The Eternal Struggle
Johannes LinnankoskiProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019
Rating 3.7- Word count
- 150K words
- Chapters
- 16
Tags
Foreign Literature Life ChoicesFate and FortuneLove EntanglementsTragic LovePsychological InsightIdeals and RealityClassic RetranslationPopular ExplanationNordic SettingFinnish LiteratureSummary
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.Ikuinen taistelu by Johannes LinnankoskiAuthor: Linnankoski, Johannes, 1869-1913,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Dec 8, 2013Editor's review
Ikuinen taistelu (The Eternal Struggle) is a work of Finnish literature by Johannes Linnankoski, written between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and a classic of Finnish-language literature. Linnankoski is known for his depictions of Finnish rural life and inner human conflict, and this book continues his focus on the tension between ideal and reality, the individual and the community. As a free ebook released by Project Gutenberg, its greatest value lies in offering Finnish readers and scholars of Nordic literature a convenient entry point to the original text, and in allowing readers to observe the spiritual character of Finnish literature during the period of national awakening. Reading the book requires some knowledge of Finnish, and it is suitable as advanced reading for language learners or as supplementary material for comparative literature research. It is not a light, plot-driven diversion but a work better read slowly in a quiet setting, to appreciate the rhythm of its language and the weight of its ideas.Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with intermediate to advanced Finnish reading ability who wish to engage with original Finnish literature
- Scholars and students of Nordic literature or the history of Finnish national literature
- Comparative literature readers interested in idealist themes in late nineteenth-century European literature
Not a good fit for
- General readers with no Finnish at all who cannot read the original text
- Casual readers looking for light plots and fast-paced narrative
Reading tips
- Learn about Linnankoski's life and the periods of Finnish literary history first; the text will be easier to understand
- Keep a Finnish dictionary or a parallel translation at hand, and slow down to work through long sentences paragraph by paragraph
- After finishing, connect the book to the historical background of Finland's national awakening and trace its conflict between ideal and reality
About the publisher
Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971Project 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
- 2
- 3
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- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
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- 11
- 12
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- 16
FAQ
Can I read this book without knowing Finnish?
The original text is in Finnish, and Project Gutenberg provides the Finnish electronic text. Without Finnish, reading will be very difficult; it is better to look for a translation or use the book as language-learning material alongside a dictionary rather than as an introductory text.Is this book suitable for learning Finnish?
Yes, but it is better suited to intermediate and advanced learners. Linnankoski's language is literary and period-colored, with long sentences that can frustrate beginners. Try it after you have basic grammar and a reasonable vocabulary, and use notes or a guide.Why is this book released as a free ebook?
It is released by Project Gutenberg, a platform dedicated to providing free ebooks. Its founder, Michael Hart, pioneered ebook practice in 1971, and the project has allowed public-domain literary works to circulate widely so that readers can obtain the texts free of charge.This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Johannes Linnankoski Author · Finnish · 1869–1913Johannes Linnankoski (1869–1913), born Vihtori Johan Peltonen, was a Finnish novelist and social activist who devoted his life to awakening Finnish national consciousness. His work spans fiction and drama; nine of his titles are held here, including The Song of the Blood-Red Flower, The Battle of Heikkilä Farm, The Eternal Struggle, The Fugitives, The Cursed: A Dream in Nine Fragments, and Samson and Delilah: A Play in Three Acts, as well as an Esperanto translation of The Battle of Heikkilä Farm. He often explored sin and redemption, individual struggle and national destiny, in a style both lyrical and symbolic. His works have been adapted for film several times and remain influential in Finnish literature. He died in Helsinki. Public information on his life and education is limited.