What surprised me, though, was that for once I experienced the translation as utterly convincing. That worked out even better than I had hoped, and I already feel measurably more confident. I know the Swedish original well, and I figured that it should be easy to read and would improve my sketchy vocabulary. Sprinkled with darling illustrations, Comet in Moominland is a gentle tale of friendship and family.Īs I've said many times on this site, I dislike translations on principle - but I am trying to do something about my miserable German, and when I saw this book at Foyles last week it immediately seemed like a good idea.

The narrative lacks a sense of urgency, yet there’s something cathartic about the sweet simplicity of Moomintroll’s adventure. They remain (mostly) focused in their task to hurry home as they're shuffled from one peculiar instance to the next.

Overhead the branches of the plum trees, oaks, and silver poplars met and formed a dark tunnel which led away into the unknown.ĭespite the impending threat of a comet hitting the earth, Moomintroll and his companions are relatively carefree. Halfway up the hill on their way grew a clump of blue-trees covered with big yellow pears, and of course they couldn’t get past that without Sniff deciding that he was hungry. In fact, Jansson’s descriptions of the whimsical setting often invoke the sense that one is reading about an alternate Shire – a feeling made more robust by Moomintroll and his friends journeying to the Lonely Mountains. Their relaxed attitudes, gardens, and lovingly prepared meals are reminiscent of Tolkien’s hobbits. An undeniable charm exudes from her fanciful characters – the same type of odd yet memorable creatures one anticipates finding in an L. Jansson’s book conveys an innocence rarely found in modern titles.

It’s not difficult to see why ‘Moominmania’ exists. Moomintroll must find a quick way home if he’s going to warn his family in time. Worse yet – the comet is predicted to land precisely where Moomintroll lives with his Moominpappa and Moominmamma. Meeting new friends along the way and forging through perilous adventures together, Moomintroll and his companions arrive at the Observatory where they learn a comet is headed towards earth. Moomintroll’s quiet life is upended when foreboding images of a star with a tail send him journeying to speak with the Professors at the Observatory.

Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson