This classic novel made Marta Tikkanen's reputation in Scandinavia. Although some of the feminist issues may seem a little dated, her mordant humor has survived the test of time much better than the work of sister writers of this period. The translation is not quite all it could be - for some reason, the Virago press translation dropped some of the local material on Finland Swedish scciety in Helsingfors. Still, this novel is well worth reading.

Marta Tikkanen's poem-novel (diktroman) is one of the classics of recent Swedish language writing. This bittersweet account of her marriage to the alcoholic and egomaniac Henrik Tikkanen, (himself a prominent finlandsswedish writer) is told in a series of separate but linked poems. As in her other works from the 70s, Marta Tikkanen tempers her feminism and criticism with an ironic humor.

My only reservation is the quality of the translations by Stina Katchadourian. While Katchadourian is a native Finland-Swede, her translations in this volume seem to me to be overly literal, translating the words while missing the the alliteration and rhythm.

As a bonus, Henrik Tikkanen was also a talented illustrator, and contributed to the second edition (rather decent of him, given the scathing portrait).