The main
character in The First Book of Hope is
seemingly an ordinary Finnish middle-aged man: a little bit overweight and
slightly balding. His name is never mentioned and we do not know where this
story takes place. Clearly we are dealing with an allegory, and our main
character (actually the only person in this book) embodies the Finnish
Everyman. The comic resembles a mediaeval morality play since the main
character ponders about the life he has led and lost friendships. Throughout
the work a melancholic feeling permeates, as voiced in the monologues of our
Everyman: "you hope you become wiser as you try to avoid the bitterness
life so often offers. "
This book was the graduation work of Tommi
Musturi and was featured in the Masters
of Arts 05 exhibition at the University
of Art and Design in Helsinki. It is not,
however, a stand-alone-work: just recently The
Second Book of Hope was published (in English) and there will be 6 Books of Hope in total. Otava will
publish The First book of Hope in
Finnish; the English version is already available in well stocked comic stores.
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