How a 150-Year-Old Novel Made Finns a Nation of Readers
People in Finland read. A lot.
A recent survey by non-governmental organisation Finnish Reading Centre revealed that Finns had read more than usual during the coronavirus crisis.
A 2018 survey by Kantar TNS Oy, a leading market research company in Finland, found that reading books is the most popular way Finns spend leisure, with 56 percent of respondents choosing this activity.
Eurostat surveys from 2008 to 2015 in 15 European Union countries found that Finns spend 12 minutes reading books per day on average, just a minute less than Estonians who came out as the nation that reads the most.
Why do Finns read so much?
The answer lies in Seven Brothers (Seitsemän veljestä in Finnish), a novel that was published 150 years ago.
In fact, it was the first novel written in Finnish language, and went on to become the greatest Finnish novel of all time. It took Aleksis Kivi 10 years to write it.
Civilisation versus wilderness is the main theme of the book. It narrates the lives of seven brothers of the Jukola farm. Bonded by brotherly love, the impulsive, rowdy and carefree boys enjoy an adventurous life.
