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When stricken with a severe cold, Moominpappa decides to set down an account of his eventful youth, which he shares chapter by chapter with Moomintroll, Sniff, and Snufkin.Tags
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I admit to being a little disappointed when I discovered that this was not the story of Moominpappa's adventures following the Hattifatteners, but I soon came round to embrace this strange tale of fathers: Moomintroll's, Sniff's, and Snufkin's, respectively. I was a little concerned that Sniff and Snufkin appeared to have never even met their parents, but I guess in Moominland that's not such a crazy notion. Anyway, this is Moominpappa's somewhat embellished account of his early years, from his abandonment at a Hemulen-run orphanage to the day he met Moominmamma. I was truly entertained by the Autocrat's speeches, and the art was wonderful as always, but this was not my favorite Moomin book. Moominpappa's inflated sense of show more self-importance was amusing at first, but became tiresome by the end. Luckily, it's a very short book, and does not overstay its welcome. show less
So, I am always checking out the middle grades fiction section at my local bookstore, looking for books for Jefferson as well as books for my We Need Diverse Books challenge supporting his classroom. The day I was scouring the shelves and found a set of all of Jansson's Moomin novels, I may have done a little happy dance. I definitely made a strange animal noise of some kind.
At some point in my childhood, I was gifted with a copy of Tales from Moominvalley by my Uncle Tom, and I quickly realized it was one of the best books ever. It took me a much longer time to realize that it wasn't the only Moomin book out there, and I can't tell you how many times I've looked for Jansson on the shelves of various bookstores, only to slowly show more accumulate three or four more of the series, over decades.
Now that I was staring at brightly colored versions of all eight, I couldn't let this chance pass me by, despite the fact that I sadly have still not catalogued by entire book collection, and couldn't remember exactly which ones I was still missing. (I did end up having to exchange one of the new ones I bought.)
One of the new books went into my surprise box for reading out loud on a road trip, but this one skipped to the front of my to-read list. I had some concerns, as Moominpappa has never been my favorite character, and most of the other characters are largely absent. But this turned out to be quite lovely, about not knowing where one fits in, and being torn between the desire to have grand adventures and the desire to build a cozy, ornately decorated home. Large parts of the story are absurd, of course, but mostly in a charming way. And finally getting an origin story for Mymble's Daughter and Little My (among others, but you know it's Little My I really care about) was quite satisfying.
Does not quite make it to the level of Moominland Midwinter or Tales from Moominvalley, but those two are, in my opinion, quite near perfection.
Now I want to go read Moominland Midwinter again. show less
At some point in my childhood, I was gifted with a copy of Tales from Moominvalley by my Uncle Tom, and I quickly realized it was one of the best books ever. It took me a much longer time to realize that it wasn't the only Moomin book out there, and I can't tell you how many times I've looked for Jansson on the shelves of various bookstores, only to slowly show more accumulate three or four more of the series, over decades.
Now that I was staring at brightly colored versions of all eight, I couldn't let this chance pass me by, despite the fact that I sadly have still not catalogued by entire book collection, and couldn't remember exactly which ones I was still missing. (I did end up having to exchange one of the new ones I bought.)
One of the new books went into my surprise box for reading out loud on a road trip, but this one skipped to the front of my to-read list. I had some concerns, as Moominpappa has never been my favorite character, and most of the other characters are largely absent. But this turned out to be quite lovely, about not knowing where one fits in, and being torn between the desire to have grand adventures and the desire to build a cozy, ornately decorated home. Large parts of the story are absurd, of course, but mostly in a charming way. And finally getting an origin story for Mymble's Daughter and Little My (among others, but you know it's Little My I really care about) was quite satisfying.
Does not quite make it to the level of Moominland Midwinter or Tales from Moominvalley, but those two are, in my opinion, quite near perfection.
Now I want to go read Moominland Midwinter again. show less
A humorous prequel in which Moominpappa reads his memoirs to Moomintroll, Snufkin and Sniff, introducing lots of characters who stick around for future adventures.
I particularly liked the Horriblest Ghost, who Jansson skilfully makes both morbidly gruesome and amusingly pompous. 👻
Great fun 😊
I particularly liked the Horriblest Ghost, who Jansson skilfully makes both morbidly gruesome and amusingly pompous. 👻
Great fun 😊
Another great Moomin book. I'd never read this one - written by Moominpappa, it has a different literary style that the others. I loved all the new characters we meet! In the afterlife I would like to go to Moominvalley and have lunch with all of them, plus Tove Janssen. We could have pancakes.
Written in the style of a male adventurer's memoir this is an entertaining account of Moominpappas younger days in a foundling house and seeking his fortune elsewhere before settling in Moominvalley. He writes in a comical self-important way and we get some interesting and nonsensical back story.
A little confused about this short book which is one of the Moomin stories that I didn't read as a child - but I think it was subsequently revised and published as Moominpapa's Memoirs? Anyway, I liked it in parts. Moominpapa, having reached the age of 40, and suffering from a cold, writes his memoirs for the edification of his family and friends. During the book, there are asides where we get the reactions of his son Moomintroll and his son's friends to whom he is reading each bit of the story. By the end of the book, a few mysteries are solved.
There are some places where I found it to drag a bit - I didn't find the ghost particularly funny, for example. The ending also makes no sense because why haven't certain characters' parents show more raised them if they are alive and well? And what happened to Hodgkins who was my favourite of the new characters introduced - I don't recall him being in any of the ones I've read? On the plus side, I loved the illustrations as always. So on balance, I rate this at 3 stars. show less
There are some places where I found it to drag a bit - I didn't find the ghost particularly funny, for example. The ending also makes no sense because why haven't certain characters' parents show more raised them if they are alive and well? And what happened to Hodgkins who was my favourite of the new characters introduced - I don't recall him being in any of the ones I've read? On the plus side, I loved the illustrations as always. So on balance, I rate this at 3 stars. show less
Completely mad, utterly delightful.
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Author Information
643+ Works 31,172 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
- Moominpappa's Memoirs
- Original title
- Muminpappans bravader (1950) (1950); Muminpappans memoarer (1968) (1968)
- Alternate titles
- The Exploits of Moominpappa; Moominpappa's Memoirs
- Original publication date
- 1950 (Swedish) (Swedish); 1952 (English) (English); 1968 (Revised Swedish edition) (Revised Swedish edition); 1994 (Revised English edition) (Revised English edition)
- People/Characters
- Moominpappa; Moominmamma; Moomintroll; Snufkin; Sniff; Hemulen (show all 21); Hodgkins; Muddler; Joxter; Edward the Booble; Hemulen Aunt; Nibling; Hattifatteners; Mymble's daughter; Autocrat; Mymble; Horriblest Ghost (the Phantom of the Gorge); Little My; Sea-Hound; Fuzzy; Island Ghost
- Important places
- Moominvalley; Moomin Foundling Home, Moominvalley; Garden of Surprises; Royal Outlaw Colony; Oshun Oxtra
- Important events
- Friday the thirteenth
- First words*
- Kerran kun Muumipeikko oli aivan pieni, hänen isänsä otti ja vilustui keskellä kuuminta kesää.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Se oli kuin uusi portti, joka johti Uskomattomaan, Mahdolliseen, uuteen päivään, jolloin saattoi tapahtua mitä tahansa, ellei kellään olisi mitään sitä vastaan. [alkuperäinen versio]
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Uusi portti Uskomattomaan, Mahdolliseen, uuteen päivään, jolloin voi tapahtua mitä tahansa, jos vain antaa tapahtua. [uudistettu versio] - Original language
- Swedish
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Children's Books, Fiction and Literature, Kids, 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
Statistics
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- Reviews
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- Rating
- (4.15)
- Languages
- 16 — Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 87
- ASINs
- 21