The Unknown Soldier

Linna, Vaino

ISBN 10: 9510024260 / ISBN 13: 9789510024263

Published by Werner Soderstrom Osakeyhtio Porvoo, Helsinki, 1975

About this Item

1975. xiv, 310pp. 3 b&w plates - 2 photos from the film adaptation and 1 from the opera adaptation. Includes short biography of the author by N.B Stormbon. Novel of the Finnish-Russian wars of 1939-1944. One of Finland's best-loved books, this gritty and unromantic depiction of battle honours the dogged determination of a country and the bonds of brotherhood forged between men at war, as they fight for their lives. Decorated/illustrated hardback with gilt titles to spine and upper board. In very good condition with minimal wear. No inscriptions. Times obituary of Linna tipped in to rear endpaper.

Seller Inventory # LitLinna01a

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Unknown Soldier
• Publisher: Werner Soderstrom Osakeyhtio Porvoo, Helsinki
• Publication Date: 1975
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9510024260
• ISBN 13: 9789510024263
• Binding: Hardback
• Edition: Reprint
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Literature
  • Military

About this title

Synopsis

Väinö Linna (1920-1992) was a celebrated Finnish author. He gained literary fame with his third novel, Tuntematon sotilas (The Unknown Soldier, published in 1954), and consolidated his position with the trilogy Täällä Pohjantähden alla (Under the North Star, published in 1959–1963). "The Unknown Soldier", his magnum opus, is a war novel that chronicles the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union in the years 1941–1944, from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. A fictional account based closely on Linna's own wartime experiences, the novel presented a more realistic outlook on the formerly romanticized image of a noble and obedient Finnish soldier. Linna gave his characters independent and critical thoughts as well as displayed them with humane feelings, such as fear and rebellion. Although published to mixed reviews, the book quickly became one of the best-selling books in Finland and is considered an important classic in Finnish literature and a part of national legacy. The novel was well received among frontline veterans, shot Linna to literary fame and has been described as creating a shift in the collective memory of the war. It has sold nearly 800,000 copies, has been translated into 20 different languages and adapted into three films (the latest one released in 2017). Illustrated edition.