Human Fates

Järnefelt, Arvid, 1861-1932Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.4
Word count
193K words
Chapters
20

Tags

Foreign Language Books Foreign Literature Portrait GalleryFate and FortuneFamily BondsHuman NatureLife PhilosophyPsychological InsightTragic MoodFinnish Literature

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.Ihmiskohtaloja by Arvid JärnefeltAuthor: Järnefelt, Arvid, 1861-1932,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Oct 10, 2004

Editor's review

Ihmiskohtaloja (meaning “Human Fates”) is a work by the Finnish author Arvid Järnefelt, written in Finnish and now circulated by Project Gutenberg as a free ebook. Järnefelt was active from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and his writing often engages with social reality and the individual's circumstances; the title itself points to a gaze upon and reflection on human fate. As a Finnish-language literary work that has entered the public domain, its value lies first at the level of language and literary history: readers can encounter the original texture of Finnish narrative prose and sense how Nordic literature expressed itself at a particular historical stage. The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to search, copy, and read across devices, making it suitable as language-learning material or as a primary text for comparative literary study. A caveat: this is an original Finnish-language work, and the barrier to reading lies mainly in the language rather than the length. It is recommended for readers with some grounding in Finnish or with a research interest in Finnish literature and Nordic culture; those who merely want a plot summary will need to look for a translation or secondary studies.

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Reading tips

  1. Look up the author Järnefelt's life and writing background before starting the text; understanding will be smoother.
  2. Finnish learners can read closely paragraph by paragraph with a dictionary and compile vocabulary and sentence patterns into notes.
  3. If reading proves difficult, first find a translation or related research articles to grasp the plot framework.
  4. Use the electronic edition's search function to mark characters and key passages for easy review and comparison.

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

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20

FAQ

What language is this book written in, and what language foundation is needed? This is an original Finnish-language work; the Project Gutenberg edition lists Finnish as its language. Reading the main text requires some foundation in Finnish vocabulary and grammar; if you have no Finnish at all, it is advisable to look for a translation or related research materials before deciding whether to use the original.
How does the Project Gutenberg edition differ from an ordinary publication? Project Gutenberg provides free electronic texts in the public domain that are easy to download, search, and copy; they usually lack the annotations, introduction, or carefully proofread typography of a modern publisher. It suits research, language learning, and electronic reading, but does not offer the layout experience of a printed book.
Can I read it without knowing Finnish literary background? You can read it, but depth of understanding will be affected. It is advisable to first learn about the era of the author Järnefelt and the general landscape of Finnish literature, then read the main text, so as to better grasp the work's theme of humanity and fate.

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About the author

Järnefelt, Arvid, 1861-1932 Author

Arvid Järnefelt (1861–1932) was a Finnish author. The library holds 23 of his works, commonly classified under inspirational growth. His representative works include Veneh'ojalaiset, Helena: Romaani, Valtaset, Isänmaa, Heräämiseni, Maa kuuluu kaikille! Matkoiltani Laukon laulumailla, Maaemon lapsia and Orjan oppi. Because public information is limited, the details of his life cannot be firmly established; nevertheless, the titles and themes of his works suggest that he often wrote about rural life, homeland, labour and personal awakening. His writing shows a clear realist tendency and a strong moral inquiry, focusing on ordinary people's circumstances and spiritual growth. His works are of some significance in the context of Nordic literature and the development of Finnish national consciousness, and are suitable for readers interested in Finnish literature and themes of growth.