The Israelites: A Story

Lassila, Maiju, 1868-1918Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 198K words
Chapters: 20

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.Israelitar: Kertomus by Maiju LassilaAuthor: Lassila, Maiju, 1868-1918,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Jun 9, 2016

Editor's review

Israelitar: Kertomus is a narrative work by the Finnish author Maiju Lassila (1868–1918), written in Finnish and now freely available as an ebook from Project Gutenberg. Lassila is a distinctive realist writer in Finnish literary history whose works often depict rural and small-town life with humor and satire, focusing on ordinary people caught between society and faith. Titled “The Israelites,” the book in fact sets biblical imagery against Finnish rural society to unfold a story with allegorical overtones, through which readers can glimpse the customs, religious atmosphere, and human relations of Finnish society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a public-domain ebook, its value lies not only in the text itself but also in offering readers studying Finnish literature, Nordic realist narrative, and the digital humanities work of Project Gutenberg a free and reliable primary text. It suits slow reading in a quiet setting and can also serve as advanced reading material for learners of Finnish. Note that the book is in the original Finnish, with no Chinese translation or annotations, so the barrier to reading is relatively high.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate and advanced language learners of Finnish who wish to engage with original literature
Readers studying Nordic realist literature and the history of Finnish literature
Literature enthusiasts interested in the combination of biblical imagery and rural social narrative
Researchers who need free public-domain electronic texts for textual analysis

Not a good fit for

Ordinary readers with no knowledge of Finnish who only want a Chinese translation
Casual readers expecting fast-paced plots or popular stories
Beginner readers of foreign literature who need detailed annotations and introductions

Reading tips

First learn about Lassila's life and the social context of late nineteenth-century Finland, then begin the text.
Prepare a Finnish dictionary or translation tools, read slowly chapter by chapter, and mark religious terms as you go.
Compare with the biblical passages concerning “the Israelites” to appreciate the allegorical meaning of the title.
After finishing, organize the character relationships and rural scenes, and write a short summary of your own themes.

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.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

According to available information, the book is a Finnish-language ebook released by Project Gutenberg, and no Chinese translation is mentioned. Chinese readers who do not know Finnish will need translation tools or a version in another language.

What kind of writer is Lassila?

Maiju Lassila is a Finnish realist writer whose works often depict rural and small-town life with humorous and satirical strokes, focusing on ordinary people's circumstances amid society and faith. This book continues that combination of rural narrative and allegorical flavor.

Why is the book titled “The Israelites”?

The title “Israelitar” means “Israelites” in Finnish. Given Lassila's writing style, the title most likely uses biblical imagery to set against Finnish rural society, carrying allegorical and satirical overtones; its specific meaning needs to be understood in light of the plot while reading the text.

Can this ebook be read directly for free?

Yes. The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain ebook, and readers can obtain the text on its platform. Since 1971 Project Gutenberg has been dedicated to producing and distributing free ebooks, and this book is one of them.

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About the author

Lassila, Maiju, 1868-1918 Author

Lassila, Maiju (1868–1918) is an important author in Finnish literary history. Public information about her is limited, and the details of her life are not recorded in the available sources, yet the thirty works held here show how prolific she was. Her representative works include Tulitikkuja lainaamassa, Kuolleista herännyt: Seikkailukertomus eli etsijän tarina, Manasse Jäppinen, Pojat asialla and Mestari Nyke: Romaani, merkkiteos, whose titles often suggest humour, adventure and everyday life. Her output spans novels and stage works; Luonnon lapsia: 4-näytöksinen huvinäytelmä, for instance, is a four-act comedy. She often drew on rural figures and the fortunes of ordinary people, writing in a light, playful tone with gentle satire of human manners and social life. Her works circulated widely among Finnish readers, and some have become enduring pieces in the national literary tradition.