Nordic exotica: 7 great books about Finland written by foreigners
Finland has long been an exotic destination for adventurers. Some arrive in person. Others voyage via their imaginations. We have collected a shortlist of the finest books about Finland written from a non-Finnish perspective.
This list includes Cold War spy novels, adolescent drama and aching love stories. Prepare to voyage to the far north from your couch.
1. The Most Dangerous Game
In this sixties spy story, Bill is a bush pilot living in Lapland. He gets drawn into illegitimate activities between his official aerial survey flights looking for nickel deposits.
A wealthy American hires Bill to fly to a prohibited zone near the Soviet borders for bear hunting. Things go south. Bill is hunted by random thugs and the Finnish secret police. Tsarist treasures appear and Bill’s colleagues die. Since this is a sixties spy story, the wealthy American’s beautiful sister gets involved. Bill wonders if his wartime past is catching up with him.
The book offers nostalgia and Cold War paranoia. It was nominated for the British Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award in 1964. Learn more on Goodreads: The Most Dangerous Game, Gavin Lyall (1964)
2. Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name
New Yorker Clarissa Iverton loses her peace of mind after her father dies. She discovers he was not her real father. Clarissa abandons her life to find her mother, who disappeared when Clarissa was 14.
Clarissa finds her way to the indigenous Sami people in Lapland. On the tundra and under the northern lights, she confronts violence tied to her past and the history of the Sami tribes. The book explores whether Clarissa can forgive the wrongdoers of her past. Learn more: Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, Vendela Vida (2007)
3. Helsinki – People Make the City
This non-fiction book sticks out. New Zealand writer Melanie Dower and Helsinki native Laura Iisalo have approached the concept of a guide book through storytelling. The subject is Helsinki. This is not a regular tourist walkthrough.
The authors tell the story of Helsinki through portraits of real-life small businesses and shopkeepers. There is a focus on food. You get a glimpse into characters who play a role in local neighbourhoods. This approach is similar to that used by Jane Jacobs in her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Learn more: Helsinki – People Make the City, Melanie Dower and Laura Iisalo (2016)
4. Spellbound – Stories of Women’s magic over Men
The author of Spellbound, Joel Willans, is the Editor of Inktank.fi and co-founder of Ink Tank Media. In this collection of short stories, Willans explores men going crazy over women. Willans ended up in Finland after falling for his partner in London.
Finland is not the only setting but Willans repeatedly returns to Nordic beauty. Through Finnish characters, he makes a case for egalitarian Nordic values. These are contrasted with the class-ridden island empire he used to call home. Some stories have been narrated on BBC radio. Spellbound was shortlisted for The International Scott Prize for Short Stories. Learn more: Spellbound – Stories of women’s magic over Men, Joel Willans (2012)
5. Fakta om Finland (Facts about Finland)
This book was never translated to English. It is hilarious and loosely related to Finland. Norwegian writer Erlend Loe explores identity crisis and unhinged characters. The main character is a Norwegian graphic designer commissioned to write a tourism brochure about Finland by the Finnish Embassy in Oslo.
The writer has little knowledge about Finland. He starts ambitious but disappears into procrastination. Stream of consciousness rants present trivia about Finland and the character’s inability to meet the deadline. This novel is a must-read if you understand Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Russian or Chinese. Learn more: Fakta om Finland, Erlend Loe (2001)
6. The Finnish Line
This teen romance novel explores living under the reputation of famous parents. Nordic ski jumper Maureen Mo goes to Finland to compete in the Lahti ski Games. She wants breathing room from the expectations of her famous skier father.
Maureen lets an attractive teammate coach her. She challenges her ambition of combining studies with training. She discovers the ideal of Finnish sisu. Learn more: The Finnish Line, Linda Gerber (2007)
You need to get just about anything by author Arto Paasilinna on this list. In his crazy humorous way he dives deep into the souls of Finns and Finland.
WHY do Finns always ask foreigners what do they think of us/our country? Do they want some “confirmation” that everything is ok??
Nope they don’t. They want to make sure that foreigners who live/work/study there are comfortable enough and help them to handle the “Cultural Shock”. The people I met in Finland were super nice and I have very very good memories of Finland.
I am not at all curious about what foreigners think. As well as they are not that interested to know what I think about their lands. Finland is what it is, warts and all.
Read Spellbound twice. Once on holiday and once when I was on a long train journey. Very beautiful even if not so much stories are set in Finland,
Thanks for the thumbs up, Marit! Great to hear you enjoyed it. Which stories did you like best?
“Helsinki, people make the city ” is one of the books I bought in your stunning country. Beautiful book.
Who knew there were so many great reads! Go Finland!
Spellbound is a great book packed full of compelling short and super-short stories. Love Willans ability to pin down the singular aches and obsessions of men besotted with women; whether they be an old flame or a newly glimpsed spark. There’s no crudeness or macho posing though; the men in the stories are conflicted, complex, confused, but usually emerge with a kind of chilvary or charm intact, if at times a little chilling.
Definitely recommend