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"I think that Paasilinna is one of the best natural Writers in Europe!" Reader, Amazon"
Product Description
Gunnar Huttunen arrives in North Finland after the war and buys a dilapidated mill. Despite being a decent and hard-working Finn, he is also an outsider and an eccentric: prone to mood swings, black depression, high elation, and a general lack of decorum. He puts on performances at the mill for local children at which he specialises in imitating animals and making fun of the village notables. Already prejudiced against him by his jibes, the villagers reserve most ire for the howling which Huttunen indulges in at night, which the local dogs join in delirious chorus. Passionate and outraged by his treatment at the hands of the villagers, it is not long before the accident-prone miller finds that his situation soon spirals out of control...Paasilinna's riotous book revels in a black, rebellious, deadpan humour. It is also a fable about the eternal struggle between freedom and repressive authority.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Funnily enough, this book is about a howling miller. The miller in question is Gunnar Huttunen. The time is just after the 2nd World War and the place is northern Finland. Gunnar's mill and wife have been burnt to the ground and so he moves to a new town, buys a new mill.
At first the town's people like Gunnar; he can impersonate animals, tell stories, gets up to wild antics and entertains the children. But when Gunnar sinks into melancholy and starts howling all through the night things change. The villagers start to despise him. They want to get him sent to the lunatic asylum. There is no place for people like Gunnar in their village.
Although it may not sound it, the book is a comedy. It is written in a deadpan style and there are some great scenes. Gunnar falls in love with the local 4H woman. She says come and see him, anytime, so at 4am marches off to the farm where she is lodging and wakes the whole household. The wife of her landlady hides outside the door to hear what Gunnar might say and when Gunnar comes out of the room she gets hit by the door handle and rolls down the stairs. After this, she declares herself paralysed and takes to bed, only getting up when curiousity takes her - and then has to drag herself back to her bed, looking as paralysed as possible.
It is also a compulsive read. It brims with plot, events, happenings and wonderful characters.
It also has a nice cover.
At first the town's people like Gunnar; he can impersonate animals, tell stories, gets up to wild antics and entertains the children. But when Gunnar sinks into melancholy and starts howling all through the night things change. The villagers start to despise him. They want to get him sent to the lunatic asylum. There is no place for people like Gunnar in their village.
Although it may not sound it, the book is a comedy. It is written in a deadpan style and there are some great scenes. Gunnar falls in love with the local 4H woman. She says come and see him, anytime, so at 4am marches off to the farm where she is lodging and wakes the whole household. The wife of her landlady hides outside the door to hear what Gunnar might say and when Gunnar comes out of the room she gets hit by the door handle and rolls down the stairs. After this, she declares herself paralysed and takes to bed, only getting up when curiousity takes her - and then has to drag herself back to her bed, looking as paralysed as possible.
It is also a compulsive read. It brims with plot, events, happenings and wonderful characters.
It also has a nice cover.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Not sure if it lost something (or gained something?) by being translated from Finnish to French to English, but the story is great. It's one of those books where you ask yourself "what was the story about?" because it mostly revolves around the charachters in one small village. Gentle but the charachters evolve slowly and the tale changes so often that you can't really see where it's going and then, suddenly, you can't put the book down.
The author paints such evocative pictures but leaves a little to the imagination so you would never quite guess how the tale ends.
The author paints such evocative pictures but leaves a little to the imagination so you would never quite guess how the tale ends.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've just finished reading 'The Howling Miller', and have to say it is one of the most stunning books I've ever read. It touched me deeply, and I found, in Huttunen, a character with whom I really identified. Every character, every person in the village, comes across in brilliant technicolour, and there is not one wasted sentence in the whole book. The translation is excellent, in that sometimes translations can be somewhat dry, yet this one is as fresh as the vegetables in the miller's garden. I laughed, I rooted for the main character, and I found myself being taken on an effortless journey by a great writer. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, as it struck me as being perfect in every possible respect.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A little disappointing
I was expecting good things from this read as I absolutely loved The Year of the Hare. Unfortunately, while I found The Year of the Hare to be a funny, heartwarming tale about the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Zoe Haggan
A roaring success
Miller Gunnar Huttunen's short fuse and odd behaviour (including howling and animal mimicry) prompt local Finnish officials to apply sanctions... Read more
Published 7 months ago by JoTownhead
A parable - but not a classic to be
A stranger buys a run-down mill in a small Finnish town. He refurbishes it and repairs it. Meanwhile, the townspeople notice that he is a little strange. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Federhirn
Carole's report.
This book was reviwed on Channel 4 book club recently so I bought it through Amazon.
I thoroughly enjoyed it,couldn't put it down - it was a shame to come to the end. Read more
I thoroughly enjoyed it,couldn't put it down - it was a shame to come to the end. Read more
Published 24 months ago by C. Day
Finnish magic
This is an interesting book in that it charts the life of a slightly odd character who comes to take over the mill in a country village, but ends up being ostracised for his... Read more
Published on 23 May 2010 by D. J. Chandler
fun
Fun - not as good as the Year of the Hare by the same author, nor Rytkonen long, Life Short (which you can get in French and other translations, but not English), both of which are... Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2008 by Dr. F. M. A. Jones
I Howled with pleasure
Great book! An absurd story that resonates with realism. Huttunen is wonderful and so are the myriad of loveable, despicable and quirky characters around him.
Published on 17 Jan 2008 by Rani
Fable for our times
In conformist Brownian Britain, where we must all kowtow to government ethics, this is a startling reminder of why it is important to recognize the unorthodox, the eccentric, the... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2008 by Morphybum
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