A History of Finland's Literature

The literature of Finland is bilingual, with lively and extensive traditions in both Finnish and Swedish. This history covers both literary traditions in detail. The volume's first section, on Finnish-language literature, consists of a series of connected chapters by leading authorities within the field. It opens with a consideration of the folk literature in Finnish that flourished during the Middle Ages and then examines the more recent history of Finnish-language literature, with special emphasis placed on writings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The second part of the book provides an examination of Finland's Swedish-language literature from the late fifteenth century through the early nineteenth century. Subsequent chapters trace developments in Finland's Swedish-language literature during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

A survey of children's literature--from both the Finnish- and Swedish-language traditions--concludes this exceptionally thorough volume.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803241895
• ISBN13: 9780803241893
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Length: 877 Pages
• Weight: 3.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive and Readable

This is one of the entries in the History of Scandinavian Literatures series which were, I believe, all published in the late 1990's. Well-written and comprehensive, this can serve as a reference book or be consumed for its narrative content. I'm impressed by the breadth and depth on display here: 877 pp with a 70 p bibliography, a 43 p index, maps, and a glossary of Finnish and Swedish place names. As far as approach goes, here's some dustjacket blurbage... This book "covers both literary traditions [Finnish and Swedish] in detail. The volume's first section, on Finnish-language literature, consists of a series of connected chapters by leading authorities within the field. It opens with a consideration of the folk literature in Finnish that flourished during the Middle Ages and then examines the more recent history of Finnish-language literature, with special emphasis placed on writings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries." "The second part of the book provides an examination of Finland's Swedish-language literature from the late fifteenth century through the early nineteenth century. Subsequent chapters trace developments in Finland's Swedish-language literature during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries." "A survey of children's literature--from both the Finnish- and Swedish-language traditions--concludes this exceptionally thorough volume." TABLE OF CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS Finnish Oral Poetry, Kalevala and Kanteletar (Michael Branch) New Beginnings Latin and Finnish (Kai Laitinen and George C. Schoolfield) The Rise of Finnish-Language Literature (Kai Laitinen) The Period of Independence (Markku Envall) A Part of Sweden (George C. Schoolfield) National Romanticism -- A Golden Age (George C. Schoolfield) A Sense of Minority (George C. Schoolfield) The Age of Modernism (George C. Schoolfield) A Startling Growth (George C. Schoolfield) Children's Literature (Maija Lehtonen)