Once upon a time not too long ago, in a faraway land of pine, birch and pristine lakes, there lived an angel of great beauty who loved none until one day a strange creature of the forest--half-cat, half-ape, with glossy black fur and golden eyes--caught his eye and then his heart.
Parable, fable, erotic fairy-tale, Finnish fantasy writer, Johanna Sinisalo's "Troll," is all of these and more. A work beyond classification, it manages to be a highly entertaining dramatic thriller and a great creative work all at once.
Angel--flaxen-haired Adonis--talented photographer wants those things just beyond his reach--namely a handsome colleague, Martes. Yet, Angel could have anybody. There's Ecke, the nerdy bespectacled bookseller who swoons at the very thought of Angel. Then there's Angel's old flame, Dr. Spiderman, who regrets not having grabbed perfection when he had the chance. Even Angel's neighbor, Palomita, sees him as her savior. But nothing snags Angel's vain and elusive heart until IT shows up behind a dumpster, threatened by local thugs. Upon seeing IT, Angel sighs, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Thus, Pessi, cat-eyed and ape-faced, enters Angel's glittery emptiness and never leaves. The next two hundred pages flash along like a driverless troika across the steppes. The story jumps between each of the characters's perspectives as they all move closer to Angel and the creature hidden in his apartment.
This inventive structure makes "Troll" a quick-paced and gripping read. The story is fleshed out from all points of view giving it an intimacy and immediacy. They read like emails or text messages, conveying a spare drama while letting imagination do the rest.
Amongst all the perspectives, Sinisalo wedges tidbits of troll-lore salvaged from a myriad of sources: Finnish folk-lore, the Kalevala, and the internet. The effect of all this is as dazzling as it is dizzying. As the narrative surges along with increasing intensity, you sense this tale will end very badly for somebody and shocked when it finally does.
With its page-flipping drama and suspenseful conclusion, "Troll" is a fantastic ride, but what is Sinisalo trying to communicate here? Is Angel in love with Pessi? Is this a bestial romance? Angel craves the forbidden...Martes..."Pessi's juniper-berry smell...(that) overpowers my nostrils."
"Troll" offers up a lot of fascinating and equally disturbing questions for us humans. What happens when we, like Angel, cold shoulder our fellow humans and seek succor in other species? What are the consequences when we embrace the 'wild,' when we attempt to control and contain it?
If your fancy is a well-paced, imaginative thriller full of the fantastical and yet all-too-real, then "Troll" is a must read.
It will torment, provoke, and perhaps even enlighten. For to paraphrase the Bard, there is much more to this earth than meets the eye.
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Top reviews from other countries
Stella
Contemporary fantasy at its finest.
Reviewed in Australia on October 27, 2021
J. Willis
A highly original book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2011
susiejohnston
prepare yourself with a stiff drink for this...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2014
