Juha

A true classic novel in Finnish literature, Juha was written by Juhani Aho, the uncontested grand old man of Finnish Literature at the turn of the 20th century. Juhani Aho was a member of the turn-of-the-century Young Finland (Nuori Suomi) circle of artists that included artist Akseli Gallén-Kallela and composer Jean Sibelius.

Juha has proven to be a timeless, perpetually relevant work of art, a classic triangle drama with Finnish trappings. Juha has inspired several generations of filmmakers; it has been made into film no less than four times: Mauritz Stiller’s silent movie, 1919 (Johan), Nyrki Tapiovaara’s classic film Juha, 1937 with Aho’s son Björn Soldan as cinematographer, T.J. Särkkä made a colour version in 1957 and, of course, Aki Kaurismäki crowned the effort with his silent, black & white Juha of 1998.

Juha is characterized by deceptively simple yet multilayered language. The translator, the eminent stylist Dr. Richard Impola, captures the depth of emotion and fine nuances in the relationships, in particular between Marja and Juha.

Introduction by Professor Börje Vähämäki, the University of Toronto.