapes genres and expectations but smashes them and remoulds them himself? This is one funny and dark twisty read and I loved it!
This is one of those books where it’s so hard to say much as you don’t want to spoil anything or give anything away. What I can say, is that the writing is as sharp and spot on as usual, the turn of phrase witty and smart.
This read like a film in the vein of Fargo. Minimal setting – and what we did see was fictional – but it’s so real, so vivid, and so claustrophobic that you feel sucked in from the start. From the moment that white light appears in the sky, I was transfixed.
What would happen if a meteorite fell to earth? What would your reaction be? Who would be interested in getting a piece of it? Who would be interested in trying to get some publicity for their find? Could the village make money from this remarkable event? Some want to captilize on the event and others don’t. It’s put in a museum under the protection of a priest. Sounds crazy right? Oh but that’s just the start of a wonderful ride through the Fargo Finnish landscape.
That landscape is dark, compelling and claustrophobic. The cover illustrates the book well – but what there is to see is a village in the middle of nowhere, with only a few characters, thoughts in their heads providing the only path ahead for the reader. It’s a deadly dark and dangerously good reading experience!
Ah the joy of this novel still makes me feel the goosebumps now! What a fine and very funny novel that was. As for the ending! – haha hear that slap? That was me slapping Antti on the back and high-fiving him. Deliciously dark this one but what a treat! A Finnish treat of dark, black comedy wrapped up in fantasy and folklore. It also raises some very interesting questions – what does drive a person to keep a secret or want to reveal it? How much are we interested in ourselves and don’t see how things can affect others? Most of all, when one event begins, how can we be sure it’s not going to snowball?
Mr Toumainen – I need more of your quirky unique reads. They defy expectation, genre and are out of this world.
October 12, 2019
Finished reading: October 9th 2019
"It seems that the turning points in our lives are always associated with a strange combination of the banal and the extraordinary, like watching a spaceship land in a perfectly everyday landscape."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Anne Cater and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
September 30, 2019
It's astonishing the amount of trouble you can find yourself in just because a piece of space rock decides to fall from the sky and crash through the roof of a car that is being driven by a resident of the small village of Hurmevaara in Finland, where you just happen to be the village parson. A piece of rock that is apparently worth one million euros and comes to the attention of some greedy and unscrupulous individuals including a femme fatale,a couple of Russian mobsters and a number of the residents of the village. The meteorite is placed in the local museum for safe keeping until four days later when it will be transported to Helsinki and then on to London. Pastor Joel who is struggling with his beliefs and has just found out that his wife is pregnant (which is a miracle in itself because Joel can't have kids since he was badly injured when he stood on a landmine whilst serving in Afghanistan) volunteers to guard the meteorite on the four nights that it will be in the museum. Little realising just how much trouble that piece of space rock is going to cause him,it might even cost him his life.
Ok,I put my hands up, I honestly wouldn't have known that this book existed if Anne Carter hadn't sent me an E-mail about the Blog tour. So thanks so much to Anne for bringing this fast paced,adrenaline rush to my attention. I loved this amazing book,I loved Pastor Joel aka Pastor Bourne,ex soldier,action hero and very likeable guy despite having a couple of character flaws. Most of the other characters were unlikable,greedy,unscrupulous,untrustworthy and prepared to go to any lengths to fulfil their personal goals. The author's detailed descriptions of the isolated location,the winding arctic roads,the freezing cold temperatures and the lack of daylight hours made it possible for the reader to close their eyes and picture the locations and feel the cold winds chilling you to the bone.
Little Siberia is a action packed thriller that rockets along faster than a roller coaster. So if you are looking for a gripping,thrill ride that is well written, has a likeable hero and a dash of humour then get yourself a copy of this brilliant book,get comfy in your reading chair and enjoy. I would live to watch a film adaptation of this book. Very very highly recommended.
Many many thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Carter for the opportunity to read and review this brilliant book and take part in the Blog tour
Ok,I put my hands up, I honestly wouldn't have known that this book existed if Anne Carter hadn't sent me an E-mail about the Blog tour. So thanks so much to Anne for bringing this fast paced,adrenaline rush to my attention. I loved this amazing book,I loved Pastor Joel aka Pastor Bourne,ex soldier,action hero and very likeable guy despite having a couple of character flaws. Most of the other characters were unlikable,greedy,unscrupulous,untrustworthy and prepared to go to any lengths to fulfil their personal goals. The author's detailed descriptions of the isolated location,the winding arctic roads,the freezing cold temperatures and the lack of daylight hours made it possible for the reader to close their eyes and picture the locations and feel the cold winds chilling you to the bone.
Little Siberia is a action packed thriller that rockets along faster than a roller coaster. So if you are looking for a gripping,thrill ride that is well written, has a likeable hero and a dash of humour then get yourself a copy of this brilliant book,get comfy in your reading chair and enjoy. I would live to watch a film adaptation of this book. Very very highly recommended.
Many many thanks to Orenda Books and Anne Carter for the opportunity to read and review this brilliant book and take part in the Blog tour
May 28, 2020
This didn't really work for me...but don't worry I am in the minority again!
I honestly think I didn't 'get' it...there seemed to be something missing for me and I couldn't connect with either the characters or the story.
I liked the idea but couldn't get into it...I did finish but there was some speed listening towards the end! Meh.
I honestly think I didn't 'get' it...there seemed to be something missing for me and I couldn't connect with either the characters or the story.
I liked the idea but couldn't get into it...I did finish but there was some speed listening towards the end! Meh.
October 19, 2022
Pastor Joel to dziwny duchowny. Weteran wojny w Afganistanie, bardziej urzędnik Boga, niż człowiek niezachwianej wiary. Joel pełni swoją posługę w zabitej dechami dziurze, gdzie diabeł mówi dobranoc, a jedynymi rozrywkami miejscowych są polowanie na łosie i łowienie pod lodem. Wszystko jednak się zmienia, gdy pewnej zimowej nocy do pędzącego auta, pijanego jak bela, byłego mistrza rajdowego wpada meteoryt. Meteoryt, który wart jest okrągły milion Euro, i mógłby rozwiązać problemy finansowe niejednego z mieszkańców wioski, a także kilku ruskich mafiosów. Na domiar złego Joel dowiaduje się, że jego żona, którą zresztą bardzo kocha, jest w ciąży, problem w tym, że nasz pastor, po wypadku w Afganistanie jest bezpłodny i jakoś nie jest skłonny dać wiary w niepokalane poczęcie... staje zatem przed dwoma zadaniami wytropić domniemanego złodzieja meteorytu, oraz ojca dziecka swojej żony.
Książka jako kryminał raczej się nie sprawdzi, więc jeśli liczycie na nie wiadomo jaką zagadkę i błyskotliwe zakończenie, to spotka was zawód. „Mała Syberia” to powieść w stylu filmów braci Cohen (ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem Fargo), pełna humoru czarnego tak, że czytelnik ma ochotę ze śmiechu chlastać sobie żyły tępą żyletką, albo odstrzelić sobie łeb ze sztucera na łosie. Na pastora Joela (książka jest pisana w narracji pierwszoosobowej) niczym na biblijnego Hioba, spadają wszystkie klęski świata, taka to komedia.
Akapit wyżej pisałem, że książka jest kiepskim kryminałem, i tak jest w istocie, bo „Mała Syberia” to przede wszystkim niezwykle klimatyczna galeria wyśmienicie napisanych postaci (trochę z Tarantina wziętych) i relacji między nimi, jest to – mimo olbrzymiego ładunku mroku, sarkazmu i wisielczego humoru, również książka o nadziei, wybaczaniu i miłości, napisana świetnym piórem Anttiego Tuomainena (tłumaczenie pani Bożeny Kojro też jest świetne), a akcja mimo pewnej prostoty jest logiczna (wszak skały z nieba czasem spadają, nieprawdaż?)
„Mała Syberia” to książka jak znalazł na późną jesień. Ponura, jak druga połowa listopada, ale też zabawna i niosąca światło (;-)). Chyba najlepszy pastisz czarnego kryminału, jaki czytałem.
Książka jako kryminał raczej się nie sprawdzi, więc jeśli liczycie na nie wiadomo jaką zagadkę i błyskotliwe zakończenie, to spotka was zawód. „Mała Syberia” to powieść w stylu filmów braci Cohen (ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem Fargo), pełna humoru czarnego tak, że czytelnik ma ochotę ze śmiechu chlastać sobie żyły tępą żyletką, albo odstrzelić sobie łeb ze sztucera na łosie. Na pastora Joela (książka jest pisana w narracji pierwszoosobowej) niczym na biblijnego Hioba, spadają wszystkie klęski świata, taka to komedia.
Akapit wyżej pisałem, że książka jest kiepskim kryminałem, i tak jest w istocie, bo „Mała Syberia” to przede wszystkim niezwykle klimatyczna galeria wyśmienicie napisanych postaci (trochę z Tarantina wziętych) i relacji między nimi, jest to – mimo olbrzymiego ładunku mroku, sarkazmu i wisielczego humoru, również książka o nadziei, wybaczaniu i miłości, napisana świetnym piórem Anttiego Tuomainena (tłumaczenie pani Bożeny Kojro też jest świetne), a akcja mimo pewnej prostoty jest logiczna (wszak skały z nieba czasem spadają, nieprawdaż?)
„Mała Syberia” to książka jak znalazł na późną jesień. Ponura, jak druga połowa listopada, ale też zabawna i niosąca światło (;-)). Chyba najlepszy pastisz czarnego kryminału, jaki czytałem.
November 25, 2019
I really liked the story with the meteorite being the main item to have most people want to get their hands on. Pastor Joel Huhta and his wife Krista seemed to be on an explosive path that could only take them further apart from each other, because he was so messed up physically in the war in Afghanistan that he could not have children and his wife told him she was pregnant. He promised people that he would take the rest of the night shifts to watch the meteorite so that it wouldn't get stolen. Having not told his wife about his not able to have children, his jealousy kicks into high gear and he wants to find out how she got pregnant. The story revolves around this and people trying to steal the meteorite. There are important things happening with each story. I'll let you read the story because it is so involved with Joel and his emotions that it makes for good reading. I highly recommend this book to avid readers.
Read
November 23, 2023I bought 'Little Siberia' (2018) with great enthusiasm after having enjoyed Antti Tuomainen's previous dark comedy, 'Palm Beach Finland' (2017).
To my surprise, I'm setting it aside at the 29% mark because the book is going to places that I don't want to visit and I'm increasingly feeling like a passenger who has gotten on the wrong train.
I was expecting dark, quirky, distinctly Finnish humour. That may be exactly what I got but if it is, then the 'Finnish humour' has flown over my head.
'Little Siberia' strikes me as more angry than funny. It's definitely quirky but in a way that feels pathological rather than amusing. The main character is a Pastor but he's very far from a serene man of God bringing peace and hope to his community. He's a man consumed by jealousy and doubt who is giving way to rage and violence. Given what has been done to him, I can see what pushed him into these reactions but that doesn't mean I have any sympathy with him.
The story is told mostly from within the Pastor's head, showing me how he flips from rationalising and justifying his reactions, to being consumed by them, to knowing that what he is doing is wrong but that he's going to do it anyway.
The storyi is well told. It's dark and quirky and distinctively Finnish but I have the sense that I failing to connect with an important part of the book, that there's a nuance that I'm missing, so I'm watching a 3D movie without the glasses that would let me see what the director intended.
I'm sure the problem is my expectations rather than the attributes of the book but I'm setting it aside anyway.
I'm not done with Antti Tuomainen. I'm planning on reading 'The Rabbit Factor' (2020), the first book in his trilogy, next year.
To my surprise, I'm setting it aside at the 29% mark because the book is going to places that I don't want to visit and I'm increasingly feeling like a passenger who has gotten on the wrong train.
I was expecting dark, quirky, distinctly Finnish humour. That may be exactly what I got but if it is, then the 'Finnish humour' has flown over my head.
'Little Siberia' strikes me as more angry than funny. It's definitely quirky but in a way that feels pathological rather than amusing. The main character is a Pastor but he's very far from a serene man of God bringing peace and hope to his community. He's a man consumed by jealousy and doubt who is giving way to rage and violence. Given what has been done to him, I can see what pushed him into these reactions but that doesn't mean I have any sympathy with him.
The story is told mostly from within the Pastor's head, showing me how he flips from rationalising and justifying his reactions, to being consumed by them, to knowing that what he is doing is wrong but that he's going to do it anyway.
The storyi is well told. It's dark and quirky and distinctively Finnish but I have the sense that I failing to connect with an important part of the book, that there's a nuance that I'm missing, so I'm watching a 3D movie without the glasses that would let me see what the director intended.
I'm sure the problem is my expectations rather than the attributes of the book but I'm setting it aside anyway.
I'm not done with Antti Tuomainen. I'm planning on reading 'The Rabbit Factor' (2020), the first book in his trilogy, next year.
April 26, 2025
Okay, but
I was looking for a novel from Finland. Preferably not Nordic (or Baltic-neighboring) noir, but not much in English translation, unless it's about the Sami.
The set-up sounded promising. Meteorite. Russian bad guys. The protagonist's wife's pregnant by somebody else.
The execution of the premise in Eastern (rather than the extreme North, although blurbs may differ) Finland offered four days of chaos. The pastor, conveniently, has military experience from a tour in Afghanistan. So he combines the cerebral with the visceral when needed.
Yet, crime isn't my go-to genre. Capers not my first pick. I turned the pages and it whiled away a few hours. Yet it didn't captivate me.
I was looking for a novel from Finland. Preferably not Nordic (or Baltic-neighboring) noir, but not much in English translation, unless it's about the Sami.
The set-up sounded promising. Meteorite. Russian bad guys. The protagonist's wife's pregnant by somebody else.
The execution of the premise in Eastern (rather than the extreme North, although blurbs may differ) Finland offered four days of chaos. The pastor, conveniently, has military experience from a tour in Afghanistan. So he combines the cerebral with the visceral when needed.
Yet, crime isn't my go-to genre. Capers not my first pick. I turned the pages and it whiled away a few hours. Yet it didn't captivate me.
May 29, 2022
Little Siberia might not be an example of high-end literature, but it surely delivers on entertainment. The events taking place in a fictional (I checked!) Finnish town of Hurmevaara border on absurdity. But the author has cleverly built the tension through the fast-paced unraveling of Joel's rather mundane life, so you really don't want to stop reading. The ending is quite predictable, but not the events that occur almost out of nowhere. Things just happen. I only wish there was a map of the town. Other than that, it was an entertaining read if you're looking for an uncomplicated, eventful story.
January 2, 2020
Black comedy thriller set in northern FINLAND
In style Little Siberia very much follows on from Antti’s last book, The Man Who Died. The comedy is black and the story is a respectable (if somewhat unlikely) thriller. People are killed – sometimes in ‘hilarious’ circumstances. A mystery is solved. It works really very well.
A meteorite descends from the sky one snowy winter’s night. It goes straight through the roof of a speeding car. Such a ‘find’ is said to be worth up to 1 million Euros. The inhabitants of the local village get very excited. They place the meteorite under lock and key in the local museum to await collection from the powers that be… it will be there for several days. But there are various plots afoot…
The story revolves around the local pastor. He takes it upon himself to be the night guard in the museum – not an entirely altruistic act. He needs some time to himself – his wife (whom he loves dearly) has just announced to him that she is pregnant. She is delighted, but he is not for reasons known only to himself. He was injured in the war in Afghanistan and can no longer father a child…On his first night of duty the museum is broken in to. The perpetrators could have taken the meteorite, but take a old wartime grenade by mistake (with disastrous results…). Who, though, were the perpetrators? There were two of them – one male and the other, he believes, female. There are several candidates for the male. Four very different members of the community are behaving strangely – especially when the pastor is around. Then there are two dubious Russians who have come over the nearby border to conduct some ‘business’ in the village. Given their attitude and appearance, it is highly unlikely the business is legal.
There are fewer candidates for the possible female perpetrator… in fact only one. During the botched theft she was wearing a very strong perfume, and our pastor tracks her down. He is, of course, sexually attracted to her – partly to get back at his wife …
There follows a series of plots and betrayals that lead to very bloody ending to the book. The father to be of the child is also revealed.
As with The Man Who Died, there are times when you don’t know whether to gasp in horror or burst out laughing as the plot develops. It is funny, but it is also gruesome. Your emotions jar.
In TripFiction terms, Little Siberia paints what I imagine is a pretty realistic picture of a small northern Finnish village in the middle of winter. The cold seeps through the pages.
Recommended.
In style Little Siberia very much follows on from Antti’s last book, The Man Who Died. The comedy is black and the story is a respectable (if somewhat unlikely) thriller. People are killed – sometimes in ‘hilarious’ circumstances. A mystery is solved. It works really very well.
A meteorite descends from the sky one snowy winter’s night. It goes straight through the roof of a speeding car. Such a ‘find’ is said to be worth up to 1 million Euros. The inhabitants of the local village get very excited. They place the meteorite under lock and key in the local museum to await collection from the powers that be… it will be there for several days. But there are various plots afoot…
The story revolves around the local pastor. He takes it upon himself to be the night guard in the museum – not an entirely altruistic act. He needs some time to himself – his wife (whom he loves dearly) has just announced to him that she is pregnant. She is delighted, but he is not for reasons known only to himself. He was injured in the war in Afghanistan and can no longer father a child…On his first night of duty the museum is broken in to. The perpetrators could have taken the meteorite, but take a old wartime grenade by mistake (with disastrous results…). Who, though, were the perpetrators? There were two of them – one male and the other, he believes, female. There are several candidates for the male. Four very different members of the community are behaving strangely – especially when the pastor is around. Then there are two dubious Russians who have come over the nearby border to conduct some ‘business’ in the village. Given their attitude and appearance, it is highly unlikely the business is legal.
There are fewer candidates for the possible female perpetrator… in fact only one. During the botched theft she was wearing a very strong perfume, and our pastor tracks her down. He is, of course, sexually attracted to her – partly to get back at his wife …
There follows a series of plots and betrayals that lead to very bloody ending to the book. The father to be of the child is also revealed.
As with The Man Who Died, there are times when you don’t know whether to gasp in horror or burst out laughing as the plot develops. It is funny, but it is also gruesome. Your emotions jar.
In TripFiction terms, Little Siberia paints what I imagine is a pretty realistic picture of a small northern Finnish village in the middle of winter. The cold seeps through the pages.
Recommended.
February 27, 2021
Antti Tuomainen is a really unique and refreshing author and absolutely puts Finland on the map of the Scandi Noir greats. I’ve read two of his earlier books, ‘The Mine’ and ‘Dark as my Heart’ and ‘Little Siberia’ up there with those if not even better, as Tuomainen blends Noir, dark humour, bleak winters, insights into the human psyche and behaviour into an explosive tale.
In a nutshell, ‘Little Siberia’ is set in the fictional village of Hurmevaara in East Finland, somehow chosen as the final destination for a meteorite that has been hurtling towards Earth. Landing in the passenger seat of a local troubled man, living in the yesteryear of past glory, the meteorite, valued at a million euros, is housed in the local museum temporarily and becomes the source of greed and desire, and the solution for many to rid them of their woes.
Joel Huhta, local priest, coming to grips with the revelation that his wife is pregnant when he knows he is incapable of impregnating her, finds himself guarding the meteorite each night, as it awaits transport to Helsinki. The destiny of the meteorite irrevocably sets a chain of events into motion, Joel at the epicentre... “Suddenly I find myself living the worst time of my life. But I guess that’s what happens; surely nobody decides that on a Wednesday afternoon in a month’s time they’re going to screw everything up. It just happens, then you’re right in the middle of it, regardless of what you do or don’t believe. p 63
I love how Tuomainen writes in a way that exposes the human soul, shining a light on human behaviour, humanness, and self reflection. Joel Huhta is the embodiment of this and throughout the story, the reader is privileged to share Joel’s humanity, inner most thoughts and evolution as a man. And as a priest, we understand how the events of the book shape even the sermons he gives.. “I always speak of how hard it is to do good, how so often when we have good intentions we end up making mistakes, how life is really a complicated affair and never offers easy answers to what we might call the large questions. I speak from experience” p 157
I absolutely loved this book and connected deeply with Joel Huhta and can’t help but be in wonder of the events that come together in each of our lives that set us on the course that we find ourselves on... “I close my eyes, open them again, and I can’t help thinking the same thing I thought on my first night here in the museum. That meteorite has crossed billions of kilometers over billions of years, only to end up right there in front of me”. p 157
In a nutshell, ‘Little Siberia’ is set in the fictional village of Hurmevaara in East Finland, somehow chosen as the final destination for a meteorite that has been hurtling towards Earth. Landing in the passenger seat of a local troubled man, living in the yesteryear of past glory, the meteorite, valued at a million euros, is housed in the local museum temporarily and becomes the source of greed and desire, and the solution for many to rid them of their woes.
Joel Huhta, local priest, coming to grips with the revelation that his wife is pregnant when he knows he is incapable of impregnating her, finds himself guarding the meteorite each night, as it awaits transport to Helsinki. The destiny of the meteorite irrevocably sets a chain of events into motion, Joel at the epicentre... “Suddenly I find myself living the worst time of my life. But I guess that’s what happens; surely nobody decides that on a Wednesday afternoon in a month’s time they’re going to screw everything up. It just happens, then you’re right in the middle of it, regardless of what you do or don’t believe. p 63
I love how Tuomainen writes in a way that exposes the human soul, shining a light on human behaviour, humanness, and self reflection. Joel Huhta is the embodiment of this and throughout the story, the reader is privileged to share Joel’s humanity, inner most thoughts and evolution as a man. And as a priest, we understand how the events of the book shape even the sermons he gives.. “I always speak of how hard it is to do good, how so often when we have good intentions we end up making mistakes, how life is really a complicated affair and never offers easy answers to what we might call the large questions. I speak from experience” p 157
I absolutely loved this book and connected deeply with Joel Huhta and can’t help but be in wonder of the events that come together in each of our lives that set us on the course that we find ourselves on... “I close my eyes, open them again, and I can’t help thinking the same thing I thought on my first night here in the museum. That meteorite has crossed billions of kilometers over billions of years, only to end up right there in front of me”. p 157
October 10, 2019
Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for my spot on the blog tour. All thoughts are my own.
You know when you receive an email about an ORENDA Books blog tour you just know you have to get on by any means necessary because it’s always going to be all kind of awesome. Yes, Little Siberia is another kick Ass Thriller from Orenda and you aren’t going to want to miss this one! Orenda Books just know what’s going to blow your socks off, they love a twisty, dark tale and this is no exception. Buckle up because the whiplash coming your way is off the charts.
Tuomainen is a brand spanking new author for me. He has an almost evil genius about him that can uncannily spin a multi-faceted web horror, mystery and absolute comedy genius. He has brought his A game and it is a disturbing cocktail of melancholy and darkness. I’d bet my last pound that Tuomainen is one of the very few authors that can highlight the importance of certain themes whilst pushing its limits with a mix of close to the bone humour and at times hilarious characterisations. He spins a web of surreal visualisations and doesn’t back down on the reality of the human condition.
Little Siberia, and the main character is a little bit like all of us. He’s relatable. He’s a pastor, Joel is the name. Life’s been a bit unkind to him. He’s struggling with a fact that even his wife doesn’t know. She brings him good news that now definitely means his wife is unfaithful. Life couldn’t have fucked him any harder if it tried. There are criminal goings on, well what would you expect when a super rare type of meteorite falls from the sky? It’s worth around €1 million. His wife ends up somehow becoming embroiled in it. It’s certainly a sense of humour test to put it mildly.
The authors voice comes through so vividly in his writing. The comedy that is injected into the seriousness has a nervous kind of laughter being pulled from the reader. He has bended and moulded the Thriller genre and reshaped it into a bigger beast – Disaster Comedy if you like. The reader was kept engaged with a hope of what was to come next, he did what and the shock of the dark and twisty nature of the read. If the author ever held a masterclass for writing Thrillers I’d so be there.
So back to this meteorite. It’s fallen from the sky and the biggest minds in science in London want their hands on it for analysis. Prior to its transportation Joel is on night-time guard duty in the museum. Shits about to get fucked up. Two assailants break into the museum to steal this big rock. Due to either brains or shit for brains Joel decides to high-tail it and follow them. They lead him to a remote cottage. One of the assailants blows himself to the fucking moon. Think feet still in boots but the rest of him missing type of blown up! One vital mistake – they stole a grenade instead of the meteorite. Okay granted it was the same size, but this is exactly what I’m talking about in regard to the risqué type of comedy the author injects.
The world building is quite frankly claustrophobic. From page one it sucks you in, it leaves you gasping. The fallout from a meteorite falling from the sky and hitting a small village leaves long lasting implications. If given the opportunity wouldn’t you want to try and sneak a bit of that pie? €1 million and technically it doesn’t really belong to anyone, what makes the government think they have any rights to it? Just take it, no-one will care in a week or two and you will gain more riches than your life has ever known. It’s the eternal moral compass- money can turn anyone. This book has it all – infidelity, risqué humour, flaws of morality and habitual action.
I need to read more and more and more. Essentially the brilliance that is this author in his skill about masking the true story in this novel and that is about Joel losing his faith during traumatic events. He knows he will lose everything if he confesses to his wife he was diagnosed sterile after his tour in Afghanistan. He focuses on his guard duties of the meteorite. He has no faith in god anymore the only faith he has is in his wife. She is the bedrock. What happens when his wife destroys that faith. What then does Joel have left to believe in?
I cannot recommend this book enough. A clever, witty tale with black shadows at every turn. Can the human condition ever be anything different are all we all destined to suffer from greed and loathing?
You know when you receive an email about an ORENDA Books blog tour you just know you have to get on by any means necessary because it’s always going to be all kind of awesome. Yes, Little Siberia is another kick Ass Thriller from Orenda and you aren’t going to want to miss this one! Orenda Books just know what’s going to blow your socks off, they love a twisty, dark tale and this is no exception. Buckle up because the whiplash coming your way is off the charts.
Tuomainen is a brand spanking new author for me. He has an almost evil genius about him that can uncannily spin a multi-faceted web horror, mystery and absolute comedy genius. He has brought his A game and it is a disturbing cocktail of melancholy and darkness. I’d bet my last pound that Tuomainen is one of the very few authors that can highlight the importance of certain themes whilst pushing its limits with a mix of close to the bone humour and at times hilarious characterisations. He spins a web of surreal visualisations and doesn’t back down on the reality of the human condition.
Little Siberia, and the main character is a little bit like all of us. He’s relatable. He’s a pastor, Joel is the name. Life’s been a bit unkind to him. He’s struggling with a fact that even his wife doesn’t know. She brings him good news that now definitely means his wife is unfaithful. Life couldn’t have fucked him any harder if it tried. There are criminal goings on, well what would you expect when a super rare type of meteorite falls from the sky? It’s worth around €1 million. His wife ends up somehow becoming embroiled in it. It’s certainly a sense of humour test to put it mildly.
The authors voice comes through so vividly in his writing. The comedy that is injected into the seriousness has a nervous kind of laughter being pulled from the reader. He has bended and moulded the Thriller genre and reshaped it into a bigger beast – Disaster Comedy if you like. The reader was kept engaged with a hope of what was to come next, he did what and the shock of the dark and twisty nature of the read. If the author ever held a masterclass for writing Thrillers I’d so be there.
So back to this meteorite. It’s fallen from the sky and the biggest minds in science in London want their hands on it for analysis. Prior to its transportation Joel is on night-time guard duty in the museum. Shits about to get fucked up. Two assailants break into the museum to steal this big rock. Due to either brains or shit for brains Joel decides to high-tail it and follow them. They lead him to a remote cottage. One of the assailants blows himself to the fucking moon. Think feet still in boots but the rest of him missing type of blown up! One vital mistake – they stole a grenade instead of the meteorite. Okay granted it was the same size, but this is exactly what I’m talking about in regard to the risqué type of comedy the author injects.
The world building is quite frankly claustrophobic. From page one it sucks you in, it leaves you gasping. The fallout from a meteorite falling from the sky and hitting a small village leaves long lasting implications. If given the opportunity wouldn’t you want to try and sneak a bit of that pie? €1 million and technically it doesn’t really belong to anyone, what makes the government think they have any rights to it? Just take it, no-one will care in a week or two and you will gain more riches than your life has ever known. It’s the eternal moral compass- money can turn anyone. This book has it all – infidelity, risqué humour, flaws of morality and habitual action.
I need to read more and more and more. Essentially the brilliance that is this author in his skill about masking the true story in this novel and that is about Joel losing his faith during traumatic events. He knows he will lose everything if he confesses to his wife he was diagnosed sterile after his tour in Afghanistan. He focuses on his guard duties of the meteorite. He has no faith in god anymore the only faith he has is in his wife. She is the bedrock. What happens when his wife destroys that faith. What then does Joel have left to believe in?
I cannot recommend this book enough. A clever, witty tale with black shadows at every turn. Can the human condition ever be anything different are all we all destined to suffer from greed and loathing?
November 27, 2022
Lodowe pustkowia Finlandii, cenny meteoryt i wioska na odludziu, którą nawiedzi zbrodnia.
W „Małej Syberii” kolejne scenki bywają zabawne, bywają absurdalne, tutaj czarny jak smoła humor łączy się z poczuciem narastającego zagrożenia i osaczenia. Już sam pomysł meteorytu, który pojawia się znikąd, gdzieś na przygranicznym z Rosją terytorium Finlandii sprawia, że czujemy te stawki, czujemy powagę całej sytuacji. Akcja nie pędzi na łeb na szyję – nie musi. Tuomainen łączy wątki kryminalne i obyczajowe, pokazuje, jak ludzie ze zwyczajnych, neutralnych obywateli przeistaczają się w chciwusów bez opamiętania. W meteorycie widzą szybki zysk, możliwość wzbogacenia się na skróty, spełnienia marzeń o lepszym dostatnim życiu, z dala od tej pustki. Zbrodnia jednak ma swoją cenę. Jak każdy popełniony błąd.
„Mała Syberia” to połączenie powieści sensacyjnej, lodowatej opowieści rodem z północy i opowieści o zbrodni z przymrużeniem oka. Tuomainen umiejętnie tworzy kontrasty, odbija piłeczkę, potrafi odwrócić uwagę czytelnika. Bawi i intryguje, wciąga w rozwiązywanie zagadki i sprawia, że całość czyta się z prawdziwą przyjemnością. Wszystko razem w charakterystycznym dla autora stylu, który może nie przekona każdego czytelnika, ale kto raz przepadnie w tym klimacie, ten długo nie będzie chciał powrócić z tych fińskich pustkowi.
W „Małej Syberii” kolejne scenki bywają zabawne, bywają absurdalne, tutaj czarny jak smoła humor łączy się z poczuciem narastającego zagrożenia i osaczenia. Już sam pomysł meteorytu, który pojawia się znikąd, gdzieś na przygranicznym z Rosją terytorium Finlandii sprawia, że czujemy te stawki, czujemy powagę całej sytuacji. Akcja nie pędzi na łeb na szyję – nie musi. Tuomainen łączy wątki kryminalne i obyczajowe, pokazuje, jak ludzie ze zwyczajnych, neutralnych obywateli przeistaczają się w chciwusów bez opamiętania. W meteorycie widzą szybki zysk, możliwość wzbogacenia się na skróty, spełnienia marzeń o lepszym dostatnim życiu, z dala od tej pustki. Zbrodnia jednak ma swoją cenę. Jak każdy popełniony błąd.
„Mała Syberia” to połączenie powieści sensacyjnej, lodowatej opowieści rodem z północy i opowieści o zbrodni z przymrużeniem oka. Tuomainen umiejętnie tworzy kontrasty, odbija piłeczkę, potrafi odwrócić uwagę czytelnika. Bawi i intryguje, wciąga w rozwiązywanie zagadki i sprawia, że całość czyta się z prawdziwą przyjemnością. Wszystko razem w charakterystycznym dla autora stylu, który może nie przekona każdego czytelnika, ale kto raz przepadnie w tym klimacie, ten długo nie będzie chciał powrócić z tych fińskich pustkowi.
January 13, 2022
I've read four from Tuomainen now, and The Man Who Died and Dark As My Heart stand out.
This ticks over fine, and is a mildly entertaining read, but only that.
This ticks over fine, and is a mildly entertaining read, but only that.
November 29, 2025
Jutos neērti un nesapratu, kurā brīdī ir jāsmejas. Ja citi slavē šo Tuomainena īpašo stilu, tad man tas pilnīgi neuzrunāja. Iespējams, šo niansēto melno humoru es vienkārši nesapratu. Tā paliks atmiņā kā nesekmīgs mēģinājums apvienot dīvainību ar nopietnu sižetu.
May 12, 2022
Sometimes it's interesting and fun to read a book with a white masculine vibe. This one starts with an explosion of action, motion and emotion. The prologue chapter is an exciting rollercoaster ride, as it follows a character - a 'he' - speeding at insane speeds along a dark back-of-beyond Finnish country road while slogging vodka and being chased by his own inner demons.
Then we switch to the narrator who tells the story in tight first person, a village pastor. The prose continues to be snappy, and the repetitions, sometimes convoluted expressions, deadpan satirical observations and especially the spiralling-out-of-control events and emotions make this a fast-paced and at times hilarious reading experience.
The translation by David Hackston is superb. His use of words not usually found in most novels -- 'thereof', 'surmise' -- captures the mood perfectly (I have no idea what the original Finnish might be but these lexical choices are very good). And when he translates dusk as 'between Heaven and Earth', this is a beautiful rendering of what in German would simply be 'between the sky and the earth' (and maybe it is like that in Finnish, too?) and which chimes in nicely with the narrator's profession.
This is not a profound novel, nor does it pretend to be one. Yet there is this which is sort of deep: 'the opposite of fear is not bravery. The opposite of fear is trust. Trust is faith.' This is not literary fiction, nor does it pretend to be. Yet the evocation of sub-zero snowy mid-winter in the far north is very atmospheric. 'A few hours of light are followed by almost twenty hours of darkness. Right now, it's hard not to think this says something fundamental about almost everything.' The rising of the sun takes on metaphorical qualities towards the end of the book. And this is nice too: 'The sky has turned a nostalgic blue, the sun has entered its short-lived afternoon arc.' "Nostalgic blue" -- I do like that.
Structurally, this is replete with twists, turns, countertwists, twistings of knickers into knots, men being buffeted by Feelings and not being able to cope at all, except through drunken rally driving, jealous road rage, maudlin natterings or by punching something really hard. The Feelings take the form of thunderstorms inside these men's bodies: 'Jealousy is corroding me, inching its way forwards like rust, swelling and blistering. ... I might shatter into pieces, or implode.' In addition, there is a satisfying set of red herrings that turn out not to be red herrings only to reveal themselves to be even redder herrings. It's fun.
Another Man vibe in this book is the Boy's Own focus on guns, rifles, pistols, hand grenades and cannons, and the delight in specifying car types and brands.
And the Manliest vibe is, unfortunately, the lens through which wimmins are viewed. There is the saintly wife, too good to be true, loving and supportive of Male Narrator. There is the femme fatale, with her lipstick, hips and sultry looks. There is the dowdy secretary who seems to be throwing herself in unrequited desperation at our hero. Further in the background are various other men's wives who have dumped them and meanly made off with children / car / meaning of life. Every single woman is seen in relationship to a man. It's not appallingly done; it's just sort of there.
But what is really a bit annoying are the acknowledgements. First, there is an astonishing amount of hyping his own books, complete with list of awards, critics' quotes and a bit more 'me, me, me' -- the sort of thing that normally appears in the blurb or the front matter, and not in the section given over to thanking others. Secondly, there is the way the actual thanks are formulated. I love reading authors give thanks. This author thanks some men (editor, translator, agent, cover artist) who are variously 'the best', 'talented', 'fantastic' and 'a wizard'. He also thanks a woman (London publisher) who is 'supportive', 'kind' and 'hardest-working'. Notice something? Hm...
All in all, this does what it says on the tin: snappy, twisty, keeps you on your toes, wrily funny, atmospheric.
Format: very good Kindle format. I didn't spot a single typo or misplaced hyphen. Thank you, Orenda Books!
Content warning: violence, shooting, stabbing, torture.
Chosen as part of my #EU2020 challenge. European Union member country: Finland.
Then we switch to the narrator who tells the story in tight first person, a village pastor. The prose continues to be snappy, and the repetitions, sometimes convoluted expressions, deadpan satirical observations and especially the spiralling-out-of-control events and emotions make this a fast-paced and at times hilarious reading experience.
The translation by David Hackston is superb. His use of words not usually found in most novels -- 'thereof', 'surmise' -- captures the mood perfectly (I have no idea what the original Finnish might be but these lexical choices are very good). And when he translates dusk as 'between Heaven and Earth', this is a beautiful rendering of what in German would simply be 'between the sky and the earth' (and maybe it is like that in Finnish, too?) and which chimes in nicely with the narrator's profession.
This is not a profound novel, nor does it pretend to be one. Yet there is this which is sort of deep: 'the opposite of fear is not bravery. The opposite of fear is trust. Trust is faith.' This is not literary fiction, nor does it pretend to be. Yet the evocation of sub-zero snowy mid-winter in the far north is very atmospheric. 'A few hours of light are followed by almost twenty hours of darkness. Right now, it's hard not to think this says something fundamental about almost everything.' The rising of the sun takes on metaphorical qualities towards the end of the book. And this is nice too: 'The sky has turned a nostalgic blue, the sun has entered its short-lived afternoon arc.' "Nostalgic blue" -- I do like that.
Structurally, this is replete with twists, turns, countertwists, twistings of knickers into knots, men being buffeted by Feelings and not being able to cope at all, except through drunken rally driving, jealous road rage, maudlin natterings or by punching something really hard. The Feelings take the form of thunderstorms inside these men's bodies: 'Jealousy is corroding me, inching its way forwards like rust, swelling and blistering. ... I might shatter into pieces, or implode.' In addition, there is a satisfying set of red herrings that turn out not to be red herrings only to reveal themselves to be even redder herrings. It's fun.
Another Man vibe in this book is the Boy's Own focus on guns, rifles, pistols, hand grenades and cannons, and the delight in specifying car types and brands.
And the Manliest vibe is, unfortunately, the lens through which wimmins are viewed. There is the saintly wife, too good to be true, loving and supportive of Male Narrator. There is the femme fatale, with her lipstick, hips and sultry looks. There is the dowdy secretary who seems to be throwing herself in unrequited desperation at our hero. Further in the background are various other men's wives who have dumped them and meanly made off with children / car / meaning of life. Every single woman is seen in relationship to a man. It's not appallingly done; it's just sort of there.
But what is really a bit annoying are the acknowledgements. First, there is an astonishing amount of hyping his own books, complete with list of awards, critics' quotes and a bit more 'me, me, me' -- the sort of thing that normally appears in the blurb or the front matter, and not in the section given over to thanking others. Secondly, there is the way the actual thanks are formulated. I love reading authors give thanks. This author thanks some men (editor, translator, agent, cover artist) who are variously 'the best', 'talented', 'fantastic' and 'a wizard'. He also thanks a woman (London publisher) who is 'supportive', 'kind' and 'hardest-working'. Notice something? Hm...
All in all, this does what it says on the tin: snappy, twisty, keeps you on your toes, wrily funny, atmospheric.
Format: very good Kindle format. I didn't spot a single typo or misplaced hyphen. Thank you, Orenda Books!
Content warning: violence, shooting, stabbing, torture.
Chosen as part of my #EU2020 challenge. European Union member country: Finland.
October 22, 2023
Con unos personajes peculiares, una gélida ambientación y un gran ritmo. Una narración apetecible que una vez que te pones, casi te lo lees del tirón. El protagonista anda a salto de mata entre proteger un meteorito pretendido por varias personas, y el dilema de saber quién ha dejado embarazada a su mujer. Entre medias, un no parar de sucesos.
April 26, 2020
Little Siberia – A Dark Comedic Thriller
Little Siberia is the latest book from Antti Toumainen, one of the best writers from Finland, who writes captivating thrillers that always a nice sideline in black humour. He is a master storyteller that knows how to keep the reader captivated throughout. He can pack more in 250 pages than some writers can manage in 400.
Tarvainen the failed racing driver, is on a vodka fuelled high speed drive around the snow- and ice-covered roads of Northern Finland. A bleak place at the best of times. When his world is turned upside down and not because he has driven into anything, more a case of what dropped on him.
Joel is the local pastor, and former army chaplain, who is serving the town of Hurmevaara in Finland, and has volunteered to guard a meteorite that fallen to earth. Worth about a million pounds, it garners the attention of those, whose intentions are not honourable but do like the idea of money.
Guarding the meteorite one night someone breaks into the museum, and he is hit over the head, but remembers the smell of perfume. The would-be thieves are disturbed and do not take the meteorite, but take a hand grenade, which seems to obscure.
While trying to work out who might have attacked him, Joel is given the news that his wife Krista is pregnant. He should be overjoyed, but there is one problem, he is unable to get anyone pregnant. He is wracked with jealousy. He volunteers to work all the night shifts at the museum until the meteorite is collected and taken to its new home.
Whilst guarding the meteorite he finds out his wife has been kidnapped and the price of exchange is the meteorite. He wants his wife back, he wants to protect the meteorite, is there a trade off? With his life falling to pieces, he still does his pastorial work, his volunteer work, while everybody wants something from him.
As a reader we are transported to what seems like Joel’s chaotic world in the cold frozen north. What we get is a thriller mixed with black comedy. If this were a literary novel, we would also mention that the deep meanings of faith and disbelief, love and death, and that life is not always easy, but you need to deal with it.
This is an excellent thriller, which will get under your skin.
Little Siberia is the latest book from Antti Toumainen, one of the best writers from Finland, who writes captivating thrillers that always a nice sideline in black humour. He is a master storyteller that knows how to keep the reader captivated throughout. He can pack more in 250 pages than some writers can manage in 400.
Tarvainen the failed racing driver, is on a vodka fuelled high speed drive around the snow- and ice-covered roads of Northern Finland. A bleak place at the best of times. When his world is turned upside down and not because he has driven into anything, more a case of what dropped on him.
Joel is the local pastor, and former army chaplain, who is serving the town of Hurmevaara in Finland, and has volunteered to guard a meteorite that fallen to earth. Worth about a million pounds, it garners the attention of those, whose intentions are not honourable but do like the idea of money.
Guarding the meteorite one night someone breaks into the museum, and he is hit over the head, but remembers the smell of perfume. The would-be thieves are disturbed and do not take the meteorite, but take a hand grenade, which seems to obscure.
While trying to work out who might have attacked him, Joel is given the news that his wife Krista is pregnant. He should be overjoyed, but there is one problem, he is unable to get anyone pregnant. He is wracked with jealousy. He volunteers to work all the night shifts at the museum until the meteorite is collected and taken to its new home.
Whilst guarding the meteorite he finds out his wife has been kidnapped and the price of exchange is the meteorite. He wants his wife back, he wants to protect the meteorite, is there a trade off? With his life falling to pieces, he still does his pastorial work, his volunteer work, while everybody wants something from him.
As a reader we are transported to what seems like Joel’s chaotic world in the cold frozen north. What we get is a thriller mixed with black comedy. If this were a literary novel, we would also mention that the deep meanings of faith and disbelief, love and death, and that life is not always easy, but you need to deal with it.
This is an excellent thriller, which will get under your skin.
October 18, 2019
Whenever I read a novel by Antti Tuomainen I can see it as a Coen Brothers movie. This latest book is a perfect example. The weather, which I just can’t imagine having to cope with and consider it normal. The relationships, where you can see the love and adoration but also the issues and the brilliantly and bizarrely accidents that result in the bad guys being killed.
Joel, the lead character is just wonderful, struggling to cope with his wife’s pregnancy when he knows he can’t be the father he volunteers to look after the meteorite. Little realising that nearly everyone he knows is prepared to do anything to get their hands on it. The way he tried to work out who wanted it most and who had got his wife pregnant was gripping reading,
The setting was a convincing one, remote, sometimes unfriendly where everybody thinks they know about their neighbours but they don’t. How disappointment and disillusionment affected judgement in nearly every character. And like Joel I completely misunderstood at least one character.
Brilliant.
Joel, the lead character is just wonderful, struggling to cope with his wife’s pregnancy when he knows he can’t be the father he volunteers to look after the meteorite. Little realising that nearly everyone he knows is prepared to do anything to get their hands on it. The way he tried to work out who wanted it most and who had got his wife pregnant was gripping reading,
The setting was a convincing one, remote, sometimes unfriendly where everybody thinks they know about their neighbours but they don’t. How disappointment and disillusionment affected judgement in nearly every character. And like Joel I completely misunderstood at least one character.
Brilliant.
August 16, 2023
Little Siberia is the funny, but poignant story of Joel, a priest in a small town in northern Finland. He's tasked with guarding a valuable meteorite which, it seems, everyone wants to steal. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, Joel learns that his wife is pregnant, but he's not the father. Can Joel protect the meteorite, and does he learn the identity of his wife's lover?
An enjoyable, engaging read.
An enjoyable, engaging read.
November 9, 2022
Za dużo "zabili go i uciekł". Pojęłam, że to ma być groteska, ale spodziewałam się jednak więcej czarnego humoru i powściągliwej, fińskiej ironii. A ich tu jak na lekarstwo, za to sporo zdartych klisz i stereotypów o ruskich gangsterach.
October 7, 2019
Sometimes when you read a book you have to marvel at the ways people’s minds work. I just know that I could never come up with this story and you can understand why people frequently ask authors that age-old question, ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ I know it is a trite and boring enquiry, but I really would like to know where this author gets his ideas from, because this one is literally out of this world.
The story in question here being, what happens when a meteorite that might be worth a million euros hurtles to earth, lands in a remote Finnish town peopled with dubious characters who all seem to need money for a variety of nefarious reasons and lies in the town museum for four days, guarded only by the town priest, who is atypical in every way? Mayhem, that’s what.
This book is another masterpiece by Antti Tuomainen, and another book that will bear repeated reading to peel backs the layers of nuance that run through it. On the surface, this could be a straight forward thriller, with a variety of baddies battling bloodily for possession of the potentially profitable inter-planetary pebble. There is a lot of slapstick mishaps as different folk try to snatch the meteorite from one another, with varying degrees of success, which has a lot of comedic value for the reader, but beyond that, their stories are revealing about life in a remote, northern backwater where there are endless days of darkness, a claustrophobic community where little changes and everyone knows everyone’s business and we learn the different motives that drive people to commit acts they might not otherwise be able to imagine themselves doing.
The choice of narrator and ‘hero’ of the book is fascinating and a genius move. We have a priest, Joel, who would by nature of his job be at the centre of village life and privy to private information that other would not know. Ideally placed to unveil the story. Beyond this, though, Joel is no ordinary priest. He is not native to the village for a start and, as anyone who has lived in a small community knows, if you weren’t born there, you will always be an ‘incomer’ and treated slightly with suspicion. He is also no ordinary priest. He is a war veteran with the wounds, physical and emotional, to show for it. He also seems to have an unusual approach to his religion, not fervently pushing it in his parishioners, but calmly accepting their questioning of it to a degree that the reader must question how strong his own belief remains. This early line from the book marked him out as different from the early stages, “I spent half an hour reading the Bible, and the rest of the night with James Ellroy.”
So, for me, one of the themes of the book that stood out for me was the question of faith, the testing of faith, whether the committing of obviously illegal acts in the pursuit of justice is morally excusable, and where the line between good and evil really falls. Or maybe I am searching for meaning where there isn’t any and this is simply a thrilling heist story? Having read Antti’s books before, I don’t think so, there are a million ways to read this book. What do you see? Does Joel renew his faith through his trials? You’ll have to read the book and draw your own conclusions.
One of the most compelling things about this author’s writing, is the fantastic sense of place he always manages to imbue his books with, and this is no exception. The dark and bleak landscape are the perfect foil for the lives of these characters, and create the understandable environment for their discontent to blossom. The oppressive nature of being trapped in a tiny town on the edge of the world with nowhere else to go, nothing new to experience, no-one new to meet, flows from the page to infect the reader and make the character’s behaviours, if not excusable, then at least more understandable, which is quite a feat given how unpleasant some of them are.
The characters themselves are a joy to read, as always. Aside from the Joel himself, we have a drunken discontent in the shape of the local once-famous-now-failed rally driver, two Russian henchmen (one love-lorn to add extra amusement), a femme fatale, local business owners with their own small town troubles, and the ongoing mystery of who might be the father of the infertile priest’s wife’s baby. For a small town, there is certainly a lot going on under the surface and all it took was one tiny space stone to bring it all to the surface, who knew?
This book is a tad darker than Antti’s last one, but still imbued with a vein of black humour, as well as providing a thrilling heist story and additional layers of ideas to unpeel. His books never fail to provide a read that rewards the reader above and beyond expectations.
The story in question here being, what happens when a meteorite that might be worth a million euros hurtles to earth, lands in a remote Finnish town peopled with dubious characters who all seem to need money for a variety of nefarious reasons and lies in the town museum for four days, guarded only by the town priest, who is atypical in every way? Mayhem, that’s what.
This book is another masterpiece by Antti Tuomainen, and another book that will bear repeated reading to peel backs the layers of nuance that run through it. On the surface, this could be a straight forward thriller, with a variety of baddies battling bloodily for possession of the potentially profitable inter-planetary pebble. There is a lot of slapstick mishaps as different folk try to snatch the meteorite from one another, with varying degrees of success, which has a lot of comedic value for the reader, but beyond that, their stories are revealing about life in a remote, northern backwater where there are endless days of darkness, a claustrophobic community where little changes and everyone knows everyone’s business and we learn the different motives that drive people to commit acts they might not otherwise be able to imagine themselves doing.
The choice of narrator and ‘hero’ of the book is fascinating and a genius move. We have a priest, Joel, who would by nature of his job be at the centre of village life and privy to private information that other would not know. Ideally placed to unveil the story. Beyond this, though, Joel is no ordinary priest. He is not native to the village for a start and, as anyone who has lived in a small community knows, if you weren’t born there, you will always be an ‘incomer’ and treated slightly with suspicion. He is also no ordinary priest. He is a war veteran with the wounds, physical and emotional, to show for it. He also seems to have an unusual approach to his religion, not fervently pushing it in his parishioners, but calmly accepting their questioning of it to a degree that the reader must question how strong his own belief remains. This early line from the book marked him out as different from the early stages, “I spent half an hour reading the Bible, and the rest of the night with James Ellroy.”
So, for me, one of the themes of the book that stood out for me was the question of faith, the testing of faith, whether the committing of obviously illegal acts in the pursuit of justice is morally excusable, and where the line between good and evil really falls. Or maybe I am searching for meaning where there isn’t any and this is simply a thrilling heist story? Having read Antti’s books before, I don’t think so, there are a million ways to read this book. What do you see? Does Joel renew his faith through his trials? You’ll have to read the book and draw your own conclusions.
One of the most compelling things about this author’s writing, is the fantastic sense of place he always manages to imbue his books with, and this is no exception. The dark and bleak landscape are the perfect foil for the lives of these characters, and create the understandable environment for their discontent to blossom. The oppressive nature of being trapped in a tiny town on the edge of the world with nowhere else to go, nothing new to experience, no-one new to meet, flows from the page to infect the reader and make the character’s behaviours, if not excusable, then at least more understandable, which is quite a feat given how unpleasant some of them are.
The characters themselves are a joy to read, as always. Aside from the Joel himself, we have a drunken discontent in the shape of the local once-famous-now-failed rally driver, two Russian henchmen (one love-lorn to add extra amusement), a femme fatale, local business owners with their own small town troubles, and the ongoing mystery of who might be the father of the infertile priest’s wife’s baby. For a small town, there is certainly a lot going on under the surface and all it took was one tiny space stone to bring it all to the surface, who knew?
This book is a tad darker than Antti’s last one, but still imbued with a vein of black humour, as well as providing a thrilling heist story and additional layers of ideas to unpeel. His books never fail to provide a read that rewards the reader above and beyond expectations.
May 2, 2020
I saw this reviewed some time ago. Being Finnish myself, I wished to get to know Antti Tuomainen a little, as I had not read any of his books earlier. So, I had high expectations. I like Nordic Noir, detective stories are okey now and then and I like black humour as well. Unfortunately I found that Little Siberia was not quite my cup of tea, so to say. I can see, and do also understand, that there are many, who find Tuomainen exciting and hilarious. Indeed I regret having bought this in English, as the original Finnish might have worked better for me. I did actually listen to this in English, but should have bought a paperback. I don’t blame the reader, it’s just how language is. I seem to prefer more descriptive language.
The setting of Little Siberia is Eastern Finland. These are the remote parts of Finland, and maybe this is what the title refers to. In these remote parts people need to rely on each other, even if they harbour secrets. The closeness to the Russian border brings in the Russian elements into the story as well in a pretty natural way. The question of a title is, however, always interesting. Is it something where the story evolves from, or could it be something that is then added afterwards as an afterthought or even just as a marketing tool? Be that as it may, the title worked for me.
Hurmevaara is a small place. Just over thousand people live there. There is a church and a pastor. A pastor, who then volunteers to do some night duty as a watchman in the local museum. For four nights in a row. There is something there that Joel wishes to keep safe. Something that many other’s would like to lay their hands on. Hurme (Hurmevaara) means that blood will flow and vaara means danger – as well a low fell/ forested hill.
Joel is not only a pastor. He has served in Afghanistan. Indeed he has been wounded there. Wounds that are central in the story. His service history makes his physical and psychological capabilities also more believable. Joel is then our protagonist, who slips into violent situations, even if this is not his desire. The reader will then find out whether he will emerge with a cleanish plate or succumb to crime, or something in between.
Tuomainen has definately worked on his story. Things happen. In close quarters. There is an interesting setting with the meteorite. The story is probably the black humour angle. It has to be. I did not find too much humour otherwise. It is also in that light that the story is believable. The noir is there in a gloomy kind of way. Well yes, there is a reference into the legal system and to the remoteness of services such as police and hospital, but mostly it is the way people are trying to live their simple lives. Most have unfilled dreams and feelings of failure. There is certainly depression to be felt in the characters as well as in Joel’s world view.
STARS: 3/5
The opening scene is to some very exciting. So how about you make your own mind up as to how you like Little Siberia…
The setting of Little Siberia is Eastern Finland. These are the remote parts of Finland, and maybe this is what the title refers to. In these remote parts people need to rely on each other, even if they harbour secrets. The closeness to the Russian border brings in the Russian elements into the story as well in a pretty natural way. The question of a title is, however, always interesting. Is it something where the story evolves from, or could it be something that is then added afterwards as an afterthought or even just as a marketing tool? Be that as it may, the title worked for me.
Hurmevaara is a small place. Just over thousand people live there. There is a church and a pastor. A pastor, who then volunteers to do some night duty as a watchman in the local museum. For four nights in a row. There is something there that Joel wishes to keep safe. Something that many other’s would like to lay their hands on. Hurme (Hurmevaara) means that blood will flow and vaara means danger – as well a low fell/ forested hill.
Joel is not only a pastor. He has served in Afghanistan. Indeed he has been wounded there. Wounds that are central in the story. His service history makes his physical and psychological capabilities also more believable. Joel is then our protagonist, who slips into violent situations, even if this is not his desire. The reader will then find out whether he will emerge with a cleanish plate or succumb to crime, or something in between.
Tuomainen has definately worked on his story. Things happen. In close quarters. There is an interesting setting with the meteorite. The story is probably the black humour angle. It has to be. I did not find too much humour otherwise. It is also in that light that the story is believable. The noir is there in a gloomy kind of way. Well yes, there is a reference into the legal system and to the remoteness of services such as police and hospital, but mostly it is the way people are trying to live their simple lives. Most have unfilled dreams and feelings of failure. There is certainly depression to be felt in the characters as well as in Joel’s world view.
STARS: 3/5
The opening scene is to some very exciting. So how about you make your own mind up as to how you like Little Siberia…
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