There's a thrilling real-life story conspicuously missing from this Norwegian novel set in wartime Finland. In 1939, a few thousand Finns near the town of Suomussalmi repelled tens of thousands of invading Russians. Jacobsen's novel is narrated by Timo, a 'village idiot' and woodcutter in Suomussalmi, whose neighbours flee their homes to fight the Russians. But Timo stays on and befriends the enemy, meaning he and we miss out on the action. Following the Finn's victory, he is forgiven for fraternising with the enemy. Less forgivable is the frustrating fact that Timo's story pushes the Finnish uprising completely offstage. Still, he is a poetic, perceptive narrator and the novel's fable-like, snowbound atmosphere makes up for its flaky lack of drama.


http://snipurl.com/6i14e