Moominvalley in November (Moomintrolls) [Paperback]

Tove Jansson (Author), Kingsley Hart (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Moomintrolls

Tove Jansson's Moomin characters and books are admired the world over. In the United States the series beginning with Finn Family Moomintroll (first published in English in 1945) has accumulated generations of fans. Since Farrar, Straus and Giroux began reissuing the books in 1989, grateful readers old and new have been thrilled to have the stories available again. At last the final installment is being published – oddly, the only book that features none of the Moomin family themselves, though it does take place at their house. There familiar characters converge – Snufkin, the Hemulen, Fillyjonk, and others – seeking out the Moomins' welcoming company, only to find them absent. All remain at the house, all have very different personalities that clash often, but something about their homey cohabitation during the icy winter changes each visitor in a gratifying way. As The Times Literary Supplement put it, Moominvalley in November is "possibly the cleverest of the Moomin books."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Tove Jansson] is a master."
- The Times Literary Supplement

 

"More fantastic than Alice In Wonderland, more compelling than Charlotte's Web, and more mysterious than Nancy Drew." --The Midwest Book Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Swedish

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374453098
• ISBN-13: 978-0374453091
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

TOVE JANSSON (1914-2001) is revered around the world as one of the foremost children's authors of the twentieth century for her illustrated Moomin chapter books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Misfits and yearning, February 4, 2004

By 

kennedy19 "kennedy19" (wakefield, ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moominvalley in November (Moomintrolls) (Paperback)

I'm writing this review in early 2004, and this wonderful book is back in print in America; congradulations to the publisher. I always wondered why others in the fine "Moomin" series (originally from Finland, and translated in England) were available while this one was not; but now it is, and I couldn't be more glad. Fans of Tove Jansson's writing will know that she has a fondness for quirky creatures, seasonal moods, and an almost effortless ability to strike profound chords in the reader's inner world through faint suggestions and an economy of words. All this from a writer who is known as a children's author, but these novels could appeal to anyone in grade four on up to adults, so long as the reader is of a quiet, thoughtful turn of mind. In this particular story, the Moomin family (rounded, fuzzy little "trolls") is absent from Moominvalley (see the book "Moominpappa at Sea" to find out where they went). In their absence, an unlikely group of misfits comes looking for them and ends up sharing a month at their house together. All are seeking for something or other, though they do not yet know that the something is within themselves. Moomintroll's practical, taciturn friend Snufkin (well-known from other books) is onhand to help them sort themselves out, and in the end all are transformed by the shared experience. If this sounds like the plot of an inner world rather than an outer one, it is; yet it is amazingly well done through a very down-to-earth, everyday narration, filled with subtle comic touches and good cheer. Jansson's inimitable, cartoony illustrations of her own books add much to the tale while still leaving some to our imaginations. As you may gather, I have a hard time describing this unique book properly; all I can do is to heartily recommend it to any child (or adult) who is a little offbeat and likes some peace and quiet to be alone with their thoughts.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Moomin classic, December 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Moominvalley in November (Hardcover)

Why is this excellent book out of print when other Moomin books are not? This is one of the most poignant and quiet of Moomin books, like the month it describes. Your Moomin collection is incomplete without it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I would give 5.5 if I could, January 1, 2005

By 

Boutchiorezze "Boutchiorezze" (Wilmette, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moominvalley in November (Moomintrolls) (Paperback)

Well, this piece of Moomin anthology is a more serious one. I read it first when I was 10 in my home Poland, and did not like it much. It is not so full of joy, energy and adventures as the "Summer" or "Valley". Since that time though, I have read it at least 10 more times, love it, and highly recommend to all maturer Moomin-lovers.
It is a bit melancholic, played not in a G-major notation, rather e-minor, maybe even with a flat... November mists, wet forests, grey seas, you will remember it forever!