I am still waiting for the 'katastrofivuosi' Mr. Haavikko promised for us. Seems you can't trust anybody these days anymore. And how about all the other disasters? I wonder why nobody is asking Mr. Haavikko about his promises; when he was making them, there was great headlines and all kind of fuss. The book has some kind of strange inherent beauty and it is at its best when read as a scifi-novel I think. But indeed, where is Mr. Haavikko's public explanation about what he promised to all of us? -asked by a citizen.

I just had to loan this book from the local library to see if the reviews here were at all accurate. They are. I'm not sure what the aim of this book is. Is it to give Finnish-Americans with an interest in new age gibberish some sort of connection to mythic, mystic past? That's my theory, because it certainly doesn't have much to do with bonafide Finnish history or culture.

The authors carelessly intermingle Sami and Finnish cultural traditions, misspell or misuse Finnish words, and even worse, create something of a mockery of Finnish culture by creating this bizarre, frankly non-existent mismash of cultures and positing it as "Finnish". All I can say in conclusion is that I wish I could get back the time I wasted reading this horrid book.

I dropped this book on the floor, the minute this supposed scholar wrote Lapp. First of all, the correct term is Sami. Secondly, if you want a decent book on the Sami, don't look here. I picked up a good book while in Snasa,Norway at a Sami museum. If you want authentic information, get it directly from the source!

I'm tempted to lean towards one and a half stars for this but E-bay doesn't really let us do that.
Anyway, this isn't a horrible book. It certainly does not give any insight into authentic Finnish (or Saami) traditions, it does give some insight into modern "neo-shamanic" beliefs that are built around a historic base... and the inherent weaknesses within. In my mind, there are several great problems with the book. Not the least of which is that the author appearently doesn't speak Finnish! Aside from that, he blurs the line on the differences between Finnish, Saami and Scandinavian culture and mythology. That he calls the Saami "Lapps" (an antiquated term which many consider offensive) MIGHT be overlooked, but to claim that the Saami and Finns borrowed all their cultural beliefs from the Norse is far worse. This is not new amongst neo-Pagans, many of whom are quite intent on stealing native cultures for themselves, often strainin them through a Eurocentric medium. I can think of countless New Age gurus who claim ancient Native American or Maori secrets, often made up at the spur of the moment. So definately avoid thinking that this book provides any information on authentic Finnish culture.
Also, his other great error is that he relies far too much on literature. While the Kalevala may indeed be an excellent source for pre-Christian Finnish beliefs, it seems that he based a large portion of his book off the great epic. Again, this is rather sloppy scholarship. It would have been better to include a greater focus on archaeological studies, or even making educated guesses based off studies of other Finnic cultures. Furthermore, the fact that the book is written with a "do-it-yourself" attitude strikes me as potentially dangerous. Yes, hallucagenic mushrooms, animal sacrifice and bath houses played a major role in shamanic rites in the north, but including potentially dangerous mis-information to the public is not a good idea. It is very possible to injure oneself using mushrooms or bath houses, and improper animal sacrifices are just as bad.
Having said all of that, I do admit that it gives some insight into the thoughts and beliefs of at least some so-called "Neo-shamanists" who have appropriated cultural and religious practices and adapted them to their own culture. Such a thing is not new, nor is it entirely European. The best way to approach this text is with a skeptical, scientific view; its better to study neo-shamanic/new age beliefs with than "ancient and enlightened" Finnish culture.

Although this book clearly depicts finland and it's openness, and freedom, I felt it didn't truely capture what i love so much about it.That is it's warmth, and love, that is all this book was missing.

I was in search of a comprehensive anthology of Finnish poetry, and, in that sense, found this book quite disappointing. The youngest anthologized poets, Claes Andersson and Pentti Saarikoski, were born in 1937. In the preface, the editor states that "an anthologist must stop somewhere: I chose to stop at the latest poet to attract wide international attention". Surely there must be some Finns under 64 years old writing poetry that deserve being anthologized and translated, regardless of fame??? After reading this book, I don't really feel as if I had gained a deeper awareness of Finnish poetical tendencies, or of writers currently active in that country. I believe that some really dismal nineteenth-century pieces, as well as one frankly ugly Futurist poem whose interest can't be other than historical, might have been exchanged by work by younger writers. As it is,there is a gap in the anthology that prevents it from being a sample of Finnish poetry since its beginnings. Also, I would have appreciated more biographical info on the featured poets.
On the purely aesthetical side, bravo to Bloodaxe Books for a nice edition (the painting on the cover is superb). It's a pity that the contents were not as satisfying.

For all the hype, this is a really boring read. The writing is wooden and the story is tired. Nothing new at all, save your money

I must have missed something, considering the amount of praise heaped on the author on the dust jacket, I thought I was about to read War and Peace. There was nothing new here, and the story line moved around like a heart monitor display - no consistent track - grabs something here, something there. This really is a very disappointing book.

Juha Tetri's Kunniamerkkikirja is very bad example of how book about orders & Medals should be made. All pictures are very small and none of the items are pictured from both sides. This is currently only book that covers Finnish Orders & Medals, but I would easily find the same information on world wide web - and with better pictures. And... This is in Finnish - Short English summary does not help a lot...