The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles [Paperback]

Roy Jacobsen (Author), Don Bartlett (Translator), Don Shaw (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

It is 1939, and the Soviets have invaded Finland. As everyone else in his village flees, burning down their houses in their wake, Timo remains behind. He is unable to imagine life anywhere else, unable to conceive of doing anything else besides felling the trees near his home. As Finnish forces prepare to take on the brunt of the Soviet army and Timo watches on, the citizens of a nation find themselves dragged into conflict and desperate to find a path back home. Filled with unexpected bravery, feats of survival, and the powerful and forbidden friendships forged during war, this is a powerful novel about the struggle to belong.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A strange, impressively understated novel . . . a daunting, traditional narrative which asserts itself from page one and, like the winter cold, refuses to relax its hold."  —The Irish Times

"Jacobsen is a gifted writer, stylish, laconic, and imaginative . . . a powerful and well-written account of an unfamiliar episode in the Second World War."  —The Times Literary Supplement

"An inventive wordsmith and a great storyteller, he never sacrifices substance for style. His research is meticulous . . . as he often places his characters in the midst of historical events and social change, the reader feels more emotionally involved than a mere observer would . . . a gem of a novel."  —The Independent

"It is the kind of story that stays with the reader long after one has put it down."  —Historical Novels Review

About the Author

Roy Jacobsen is the author of 10 novels and four collections of short stories in his native Norway.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: John Murray (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719521122
• ISBN-13: 978-0719521126
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intense description of survival in Finland circa 1939/40, August 12, 2011

By 

Kiwifunlad (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles (Paperback)

Timo Vatanen is a simple woodsman living in a small town in Finland when the Finnish Army arrive to blitz and evacuate the town ahead of the rapidly approaching Russian Army. Only Timo stays behind refusing to leave. When the Russian Army arrives Timo works for them as a logger alongside 5 other Russians who he befriends despite only one speaking Finnish. There is little plot to the narrative and the novel focuses largely on their survival in the harsh Finnish winterof 1939/40, the bonds that develop amongst the men and their strengths and weaknesses. At times it is like being trapped in a bleak war torn landscape where death can be seen as a blessed sleep from the boredom and harsh living conditions. Since the novel is mostly told in the first person of the narrator Timo, I found that the Russian characters' development was therefore underdeveloped and made for a less involved read. For readers who are looking for an action packed war story then this novel will not appeal but for readers looking for something like Andrei Makine's The Woman Who Waited then they might enjoy this novel (In my view Makine's novel is infinitely superior).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What Miracle?, October 5, 2011

By 

W. Powell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles (Paperback)

Did something get lost in the translation? I read and waited for the pieces to come together, for some unique, maybe enlightening event to rise up out of the Finnish forest. Nadda, it never came to fruition. The only enjoyment I witnessed in this book was the anticipation of a simple woodsman's survival story during a war. And that turned out to be nothing more than dead fish. I did not find this book worth the short read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is a State of Mind, January 22, 2012

By 

Fairlee E. Winfield "Author of BUFFALOed 2009... (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles (Paperback)

This is not story of war and battles and victories. There are no unique events. But it is a story that I find myself remembering and thinking about weeks after having finished this short novel. Timo Vatanen isn't a hero, he's just plain stubborn. He refuses to leave his home. He is simple minded and yet he manages to create strong bonds among men who don't even speak the same language.

While reading about Timo, I was constantly reminded of the 1979 film,Being There (Deluxe Edition). Timo is like Chance. Picture him as Peter Sellers in the movie. He has the same simple minded profundity that allows us to question commonly held beliefs. You won't forget this book. Yes, life is a state of mind.