Operation Finlandia (Operaatio Finlandia)

Arto Paasilinna’s explosively funny first novel. A stunning combination of social satire, historical romance, and side-splitting comedy, which marks the birth of Finland’s greatest humourist.

The far right have taken over Sweden and the Åland Islands want to vote to leave Finland. Then, in the summer of 1977, the unthinkable happens: a Swedish fighter squadron strikes Naantali and a war between neighbours breaks out. The Finnish government is sitting in a bomb shelter under the Suurkirki, women from Turku are entertaining Swedish officers, and in Eastern Finland a couple of deserters take over an entire village.

Paasilinna’s first novel casts his humorous and analytic eye over geopolitical conflict and nationalism with a Nordic lens.

Title: Operation Finlandia (Operaatio Finlandia)
Published: 1972

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