Vin Linna 19201992

1
Väinö Linna (1920-1992)

• Self-taught factory worker
• Author
• Unknown soldier, 1954
• Here Under the North Star, 1959-1963
• Historical Epic
• Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)
• Backwoods Realism
• Working mans perspective
• Regional types

2
Väinö Linna (1920-1992)

• Born in Urjala (SW Finland)
• Worker in Textile Factory at 17
• Fought in Continuation War 1941-44
• Soldier in machine-gun platoon
• Published Tuntematon sotilas (The Unknown
  Soldier) in 1954

3
The Unknown Soldier

• Popularity, translations, editions
• Continuation War 1941-1944
• Collective Novel
• Regional dialects
• Conversation/dialogue
• Social Realism

4
Discussion of the Novel
5
Characters Regional class differences

• Lt. Lammio (p. 3)
• Vilho Koskela (p. 4)
• Sergeant Lehto, p 6
• Makila, p. 9
• Korsumaki, p. 11
• Hietanen (p. 5)
• Lahtinen (p. 5)
• Rokka

• Quote by Linna I described a group of men that
  I tried to bring alive so that people could see
  just what has died

6
Chapter XII

• Attitudes to History
• Lammio vs. Rokka

• Linnas attitude toward War and toward History

7
Editorial Crimes

• Omissions from 1954 original
• Further deletions and revisions in 1957 English
  translation
• Entire original first published in 2000 as
  Sotaromaani (A War Novel)
• Censored passagescriticism of Finnish high
  command and former taboos (sexuality, religion,
  class conflict)