18 kesäkuuta 2021

Friday Bliss #144 - Visit to a Historical Setting


Eeva Joenpelto (17 June 1921 - 28 January 2004) was an award-winning Finnish novelist. She is especially remembered for the Lohja tetralogy which depicted Finnish life for many decades starting from the early years of 1900. Her female characters are usually strong and males weak. She was a mega-celebrity of her time, a grande dame of the Finnish literature and an influencer of cultural life. Joenpelto wrote 26 novels most of them best sellers. She was a tall, blond and beautiful woman - and proud of her roots in Sammatti. In personal life she encountered many adversities: a painful divorce and deaths of both of her sons. Here sitting next to president Urho Kekkonen on Independence Day 1958.


The Wsoy Literary Foundation organized a rare visit for book bloggers to Eeva Joenpelto’s home in Sammatti - the house is not open to the public. It was great to walk there in the scenery of Joenpelto and listen to the wings of history. I was especially fascinated by the big living room, in Finnish ’tupa’ and its great coloring: the window frames were deep blue-green, as was the half panel. 

Joenpelto built the house in the 1970s according to traditional Finnish style. She wanted to boast a bit: the house is impressive 32 m long and it was the biggest house in the neighbourhood. Joenpelto bequeathed it as a writer’s residence for the Wsoy Literary Foundation. Eeva Joenpelto would have celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, and that's why the social media has had a reading challenge - #joenpelto100.


I read a novel Ei ryppyä, ei tahraa that might be translated as No wrinkle, no stain,
meaning that the mother of the family was very proud and wanted to hide the family hell.
The novel stretches over many decades and tells about a pharmacis who is
narcissist and tortures emotionally his wife and children - and finally destroys himself.


The living room / ’tupa’ was dim, so the pictures are dark too.








A Joenpelto-themed exhibition will open in Lohja Library in July - 'Return to the roots’. 
Joenpelto’s house is not open to public but interests people very much.
Now a few sightseeing tours are planned during the Lohja Housing Fair in July.


It was a great afternoon and so wonderful to see blogger colleagues 
for a long, long time!


Thank you for all the lovely comments you leave week after week at Friday Bliss.
Wishing you all a bright & sunny weekend!

❤︎❤︎❤︎



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29 kommenttia:

  1. Sehr interessant das Leben der Schriftstellerin und wie du darüber berichtet hasr. Ich dachte gerade auch, als ich die Geschichte über das Familienleben gelesen habe.
    Doch wie es da drinnen aussieht..!
    Nun wünsche ich dir ein schönes Wochenende und ich mache mich mal auf die Socken Richtung Stuttgart zur Schwester
    Liebe Grüße Eva
    die sich freut, dass es Somemr ist.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Glad to hear Eva. The house was really impressive. Happy visit to your sister!

      Poista
  2. Liebe Riitta,
    sehr, sehr beeindruckend. Dieses Haus hätte ich auch gerne besucht, da kann man Geschichte spüren. Der Verlust ihrer beiden Söhne muss ein schwerer Schlag gewesen sein, ich selbst kann mir nichts schlimmeres vorstellen. Danke für diesen tollen Post.
    Ich wünsche Dir ein schönes Wochenende.

    Viele liebe Grüße
    Wolfgang

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. The loss of her sons was very tragic. They died as adults, one made suicide and the other died of cancer. The divorce happened also in those years after 30 years of marriage. Very hard for Joenpelto.

      Poista
  3. Lucky you...and I am happy with you that you had the oppertunity to visit it. A good decision too to open it now for a sightseeing tour on the fair. Maybe they will think about to do it more often. Especially she was a writer so well known in your country and the cause of the interest. For sure more people, meaning tourist, will known her than too..and selling books there too would be good.

    Thanks for sharing and taking us with you. So we could also get an insight and learn a littte bit about her.

    Wishing you a beautiful weekend I am sending hugs and greetings over to your place

    Nova

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Yes Nova. I am sure that the few sightseeing tours will be sold very quickly, because this house is really worth a visit. Abrazos y buen fin de semana.

      Poista
  4. Guten Morgen liebe Riitta,
    wie schwer es sein muss sein Kinder zu verlieren denke ich
    als ich deinen interessanten Bericht las.
    Sehr schöne Innenansichtes des Hauses , es wurde mit viel Liebe eingerichtet.
    Ich wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende, lieber Gruss von Anna

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. The loss of the sons was very tragic indeed, as I answered to Wolfgang above. An impressive house & interesting visit. Happy weekend Anna.

      Poista
  5. It would have been so fascinating to visit.

    VastaaPoista
  6. Dear Riitta
    What a setting! I loved to read the history about that family.
    Have a sunny friday and hugs
    Eda

    VastaaPoista
  7. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a bright weekend too!
    P.S.: I am back to FIN, ready to enjoy the sunny upcoming days! ;)

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Back to Finland's heat! For once we'll have a gorgeous Midsummer weather - enjoy!

      Poista
  8. A wonderful and interesting visit to a writer's home. Thanks for the virtual tour.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. You are welcome Nancy - relaxing weekend.

      Poista
  9. Danke für die Bilder. Ich liebe den traditionellen Wohnstil. Gibt es die Bücher auf Englisch? Das würde mich sehr interessieren.
    LG
    Magdalena

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Hello Magdalena,
      I found two English translations of Joenpelto: The maiden walks upon water and The Bride of Life. See here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=eeva+joenpelto&ref=nb_sb_noss

      Contemporary Finnish writers are well translated in German, Swedish and English, but Joenpelto belongs to a bit older generation.

      Poista
  10. ...Riitta, this is a lovely spot with an interesting story. I love the red building's style. Thanks for hosting.

    VastaaPoista
  11. Interesting post. I hadn't ever heard of her before.

    VastaaPoista
  12. What a lovely house and home! Thank you for taking us round, Riitta!
    Wishing you a lovely weekend!
    Love and hugs, Claudia xoxo

    VastaaPoista
  13. Ich liebe es, solche Künstlerhäuser zu besuchen. Danke fürs Mitnehmen!
    Bon week-end!
    Astrid

    VastaaPoista
  14. If one has written so many books, one can't have anything but a small life. Hope that is what she wanted! Beautiful captures, Riitta! My new url is (one word) living between two realms(.) wordpress (.) com. In the post you can read why:) Have a wonderful weekend, Jeshie2

    VastaaPoista
  15. Das war sicher ein toller Nachmittag. Danke fürs Zeigen des Hauses.
    Und danke für den interessanten Beitrag.
    LG. Karin M.

    VastaaPoista
  16. A really impressive house of a strong woman, dear Riitta!
    How nice that you could visit it - I believe you it was a great afternoon!
    Hugs and good night, Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2021/06/zwei-habsburger-schlosser-und-ihre-parks.html

    VastaaPoista
  17. Interesting post. Have a good weekend!

    VastaaPoista
  18. W talked to our son in Holland with Skype - it seems all of W. and North Europe seems to be hot! He mentioned 60-70. Here in Texas it has been 85-90-ties. Yes, time is valuable and am happy you are reserving more time for yourself! Have a lovely weekend, Jeshie

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. It is really hot in Europe now. My German friends told 36C > over 96F. In Finland we have 30C > 86F - really hot to our standards. But I spent a lovely - & swetting! - afternoon on our terrace today with my family. Summer and family ❤︎

      Poista

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