Review by Richard Abbott
Fargoer will appeal to those who like to immerse themselves in different settings, especially those which readily blend human society with the environment and spirituality. It is set in a deliberately unspecified pre-modern time, when different tribes and clans share a sparsely settled and lean land. To my mind at least, it offers a compelling and credible insight into how life carries on in an environment continually shifting between hostile and beautiful. The relationships between the various people-groups dwelling in this wild region vary similarly, and any encounter carries with it uncertainty and risk as well as opportunity.
In essence, the novel traces a series of stages of a journey made by the main character Vierra. Along the way she makes both friends and enemies, and comes into contact with a wide variety of groups inhabiting this part of northern Europe. The journey is traced out in physical space, but also takes her on an inner journey - one which can be every bit as rewarding and threatening as her geographical wanderings. Having been forced away from home, the return journey forces into focus the question of what she will find when she gets back.
I first encountered Fargoer as a set of individual short stories. In that condition, the translation from Finnish was a little irregular between episodes. It has since been edited and reworked into a complete novel, helping the reader to see it as a whole story rather than separate pieces. In that light, the changes in the interior life of Vierra as she faces different situations become more apparent. The narrative style mirrors these interior changes. Close to her home environment, she becomes filled with her people's poetry and lives closer to the natural and spiritual worlds. Away from home, she retreats into a rather barren and stubborn will to survive.
I have found Fargoer to be a compelling read, and have no hesitation in giving a five star review. It has not only lured me into its own world, but also into the wider base of myth and creativity within Finland as a whole. Without Fargoer I would not have read the The Kalevala (Oxford World's Classics edition), and so would not have discovered unexpected points of contact with other literature that I love. I would heartily recommend this book to readers who find pleasure in exploring different cultures, as well as the very diverse ways in which sibling rivalry can work itself out across a landscape.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE
In essence, the novel traces a series of stages of a journey made by the main character Vierra. Along the way she makes both friends and enemies, and comes into contact with a wide variety of groups inhabiting this part of northern Europe. The journey is traced out in physical space, but also takes her on an inner journey - one which can be every bit as rewarding and threatening as her geographical wanderings. Having been forced away from home, the return journey forces into focus the question of what she will find when she gets back.
I first encountered Fargoer as a set of individual short stories. In that condition, the translation from Finnish was a little irregular between episodes. It has since been edited and reworked into a complete novel, helping the reader to see it as a whole story rather than separate pieces. In that light, the changes in the interior life of Vierra as she faces different situations become more apparent. The narrative style mirrors these interior changes. Close to her home environment, she becomes filled with her people's poetry and lives closer to the natural and spiritual worlds. Away from home, she retreats into a rather barren and stubborn will to survive.
I have found Fargoer to be a compelling read, and have no hesitation in giving a five star review. It has not only lured me into its own world, but also into the wider base of myth and creativity within Finland as a whole. Without Fargoer I would not have read the The Kalevala (Oxford World's Classics edition), and so would not have discovered unexpected points of contact with other literature that I love. I would heartily recommend this book to readers who find pleasure in exploring different cultures, as well as the very diverse ways in which sibling rivalry can work itself out across a landscape.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE