Kivi, Alexis " Seven Brothers" (Finnish: Seitsemän veljestä) - 1870This is supposedly the most famous and best classic Finnish book. Well, I haven't read much Finnish literature, but this was definitely not the best. As the title and description suggest, it's about seven brothers. One expects, or at least I expected, the story of a "normal" Finnish family from that era. I would have liked to learn about the life of an average family.
Instead, we only hear about fights and drinking bouts; the language is described as "rustic" but "coarse" or "crude" is still too flattering even with the most charitable interpretation. The brothers' behaviour towards each other was more like that of pre-school or young school children; they displayed manners that one should have outgrown by the 1920s.
Some readers might find this amusing, but I didn't. What a shame.
And here are some of the comments from the discussion:
The book didn’t lead to dramatic reactions, but it did give us plenty to think about regarding its themes, its style, and its place in Finnish literature.
Most of us found the novel demanding. The older language, long passages, and slow pacing required some adjusting to.
It took a while to get into, but once I accepted the rhythm, the brothers’ development started to feel clear and honest.
Overall, many appreciated how the novel shows growth—learning responsibility, patience, and how to live with others.
We also talked about some of the more chaotic and difficult scenes, which help define the book’s realism:
The early conflicts with the village and authorities underline how unprepared the brothers are for adult responsibilities.
Their retreat to the forest isn’t peaceful: they burn down their own sauna-house during a careless moment, leaving themselves without shelter.
They face real danger, including the well-known scene where they end up killing a herd of bulls in self-defense.
Their years in the forest are marked by hunger, failed attempts to farm, heavy drinking, and frequent arguments.
These moments show the harsher side of rural life, and the distance the brothers must travel—practically and personally—before they can return to society.
We also revisited why Seven Brothers is so central in Finnish literary history:
Published in 1870, it was among the first major works written in Finnish at a time when Finnish-language literature was still new and culturally fragile.
Many expected Finnish literature to focus on noble, heroic, or uplifting themes. Instead, Kivi wrote about ordinary rural men, their flaws, and the unembellished reality of their lives.
Early critics found the book too rough and thought it gave a poor image of the Finnish people.
Over time, it became recognized as a groundbreaking work of realism—depicting rural life without idealization.
The brothers’ gradual journey from isolation and impulsiveness toward responsibility and community echoes broader changes happening in Finland at the time.
Our overall view was that Seven Brothers isn’t an easy read, but understanding its historical context and the realism behind its scenes helped us appreciate its significance. The rough edges and difficult moments give weight to the brothers’ eventual maturity, and the novel remains an important milestone in Finnish literature precisely because it chose honesty over idealization.
This was our read in our international online book club in November 2025.
From the back cover:
"Along with The Kalevala, Aleksis Kivi's Seven Brothers is Finland's most celebrated literary treasure. The crowning accomplishment of Finland's first literary genius, Seven Brothers remains 'the greatest Finnish novel of all time', the classic among the classics in Finnish literature. Published in 1870, in the author's 36th year and two years before his untimely death, Seven Brothers laid the foundation for what Kai Laitinen later called 'The Great Tradition in Finnish Prose'. This tradition is characterized by realism, humor, respect for the common people, and depiction of nature as both friend and foe. Received at the time of publication by uncomprehending arbiters of literary taste, who still delighted in romantic approaches to literature, Seven Brothers fared poorly in early reviews. Posterity, however, has resurrected the reputation of Aleksis Kivi, and critics, scholars, and readers at large continue to praise the virtues of this trail-blazing, exceedingly rich novel. Richard Impola's superb English translation captures the brothers' rustic milieu and the exceptional dynamics of Kivi's creative style and artistic conception."
