“A stranger buys a run-down mill in a small Finnish town. He refurbishes it and repairs it. Meanwhile, the townspeople notice that he is a little strange. Soon enough, they start to persecute him.
The howling miller is a fairly easy novel to read. The Finnish names do add an element of quirkiness purely on account of being Finnish, but the novel itself, a fable/parable is reasonably interesting. Throughout the book, the hero turns out to be not much more crazy, or perhaps even rather less so, than his contemporaries. At the same time, they look at him with different eyes. Perhaps it is because they don't have mirrors and cannot see themselves.
Some things in the story are a bit baffling. The passing of time is often poorly indicated - he must have lived in the village for several months between the first and second chapters etc. - which can be a bit confusing. Some of the characters seem to be there for a purpose that is not their own. The love interest seems little more than windowdressing - she exists only because the story needs her, not because she is ever a convincing character in her own right.
In other words, this book is not flawless. It did, however, hold my attention, and it was a reasonably enjoyable read. The final chapter seems a little rushed (and I would have ended the story differently), but on the whole, it's worth a read.”
Robert H wrote this review Friday, August 28 2009.
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