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sonaea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's an old children's book and that's noticeable, so there are a few things in there that are problematic, so yeah, there's that. If you don't look too hard though, and especially for children, it can be quite fun. I actually did laugh out loud when I realized that Akka of Kepne-Kaiser's geese don't really have names, but that they're just the numbers 1 to 6 in Finnish.
ATTENTION SLIGHT SPOILERS BY REFERENCING SCENES
The scenes where I noticed that it was an older book, that it's of course not perfect, are for example when the Sámi people are called with their exonym.
Another example of a scene that is, well, in all honesty, quite bad, is when the grey geese are talking and the "evil sisters" (which, again, an annoying cliché, as once again the "evil sisters" are evil because they aren't as pretty and have therefore been neglected and are now jealous - wth, that's a whole other problematic topic to unpack, that I'm not going into right now) try to scare the "good sister" by saying what would be worse than her handsome white gander could maybe be a black cormorant. Uh, yeah, y'all see where this is going. And it's not just the "evil" sisters (once again, problematic in itself) who think like that, but also the "good" sister as she's terrified by that idea as well, not because of the lies that her partner must have told her in that case, but because he'd be a black cormorant.
Then, there's also the issue with Akka taking the mother role of an eagle and raising him, letting him think he's a goose as well. But once he figures out he's an eagle and wants to live like one, Akka tells him to never come near her ever again?! Uh. I get that one might think that this plot makes sense, because eagles also eat other birds apparently, and that Akka doesn't condone that. But ... well, she was his mother. It's for something that he can't change and that he didn't have any choice in. That's a lot of trauma in here that a lot of people experience in their own lives (e.g. a lot of queer people), that is never unpacked and just put out there. The two do eventually talk things out with each other, so do with that what you will, but. Still.
Then there's a scene where the bear wants Nils to destroy the factory that's making his home-forest inhabitable, Nils is just saying: but it gives the people jobs and iron is important for people and all that, basically the arguments that the coal-lobby is using nowadays for destroying people's homes (cough Lützerath cough). The bear is seen as evil and brutal because he wants to keep his home instead of make way to corporations. Also, Nils could have just said he didn't want to accidentally kill people or that they'd just rebuild the factory anyway. But he didn't. It has the vibe that big corporations are more important than lives, and, under a slightly different perspective, I'd say, it also has the vibe that humans are more important than the preservation of / anything in our environment, no matter if they are living beings as well. Especially the second one is a vibe that's often in between the sentences of this book. Also, it's an Eisen / iron factory, so not sure if that isn't a euphemism for guns - the very thing, that is used to try to take the bear's life. If that's the case, yes, then the bear's even more in the right.
Of course all that's a bit overthinking it, it is there, and I don't take back my criticism of it, yes, but I don't think it's that easy to spot for children (not that that means it doesn't matter if something like that's in a children's book). I think it's still a fun book for children and the overlying, more obvious message is a good one: help others and be nice, and you will be helped and they will be nice to you.
The book ends with the conclusion that humans shouldn't be the sole rulers of the earth, but if we're being honest, that's not exactly what the plot shows us.
ATTENTION SLIGHT SPOILERS BY REFERENCING SCENES
Another example of a scene that is, well, in all honesty, quite bad, is when the grey geese are talking and the "evil sisters" (which, again, an annoying cliché, as once again the "evil sisters" are evil because they aren't as pretty and have therefore been neglected and are now jealous - wth, that's a whole other problematic topic to unpack, that I'm not going into right now) try to scare the "good sister" by saying what would be worse than her handsome white gander could maybe be a black cormorant. Uh, yeah, y'all see where this is going. And it's not just the "evil" sisters (once again, problematic in itself) who think like that, but also the "good" sister as she's terrified by that idea as well, not because of the lies that her partner must have told her in that case, but because he'd be a black cormorant.
Then, there's also the issue with Akka taking the mother role of an eagle and raising him, letting him think he's a goose as well. But once he figures out he's an eagle and wants to live like one, Akka tells him to never come near her ever again?! Uh. I get that one might think that this plot makes sense, because eagles also eat other birds apparently, and that Akka doesn't condone that. But ... well, she was his mother. It's for something that he can't change and that he didn't have any choice in. That's a lot of trauma in here that a lot of people experience in their own lives (e.g. a lot of queer people), that is never unpacked and just put out there. The two do eventually talk things out with each other, so do with that what you will, but. Still.
Then there's a scene where the bear wants Nils to destroy the factory that's making his home-forest inhabitable, Nils is just saying: but it gives the people jobs and iron is important for people and all that, basically the arguments that the coal-lobby is using nowadays for destroying people's homes (cough Lützerath cough). The bear is seen as evil and brutal because he wants to keep his home instead of make way to corporations. Also, Nils could have just said he didn't want to accidentally kill people or that they'd just rebuild the factory anyway. But he didn't. It has the vibe that big corporations are more important than lives, and, under a slightly different perspective, I'd say, it also has the vibe that humans are more important than the preservation of / anything in our environment, no matter if they are living beings as well. Especially the second one is a vibe that's often in between the sentences of this book. Also, it's an Eisen / iron factory, so not sure if that isn't a euphemism for guns - the very thing, that is used to try to take the bear's life. If that's the case, yes, then the bear's even more in the right.
Of course all that's a bit overthinking it, it is there, and I don't take back my criticism of it, yes, but I don't think it's that easy to spot for children (not that that means it doesn't matter if something like that's in a children's book). I think it's still a fun book for children and the overlying, more obvious message is a good one: help others and be nice, and you will be helped and they will be nice to you.
The book ends with the conclusion that humans shouldn't be the sole rulers of the earth, but if we're being honest, that's not exactly what the plot shows us.
feralgardengnome's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
erikteran's review against another edition
5.0
Una novela que describe los paisajes suecos con un profundo y honesto amor patriótico. Narrativa para niños que me hizo llorar a los 25 años por su compleja y completa historia.
tytti's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
holalisa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
polaris_7's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
_annabanana_'s review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
neoday_cyj99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5