What do you think?
Rate this book
Katukiviä
Katukiviä sisältää neljä novellia, jotka kaikki kertovat elämästä Helsingissä, kesän kuumuutta hehkuvilla kaduilla, syksyn kosteutta tihkuvissa kivimuureissa. Päähenkilöitä ovat talonmies Multanen, joka vahingossa nielaisee kalanruodon keuhkoonsa; Tappi ja Seija; lisensiaatti Westren, jonka väitöskirja, monien vuosien ponnistelujen tulos, hyljätään; vanha Zaida Karlsson, Varikseksi kutsuttu, jonka mielestä upeinta maailmassa ovat muinaiset assyrialaiset.
Suomenruotsalainen Anders Cleve (s. 1937) on kaupungin ja kaupunkilaiselämän kuvaaja. Hänen kerrontansa on välillä karun realistista, välillä herkän maalauksellista, vahvasti elävää. Tämän kirjan novellit on suomentanut Pentti Saarikoski.
Suomenruotsalainen Anders Cleve (s. 1937) on kaupungin ja kaupunkilaiselämän kuvaaja. Hänen kerrontansa on välillä karun realistista, välillä herkän maalauksellista, vahvasti elävää. Tämän kirjan novellit on suomentanut Pentti Saarikoski.
191 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 27, 2011
there's two things about this book.
firstly, there' the author's use of language. the book is written in swedish, but in a swedish used in finland - as well as almost all dialogue is in finland-swedish dialect. the interesting is that finnish-speaking finns in the book are portrayed with a heavy finland-swedish dialect to specify that it is finnish...it sounds strange, but it works. the dialect itself s wonderful, a large boiling pot of swedish slang and finnish words and paraphrases from one language to the other.
apart from the dialogue, the author uses the language in such a way that sentences strike you in the heart and you wonder what just happened... the language is spell-binding and invokes sympathy or antipathy for the characters, but even in the latter case you cannot but feel for them.
secondly, this is a collection of four short stories, all set in helsinki in the 50s (when the book was published). this is social realism, working class environment, people struggling through their day and trying to make ends meet, trying to avoid fate, trying to just stay alive and what's maybe most important, trying to find happiness, or at least acceptance of their poor situation. The stories are touching, vivid and unfair - but at the same time there's a glimmer of hope. the young couple from 'fostret' didn't get the abortion done they'd been trying to arrange for weeks, but there is the hope that they will be happy with their decision. the old lady in 'kråkan' ends up as an unpleasant arrogant bitch of a lady, but she testaments all her money to her brother and his poor family.
the plotline is a bit dragged out, but what is here important is the portraits. a few people get painted for your eyes so that you can see them in all their ugliness but when it comes down to it they are only human like you and me, and humans make mistakes and humans are ugly, but they also have souls and feelings and a beauty that will shine through, even if the beauty is only apparent because one person mourns the loss.
it is heavy reading for the heart, but when you are done, you will feel warm because you will know that the world is ugly, but amidst the ugliness there is hope and love. i'm giving only 4 stars because there are times where the story is dragging on and rather dry and makes you annoyed.
firstly, there' the author's use of language. the book is written in swedish, but in a swedish used in finland - as well as almost all dialogue is in finland-swedish dialect. the interesting is that finnish-speaking finns in the book are portrayed with a heavy finland-swedish dialect to specify that it is finnish...it sounds strange, but it works. the dialect itself s wonderful, a large boiling pot of swedish slang and finnish words and paraphrases from one language to the other.
apart from the dialogue, the author uses the language in such a way that sentences strike you in the heart and you wonder what just happened... the language is spell-binding and invokes sympathy or antipathy for the characters, but even in the latter case you cannot but feel for them.
secondly, this is a collection of four short stories, all set in helsinki in the 50s (when the book was published). this is social realism, working class environment, people struggling through their day and trying to make ends meet, trying to avoid fate, trying to just stay alive and what's maybe most important, trying to find happiness, or at least acceptance of their poor situation. The stories are touching, vivid and unfair - but at the same time there's a glimmer of hope. the young couple from 'fostret' didn't get the abortion done they'd been trying to arrange for weeks, but there is the hope that they will be happy with their decision. the old lady in 'kråkan' ends up as an unpleasant arrogant bitch of a lady, but she testaments all her money to her brother and his poor family.
the plotline is a bit dragged out, but what is here important is the portraits. a few people get painted for your eyes so that you can see them in all their ugliness but when it comes down to it they are only human like you and me, and humans make mistakes and humans are ugly, but they also have souls and feelings and a beauty that will shine through, even if the beauty is only apparent because one person mourns the loss.
it is heavy reading for the heart, but when you are done, you will feel warm because you will know that the world is ugly, but amidst the ugliness there is hope and love. i'm giving only 4 stars because there are times where the story is dragging on and rather dry and makes you annoyed.
Displaying 1 of 1 review