Sillanpaa, Frans Eemil

(1888-1964)

   A Finnish novelist and short story writer, Sillanpaa is a great modernist writer and is generally recognized as Finland's finest writer during the interwar period, and perhaps during the entire 20th century. His works have been translated into many languages, and he received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1939, the only Finnish writer thus honored so far. Born into a farm family, Sillanpaa stayed true to his rural background in his choice of subject matter, writing about the peasants and hired hands around whom he grew up. He had his literary debut with the romance Elaämaä ja aurinko (1916; Life and the Sun), which tells about a young man's involvement with two women of different social status. It was followed by a volume of short stories, Ihmislapsia eläman saatossa (1917; The Procession of Life).

   Sillanpaa became internationally known for Hurskas kurjuus (1919; tr. Meek Heritage, 1938), set during Finland's bitter civil war. The protagonist is the poor tenant farmer Juha Toivola, who is of quite limited intelligence and ends up on the losing side in the war. Accused of a murder he did not commit, he is executed by the victorious White Army, which, backed by Germany, defeated the leftist Reds in the war. Through flashbacks Sillanpaa presents Juha's entire life and shows that the circumstances surrounding his death are really of a piece with the rest of his miserable life.

   After publishing several volumes of short stories—among them Maan tasalta (1924; On the Ground Level) and Toällinmaäki (1925; Cabin Hill)—Sillanpaa wrote his second international success, Nuorena nukkunut (1931; tr. The Maid Silja, 1933). It, too, is set during the civil war, with Silja and her father as the representatives of a generation in decline. After the loss of the family farm, Silja has to work for other people, and she eventually dies from tuberculosis. She is resigned to her fate, however, which is almost the saddest part of her story.

   Sillanpaa's main concern is to depict the interior lives of his characters, which he does with psychological subtlety. The novel Miehen tie (1932; A Man's Road) portrays sex in a manner that borders on vitalism. Its protagonist, the young farmer Paavo, marries an older widow in order to get possession of her farm, but his life is unhappy until he returns to the love of his youth, subsequent to his first wife's death. The novel Ihmiset suviyoässaä (1934; tr. People in the Summer Night, 1966) depicts—almost in the form of sketches—the events of a single summer night and their effect on a whole gallery of characters, who are largely driven by instinct. It is generally considered Sillanpaa's most artistically composed work.