Reino
Rinne seems to rove in a neglected corner of Finnish literature. This
has been the case particularly since he began specializing in the
deep-drilling of his great fundamental issue – the relationship between
man and nature. A conversion was not necessary, however. Even the tittle of
his first novel was symptomatic: Tunturit hymyilevät - "The artic
fells are smiling" (1945). His third book was entidled Erämaan omia
ihmisiä – "People of the wilds" (1949).
As a prosaist of the 40s, Reino Rinne was a
promising portrayer of traditional artic Lapland. The writer’s first step
were followed by the top critics of the time: Academician Toivo Pekkanen,
professor Unto Kupiainen, Kauko Kare MA.
At the beginning of the 70s, after thisty years of
journalism, Reino Rinne decided to become a freelance writer – and
switched gear. This is indicated by the very titles of his books: Anna minulle atomipommi
– "Give me an atomic bomb" (poems), Ihminen evp.
"Man rtd." (short stories). Since then his flow of production has
been impetuous. From having published six books when working as a journalist
in 1945-68, he has produced fifteen during the following thirteen years.
Reino Rinne’s message has aroused feelings of
amazement, resentment, and delight. It is true that the angry growls rarely
have been heard in the open, but the writer’s flashing message has from
time to time received considerable attention in our press, both in the
Finnish and Swedish languages.
"Give me an atomic bomb", in which
the water, as pacifist and protector of life, invites the poets of all the
world to ’dismantle’ the bomb – startled even the cultural
authorities: the author was granted the state literature prize. In 1978
Rinne received the state prize for the dissemination of information in
appreciation of his essays on the protection of life.
For the rest, the keepers of cultural funds have
proved lukewarm. Rinne has not received one single artist’s grant, not one
advance subsubsidy. This official ’muffling’ has failed, however. Reino
Rinne has not been silenced. Over and over again he has tackled our domectic
dissipation and pollution as caused by human greed and negligence. But he
has also taken part in the digging out of the wordwide problems which
undermine the future of the field of life and which have been buried
unsolved.
It has been said "in a larger linguistic
terrotory, Rinne would no doubt be an acknowledged artist and a great
influence. It seems as if he were wasted here, in a small country and
uncomprehending climate" (Teuvo Suominen Suomen Luonto-
"Finnish Nature). It is true that Juhan af Grann’s TV film
Luonnonluomaa – "Nature’s creation", based Rinne’s literaty
message and manuscript, brought even international fame – but Divine Water
is the first real attempt to surmount the language barrier for Rinne’s
poems and uforisms.
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