What a madcap adventure, set at the ends of the Earth. Though Elina Ylijaako’s father’s family home is in Lapland, when she travels up there from further south in Finland each summer she feels like an outsider. She has to run the gauntlet of weird locals in her mission to catch an enchanted pike from the mosquito-surrounded pond. The novel is set over five days – the length of time she has to be successful in her quest.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, but several legendary creatures are ranged against Elina: a knacky (some kind of water sprite?), a frakus, a raskel. All of them seem more mischievous than dangerous, but you never can tell. As in fairy tales, there are alliances and tricks and betrayals to come.
In the meantime, a female police detective named Janatuinen is newly arrived in town. Sections devoted to her, and flashbacks to Elina’s relationship with a school friend and first love interest, Jousia, widen the frame.
And then a rumour of further fantastical combatants, with the mayor possessed by a wraith that makes him ravenous all the time. Elina has to defeat the knacky and catch the pike, all while serving as bait for the locals’ broader plan to entrap the wraith…
I think Summer Fishing in Lapland may be only the fourth Finnish novel I’ve encountered, after Mr. Darwin’s Gardener by Kristina Carlson, The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna, and Land of Snow and Ashes by Petra Rautiainen; it had the most in common with the Paasilinna, in terms of sheer oddness.
This is journalist Karila’s debut, first published in 2019. It’s been a bestseller in its native Finland. The press materials compared the work to Murakami, which was a draw. In the end I found it rather silly, but those more comfortable with fantasy may feel differently.
I did love the place descriptions, including some lovely incidental nature writing and unexpected metaphors: “Thick, dark clouds like the burnt bottom of a rice pudding were gathering there.” Is a summer trip to Lapland for you?
(Translated from the Finnish by Lola Rogers.)
With thanks to Pushkin Press for the proof copy for review.
I was happy to close out the blog tour for Summer Fishing in Lapland. See below for where other reviews have appeared, including Annabel’s, which is significantly more enthusiastic!
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
For some reason, this fantasy-hater is a little drawn in to your account of his adventure. I shan’t invest huge amounts into sourcing it, but if it comes my way, I’ll give it a real chance to seduce me.
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Read Annabel’s review and you’ll be even more convinced!
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I,m on my way …
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We collect Scandinavian and Finish literature and like especially her books and those of Arto Paasilina. We lived for quite a while in Finish Lapland and think she has captured the atmosphere there quite well.
Thanks for your review
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Juhani Karila is a man; I wouldn’t have known from the name as I’m not familiar with naming conventions in Finnish, but there was a photo and bio in the back of the book. I’m glad to hear you think it’s an authentic picture of Lapland.
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Oh dear, I was absent-minded. Juhani is male.
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Thanks for the link Rebecca. As you know I’m a big fan of the quirky, and I like the intrusion of the supernatural into things, so I think I was bound to love this novel.
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I intended to back out and post an excerpt but couldn’t get back in touch with the publicist all week. Much more up your street!
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Juhani could be both in Finish. I thought of the famous Finish architect Juhani Pallasmaa, a man.
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Sounds wacky but kind of fun! I’ve never read a novel set in Finland. But I just watched an episode of Somebody Feed Phil set in Helsinki and it looks absolutely lovely!
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Wacky for sure! I’ve read Icelandic stuff that was similarly quirky.
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