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Mumintrollen #4
Pamiętniki Tatusia Muminka
Before he had a family, before he met Moominmamma, Moominpappa led a life of adventure and intrigue. But he's never told his story until now.
Now Moominpappa has a bad cold, and it's the perfect time to remember his youthful endeavors and to ponder the Experiences which have made him the remarkable Moomin he is. As he reads each chapter aloud to Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff, they, and we, learn of his triumphs and tribulations, and his momentous meetings with the Joxter, the Muddler, and a cast of other characters too incredible (especially Edward the Booble) to list here.
"Moominpappa's Memoirs" has never before been translated into English, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux is proud to be able to add this title to its other Moomin books.
Now Moominpappa has a bad cold, and it's the perfect time to remember his youthful endeavors and to ponder the Experiences which have made him the remarkable Moomin he is. As he reads each chapter aloud to Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff, they, and we, learn of his triumphs and tribulations, and his momentous meetings with the Joxter, the Muddler, and a cast of other characters too incredible (especially Edward the Booble) to list here.
"Moominpappa's Memoirs" has never before been translated into English, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux is proud to be able to add this title to its other Moomin books.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Tove Jansson
779 books3,506 followersTove Jansson was born and died in Helsinki, Finland. As a Finnish citizen whose mother tongue was Swedish, she was part of the Swedish-speaking Finns minority. Thus, all her books were originally written in Swedish.
Although known first and foremost as an author, Tove Jansson considered her careers as author and painter to be of equal importance.
Tove Jansson wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), during World War II. She said later that the war had depressed her, and she had wanted to write something naive and innocent. Besides the Moomin novels and short stories, Tove Jansson also wrote and illustrated four original and highly popular picture books.
Jansson's Moomin books have been translated into 33 languages.
Although known first and foremost as an author, Tove Jansson considered her careers as author and painter to be of equal importance.
Tove Jansson wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945), during World War II. She said later that the war had depressed her, and she had wanted to write something naive and innocent. Besides the Moomin novels and short stories, Tove Jansson also wrote and illustrated four original and highly popular picture books.
Jansson's Moomin books have been translated into 33 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 643 reviews
January 31, 2018
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Jansson's decision to switch to a first-person perspective enlivens this darling account of young Moominpappa navigating one quirky adventure after another.
Jansson's decision to switch to a first-person perspective enlivens this darling account of young Moominpappa navigating one quirky adventure after another.
February 6, 2017
I must be terribly unobservant; despite having read the Mumintroll series on and off for several decades, I had somehow not noticed that Snusmumriken and his father Joxaren are Zen masters. But this passage was so obvious that even I couldn't miss it:
När Fredrikson avlöste mig vid rodret i gryningen nämnde jag i förbigående Joxarens förvånande och fullkomliga brist på intresse för omgivningen.
Hm, sa Fredrikson. Kanske han tvärtom bryr sig om allting? Vi bryr oss om en enda sak. Du vill bli. Jag vill göra. Mitt brorsbarn vill ha. Men Joxaren bara lever.
Äsch, leva! Det kan ju vem som helst, sa jag.
Hm, sade Fredrikson.
Hur som helst, Joxarens inställning förefaller mig på något sätt slarvigt, jag menar det där att bara leva. Leva gör man väl i alla fall? Som jag ser saken är man hela tiden omgiven av massor med viktiga och betydelsefulla saker som borde upplevas och tänkas ut och erövras, det finns så fullt av möjligheter att nackhåret reser sig på ända när jag tänker på dem - och i mitten sitter jag själv och är naturligtvis det allra viktigast.
(My translation)
When Fredrikson relieved me at the tiller towards dawn, I mentioned in passing Joxaren's inexplicable and total lack of interest in what went on around him.
Hm, said Fredrikson. Maybe, on the contrary, he cares about everything? We only care about one thing. You want to become something. I want to do something. My nephew wants to own something. But Joxaren just exists.
Fiddle-de-dee, exist! I said. Anyone can do that.
Hm, said Fredrikson.
At any rate, Joxaren's attitude seems somehow irresponsible to me, I mean this business of just existing. We all exist anyway, don't we? The way I see it, you're constantly surrounded by any number of important and meaningful things that need to be experienced and thought about and conquered, there are so many possibilities that the hair on the back of my head stands on end when I just think about them - and in the middle, here I am, needless to say the most important thing of all.
January 28, 2021
My kid didn't like this as much as the last book and mostly asked if we could skip on to the next one. But in the end we both liked it.
Moominpappa's voice isn't as fun as the usual narrator, and my kid missed the usual characters, who are barely present.
That said, there are great new characters, creatures, and adventures. There's a giant whiny dragonish thing. And there's a ghost that really got my kid going. First, in horror about a scary ghost. Then, as a hilarious ghost trying to sound scary but endlessly failing.
Moominpappa's voice isn't as fun as the usual narrator, and my kid missed the usual characters, who are barely present.
That said, there are great new characters, creatures, and adventures. There's a giant whiny dragonish thing. And there's a ghost that really got my kid going. First, in horror about a scary ghost. Then, as a hilarious ghost trying to sound scary but endlessly failing.
July 20, 2010
Depending on your point of view, I have either read this book twice (once twenty years ago, and once last week), or I've read two different books one time each. Moominpappa's Memoirs is a revised edition of The Exploits of Moominpappa. It seems Jansson went back and rewrote and added bits to the original not long after its first English translation was published. The English language publishers apparently chose to pretend this hadn't happened (it must indeed have been quite vexing for them) and kept reprinting the original. A new translation was finally published in 1994.
So the burning question is: did I feel completely baffled by the unfamiliarity of much of this book because time had warped my memory, or because Jansson changed it so much? I had remembered it as a light-hearted romp much in the vein of Finn Family Moomintroll with lots of gentle absurdity and a fast-paced story, so I was eager to read it to my son, who I'm quite sure is not ready for the more disquieting tone of the later books. But upon setting forth on the story with my eager boy by my side, I saw at once that as a read aloud it would not suit. Jansson pokes fun at Moominpappa's pretentiousness and self-importance by having him narrate the story of his youth in the most ridiculously overblown pompous way, making a melodrama of everything (yet you can tell she's fond of him despite this). Here's a fairly typical passage from the first chapter:
...by and by a change came: I started to muse about the shape of my nose. I put my trivial surroundings aside and mused more and more about myself, and I found this to be a bewitching occupation. I stopped asking and longed instead to speak of my thoughts and feelings. Alas, there was no one besides myself who found me interesting.
I felt that this, and some even more abstract passages, was asking a bit too much of my son. Moomintroll, who, along with Sniff and Snuffkin is hearing the memoirs read aloud, sums it up pretty well:
"Pappa," said Moomintroll, "did one really talk in that unnatural way in those days?"
I quickly decided that I would enjoy this book much more reading it to myself, and for a few nights "forgot" to continue where we'd left off (harsh, I know).
On picking it up for myself, I found that ironically, after that highly ponderous first chapter, the fast-paced story I remembered got started. There are some funny bits. I like the boat, which was supposed to be christened "The Ocean Orchestra", but after being painted by an inept speller, is referred to as "The Oshun Oxtra" for the duration. Edward the Booble, an gigantic creature who constantly has to pay for the funerals of the creatures he steps on was mildly amusing, in a slap-sticky kind of way. There is a somewhat deeper thread to the book, in the conflict between Moominpappa's longing for adventure and his charming instinct to build houses with fretwork in a pine-cone motif. The most surprising parts of the book, both twenty years ago and now, were the revelations about Sniff and Snuffkin's respective parentage. The denoument of this felt rushed and puzzling though-- not to be spoilerish, but where had all these suddenly appearing characters been all this time? And where did they all disappear to afterwords? It was incidentally, satisfying (to a degree) to be reading the series for the first time ever in publication order, and to understand where the Mymble's Daughter and Little My came from, those two being firmly ensconced, with no explanation given, in the Moomin household at the start of the next book.
This is a strange entry in the series, but not unrewarding.
So the burning question is: did I feel completely baffled by the unfamiliarity of much of this book because time had warped my memory, or because Jansson changed it so much? I had remembered it as a light-hearted romp much in the vein of Finn Family Moomintroll with lots of gentle absurdity and a fast-paced story, so I was eager to read it to my son, who I'm quite sure is not ready for the more disquieting tone of the later books. But upon setting forth on the story with my eager boy by my side, I saw at once that as a read aloud it would not suit. Jansson pokes fun at Moominpappa's pretentiousness and self-importance by having him narrate the story of his youth in the most ridiculously overblown pompous way, making a melodrama of everything (yet you can tell she's fond of him despite this). Here's a fairly typical passage from the first chapter:
...by and by a change came: I started to muse about the shape of my nose. I put my trivial surroundings aside and mused more and more about myself, and I found this to be a bewitching occupation. I stopped asking and longed instead to speak of my thoughts and feelings. Alas, there was no one besides myself who found me interesting.
I felt that this, and some even more abstract passages, was asking a bit too much of my son. Moomintroll, who, along with Sniff and Snuffkin is hearing the memoirs read aloud, sums it up pretty well:
"Pappa," said Moomintroll, "did one really talk in that unnatural way in those days?"
I quickly decided that I would enjoy this book much more reading it to myself, and for a few nights "forgot" to continue where we'd left off (harsh, I know).
On picking it up for myself, I found that ironically, after that highly ponderous first chapter, the fast-paced story I remembered got started. There are some funny bits. I like the boat, which was supposed to be christened "The Ocean Orchestra", but after being painted by an inept speller, is referred to as "The Oshun Oxtra" for the duration. Edward the Booble, an gigantic creature who constantly has to pay for the funerals of the creatures he steps on was mildly amusing, in a slap-sticky kind of way. There is a somewhat deeper thread to the book, in the conflict between Moominpappa's longing for adventure and his charming instinct to build houses with fretwork in a pine-cone motif. The most surprising parts of the book, both twenty years ago and now, were the revelations about Sniff and Snuffkin's respective parentage. The denoument of this felt rushed and puzzling though-- not to be spoilerish, but where had all these suddenly appearing characters been all this time? And where did they all disappear to afterwords? It was incidentally, satisfying (to a degree) to be reading the series for the first time ever in publication order, and to understand where the Mymble's Daughter and Little My came from, those two being firmly ensconced, with no explanation given, in the Moomin household at the start of the next book.
This is a strange entry in the series, but not unrewarding.
November 1, 2022
3,25☆
Tatuś Muminka oficjalnie otrzymuje tytuł najbardziej egzaltacyjnego romantyka w historii literatury dziecięcej. Dziękuję za uwagę.
Tatuś Muminka oficjalnie otrzymuje tytuł najbardziej egzaltacyjnego romantyka w historii literatury dziecięcej. Dziękuję za uwagę.
July 15, 2020
One of my favourite books in the series. I love Moominpappa's sense of humour! :)
May 4, 2024
Muminki nigdy nie zawodzą. Tym razem trochę historii życia Tatusia Muminka - w całej okazałości. Przypomniałam sobie skąd się wziął Ryjek, Włóczykij i Mała Mi. Świetne przygody, pocieszne dialogi i urocze zakończenie.
October 6, 2021
Although I do generally adore Tove Jansson’s Moomins as characters, I without guilt and contrition have to admit that I have always had my personal reading pleasure issues with the character of Moominpappa, with the father, finding him rather arrogant, more than a bit selfish and to put it mildly also much too fond of the sound of his own voice. And as such, I was definitely not really looking all that much forward to reading The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself, as indeed, I definitely was worried that an entire Moomin novel where Tove Jansson (and by extension Thomas Warburton as translator) has the father not only being the main narrator but also the main protagonist writing out and reading to Moomintroll and his friends the story of his life, of his so-called exploits would more than likely be potentially a bit tedious and uninteresting, would not be all that pleasant and joyful (even though I of course was also hoping that my trepidations regarding The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself would prove to be unfounded and in error and that I would actually end up finding Moominpappa’s memoirs engaging and not what I was fearing they might be).
But no and indeed very much unfortunately, my prior to my perusal worries regarding The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself have been more than well founded (well, at least for me personally, as I do realise that the average ranking for The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself are actually quite high). For even though I have very much tried to retain my reading interest regarding the father’s presented memoirs, Moominpappa’s often rambling tirades, that almost everything seems in my opinion to focus on and revolve around him, him, him (and that these memoirs are thus also narrated by Moomintroll’s father in quite a pompous and increasingly arrogant manner) and finally that the numerous diverse storyline threads tend to become increasingly confusing with the oh so many scenarios depicted and also with the oh so many various and often strange characters appearing, disappearing and suddenly appearing again, yes, I very quickly ended up pretty massively frustrated and bored with The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself and to such an extent that I was actually often much tempted to not finish (and in fact I have only managed to complete The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself by doing a lot of skimming and trying to ignore Moominpappa’s pomposity as much as possible).
And truly, certainly, my two star rating for The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself is therefore rather generous, as I really have not AT ALL enjoyed my reading experience except for meeting the Mymble (and her children) and realising that two of Moominpappa’s friends are in fact Snufkin and Sniff’s respective fathers (Joxter and the Mudler).
But no and indeed very much unfortunately, my prior to my perusal worries regarding The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself have been more than well founded (well, at least for me personally, as I do realise that the average ranking for The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself are actually quite high). For even though I have very much tried to retain my reading interest regarding the father’s presented memoirs, Moominpappa’s often rambling tirades, that almost everything seems in my opinion to focus on and revolve around him, him, him (and that these memoirs are thus also narrated by Moomintroll’s father in quite a pompous and increasingly arrogant manner) and finally that the numerous diverse storyline threads tend to become increasingly confusing with the oh so many scenarios depicted and also with the oh so many various and often strange characters appearing, disappearing and suddenly appearing again, yes, I very quickly ended up pretty massively frustrated and bored with The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself and to such an extent that I was actually often much tempted to not finish (and in fact I have only managed to complete The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself by doing a lot of skimming and trying to ignore Moominpappa’s pomposity as much as possible).
And truly, certainly, my two star rating for The Exploits of Moominpappa: Described by Himself is therefore rather generous, as I really have not AT ALL enjoyed my reading experience except for meeting the Mymble (and her children) and realising that two of Moominpappa’s friends are in fact Snufkin and Sniff’s respective fathers (Joxter and the Mudler).
October 24, 2011
As far as Tove Jansson's work goes, Moominpappa's Memoirs may be better suited for the more mature and philosophical children (or nostalgic adults like myself). It's definitely not a bedtime read. But in my opinion no other book in the Moomin series captures quite so well the pure whimsical delight of Jansson's imagination. In fact, it's the only one that's ever brought a tear of joy to my eye.
For those who have read and enjoyed other Moomintroll books, don't be discouraged by the absence of your favorite little critters — Moominpappa and his friends are cut from the same cloth as his young wards Moomintroll, Sniff, and Snufkin. Their trials are every bit as fraught with excitement, mystery, and wonder. Their dreams are just as far fetched. And while Moominpappa is always one to linger on internal monologue, these introspective moments come off as silly rather than cumbersome.
For those who haven't yet had the pleasure of entering Tove Jansson's fantastical world, my advice is pick up another of the books first — I highly recommend starting with Finn Family Moomintroll — and then return to Moominpappa's Memoirs down the road. If you are anything like me, you won't be able to help yourself.
For those who have read and enjoyed other Moomintroll books, don't be discouraged by the absence of your favorite little critters — Moominpappa and his friends are cut from the same cloth as his young wards Moomintroll, Sniff, and Snufkin. Their trials are every bit as fraught with excitement, mystery, and wonder. Their dreams are just as far fetched. And while Moominpappa is always one to linger on internal monologue, these introspective moments come off as silly rather than cumbersome.
For those who haven't yet had the pleasure of entering Tove Jansson's fantastical world, my advice is pick up another of the books first — I highly recommend starting with Finn Family Moomintroll — and then return to Moominpappa's Memoirs down the road. If you are anything like me, you won't be able to help yourself.
December 25, 2020
In this book, Moominpappa reads his oft mentioned memoirs to the children. He introduces a brand new cast of characters to the series as he does so, which is delightful. The book is very entertaining. My one criticism would be that some elements feel like an afterthought, as though the author ran out of steam towards the end, and one plot point is never resolved at all. Oh, that’s two criticisms, isn’t it? Never mind; it’s Christmas.
November 2, 2017
Mieheni luki tätä minulle yhden luvun illassa ja minä värittelin tai piirtelin samalla. :) Olemme täysin samaa mieltä siitä, että Muumit ovat ihan parhaita ääneenlukukirjoja! Seuraavaksi on tietysti vuorossa Muumilaakson marraskuu. Otimme myös tavoitteeksi käydä ensi keväänä Tampereen Muumimuseossa. :)
July 7, 2021
"En voi kyllin painottaa, miten vaarallista on, kun ystävät menevät naimisiin tai ryhtyvät hovikeksijöiksi. Ensin on lainsuojattomien seura, joukko seikkailunhaluisia toveruksia, jotka lähtevät matkaan, kun kyllästyvät ja voivat vaeltaa mihin ikinä haluavat, koko maailma on avoinna - ja sitten, yhtäkkiä, heitä ei enää kiinnostakaan.
He haluavat olla lämpimässä. He pelkäävät sadetta. He alkavat kerätä isoja tavaroita, jotka eivät mahdu reppuun. He puhuvat vain pienistä asioista. He eivät halua tehdä äkkipäätöksiä eivätkä muuttaa mieltään. Ennen he nostivat purjeet, nyt he nikkaroivat pieniä astiahyllyjä. Kuka voi kertoa sellaisesta kyynelöimättä!" (s. 161–163)
Muumi-sarjan neljännestä osasta ei tullut lemppariani, mutta ah millaisia hahmoja kirjan sivuilla seikkailee! 💜 Drontti Edvard, joka talloo porukkaa kuoliaaksi (joko vahingossa tai suutuspäissään) ja sitten katuvaisena itkee ja kustantaa hautajaiset. Mymmeli, jolla on niin monta lasta pestävänä, syötettävänä, niistettävänä ja Mörkö ties mitä kaikkea, että hän ei ikinä EHDI olla vihainen. Ja ehdoton lempparini: kummitus, jolla ei mene säikyttelyrintamalla kovin vahvasti mutta joka onneksi viihtyy myös epäaavemaisten harrastusten parissa.
Olenko muuten ainut, joka ei tiennyt, että pikku Myy ja Nuuskamuikkunen ovat sukua toisilleen? 😮
He haluavat olla lämpimässä. He pelkäävät sadetta. He alkavat kerätä isoja tavaroita, jotka eivät mahdu reppuun. He puhuvat vain pienistä asioista. He eivät halua tehdä äkkipäätöksiä eivätkä muuttaa mieltään. Ennen he nostivat purjeet, nyt he nikkaroivat pieniä astiahyllyjä. Kuka voi kertoa sellaisesta kyynelöimättä!" (s. 161–163)
Muumi-sarjan neljännestä osasta ei tullut lemppariani, mutta ah millaisia hahmoja kirjan sivuilla seikkailee! 💜 Drontti Edvard, joka talloo porukkaa kuoliaaksi (joko vahingossa tai suutuspäissään) ja sitten katuvaisena itkee ja kustantaa hautajaiset. Mymmeli, jolla on niin monta lasta pestävänä, syötettävänä, niistettävänä ja Mörkö ties mitä kaikkea, että hän ei ikinä EHDI olla vihainen. Ja ehdoton lempparini: kummitus, jolla ei mene säikyttelyrintamalla kovin vahvasti mutta joka onneksi viihtyy myös epäaavemaisten harrastusten parissa.
Olenko muuten ainut, joka ei tiennyt, että pikku Myy ja Nuuskamuikkunen ovat sukua toisilleen? 😮
January 26, 2022
Ensimmäinen lukemani Muumi -kirja, mutta ei todennäköisesti viimeinen. Hauska tarina, jossa käsiteltiin hienosti kasvamista ja identideetin kehittymistä. Hosuli on ihana.
March 17, 2021
An ill, bedridden Moominpappa must find something to do to stave off the boredom so when Moominmamma suggests he write down his life history he seizes the opportunity and puts pen to paper. He may be the designated Patriarch of the house now but it wasn't always this way. Moominpappa began his life as a orphaned baby deposited outside a home for foundlings and this is his story.
Frustrated by the restrictive control of the Hemulen in charge at the home, a very young Moominpappa escapes and heads off into the wild world. Fortunately, he meets up and makes friends with the amiable and deeply knowledgeable Hodgkins. Noticing that both had the same spirit of adventure within them, they agree to set off in order to discover the world together along with Hodgkins' nephew, Muddler and their friend, Joxter.
All four set upon a series of adventures each tale of which is then read aloud in the present and to Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin (the children of these adventurers). I loved the fact that this is the book in which we meet Little My and Mymble (the latter of which was, amongst Tove's friends a codeword for making love). The memoirs close, as they open, on a stormy night in which Moominmamma is plucked from the raging sea (a wonderful image in both words and picture).
Memoirs (or Exploits depending on your version) was one of the most redrafted of all of Jansson's stories. The last moomin saga to be penned during the 40s, the autobiographical element was inspired by a similarly structured autobiography by Tove's favourite artist and sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini. In his own work, written in the 16th century, he reflected on how when one reaches the age of 40, one is old enough to write about your life and the adventures within. So the seed is sown for Moominpappa's own memoirs; a series of stories in which genre and viewpoint are interchangeable and memories are aplomb with fantasy and questionable authenticity.
Interestingly, it was Tove who always wanted the title to be Memoirs, but the publishers thought the term too sophisticated for the young audience and chose Exploits instead since it alluded to that sense of adventure: in time she would get her way. As a burgeoning writing of prose, Jansson enjoyed the idea that as Moominpappa wrote, he began to find his writerly identity; this mirrored her own journey through the process.
Frustrated by the restrictive control of the Hemulen in charge at the home, a very young Moominpappa escapes and heads off into the wild world. Fortunately, he meets up and makes friends with the amiable and deeply knowledgeable Hodgkins. Noticing that both had the same spirit of adventure within them, they agree to set off in order to discover the world together along with Hodgkins' nephew, Muddler and their friend, Joxter.
All four set upon a series of adventures each tale of which is then read aloud in the present and to Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin (the children of these adventurers). I loved the fact that this is the book in which we meet Little My and Mymble (the latter of which was, amongst Tove's friends a codeword for making love). The memoirs close, as they open, on a stormy night in which Moominmamma is plucked from the raging sea (a wonderful image in both words and picture).
Memoirs (or Exploits depending on your version) was one of the most redrafted of all of Jansson's stories. The last moomin saga to be penned during the 40s, the autobiographical element was inspired by a similarly structured autobiography by Tove's favourite artist and sculptor, Benvenuto Cellini. In his own work, written in the 16th century, he reflected on how when one reaches the age of 40, one is old enough to write about your life and the adventures within. So the seed is sown for Moominpappa's own memoirs; a series of stories in which genre and viewpoint are interchangeable and memories are aplomb with fantasy and questionable authenticity.
Interestingly, it was Tove who always wanted the title to be Memoirs, but the publishers thought the term too sophisticated for the young audience and chose Exploits instead since it alluded to that sense of adventure: in time she would get her way. As a burgeoning writing of prose, Jansson enjoyed the idea that as Moominpappa wrote, he began to find his writerly identity; this mirrored her own journey through the process.
April 6, 2017
Of the three Moomin books I've read so far, this one is the deepest and most philosophical. That probably makes it the most "adult" of these alleged children's books.
Of course, they've all got traces of wisdom and philosophy in them, but it really emerges here, where Moominpappa sets out to write his life story. Like the other books, it's warmly absurd and imbued with deep emotion. Moominpappa considers himself quite special, born under important stars, resulting in an expressed desire for adventure. He finds adventure on a riverboat, along with characters who are eventually revealed to be Snufkin's and Sniff's fathers.
But even on his adventures, there is still an undercurrent of longing and yearning. Near the end of the book, as his fellow adventurers begin to settle down into careers and get married (or otherwise paired off) Moominpappa despairs that his life of adventure is probably over. Raise your hand if you can relate to that! :: raises hand ::
Ironically, as more and more people fill his house, the more lonely and isolated he feels. Classic introvert. In fact, I think Jansson captures the introvert personality quite well in all her books. (Snufkin's need to frequently withdraw from people is one clear example.)
Moominpappa is me. I am Moominpappa.
Never fear. The story ends on a high note as new adventures come washing in with the tide. Literally.
I can't speak highly enough of this series. Through her whimsical cast of non-human characters, Jansson has captured the human experience, in stories that have you nodding along and saying "Yes, life is just like that."
If this hadn't been a library book, I would have been highlighting passages on nearly every page.
Of course, they've all got traces of wisdom and philosophy in them, but it really emerges here, where Moominpappa sets out to write his life story. Like the other books, it's warmly absurd and imbued with deep emotion. Moominpappa considers himself quite special, born under important stars, resulting in an expressed desire for adventure. He finds adventure on a riverboat, along with characters who are eventually revealed to be Snufkin's and Sniff's fathers.
But even on his adventures, there is still an undercurrent of longing and yearning. Near the end of the book, as his fellow adventurers begin to settle down into careers and get married (or otherwise paired off) Moominpappa despairs that his life of adventure is probably over. Raise your hand if you can relate to that! :: raises hand ::
Ironically, as more and more people fill his house, the more lonely and isolated he feels. Classic introvert. In fact, I think Jansson captures the introvert personality quite well in all her books. (Snufkin's need to frequently withdraw from people is one clear example.)
Moominpappa is me. I am Moominpappa.
Never fear. The story ends on a high note as new adventures come washing in with the tide. Literally.
I can't speak highly enough of this series. Through her whimsical cast of non-human characters, Jansson has captured the human experience, in stories that have you nodding along and saying "Yes, life is just like that."
If this hadn't been a library book, I would have been highlighting passages on nearly every page.
November 24, 2020
Interesting to contrast this with later books in the series like November or Moominpappa at Sea -- this is a much more joyful and zany book, and while it's one of the few Moomin stories that feels directly satirical, it's also one of the most child friendly. Most of what I love about it, I remember from my experience as a child -- the Island Ghost, the treasure hunt for eggs, the advent of Little My, the chase for clouds, the Niblings. The drawings are fantastic: lively, evocative and graceful, the bring the characters to life. I found reading this very comforting, although it isn't as emotionally resonant as some of the other books.
December 13, 2020
One of the few Moomin books I haven't re-read regularly since I was a kid, and that's on me, because this is just nifty. Jansson is fully aware that her protagonist is a bit silly, and turns the whole book into one of the most charming examples of unreliable narration committed to paper, explaining everything that seems to not add up or seem weird with well, that's just how you write it in memoirs... right up until the ending which seems just a little too pat, but then again, that's the way you write it in these kinds of books, and damn, it works.
August 25, 2018
Mazāk ēverģēlību - vairāk pārdomu - tās ir labākās Muminu grāmatas, un šī bija lieliska! Varoņu raksturi ir tik dzīvi, tik pazīstami.
July 13, 2020
Bawiłam się przednio powracając do Doliny Muminków. Oczywiście jest kilka rzeczy, które i tym razem nieco mnie zaskoczyły:
"Tatuś Muminka (...) Zadzwonił dzwonkiem, który zwykle oznajmiał porę posiłku, i wtedy natychmiast wbiegła po schodach Mama (...)". - patriarchat jak się patrzy
"Jeżeli oczywiście przeczytacie moje pamiętniki do końca, proponuję, żebyście znów zaczęli je czytać od początku" - Tatuś Muminka to despota
"(...) pragnę wyrazić gorące słowa podziękowania tym wszystkim, którzy swego czasu przyczynili się do ukształtowania mojego życia w to dzieło sztuki, jakim ono niezaprzeczalnie się stało (...)" - i megaloman
"Niech tatusiowie i mamusie będą ponad wszelką miarę ostrożni, zanim wydadzą na świat dzieci; zalecam im jak najdokładniejsze wyliczenia" - wielkie nieba, Tatuś Muminka jako edukator seksualny
"Żeby tak spaść między nie! (...) Nic więcej, tylko w dół i w dół, i w dół... (...) Okropnie mnie to podnieciło. Podniosłem się i zacząłem tupać po lodzie, żeby sprawdzić, czy wytrzymuje" - Tatuś Muminka przejawiał w młodości skłonności samobójcze
"Myśl o budowie domu tak mocno zawładnęła mną, że naprawdę wierzyłem, że to zbudowałem!" - wizualicja jednak nie jest skutecznym narzędziem na drodze do sukcesu i realizacji marzeń
"(...) nadeptują cię tylko przez pomyłkę. I potem przez tydzień płaczą. Pokrywają też koszty pogrzebu" - uwielbiam czarny humor w Muminkach
"Wszystko, co przyjemne, jest dobre dla żołądka" - powiedziała Mama Muminka o papierosach, choć sama nie pali
"Hatifnatowie (...) prowadzą łajdackie życie (...) - W jaki sposób? (...) - Może depczą czyjeś ogródki warzywne i piją piwo". - pewnie napadają na ogródki działkowe i grillują do upadłego, a to Ci przestępcy :D
I na koniec, ale bez zaskoczenia, znowu wino, dużo wina. Zaczynam myśleć, że jest to podstawowy trunek w spiżarni rodziny Muminków :)
"Tatuś Muminka (...) Zadzwonił dzwonkiem, który zwykle oznajmiał porę posiłku, i wtedy natychmiast wbiegła po schodach Mama (...)". - patriarchat jak się patrzy
"Jeżeli oczywiście przeczytacie moje pamiętniki do końca, proponuję, żebyście znów zaczęli je czytać od początku" - Tatuś Muminka to despota
"(...) pragnę wyrazić gorące słowa podziękowania tym wszystkim, którzy swego czasu przyczynili się do ukształtowania mojego życia w to dzieło sztuki, jakim ono niezaprzeczalnie się stało (...)" - i megaloman
"Niech tatusiowie i mamusie będą ponad wszelką miarę ostrożni, zanim wydadzą na świat dzieci; zalecam im jak najdokładniejsze wyliczenia" - wielkie nieba, Tatuś Muminka jako edukator seksualny
"Żeby tak spaść między nie! (...) Nic więcej, tylko w dół i w dół, i w dół... (...) Okropnie mnie to podnieciło. Podniosłem się i zacząłem tupać po lodzie, żeby sprawdzić, czy wytrzymuje" - Tatuś Muminka przejawiał w młodości skłonności samobójcze
"Myśl o budowie domu tak mocno zawładnęła mną, że naprawdę wierzyłem, że to zbudowałem!" - wizualicja jednak nie jest skutecznym narzędziem na drodze do sukcesu i realizacji marzeń
"(...) nadeptują cię tylko przez pomyłkę. I potem przez tydzień płaczą. Pokrywają też koszty pogrzebu" - uwielbiam czarny humor w Muminkach
"Wszystko, co przyjemne, jest dobre dla żołądka" - powiedziała Mama Muminka o papierosach, choć sama nie pali
"Hatifnatowie (...) prowadzą łajdackie życie (...) - W jaki sposób? (...) - Może depczą czyjeś ogródki warzywne i piją piwo". - pewnie napadają na ogródki działkowe i grillują do upadłego, a to Ci przestępcy :D
I na koniec, ale bez zaskoczenia, znowu wino, dużo wina. Zaczynam myśleć, że jest to podstawowy trunek w spiżarni rodziny Muminków :)
August 28, 2014
Two things I have learnt from this book.
Nevertheless, this little novel is presented as the memoirs of Moominpappa, and serves as a history for the other Moomin books, so it's a necessary read within the series.
We are introduced to the fathers of Snufkin and Sniff, and eventually their mothers too, not all quite alike their children, but sufficiently so to imagine that this is just any other story with the parents in the usual protagonists roles. Like a flashback in a comedy where the cast get a stupid haircut and old clothing and that's that.
For the first time, Little My turns up, albeit via her mother and big sister for the majority of the time, though her first few words are towards the end - not that she has joined the gang yet.
Otherwise it is the usual Moomin stock, high adventure upon the seas and land, the building of cunning modes of transport and habitation and a certain disregard for logic or common sense.
At least there's an engineer in this one, who likes cogs. I do wish the female characters were more than hat stands though.
1. Moominpappa is a narcissistic pillock.
2. Tove Jansson can't write in the first person at all well.
Nevertheless, this little novel is presented as the memoirs of Moominpappa, and serves as a history for the other Moomin books, so it's a necessary read within the series.
We are introduced to the fathers of Snufkin and Sniff, and eventually their mothers too, not all quite alike their children, but sufficiently so to imagine that this is just any other story with the parents in the usual protagonists roles. Like a flashback in a comedy where the cast get a stupid haircut and old clothing and that's that.
For the first time, Little My turns up, albeit via her mother and big sister for the majority of the time, though her first few words are towards the end - not that she has joined the gang yet.
Otherwise it is the usual Moomin stock, high adventure upon the seas and land, the building of cunning modes of transport and habitation and a certain disregard for logic or common sense.
At least there's an engineer in this one, who likes cogs. I do wish the female characters were more than hat stands though.
December 23, 2021
Faen så bra liksom
September 5, 2022
jakie to było świetne 😭 trochę bałam się zaczynać, bo naczytałam się negatywnych recenzji, ale totalnie mnie zachwyciła ta książka, opisy, nawet wady wszystkich bohaterów i cały ten muminkowy świat ❤️ od razu cieplej na serduszku
February 24, 2022
jak dobrze, że świat nie składa się z samych Goldingów
August 5, 2023
In Moominpappa’s preface to what was later revised and expanded as Moominpappa’s Memoirs (1968) we discover that this story was written in August, in anticipation of the moomin imminently attaining the venerable age of forty on the ninth day of that month.
How delightful then that it should coincide with the birthday of Tove Jansson herself, who had taken on the task of setting down the memoir and illustrating it!
And how lucky are we that Moominpappa yielded both to persuasion and to temptation to talk about himself and his early life, else we wouldn’t have been treated to the exciting stories of not just this friendly troll’s exploits but also of two other “daddies’ adventures.”
Prevailed upon to give an account of his early life, Moominpapa describes his arrival at a Hemulen's orphanage, only to find a way to escape from its constrictive regime. He meets agreeable friends such as Hodgkins the inventor (Fredrikson in Swedish), the Muddler (Rådd-djuret) and the Joxter (Joxaren) the last two of whom, we soon learn, will become the fathers of Sniff and Snufkin. They embark on a boat called Ocean Orchestra – misspelled as Oshun Oxtra – inadvertently launched by the huge Edward the Booble.
On their eventful voyage their crew enlarges with the advent of the bossy Hemulen Aunt, one of the Niblings (as the Klippdassar are here rendered), the Mymble’s Daughter, and the delightful if loquacious Ghost of Horror Island (Spöket), who all make significant impacts on unfolding events. Later, encouraged by the aged Autocrat (Självhärskaren) called Daddy Jones, Hodgkins transforms the Oshun Oxtra into a submarine, and then a flying machine. Finally we get to hear about the circumstances in which Moominpappa got to meet Moominmamma.
I wasn’t sure of this entry into the Moomin series when I first started: it felt a bit too episodic, too whimsical, even rather directionless. But delivered as a series of mini-adventures, each ending in a sort of cliffhanger, to an eager audience of Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff, the Exploits begin to morph into an odyssey, with potential adversaries, storms at sea, islands big and small, a garden party and the announcement of a wedding. And for all the whimsy – which I loved, by the way – there was a quiet emotion to be felt and enjoyed by the conclusion.
The whimsy in fact may be the catalyst for the emotion, residing as it does in most of the characters – even the seemingly cantankerous or objectionable ones – who ultimately underwent transformations into valued acquaintances or even friends. And there were delightful surprises: discovering who were the offspring of the Muddler and the Joxter, for example, indeed who was the mother of Snufkin, and who was Little My’s half-brother.
Add to this Jansson’s own line drawings, integral to the plot as well of overflowing with their own magic: the individual characterisations given form (as in the Moomin-Gallery following the Epilogue – the half- or full-page illustrations with their whiff of classic engravings or, in the seascapes, Hokusai prints. All that remains is to take us back to the month of Jansson’s birthday:
How delightful then that it should coincide with the birthday of Tove Jansson herself, who had taken on the task of setting down the memoir and illustrating it!
And how lucky are we that Moominpappa yielded both to persuasion and to temptation to talk about himself and his early life, else we wouldn’t have been treated to the exciting stories of not just this friendly troll’s exploits but also of two other “daddies’ adventures.”
Prevailed upon to give an account of his early life, Moominpapa describes his arrival at a Hemulen's orphanage, only to find a way to escape from its constrictive regime. He meets agreeable friends such as Hodgkins the inventor (Fredrikson in Swedish), the Muddler (Rådd-djuret) and the Joxter (Joxaren) the last two of whom, we soon learn, will become the fathers of Sniff and Snufkin. They embark on a boat called Ocean Orchestra – misspelled as Oshun Oxtra – inadvertently launched by the huge Edward the Booble.
On their eventful voyage their crew enlarges with the advent of the bossy Hemulen Aunt, one of the Niblings (as the Klippdassar are here rendered), the Mymble’s Daughter, and the delightful if loquacious Ghost of Horror Island (Spöket), who all make significant impacts on unfolding events. Later, encouraged by the aged Autocrat (Självhärskaren) called Daddy Jones, Hodgkins transforms the Oshun Oxtra into a submarine, and then a flying machine. Finally we get to hear about the circumstances in which Moominpappa got to meet Moominmamma.
I wasn’t sure of this entry into the Moomin series when I first started: it felt a bit too episodic, too whimsical, even rather directionless. But delivered as a series of mini-adventures, each ending in a sort of cliffhanger, to an eager audience of Moomintroll, Snufkin, and Sniff, the Exploits begin to morph into an odyssey, with potential adversaries, storms at sea, islands big and small, a garden party and the announcement of a wedding. And for all the whimsy – which I loved, by the way – there was a quiet emotion to be felt and enjoyed by the conclusion.
The whimsy in fact may be the catalyst for the emotion, residing as it does in most of the characters – even the seemingly cantankerous or objectionable ones – who ultimately underwent transformations into valued acquaintances or even friends. And there were delightful surprises: discovering who were the offspring of the Muddler and the Joxter, for example, indeed who was the mother of Snufkin, and who was Little My’s half-brother.
Add to this Jansson’s own line drawings, integral to the plot as well of overflowing with their own magic: the individual characterisations given form (as in the Moomin-Gallery following the Epilogue – the half- or full-page illustrations with their whiff of classic engravings or, in the seascapes, Hokusai prints. All that remains is to take us back to the month of Jansson’s birthday:
'The eastern sky was a wonderful rose-petal pink, promising a fine clear August day. A new door to the Unbelievable, to the Possible, a new day that can always bring you anything if you have no objection to it.' – Epilogue
July 24, 2024
"Jag kan inte nog betona faran av att ens vänner går och gifter sig (...) ena dagen är man ett laglöst sällskap, äventyrliga kamrater som sticker iväg när det blir tråkigt, man har vad som helst att välja på, hela världskartan - och så, plötsligt, är de inte intresserade längre" ❤️
January 11, 2024
Det Nifseste! Mymlens datter! Eneherskeren! Havhunden! Fjomsedyret! Fredriksen! Havsorkesteret! Nappetassene! Hemulens tante! Jokseren! Dronten Anton! Ved min hale, for et gjensyn!
December 26, 2022
Oh jah, möödas on ajad, mil esmajoones lastele suunatud raamatutes võis juba sissejuhatuses kohata kurtmist, kuidas ei sigaritel ega rummipunšil pole ikka haigest peast seda õiget maiku. Kas uskuda seejuures koduvana tädi ähvardusi, et piibu popsutamisest hakkavad käpad värisema, nina läheb kollaseks ja saba kiila, või hoopis malbet Muumimammat, kelle kinnitusel on kõik, mis mõnus tundub, ka kõhule hea, jäägu vast iga täisealise enda otsustada. Igatahes tegeletakse siin muumiraamatus uuema aja arusaamade kohaselt vägagi soositud ajaviitega, nimelt iseenda isiksuse keskpunkti asetamise ja selle ümber vahu üles löömisega. Meil lugejatena tuleks selles suhtes varuda erilist kannatlikkust ja arusaamist, sest Muumipapa lapsepõlv muumitrollide leidlastekodus polnud just kergemate killast või nagu ta ise enda eripära psühhoanalüütiliste teoreetikute vaimus seletada võtab: "Minu üheks kõige iseloomulikumaks omaduseks on tahtmine iga hinna eest ümbruskonnale muljet avaldada, äratades sel eesmärgil imetlust, kaastunnet, hirmu või ülepea mingisuguseid tundeid, mis sisaldavad nii või teisiti endas huvi. Arvata võib, et selle põhjuseks on see, et oma lapsepõlves ei leidnud ma mõistmist." (lk 144-145) Hoolimata traumeerivast kogemustebaasist õnnestub Muumipapal siiski luua püsivaid pere- ja seltskondlikke suhteid ning ühtlasi kindlustada end seeläbi huvitunud kuulajaskonnaga, kellele siis oma grandioosse nooruspõlve memuaare peatükk peatüki haaval ette saab kanda. Nii kohtume ka meie lugejatena neid ettekandeid jälgides selliste markantsete tegelaskujude nagu näiteks Fredriksoni, Nuhklooma, Sekeldaja või dront Edwardiga. Ja mis puutub veel tuhandepäisesse pleektatsude kampa ja hatifnattidesse...! Kuid mõttekriips, mõttekriips – muidugi ei tohiks me spoilerdamissüüdistuste vältimiseks laskuda arutusse patramisse kõigest sellest, millest siin raamatus veel juttu on. Järjest sügavamale Muumimamma keedupottide tagusesse köögipsühholoogiasse kaevununa teeksin siiski lõpetuseks ühe ettepaneku: FOMO kui tehnoloogia arenguga sagenenud psühholoogiline probleem tuleks ümber nimetada Muumipapa sündroomiks, sest vaevalt küll, et leiaksime varasematest kirjalikest mälestistest selle valuliku tundega nii üksüheselt samastatava pihtimuse: "Mul oli kohutav tunne, et kõik suured seiklused lakkamatult vaheldusid üksteisega kuskil seal, kus mind polnud – vägevad, värvikad seiklused, mis enam iialgi ei kordu. Mul oli kiire, kohutavalt kiire!" (lk 77)
October 12, 2021
This is the first Moomin novel (excluding The Moomins and the Great Flood, a shorter story) I am reviewing that I never read as a child. It was always out of stock, but a friend whom I introduced to the Moomins had it and I was always mildly envious. Back then, the English edition of the book was called The Exploits of Moominpappa, and my friend would have been reading the original version of this story which I don’t have access to. Jansson revised the book extensively in 1968, adding a prologue and new episodes. But the English translation of the new version, now known as The Memoirs of Moominpappa was not published until 1994. By that stage childhood was well in the past.
Moominpappa’s memoirs are a new approach to the world of the Moomins. It’s a generational change, in which Moominpappa, for the first time, takes centre stage in the story – he has always been a somewhat marginal character until now – and tells of his growing up and his adventurous spirit. In telling his story he also introduces us to Hodgkins, a ship owner and inventor, as well as the Muddler and his button collection, and the Joxter with his anti-establishment mindset and disinterest in owning or doing anything. The Muddler and the Joxter are fathers to Sniff and Snufkin, respectively. Moominpappa also introduces us to one of the most hilarious characters in the Moomin world so far, Edward the Booble, a creature so large that he is able to dam a river if he sits in it. Edward the Booble has a tendency to accidently squash people, but we feel he is well meaning, since he pays for the funerals. Unfortunately, Edward the Booble has run out of money, and is getting a little agitated about the prospect of squashing anyone else.
Jansson’s 1968 prologue wonderfully anticipates Moominpappa’s character and gives a humorous context for his memoirs. Moominpappa has been laid low by a cold and sore throat. He asks Moominmama to fetch Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin to his bed. He then tells them never to forget that they had had the privilege of spending their early lives in the company of a genuine adventurer. This vignette tells us almost all we need to know about Moominpappa: he is vain, self-important and insecure. His incapacity and his domestic security seem to belie his pretensions of an adventurous spirit. And he is handled by Moominmamma like a troubled child. When no-one seems to understand the import of the meerschaum tram, a drawing room decoration (Moominmamma dismisses it as a lottery prize) he quails at the thought that he might die and no one would know his story or understand the significance of his life. Moominmamma hands him an exercise book and encourages him to write his memoirs. He does, and his reading the story to his family, interspersed with their reactions to it, are the basis of this book.
This book is charming and funny, and much of that comes from Moominpappa’s first person narration. He cannot help revealing more about himself than he should, and humanises the foibles of fathers for his readers:
You, innocent little child, who thinks your father is a dignified and serious person, when you read this story of three fathers’ adventures you should bear in mind that one pappa is very like another (at least when young).
His strong sense of self-worth and self-importance is cumulative: I’ve achieved quite a lot of good things he tells us; That must have been because of my inherited ability but also because of talent, sound judgment and self-criticism he reasons; This special talent must be inborn; and I wouldn’t be surprised if my swaddling clothes had been embroidered with a royal crown. When asked by Sniff and Snufkin to hear more about their own fathers, Moominpappa tells them, Your old fathers are simply so much background. But Moominpappa is also creature fighting self-doubt. When he first looks into a mirror, he discovers that his paws are too small, helpless and childish. And his own sense of self does not find its equal in the world: Alas, there was no one besides myself who found me interestingq> he laments. He is also not beyond self-pity: Oh, how sorry I felt for myself! And he must overcome his desire for a sedentary, safe life to fulfil his self-conception as an adventurer: Is it possible for a house owner to be an adventurer? he asks. When Moominpappa and his friends colonise an island (they hardly understand what a colony is) he becomes morose and bored: I began to feel almost contented. I felt such a colossal pity for myself. In Moominpappa’s memoirs we see a youthful character, full of hope, determination and drive. But his writing also anticipates the older Moominpappa of Moominpappa at Sea, who once more retires to an island with a lighthouse, except this time it is because he lacks purpose and joy in his life as his family grows. The two books capture him at these two different junctures in his life.
Jansson’s writing is skilful and subtle, as always, even if Moominpappa’s pronouncements of his own talents sometimes border on the braggadocios. Yet he is balanced nicely by the even-keeled Moominmamma who is sensible enough to support his writing but tell him the truth. When Moominpappa expresses doubts about the more sombre aspects of his memoir – the ‘Crisis of my Youth’ – Moominmamma understands the importance of Moominpappa recording his doubts, suggesting that it reveals a more rounded and interesting character: Everything’ll be much more vivid if you have some passages where you aren’t bragging, she tell him.
But Moominpappa’s character is also defined by the characters who surround him. Far from being an individual talent and extraordinary adventurer, Moominpappa’s conflicted character can be seen in the ineptitude of the Muddler, as well as the grim Hattifatteners, a race of silent creatures who draw energy from storms, who constantly roam the earth seeking its horizon, whom Moominpappa pointedly refuses to write about. But it is the Joxter who unsettles Moominpappa, unconcerned as he is with doing or having. Hodgkin’s suggests, despite Moominpappa’s doubts, that the Joxter does take an interest in his world, but his relationship with it is not the same as theirs: For ourselves there is always one single interest, he tells Moominpappa. You want to become. I want to do. My nephew wants to have. But the Joxster just lives. The Joxster represents a philosophical tranquility that eludes Moominpappa, and for which he will continue to search in Moominpappa at Sea.
In The Memoirs of Moominpappa we are given an insight into Moominpappa’s later insecurities and dissatisfactions. It is also an entertaining and funny backstory, not only for Moominpappa, but Sniff and Snufkin, whose father’s share in Moominpappa’s adventures, and the first meeting of Moominpappa and Moominmamma, a thrilling adventure in itself. The book offers an interesting perspective for young readers: that their own parents were once young and facing the uncertainties of life they must also come to grapple with, too; that their parents aren’t perfect. In that sense it is a humanising book and a fine addition to the Moomin stories which are, after all, if anything, about family.
https://readingproject.neocities.org/
Moominpappa’s memoirs are a new approach to the world of the Moomins. It’s a generational change, in which Moominpappa, for the first time, takes centre stage in the story – he has always been a somewhat marginal character until now – and tells of his growing up and his adventurous spirit. In telling his story he also introduces us to Hodgkins, a ship owner and inventor, as well as the Muddler and his button collection, and the Joxter with his anti-establishment mindset and disinterest in owning or doing anything. The Muddler and the Joxter are fathers to Sniff and Snufkin, respectively. Moominpappa also introduces us to one of the most hilarious characters in the Moomin world so far, Edward the Booble, a creature so large that he is able to dam a river if he sits in it. Edward the Booble has a tendency to accidently squash people, but we feel he is well meaning, since he pays for the funerals. Unfortunately, Edward the Booble has run out of money, and is getting a little agitated about the prospect of squashing anyone else.
Jansson’s 1968 prologue wonderfully anticipates Moominpappa’s character and gives a humorous context for his memoirs. Moominpappa has been laid low by a cold and sore throat. He asks Moominmama to fetch Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin to his bed. He then tells them never to forget that they had had the privilege of spending their early lives in the company of a genuine adventurer. This vignette tells us almost all we need to know about Moominpappa: he is vain, self-important and insecure. His incapacity and his domestic security seem to belie his pretensions of an adventurous spirit. And he is handled by Moominmamma like a troubled child. When no-one seems to understand the import of the meerschaum tram, a drawing room decoration (Moominmamma dismisses it as a lottery prize) he quails at the thought that he might die and no one would know his story or understand the significance of his life. Moominmamma hands him an exercise book and encourages him to write his memoirs. He does, and his reading the story to his family, interspersed with their reactions to it, are the basis of this book.
This book is charming and funny, and much of that comes from Moominpappa’s first person narration. He cannot help revealing more about himself than he should, and humanises the foibles of fathers for his readers:
You, innocent little child, who thinks your father is a dignified and serious person, when you read this story of three fathers’ adventures you should bear in mind that one pappa is very like another (at least when young).
His strong sense of self-worth and self-importance is cumulative: I’ve achieved quite a lot of good things he tells us; That must have been because of my inherited ability but also because of talent, sound judgment and self-criticism he reasons; This special talent must be inborn; and I wouldn’t be surprised if my swaddling clothes had been embroidered with a royal crown. When asked by Sniff and Snufkin to hear more about their own fathers, Moominpappa tells them, Your old fathers are simply so much background. But Moominpappa is also creature fighting self-doubt. When he first looks into a mirror, he discovers that his paws are too small, helpless and childish. And his own sense of self does not find its equal in the world: Alas, there was no one besides myself who found me interestingq> he laments. He is also not beyond self-pity: Oh, how sorry I felt for myself! And he must overcome his desire for a sedentary, safe life to fulfil his self-conception as an adventurer: Is it possible for a house owner to be an adventurer? he asks. When Moominpappa and his friends colonise an island (they hardly understand what a colony is) he becomes morose and bored: I began to feel almost contented. I felt such a colossal pity for myself. In Moominpappa’s memoirs we see a youthful character, full of hope, determination and drive. But his writing also anticipates the older Moominpappa of Moominpappa at Sea, who once more retires to an island with a lighthouse, except this time it is because he lacks purpose and joy in his life as his family grows. The two books capture him at these two different junctures in his life.
Jansson’s writing is skilful and subtle, as always, even if Moominpappa’s pronouncements of his own talents sometimes border on the braggadocios. Yet he is balanced nicely by the even-keeled Moominmamma who is sensible enough to support his writing but tell him the truth. When Moominpappa expresses doubts about the more sombre aspects of his memoir – the ‘Crisis of my Youth’ – Moominmamma understands the importance of Moominpappa recording his doubts, suggesting that it reveals a more rounded and interesting character: Everything’ll be much more vivid if you have some passages where you aren’t bragging, she tell him.
But Moominpappa’s character is also defined by the characters who surround him. Far from being an individual talent and extraordinary adventurer, Moominpappa’s conflicted character can be seen in the ineptitude of the Muddler, as well as the grim Hattifatteners, a race of silent creatures who draw energy from storms, who constantly roam the earth seeking its horizon, whom Moominpappa pointedly refuses to write about. But it is the Joxter who unsettles Moominpappa, unconcerned as he is with doing or having. Hodgkin’s suggests, despite Moominpappa’s doubts, that the Joxter does take an interest in his world, but his relationship with it is not the same as theirs: For ourselves there is always one single interest, he tells Moominpappa. You want to become. I want to do. My nephew wants to have. But the Joxster just lives. The Joxster represents a philosophical tranquility that eludes Moominpappa, and for which he will continue to search in Moominpappa at Sea.
In The Memoirs of Moominpappa we are given an insight into Moominpappa’s later insecurities and dissatisfactions. It is also an entertaining and funny backstory, not only for Moominpappa, but Sniff and Snufkin, whose father’s share in Moominpappa’s adventures, and the first meeting of Moominpappa and Moominmamma, a thrilling adventure in itself. The book offers an interesting perspective for young readers: that their own parents were once young and facing the uncertainties of life they must also come to grapple with, too; that their parents aren’t perfect. In that sense it is a humanising book and a fine addition to the Moomin stories which are, after all, if anything, about family.
https://readingproject.neocities.org/
November 28, 2023
Wspaniała książka opisująca burzliwą młodość Tatusia Muminka, a także jego niebywały intelekt(w który wierzy głównie on, ale to się liczy) i trochę też ojca Włóczykija, który jest równie wychillowany co syn
March 11, 2024
Miten mulla kesti yli kaksi vuotta saada näin lyhyt kirja luettua? Ei paras muumikirjoista, satunnaisia tirskahduksia sai aikaan mun lempihahmo eli aave.
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