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When Moomintroll wakes up in January, he finds that winter has changed all his favorite places in the Valley.Tags
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The first chapter reminds one that:
This is a quirky little book and I enjoyed reading it, but I can imagine how strongly it might have appealed to my younger self. The only one I had growing up was Finn Family Moomintroll (and even now, the only other one I’ve read is Comet in Moominland). Jansson’s illustrations are whimsical and full of personality. The show more descriptions of winter are evocative and so is Moomintroll’s experience of learning to live in a world that’s cold and lonely, of finding company and comfort, of building independence and resilience.
They always slept from November to April because such was the custom of their forefathers and Moomins stick to tradition.But this winter, just after New Year, Moomintroll wakes up. The valley has transformed into an unfamiliar world and Moomintroll is, if not alone, then certainly without his family, who remain asleep, and of his friend Snufkin, who won’t return until spring.
This is a quirky little book and I enjoyed reading it, but I can imagine how strongly it might have appealed to my younger self. The only one I had growing up was Finn Family Moomintroll (and even now, the only other one I’ve read is Comet in Moominland). Jansson’s illustrations are whimsical and full of personality. The show more descriptions of winter are evocative and so is Moomintroll’s experience of learning to live in a world that’s cold and lonely, of finding company and comfort, of building independence and resilience.
The sky was almost black, but the snow shone a bright blue in the moonlight.
The sea lay asleep under the ice, and deep down among the roots of the earth all small beasts were sleeping and dreaming of spring.
And so Moomintroll was helplessly thrown out into a strange and dangerous world and dropped up to his ears in the first snowdrift of his experience. It felt unpleasantly prickly to his velvet skin, but at the same time his nose caught a new smell. It was a more serious smell than any he had met before, and slightly frightening. But it made him wide awake and greatly interested.show less
The valley was enveloped in a kind of grey twilight. It also wasn’t green any longer, it was white. Everything that had once moved had become immobile. There were no living sounds. Everything angular was now rounded.
“This is snow,” Moomintroll whispered to himself. “I’ve heard about it from Mother, and it’s called snow.”
Without Moomintroll knowing a thing about it, at that moment his velvet skin decided to start growing woollier. It decided to become, by and by, a coat of fur for winter use. That would take some time, but at least the decision was made. And that’s always a good thing.
Outside, the cold went up against the night and the moonlight shone through all the green and red windowpanes.
Tell me about snow, said Moomintroll and sat down in his father's sun-bleached garden chair. I don't understand it.
Neither do I, said Too-Ticky. You think it's cold, but if you build a house from it it's warm. You think it's white, but sometimes it's pink, and sometimes blue. It can be the softest thing of all and it can be harder than stone. Nothing is certain.
In which Moomintroll wakes up to what looks like a dead, cold winter world, and gradually discovers so much about it. One of the best things written about winter and growing up, and, knowing that Too-Ticky is based on Jansson's girlfriend, quite a sweet understated love show more story as well. show less
Tell me about snow, said Moomintroll and sat down in his father's sun-bleached garden chair. I don't understand it.
Neither do I, said Too-Ticky. You think it's cold, but if you build a house from it it's warm. You think it's white, but sometimes it's pink, and sometimes blue. It can be the softest thing of all and it can be harder than stone. Nothing is certain.
In which Moomintroll wakes up to what looks like a dead, cold winter world, and gradually discovers so much about it. One of the best things written about winter and growing up, and, knowing that Too-Ticky is based on Jansson's girlfriend, quite a sweet understated love show more story as well. show less
It wasn't at all consciously deliberate, but it was so entirely perfect reading this book to Jefferson in January, just when Michigan gave up holding out on winter and started with the snow and cold like a proper winter. Moomintroll, you see, is supposed to hibernate through winter, but this time he wakes up and cannot go back to sleep. And poor Moomintroll is so shocked and distrustful of this winter which has transformed his familiar world into something entirely alien.
Moomintroll is a wonderful protagonist, especially for the introverted reader (or listener!) He has this complicated inner world and we can see when he gets hurt or when other people drive him absolutely around the bend, but despite his frustration tries always to be show more polite and kind. And as a result often ends up friends with those very people.
Of course, as his polar opposite we have the fierce Little My, who also unexpectedly awakens this winter. Little My says what she wants and does what she wants and could mostly not care less what anyone else thinks, but then every once in a while shows that she is as fiercely loyal as she is independent -- however that works out. As much as I love and identify better with most of the other characters, Little My is always my favorite.
Well, Little My and the Dweller Under the Sink.
Radamsah! show less
Moomintroll is a wonderful protagonist, especially for the introverted reader (or listener!) He has this complicated inner world and we can see when he gets hurt or when other people drive him absolutely around the bend, but despite his frustration tries always to be show more polite and kind. And as a result often ends up friends with those very people.
Of course, as his polar opposite we have the fierce Little My, who also unexpectedly awakens this winter. Little My says what she wants and does what she wants and could mostly not care less what anyone else thinks, but then every once in a while shows that she is as fiercely loyal as she is independent -- however that works out. As much as I love and identify better with most of the other characters, Little My is always my favorite.
Well, Little My and the Dweller Under the Sink.
Radamsah! show less
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3091856.html
This is my second favourite of the books. Moomintroll wakes up in the middle of winter, while the rest of the Moomin family are hibernating, and must get to grips with a familiar lanscape made alien by snow, and new neighbours and friends. Chief among these is Too-Ticky, a warm yet slightly enigmatic character who is generally interpreted as Tuulikki Pietilä. In her first conversation with Moomintroll, she concludes: “All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured.” (Original Swedish: “Allt är mycket osäkert, och det är just det som lugnar mig.”) I love this so much that I used it for my Christmas emails last year.
There are some bleak and sad show more bits here too - the squirrel and the Groke; the dog Sorry-Oo and the skiing Hemulen. But in the end it’s a story of renewal and reassurance. show less
This is my second favourite of the books. Moomintroll wakes up in the middle of winter, while the rest of the Moomin family are hibernating, and must get to grips with a familiar lanscape made alien by snow, and new neighbours and friends. Chief among these is Too-Ticky, a warm yet slightly enigmatic character who is generally interpreted as Tuulikki Pietilä. In her first conversation with Moomintroll, she concludes: “All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured.” (Original Swedish: “Allt är mycket osäkert, och det är just det som lugnar mig.”) I love this so much that I used it for my Christmas emails last year.
There are some bleak and sad show more bits here too - the squirrel and the Groke; the dog Sorry-Oo and the skiing Hemulen. But in the end it’s a story of renewal and reassurance. show less
Della serie sui Mumin questo per me è decisamente il migliore; i Mumin, se non lo sapete, sono deliziosi troll simili a ippopotami, per nulla spaventosi ma gentili e dotati di una pelle vellutata.
In questo libro il troll Mumin si ritrova a svegliarsi nel bel mezzo del letargo senza riuscire più a riaddormentarsi.
Andrà quindi alla scoperta dell'unica stagione che non conosce, l'inverno, e delle strane e schive creature che lo popolano.
Mentre la piccola Mi, anche lei sveglia dal letargo, riesce a capire subito come divertirsi in questa stagione sconosciuta, il piccolo Mumin si troverà diviso tra nostalgia per la famiglia (tutti ancora addormentati) e i tentativi per comprendere quello che lo circonda.
E' un libro in cui il freddo show more nordico fa da padrone, con la neve, le bufere, i laghetti ghiacciati, l'aurora boreale e il Grande Gelo.
Il libro mi piace perchè è meno denso di personaggi rispetto agli altri della serie e ha un ritmo pacato e riflessivo, le creature invernali descritte da Tove Jansson hanno ritmi diversi da quelle estive o primaverili e sono in generale molto pacate e flemmatiche (ad eccezione di alcuni Emuli), i paesaggi invernali hanno una magia tutta loro e le Mamme Mumin sono sempre fantastiche. show less
In questo libro il troll Mumin si ritrova a svegliarsi nel bel mezzo del letargo senza riuscire più a riaddormentarsi.
Andrà quindi alla scoperta dell'unica stagione che non conosce, l'inverno, e delle strane e schive creature che lo popolano.
Mentre la piccola Mi, anche lei sveglia dal letargo, riesce a capire subito come divertirsi in questa stagione sconosciuta, il piccolo Mumin si troverà diviso tra nostalgia per la famiglia (tutti ancora addormentati) e i tentativi per comprendere quello che lo circonda.
E' un libro in cui il freddo show more nordico fa da padrone, con la neve, le bufere, i laghetti ghiacciati, l'aurora boreale e il Grande Gelo.
Il libro mi piace perchè è meno denso di personaggi rispetto agli altri della serie e ha un ritmo pacato e riflessivo, le creature invernali descritte da Tove Jansson hanno ritmi diversi da quelle estive o primaverili e sono in generale molto pacate e flemmatiche (ad eccezione di alcuni Emuli), i paesaggi invernali hanno una magia tutta loro e le Mamme Mumin sono sempre fantastiche. show less
Winter reveals a literally darker side of Moominvalley and brings a whole new dimension to the Moomin stories. This book is not nearly as funny as the previous ones. There's no wacky humor this time -- "Midwinter" deals with themes such as death, loneliness and sadness. At first the seriousness is a mild disappointment, but once the new wintery characters have been introduced, the book proves itself one of the best of the series.
It is metaphore of growing up, taking responsibility, having a look at life -- also the darker side of it -- on your own, and having your first entirely own experiences. Too-Ticky's character is great as a realist, introducing Moomintroll to the winter.
The atmosphere is magical, I especially loved the mysterious show more winter creatures, "too shy or weird to come out in the summer, or nobody believes in them". This makes you look at the other Moomin books in a whole new light. Perhaps as a stand-alone story this wouldn't deserve all five stars, but knowing the characters and the Moominvalley in the summer, this is definitely great. show less
It is metaphore of growing up, taking responsibility, having a look at life -- also the darker side of it -- on your own, and having your first entirely own experiences. Too-Ticky's character is great as a realist, introducing Moomintroll to the winter.
The atmosphere is magical, I especially loved the mysterious show more winter creatures, "too shy or weird to come out in the summer, or nobody believes in them". This makes you look at the other Moomin books in a whole new light. Perhaps as a stand-alone story this wouldn't deserve all five stars, but knowing the characters and the Moominvalley in the summer, this is definitely great. show less
This is a very cute book (story and art both) about what happens when Moomintroll (our main character) wakes up in the middle of hibernating and is unable to fall back asleep. He's young, but manages to look after the house and his sleeping family, make new friends, and take care of other lonely and strange beings through the winter.
I really enjoyed this as my first experience with the Moomins. I'm planning to read more, and I'm curious what I'll think of those compared to this one, since I've heard this is one of the more (if not the most) dark of the Moomin books. (With nothing to compare to, though, I didn't find this dark at all—at least, no darker than any book about winter would be.)
I really enjoyed this as my first experience with the Moomins. I'm planning to read more, and I'm curious what I'll think of those compared to this one, since I've heard this is one of the more (if not the most) dark of the Moomin books. (With nothing to compare to, though, I didn't find this dark at all—at least, no darker than any book about winter would be.)
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Author Information
643+ Works 31,198 Members
Tove Jansson has received the Hans Christian Andersen prize for children's literature. The world of the Moomintroll has become internationally famous thanks to her brilliant sense of humor and fabulous illustrations. The delightful Moomintrolls make it through catastrophe after catastrophe through cooperation and plain luck. Although Jansson is show more best known for her children's books, her adult fiction is equally entertaining. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Moominland Midwinter
- Original title
- Trollvinter
- Original publication date
- 1957 (Swedish) (Swedish); 1958 (English) (English)
- People/Characters
- Moomintroll; Moominmamma; Moominpappa; Little My; Too-Ticky; Sorry-oo (show all 16); Salome the Little Creep; Hemulen; Squirrel with the Marvellous Tail; Mymble; Groke; Dweller Under the Sink; Lady of the Cold; Ancestor Troll; Fillyjonk; Snork Maiden
- Important places
- Moominvalley; Lonely Mountains, Moominvalley; Moominhouse, Moominvalley
- Important events
- Winter; Great Cold
- Dedication
- To my mother
- First words
- The sky was almost black, but the snow shone a bright blue in the moonlight.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Moomintroll looked down in the water and tried to remember the time when the ice had stretched away and melted into the darkness of the horizon.
THE END AND
THE BEGINNING - Original language
- Swedish
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- Fiction and Literature, Children's Books, Fantasy
- DDC/MDS
- 839.7374 — Literature & rhetoric German & related literatures Other Germanic literatures Swedish literature Swedish fiction 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PZ7 .J247 .M — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
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