This is part of an ongoing series where I write about a different author for each letter of the alphabet. You can see them all here.
It was really difficult to decide whether to use Tove Jansson or Shirley Jackson for ‘J’ – two authors I love, and two authors I’ve read widely. But I went for Tove Jansson because I’ve loved her longer – and because there ARE some books I haven’t read by her. (By the by, if you’re concerned about my windowframes in the pic – fear not! A painter is coming to sort them out soon.)
How many books do I have by Tove Jansson?
I’ve got 12 books by Jansson, which I think includes all of her works for adults that have been translated into English. I’ve only actually got one of her Moomin books which, in the fine tradition of these posts, I forgot to include in the picture. I might have one or two more Moomin books that I’ve forgotten about, but my children’s books are under the bed so who knows.
How many of these have I read?
I’ve read almost all of the novels and short story collections – and Moominpappa at Sea. Let’s say 9 in total. I know she is best loved for the Moomin books, but maybe I came to them too late, or maybe I just prefer her (and all writers) when she is writing about real people. I will go onto her other Moomin books at some point, I’m sure, but to be honest I often forget that she wrote anything for children.
From the stack pictured, I haven’t read the collected letters yet, and I’m saving Sun City. It’s not in print, and I can’t bear the idea of getting to the bottom of my Jansson novel pile. There is a novel that hasn’t been translated yet – Stenåkern or The Field of Stones – but I don’t know if Sort Of are planning to bring out an edition. I do hope so! I’m also not entirely sure I’ve read Sculptor’s Daughter all the way through – quite a lot of the stories appear in the collection A Winter Book, and I seem to remember reading the others at some point.
How did I start reading Tove Jansson?
I did watch the Moomin cartoon growing up, but it was in about 2003 that my friend Barbara lent me her copy of The Summer Book and I became an instant fan. At that point, very little had been translated – so it’s been good fun waiting for them to appear in bookshops.
General impressions…
Jansson is one of my favourite writers, and I love pretty much everything she’s written. Her stories are often beautiful, observant gems, and I love her experimental epistolary or fragmented stories too. She can do dark brilliantly, in The True Deceiver, and her sweeter books remain uncloying because she never has a moment of sentimentality.
Of course, I have only read her through her translators – usually Thomas Teal, but also Silvester Mazzarella and one or two others. Teal and Jansson are ideal collaborators, and I sincerely hope he’ll finish off anything remaining. And if he doesn’t – well, of course I have the Moomins waiting for me.