I picked up this book at the library because I saw the English translation first. I thought that maybe, if I liked it, I could share it with my non-Finnish speaking friends. And at first, it looked like everything I could have hoped for.

The language is terse and to the point just how I like it, and I was planning a discussion post on comparing the original to the translation and how language affects the reading experience. There are even a few jokes I wanted to see if they worked in English.

There is some repetition, which normally makes me itchy, but here it was a clue how to approach the story. Or so I thought at the time. I clung to the opportunity as I was trying to ignore a very poor female characterisation choice from a male author.

The faulty ovaries. The total sum of self for Ella Amanda Milana is her faulty ovaries leaving her the genetic dead end of her family. At first it looked to be a crutch, which would soon be forgotten as the author moves on, but it never went away.

And then the game started. The literature society members each have an opportunity to challenge one another to a game where there is one question and the absolute truth for an answer at any cost. Ella uses the game to find out more about Laura Lumikko (translated Laura White) who founded this literature society, and in turn bleeds the painful truths about her barrenness, father's death, and, of course, her sexual fantasies.

Because what else would the male players of the Game be interested in. Instead of finding out more about the lukewarm mystery that barely holds this book together, the author focuses in pornographic detail to Ella's sexuality and fascination with the obese writer of the group. And hell, let's throw in another male author's domestic violence rape in for absolutely no reason ever to make this a perversion bingo.

The magical realism and the supernatural mystery were in fact just an excuse to see the old fat man have sex with a young slender woman.

Possible DNF warning:

"Hän halusi tehdä kirjallisuushistoriallista tutkimusta, jossa kenties nousisi esiin muutama pienehkö luuranko, salaisia suhteita, homoseksuaalisuutta ja muuta sen semmoista, mukavia pikku skandaaleja—"

Juu. Ei. Tai ehkä. Yritän katsoa luvun loppuun, mutta tähdet ropisee jo.

Kolibri - Kati Hiekkapelto

Tylsää. Tykkään tutun kuuloisesta kielestä vaikka muutamia sanoja kaipaankin (nää muotoa lähinnä). Hiukan harmittaa ettei Hiekkapelto käyttänyt Oulun seutua sellaisenaan tapahtuma paikkana vaan sävelsi siitä oman versionsa.

I am bored. I like the simplistic language mainly because it sounds almost exactly like the one I think in (I'm really missing the "nää") but I'm sort of disappointed the author chose to fictionalise my home town.

En yleensä pidä minä-kertojista, mutta Björkiltä sen kirjoittaminen luonnistuu. Makken ääni kuulostaa ikäiseltäni helsinkiläisnuorelta tai ainakin lähimmältä luettavalta vastineelta.

Makken kertojaääni oli sekä selkeä että selkeästi miehinen. Aivan kuten lääkäri lopussa sanookin: selvä tapaus.

Opin kirjasta jotain uuttakin, lähinnä sen että Suomen laki kaipaa päivittämistä ja yhteiskunta avoimempaa mieltä.

***

This is a Finnish book about a trans boy growing up in Helsinki and it's based on the experiences of the author's own son.

It's written in the first person voice, which rarely works for me, but Björk might be the rare exception. I enjoyed her writing and the narrator's voice, which is both clear and clearly male.

I learned that Finnish law needs to be updated and that our society needs a more open mind.

Periaatteessa ihan kaunista kieltä, ainakin noi Marinan kappaleet, mutta ei tää nyt vaan oikein toimi. Vihaan, kun kirjailia ei osaa päättää kertojaa vaan sekoittaa ensimmäistä ja kolmatta persoonaa sekä tässä vielä runoutta limittäin. Harmi, idea vaikutti lupaavalta.

Viikon on kirja istunut pöydällä eikä mitään mielihaluja ole jatkaa lukemista. Taidan palauttaa kirjastoon lukemattomana.