The Engagement Party

Robert KiljanderProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 109K words
Chapters: 11

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.Kihlajaiskemut by Robert KiljanderAuthor: Kiljander, Robert, 1848-1924,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Aug 21, 2006

Editor's review

Kihlajaiskemut is a play by the Finnish author Robert Kiljander, a public-domain Finnish-language ebook from Project Gutenberg. Kiljander was active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and his work is associated with the development of Finnish national drama. This play uses an engagement party as its situational thread and has the flavor of a comedy of manners. Through dialogue, it presents misunderstandings, social competition, and the ways of the world in social settings; the language is lively, and the play is suitable for readers who wish to understand the face of early modern Finnish drama. Because the original is in Finnish, reading requires some language foundation; it is advisable to work through it gradually with a dictionary or bilingual materials. As a free electronic text, it is convenient for drama researchers and language learners to consult on electronic devices, and it is also suitable as supplementary reading for courses in Nordic literature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Language learners who are studying Finnish and wish to use a short play to practice reading.
Researchers and students studying early modern Finnish drama and Nordic literature.
Drama readers interested in comedies of manners and social-scene subjects.
People who need a free public-domain Finnish text for teaching or reading aloud.

Not a good fit for

Ordinary readers who know no Finnish at all and have no translation to assist them.
Readers expecting a modern full-length narrative or a plot-driven suspense story.
Readers who only want to read a Chinese translation and are unwilling to engage with the original.

Reading tips

First look over the list of characters and the scene settings, then read act by act to reduce the language burden.
Prepare a Finnish dictionary; when you meet an unfamiliar word, first guess from context and then look it up.
You may combine the text with publicly available material on nineteenth-century Finnish social customs to understand the etiquette and conflicts in the party scenes.
If using it for language study, try after each act to retell the main plot in Finnish.

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

Can I read this book if I don't know Finnish?

The original is in Finnish, so readers with no Finnish will find it rather difficult. It is advisable first to look for a translation or bilingual materials, or to use it as supplementary material for language study, reading gradually with a dictionary.

Is this play suitable for classroom use?

As a short public-domain play, it can serve as supplementary material for Finnish reading classes or Nordic literature courses. Teachers may select passages for reading aloud and discussion to help students understand the language style and social subjects of early modern Finnish drama.

What background should I know before reading?

It is advisable first to learn about the era of the author Kiljander and the general development of Finnish national drama, as well as basic knowledge of nineteenth-century Finnish social etiquette. This background helps in understanding the personal dealings and comic conflicts in the play's party scenes.

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About the author

Robert Kiljander Author · Finnish · 1848–1924

Robert Kiljander (1848–1924) was a Finnish playwright who also worked as a postal official. He is known for humorous comedies that portray the everyday life of the small-town middle class, using light-hearted comedy to offer a gentle observation of human affairs; his works thus combine popular appeal with a fine sense of stagecraft. Ten of his works are held in this collection, including Waiting for Guests, Sanny Kortman's School, The Betrothal Feast and Pukkinen's Banquet. Most revolve around everyday situations such as courtship, entertaining guests and family dealings, with brisk plots and vivid characters. These plays are often classed as inspirational and coming-of-age reading, yet they rarely preach; instead, the characters reveal themselves through petty conflicts, allowing readers to sense the customs and mentality of Nordic small-town society. Public information on the details of his life is limited; what can be confirmed is chiefly his identity as a playwright and postal official and the thematic orientation of the works listed above.