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Tapio (Felix) Hiisivaara (1907-1971) | |
Finnish writer, journalist, and translator who specialized on such authors as Fredric Brown, Carter Brown, Mickey Spillane, Ross MacDonald, Eric Ambler and Leon Uris. Hiisivaara also translated non-fiction about the First World War, World War II and the Six-Days War of Israel. His own books Hiisivaara wrote with ease, he was a natural story teller, who moved without effort from one literary genre into another. Like Mika Waltari, Hiisivaara was very interested in Turkey, not exactly Finland's neighborhood country - the distance between Helsinki and Istanbul is some 2100 kilometers. Contacts between Finland and Turkey were closest during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, when some thousand Finnish soldiers participated the campaign. --"Uskomattoman surullinen ja apea on ensimmäinen vaikutelma, mutta muurien ulkopuolella olevat muutamat talot eivät ole Istanbul eikä Istanbul ole Turkki... Vanha raitiovaunu tulee rämisten vastaan, sellainen, jossa istutaan selkä seinään päin, ja pakettiauton on ajettava aivan jalkakäytävän reunakiveen kiinni antaessaan tilaa. Katu jatkuu mutkaisena, huonosti kivettynä. Talojen ikkunat ovat harmaita, pesemättömiä ja täynnä kärpäsen likaa. Tapio Hiisivaara was born in Helsinki. He studied at a mixed secondary school. Between the years 1927 and 1930 Hiisivaara made several journeys in Europe, Africa, South America and North America as a seaman, reporter, and traveler. He then worked as a journalist in Pohjanmaan Kansa (1931-32), Kansan lehti (1932-37), and Suomen Sosialidemokraatti (1937-44). During the Finnish Winter War (1939-40) and Continuation War (1941-44) Hiisivaara served in the army as a platoon commander and war correspondent. In 1941 Hiisivaara published his first book, OLINHAN SIELLÄ MINÄKIN, a war memoir from 1939-40. "Niin pitkälle kuin näemme, puolisen kilometriä kumpaankin suuntaan puolustusasemien pituuteen päin ja ylöspäin mäen laelle takanamme, kiehuu rinne kranaateista. Metsän puut ryskyvät valittavasti kaatuessaan, paksuja runkoja pakkautuu poikittain juoksuhaudan ylitse. Vihollinen ampuu vielä kranaatinheittimillä, erotamme selvästi niiden kimeämmän vihellyksen ja terävämmän räiskähdyksen. Jokin konekiväärisuihku hukkuu yleiseen meluun, mutta silloin tällöin kuulemme sodan sinfonian piccoloääninä kimeitä ujelluksia." (from Olinhan siellä minäkin) After the war Hiisivaara did not publish any war novels but focused on history and moved from the Finnish front to the European war scene. In 1959-60 appeared Hiisivaara's translation of Geschichte des zweiten Weltkriegs by Kurt von Tippelskirch, and in 1962-63 William L. Shirer's classic work The rise and fall of the Third Reich. In 1945 Hiisivaara became a full-time writer. PÄLKÄNEEN MIEKKA JA IMZIRIN HUNTU (1948), a historical novel, was devoted to Erik Nystedt, a dragoon, the author's forefather from the 17th-century. The story follows the adventures of Pekka Ristonpoika Tuomaala and his friend Topias and his horse, Musto, from Poltava to Turkey, and finally to Finland. In 1945 appeared the travel book MYRKKYNUOLIA, KAHVIA, BANAANEJA, which depicted Hiisivaara's early journey from Montevideo to Rio de Janeiro and his experiences in odd jobs, among others as a vacqueiro, a cowboy, in Brazil. The journey took over a year. During it Hiisivaara used all kinds of vehicles from canoe and raft to train, and he also walked long distances. He spoke some Spanish and after five moths he read Portuguese novels. "At a young age one learns quickly," Hiisivaara wrote - he was about 23. Between the years 1949 and 1955 Hiisivaara again travelled widely, this time in Turkey, Spain and Sahara. In 1949 Hiisivaara wrote for Suomen Kuvalehti and Finlandia Pictorail and from 1952 to 1953 he edited the magazine Viikkosanomat. SANTA CLARA (1949) was a sea novel, which focused on the exhausting everyday work on an old ship, the SS Santa Clara. At the end of the story the ship sinks and Iso Kotka (big eagle), the protagonist, swims ashore to an tropical island. Hiisivaara's travel book from Spain, HURJA, VIEHKEÄ ESPANJA, was published in 1949, and next year he wrote about Turkey, where he travelled with his wife. As a former officer Hiisivaara was especially interested in Turkey's war history, army, and military bases. "The Turkish army is world famous for its discipline," wrote Hiisivaara, "but at parades and marches the infantry gives somewhat clumsy although strong and firm impression." In later works Hiisivaara dealt with American Indians and espionage. POLTTAVAA HIEKKAA (1955) was Hiisivaara's last travel book, and after it he focused more on translating novels and non-fiction into Finnish. It depicted mostly his experiences in Algeria. Hiisivaara's tactics in making acquaintances was straightforward but effective: he went to the nearest a bar, and started to talk with local people - he could speak French. One day Hiisivaara drank with two Germans who had joined the French Foreign Legion and complained that they did not have any beer at their fortress, only vine. In 1954 the National Liberation Front (FLN) had started its open warfare against French rule, but Hiisivaara's sympathies were on French side - he sees that France is fighting for European culture. "Jos Pohjois-Afrikka lakkaa olemasta eurooppalainen maa, ihmiskunta heilahtaa arvaamattoman vaarallisen lähelle todella pohjatonta kuilua, jonka surkeutta ja synkkyyttä kammottaa ajatellakin. Siten Ranskan taistelu Pohjois-Afrikassa on koko maanosan yhteinen asia." According to Hiisivaara - whose opinions are openly racist - especially the intolerant Islamic religion further complicates the building of the atom-age world. Selected works:
© 2000 |