The Butterfly Collector
A fascinating story of the capricious way in which our fates entwine…
A man receives a letter from a solicitor in which he learns he has inherited a house and a certain amount of money. The legacy derives from the will of one Henri Ruzicka, a German who had settled in Finland and whose name and person are completely unknown to the narrator.
When the man travels to see the house, he discovers among the effects a huge butterfly collection, a pile of personal diaries, and correspondence from a woman in Germany named Anna Prinz. The letters and diary entries lead the man on a journey to the south of Europe and also into the past, where the resolution of one riddle leads only to many others.
The Butterfly Collector is a lyrical meditation on how our identity and memories are constructed as the basis of the moment. The novel’s atmosphere has an exceptionally enchanting effect.
info
Year of publication
2006
Original title
Perhoskerääjä
Original publisher
Otava
Original language of publication
Finnish
Reviews
Uutispäivä Demari
“In a genre of its own, The Butterfly Collector is flawless, a masterpiece.”
– Iltalehti
“Haahtela is charmingly old-fashioned and is unusually instinctive for a male author, this is his finest work to date.”
– Kauppalehti Optio
“Haahtela is an utterly fascinating writer and unashamedly literary.”
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