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The Year of the Hare

By Arto Paasilinna
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3.63 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 17,685 ratings, 1,928 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna follows a Finnish journalist named Vatanen, who abandons his mundane life after accidentally hitting a hare with his car. Urged by a sudden sense of freedom, he decides to wander through the Finnish countryside with the injured animal, encountering various adventures that challenge and inspire him. This journey becomes a whimsical exploration of what it means to break free from societal norms and reconnect with nature.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are drawn to quirky tales of self-discovery and adventure. It follows an impulsive escape from routine life, leading to both humorous and profound encounters in the Finnish countryside. It may particularly appeal to readers who appreciate explorations of freedom and simplicity set against a backdrop of delightful absurdity.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A delightfully witty and mordant modern classic from Finland: the story of a journalist who befriends an injured hare and embarks into the Finnish wilderness

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Kaarlo Vatanen is fed up with his life. He's sick of his job, his wife, his urban lifestyle in Helsinki. But all this changes one warm summer's evening, when he encounters an injured hare on a deserted country road.

On an impulse he can't fully explain, Vatanen abruptly abandons his car, his home, his wife and his job to chase the hare into the forest. A year of comic misadventures ensues, where Vatanen and his unlikely companion battle through forest fires, pagan sacrifices, military war games and encounters with murderous bears, kept afloat by the help and understanding of other sympathetic free spirits.

A much-loved classic in Finland, The Year of the Hare is a freewheeling adventure through the Finnish countryside, and a witty portrayal of one man's long detour from conventional living.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna is celebrated for its sharp wit and humorous portrayal of Finnish culture. Reviews highlight its reputation as a "change-your-life novel" and appreciate its status as a cultural cult, especially in France. The tale is often described as a fable that encapsulates the joy of freedom through the companionship between a man and a hare, with the narrative's humour noted for its deadpan and sometimes dark quality.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781805330356

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 November 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pushkin Press Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Herbert Lomas

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 192

Collections

Arto Paasilinna Fiction General Fiction Humour

About the Author

Aarto Paasilinna was born in Kittila, Finland in 1942. After a successful but unsatisfying career as a journalist, he quit his job and sold his boat to write The Year of the Hare, which became an international bestseller. One of Finland's most well-known writers, his works have been translated into 27 languages and have sold over seven million copies worldwide.

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