Customer Reviews

The Howling Miller

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This has an interesting setting, in Northern Finland in the fifties. Gunaar Huttunen, the howling miller, gets himself locked up in a horrendous state hospital then escapes and lives a Thoreau-like existence in the forest, helped by a sympathetic girl friend. The basic theme is the old notion of a wise benign eccentric whose amiable antics are mistaken by stupid people for madness.
Some humor is derived from the simple-mindedness of the characters. Huttunen's antagonists are hypocritical buffoons who deserve the tricks he plays on them. The author invites us to sympathize with Huttunen's mental condition but portrays a woman suffering from severe obesity who has become unable to walk as an object of ridicule.
Much of the dialog sounds stilted, even allowing for the fact that it's been translated from Finnish to French and then into British English. For example Huttunen explains his actions in such terms as "I just feel so perky sometimes that I want to lark around."
I think it was Arto Paasilinna's intent to create a mythic, larger-than-life hero who is persecuted for marching to the beat of a different drummer. There's a semi-mythic atmosphere. Huttunen performs stupendous physical feats and much of the action is fantastically unlikely. There's a suggestion of transmogrification.

When starting to read this book, you must let yourself go and enjoy the far-fetched humor. The author, Arto, has created characters who are larger-than-life, in impossible situations, in this fantasy story from Northern Finland, time 1950s. It was translated from Finnish to French and from French to British English adds to its uniqueness. Relax and enjoy and appreciate the humor. The subtext is the abuse of power and how those in power wield that power unevenly. And Arto's understanding of nature, survival, water mills and small-town life make this 1981 book an enjoyable read right now. But beware, you may start howling yourself! This review was written by Marjory Olson, not Fred.