The directory «Plots»

Linna Vaino
(1920—1992)

Finnish writer. To understand Linna, one must realize that changes in prose were also underway after the WW II, though they moved slowly. Two main lines soon became established in Finnish fiction: a traditional one, based on the old rural realism and the working-class novel, and a more experimental trend, which sought new structural and stylistic forms. The most astringent and repercussive national self-criticism found expression in the novels of Vaino Linna. His epic war novel The Unknown Soldier (1954) gave rise to nationwide controversy and gained an unprecedented success. It is a truthful, unvarnished description of war and the internal relationships of a small military unit, particularly of the relationships between the officers and the rank and file. Its characters and their sayings soon became common national property. It has been said that The Unknown Soldier is the first anti-war novel ever written in this century.

Finland, 1996, «The Unknown Soldier»

Finland, 1997, «Under the North Star» (Vaino Linna)

Finland, 1996, «The Unknown Soldier»