Saturday 14 April 2012

When in Doubt, Rave About the Moomins





I think it's quite a good piece of guidance for life in general, but it's certainly useful for those times when you suddenly notice that you're supposed to be writing a blog post for Saturday and you forgot to start thinking of possible topics in plenty of time.

So I will rave about the Moomins. Just in case you don't know them, they are a family of cuddly and intriguing trolls, created by the Finnish author Tove Jansson back in the 1940s and still delighting children and adults all over the world (including me) today.

Many of the books I loved as a child disappoint me when I go back to read them now. That's not necessarily a fault of the books; it can simply be a matter of intended audience. It always surprises and delights me when books do stand the test of time; especially the test of growing up. 

I often tell myself I read for entertainment and escapism, to alleviate boredom, supply companionship and enjoy language. All those things are true. But I think the main reason I read (and always did) is to discover the magic formula for living. I still haven't found it, I know that much. It's what some people call an instruction manual, a kind of Hitchhiker's Guide to Life, but it's far more than that. Or it would be, should it exist. It would assure me of my place in things. Not too big a place - crushed by responsibility - but not too small, either. The bed and the bowl of porridge that are 'just right'.

So at times when I'm despairing of ever finding a way to accept myself, or when I doubt that the mush I call myself is even worth accepting, it's very important to have the right book - or series - to hand. The Moomins fit that bill. There's a central family: Moominpappa, Moominmamma and their son Moomintroll. They are smooth and round and covered in white, velvety fur. On a bad-weight day, that's exactly how I'd like to look. Tummies are fine in Moomin Valley. In fact, any size or shape or colour or hair/fur-type or personality is fine. You can disappear for months on end like Moomintroll's pal Snufkin, and turn up on the first day of spring to a wondrously warm welcome. You can hibernate all winter, presumably missing Christmas (hurray!) You can be brash and noisy like the Hemulen, a thoughtful philospher or a mischievous child  like Little My.




Life can be dangerous in Moomin Valley and beyond: this is not happy-ever-after land. There are always threats lurking - earthquakes, comets, tidal waves, floods, volcanoes and avalanches. The Hattifatteners, despite their name, are seriously scary electrically-charged beasties thtat grow from the ground in thunderstorms. There's a most unpleasant Groke, who sits on everyone and everything to try to warm herself, squashing the life out of you in the process.

Tove Jansson's love of nature, the sea, boats, landfalls and the offshore islands of her native land permeate these books. That's one of the reasons they work for grown-ups, too. But the main reason they work for me, I think, is that I just know that if I were to turn up in Moomin Valley one sunny April day, Moominmamma would put another leaf-plate on the table and tell me to sit down. I could find my own place in that extended family, which might include spending whole days or weeks alone but knowing there'd be a big velvety cuddle waiting for me when I needed it.

That's my definition of heaven, I think...

These books are inspired and if you, you children and your grand-children haven't discovered them yet, then you have a lifetime of treats in store, so dive in.

View on Amazon.co.uk

What are your favourite comfort books? Have any of them stood the test of your growing up?

Best wishes
Ros

Author of Coping with Chloe (age 11+)
Newly available as an eBook: Charity's Child (age 14+)
Blogging at Rosalie Reviews
My Facebook Author Page
Twitter: @Ros_Warren


7 comments:

CallyPhillips said...

Yes. Moomin's have been my faithful companions over 45 years. Apparantly? nothing would make me laugh as much aged 2 as Moominmamma telling you to 'put your woolly knickers on' for winter. And I even worked Moomins into several philosophy papers at Uni! The Hemulin's advice - if you ignore someone for long enough sooner or later they don't dare to exist. Deep stuff eh? Modern day and internet trolls give the moomins a bad name!

Stroppy Author said...

I heartily agree - and what a great title/motto!

Rosalie Warren said...

Yes, there's profound psychology and philosophy in those books. Lucky you, Cally, meeting them at the age of two. Stroppy - I've decided to adopt it as my maxim for life.

Katherine Langrish said...

I adore the Moomins. Have been their constant fan since age 7. Wise, funny, subtle and sad.

Rosalie Warren said...

Perfectly put, Katherine.

Leslie Wilson said...

The Moomins are one of my favourite books ever, and they can easily take their place with the greatest adult authors. They#re so profound, as well as so much fun.

Adele Pennington said...

It's a shame that the books disappoint you now, as they're the sort of books that a lot of adults really enjoy because of the hidden meanings that children might not pick up. Perhaps you should advance onto Tove Jansson's adult fiction instead? I highly recommend it!