From Six Decades: Memoirs of Finland

Schauman, August, 1826-1896Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0
Word count
924K words
Chapters
93

Tags

Foreign Language Books General Biography Social ChangePatriotismPersonal MemoirDocumentary Narrative19th CenturySocial ObservationFinnish Memoirs

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Kuuden vuosikymmenen ajoilta: Muistelmia Suomesta by August SchaumanAuthor: Schauman, August, 1826-1896,Language: Finnish, Class: DK: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Russia, Former Soviet Republics, Poland, Release Date: Oct 17, 2015

Editor's review

This is a historical memoir written in Finnish. Its author, August Schauman, was born in 1826 and lived through nearly six decades of change in Finnish society. Using personal memory as its thread, the book sketches the social landscape, political atmosphere, and daily life of Finland under the Russian Empire, and has both historical value and literary readability. As a memoir, its narrative bears the clear imprint of its era and a personal perspective; it can supplement the details of official histories while conveying the observational habits and emotional temperature of nineteenth-century Finnish intellectuals. Published free by Project Gutenberg, it is suitable as supplementary reading for Nordic history, Finnish history, or the memoir genre. It is best read as a primary-source text, with attention to the tension between personal memory and historical fact. Since the original is in Finnish, non-Finnish readers will need a translation or parallel reading, and are advised to consult background material on Finnish history alongside it.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. First learn the basic framework of nineteenth-century Finnish history before entering the memoir's details, to avoid confusing people and events.
  2. Read in chronological order, noting the place names and people the author mentions for easy cross-reference.
  3. Compare the personal narrative with standard histories to appreciate both the memoir's subjectivity and its value as a source.
  4. Non-Finnish readers can begin with a translation or summary, then read key chapters against the original.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

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FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical source? It is the personal memoir of August Schauman, a work of historical narrative rather than fiction. It records changes in Finnish society over the sixty years its author experienced and has the character of a primary source, but it carries a personal perspective and memory bias, so it should be read against standard histories.
Can I read this book without knowing Finnish? The original is in Finnish, so readers who do not know the language will need a translation, translation tools, or a summary for comparison. It is advisable to learn the background of nineteenth-century Finnish history first and then read selected key chapters closely; otherwise the language and era gap can make the book hard to enter.
What background knowledge is needed before reading? It helps to know the basic historical outline of Finland under the Russian Empire and to understand the social classes, language situation, and political environment of the time. With this background, the names, places, and events in the memoir are easier to place and the reading experience is smoother.
Is this book suitable for academic citation? It can be used as a primary source, but with caution. A memoir reflects the author's personal perspective and memory and may contain bias or omissions. For academic citation, cross-check it against official archives and contemporary documents, and note its nature as a memoir.

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About the author

Schauman, August, 1826-1896 Author · Finnish · 1826–1896

August Schauman (1826–1896) was a Finnish clergyman and an activist in the Fennoman movement, long devoted to promoting the Finnish language and national education. One work by him is held in the collection, the memoir Kuuden vuosikymmenen ajoilta: Muistelmia Suomesta, whose title means "From the Times of the Sixties: Recollections of Finland." Written from a first-hand perspective, the book records changes in Finnish society and national culture and bears the clear marks of its era, serving as a historical source for understanding nineteenth-century Finnish national awakening and the development of language education. Public information on the details of his life is limited; what can be confirmed is his identity as a clergyman, his stance in the Fennoman movement, and the memoir mentioned above.