Aleksis Kivi (1834–1872)

This Finnish classic was not at all what I was expecting. Not dull or dry in the slightest, this novel chronicles the ridiculous romps of seven brothers who fail to fit into their community. They stubbornly remain illiterate, disrupt their neighbours' cattle, and cause troublesome sauna fires. They kind of gave me a 19th century Dudesons vibe-- if these brothers had a ranch and some cameras, their pranks and hijinks would also make some great TV! I suspect this English translation is super show more rough around the edges, but its strange word choices even added a bit more humour to the reading experience. show less

Seven brothers on the Finnish countryside, all in their late teens and early twenties and more than a little rough around the edges, find themselves orphaned as their father dies during an unfortunate bear hunt. Not entirely up to the responsibility, the eldest brother Juhani, implusive, sentimental and quick to anger, steps up to run the farm as family head. But the brothers aren’t ready for this kind of quiet life. After discovering six of them love the same woman (the exception being show more the silent Lauri, who’d prefer to take to the woods) they go to her to propose, and to their shame Vesla rejects them one and all. As if this wasn’t enough they get into a nasty fight with the boys from the next village, and the priest gets his hands on them to force them to learn to read and write. Unable to stand this chore, they break a window and escape to the woods – following the plan of Lauri.

The novel then deals with the ten years the brothers spend in the forest, making a life for themselves. In the beginning the focus is on hunting, comical episodes involving alcohol and fire and long quarrels, often ending in violence. But as time and the book progresses, it becomes more about their work building a homestead: clearing land, sowing crops, starving when the harvest fails and generally maturing. In the end, they return to their father’s farm as grown men, ready for marriage, learning and a humble life.

Really, this is a coming of age story in it's own peculiar way, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Published in 1870, it’s one of the first novels written in the Finnish language (Finland was still a part of Sweden then, and Swedish was the preferred language for people of stature), and considered a true classic in Finland. At first, it struck me as feeling very modern, with long gritty, dirty and rude dialogues between the brothers making up most of the text, and I thought it was perhaps in for more of a fun than a good read. But then there are the beautiful passages describing the Finnish countryside in an almost lyrical tone, creating a tender contrast. And not least, the very satisfactory development in the characters, where they are much better people in the end – but in no means free from their flaws. The last few pages move me deeply. It should also be stressed that, despite the title, this is a book with very modern female characters for its time. The women here are sturdy, sharp-tongued, tough and have a keen wit. Like those seven quarreling brothers, they are all a joy to meet.

This certainly falls under the pretty slim category “truly enjoyable classics” for me. I recommend anyone to give it a go. It’s bound to be dependent on a really good translation though, I think, so bear that in mind. show less

First published in 1870, Seven Brothers is considered the first novel written in Finnish. Previously, Finnish novels had been written in Swedish, or even Latin. The introduction tells us that the critical condemnation of Seven Brothers was fierce, for it was written in a "realistic" or naturalist style, and Finland was still enraptured with the Romantic novel. This fierce condemnation evidently led to Kivi's mental breakdown and premature death just two years later.

The seven boisterous, show more brawling Jukola brothers live in rural Finland. They are just entering adulthood when their mother dies, leaving them parentless. And while they bicker endlessly with each other, they remain fiercely loyal as well, presenting a united front to the outside world, which wants them to simmer down, to put it mildly. The adventures of these brothers as well as the evolution of their internal relations and their development into mature adults provide the novel's course. But the narrative seems almost as much to be a parable about life in general and Finnish rural culture in particular. One of the brothers, Aapo, is often asked to tell folk tales to the rest in moments of crisis. He does so, at fair but entertaining length, and these "set pieces" (as Borje Vahamaki's Introduction refers to them) add a lot to the novel's flow and richness, and provide insight into the culture of the time and place, as well.

The beginning of the novel was a little hard for me to get through, to be honest, as the immature bickering among the brothers made me impatient. But eventually the characters did evolve, and I became more attuned to the flow of the narrative, as well. My enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that I bought my copy of Seven Brothers at the incredible Academic Bookstore in downtown Helsinki when my wife and I vacationed in Finland a few years back. I don't know why it took me so long to actually read the book, but I'm glad that I finally have. show less

Here's what I wrote about this read in 2022: "Important novel for the Finnish - one the first (most important) written in Finnish, vs. Swedish. Kivi is national hero, including for his other works, and I appreciated his "love of land, people, and language" (to quote Borje Vahamaki). The Finland he describes was wild and wonderful (and yet even the brothers referenced declining bear populations and and that trees for wood were a limited resource that must be used frugally)."