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101 Very Finnish Problems: The Foreigner's Guide to Surviving in Finland
101 Very Finnish Problems provides you with priceless insights into the everyday trials and tribulations of life in super Suomi. After reading this book, you’ll be far better equipped to deal with all that Finland can throw at you, from sauna spankings to drunken Santas. You will understand very Finnish problems like these:
> When you have to explain for the 100th time that Moomin isn’t a hippo.
> When everybody else’s name is like something from The Lord of the Rings.
> When the weather forecast for Midsummer matches that for Christmas.
> When there’s over 60 words for “snow”, but not one for “please”.
> When alcohol is a universal permission to go totally insane.
> When you realize you’re only one country away from North Korea.
> When you forget that summer cottage is another word for labour camp.
> When you have to share the sauna with a masochist.
> When people don’t get your sarcasm.
"101 Very Finnish Problems is a fantastically funny book. I guarded it with my life – but then I did read it on my smartphone. My 102nd very Finnish problem was that it ended too soon." – André Wickström, comedian
> When you have to explain for the 100th time that Moomin isn’t a hippo.
> When everybody else’s name is like something from The Lord of the Rings.
> When the weather forecast for Midsummer matches that for Christmas.
> When there’s over 60 words for “snow”, but not one for “please”.
> When alcohol is a universal permission to go totally insane.
> When you realize you’re only one country away from North Korea.
> When you forget that summer cottage is another word for labour camp.
> When you have to share the sauna with a masochist.
> When people don’t get your sarcasm.
"101 Very Finnish Problems is a fantastically funny book. I guarded it with my life – but then I did read it on my smartphone. My 102nd very Finnish problem was that it ended too soon." – André Wickström, comedian
- GenresNonfictionHumorTravel
214 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2017
15 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Joel Willans
9 books10 followersOriginally from Sudbury, Suffolk, Joel Willans has lived in London, Vancouver, and the Andean village of Andahuaylas in Peru. He now lives in the Finnish capital, Helsinki.
Creative Director of the digital marketing agency Ink Tank Media, his prize-winning stories have been broadcast on BBC radio and published in dozens of magazines and anthologies worldwide. His debut short story collection, SPELLBOUND: Stories of Women's Magic over Men, was published by Route in 2013. His best-selling second book, 101 Very Finnish Problems: A Foreigner's Guide to Surviving in Finland was published by Gummerus in 2017. The sequel More Very Finnish Problems: An even more essential guide to surviving Finland was published in 2018.
Creative Director of the digital marketing agency Ink Tank Media, his prize-winning stories have been broadcast on BBC radio and published in dozens of magazines and anthologies worldwide. His debut short story collection, SPELLBOUND: Stories of Women's Magic over Men, was published by Route in 2013. His best-selling second book, 101 Very Finnish Problems: A Foreigner's Guide to Surviving in Finland was published by Gummerus in 2017. The sequel More Very Finnish Problems: An even more essential guide to surviving Finland was published in 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 7, 2017
I bought this book at the Helsinki airport, which capped a very impressive trip to the country. I was there for almost a month and I wish I never had to leave. This is written entirely from a Brit ex-pat's perspective, so it's just that: his perspective. It's probably by NO means a definitive account of how things always are in Finland, or how the natives are. That would be generalizing. But from what I surmised from my trip and from the Finns I've interacted with have told me, it's pretty damn accurate.
It's also very funny, and you should follow the instagram account for this book, too.
It's also very funny, and you should follow the instagram account for this book, too.
September 22, 2017
When Sweden wins at ice hockey...again
Joel Willan's 101 Very Finnish Problems was such a humorous book. It will make every foreigner living in Finland laugh really hard and it will make every Finn smile to themselves.
December 29, 2017
Really pleasurable (and easy) read. I'd highly recommend it for Foreigners who want to learn more about Finnish culture or for Finnish people that want to laugh at themselves. Or Swedish people that like to make fun of Finnish people. Author is very articulate and the stories are broken into 1-3 page sections.
September 30, 2018
A must read for anyone visiting or moving into Finland. The author gives a humorous glimpse how to crack the essence of Finnishness. As an expat in Finland myself I had a broad smile most of the time I read it,having the “I know”, “oooh yeesss”, “totally true” and “I remember feeling the same awkwardness” moments. Enjoy!
December 10, 2018
Funniest book I have read this year! Love British humor and this is full of it. Made me look at Finland in whole new way. Would make a great gift for foreigner friends or people coming to visit and for Finnish people who want to see how we live through new eyes. Recommended!
July 12, 2017
Hilarious book if you have a sense of humour.
July 24, 2017
There’s a skillful rhythm to Willans’ writing. Annoyances about Finnish culture flash by as, at its core, the book brings forth a sense of reverence over orderly Nordic life. With its elegant use of no-frills vocabulary, short chapters and shameless flattery, Very Finnish Problems would probably be an excellent choice for anyone in Finland who’s unsure about their English reading level and wants to test the waters with a light and genuinely fun read.
April 11, 2019
This book is unknown to the public, probably it is not on any bookstore and better stay that way! This is supposed to be a humorous book, how a first timer is seeing this in Finland.
Despite the supposed humor, it is full of misinformation and bad stereotypes. Sometimes I feel the supposed writer is hating Finland and the way of life here. I am living in Finland for almost a decade, I deny to believe, that someone that is supposed living more, does not have even the basic knowledge about the country he lives in.
When I see behind the humor, I even start to pity the writer...
Despite the supposed humor, it is full of misinformation and bad stereotypes. Sometimes I feel the supposed writer is hating Finland and the way of life here. I am living in Finland for almost a decade, I deny to believe, that someone that is supposed living more, does not have even the basic knowledge about the country he lives in.
When I see behind the humor, I even start to pity the writer...
June 18, 2019
I bought this in the airport on a whim and it was a wonderful read! From belly laughs to joy, from horror to disbelief….. this book takes you on a fun journey through this incredible country of Finland, from a British writers perspective. Filled with enthusiasm, insight and bucket loads of wonderful self-deprecating and typically British humour, it was a great way to end my Finnish holiday and learn more about my new favourite place!
August 25, 2020
Grappig en interessant boek over Finland en Finnen zelf. Leuke cultuurweetjes en gewoontes en tradities van de Finnen worden hierin besproken.
June 16, 2021
Lunasti odotukset.
November 19, 2019
I bought this last year (I think) when I was in Finland. I'm not sure if my stars are partly homesickness, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well, I've enjoyed Very Finnish Problems online for a long time, so maybe this is not so surprising. I like it how Willans manages to still surprise me with the things he picks from Finland to talk about. Things that to me are so normal, but some of them I've realized are maybe not if you come from another country. This having noticed since I live abroad myself.
Since I'm going to Finland for Christmas with my American boyfriend, I think I need to have him read at least some of these... Just to be prepared :)
Since I'm going to Finland for Christmas with my American boyfriend, I think I need to have him read at least some of these... Just to be prepared :)
April 29, 2020
I'm 49 pages deep into this book, and it is a fantastic insight into the weird and wonderful culture of Finland.
I have Finnish family (I'm a Brit) and it makes it all the more humorous because i know it's all true.
On a plus note to all you Finns wanting to read this, it was obviously printed in Sweden, as the text isn't parallel with the page by about 0.5degrees (another thing the Swedes are poor at) 😉
All jokes aside, this is an enthralling book that is a joy to read.
I have Finnish family (I'm a Brit) and it makes it all the more humorous because i know it's all true.
On a plus note to all you Finns wanting to read this, it was obviously printed in Sweden, as the text isn't parallel with the page by about 0.5degrees (another thing the Swedes are poor at) 😉
All jokes aside, this is an enthralling book that is a joy to read.
June 18, 2020
This is hilarious. My Finnish mother was enchanted with this and the companion volume. She has told me several times how accurate many of the observations are (rare praise indeed!) and, knowing several Finns, I recognise many of the traits described myself. The books are written with fondness for the nation and its people, not to poke fun at them. Thoroughly recommend! Could almost be an anthropological survey.,.
July 14, 2017
Aika hauska huumoripläjäys.
December 20, 2019
Sooo funny! I bought this as a Christmas gift for my dad and just had to read it too.
May 31, 2020
Funny and interesting.
October 20, 2017
Unsurprisingly, some of the generalisations were things I couldn't relate to at all as a Finn (and know most of my Finnish friends wouldn't relate to). Some things were very exaggerated and even incorrect in my opinion. Still, a big part of this book was hilarious and a very accurate description of Finland!
May 16, 2021
Given that the Very Finnish Problems memes never fail to amuse me (as surely they do most of us members of the very exclusive club of people crazy enough to deem moving to Finland a great idea), I fully expected to find this book highly entertaining. I was not disappointed. Now let's see if the follow-up is as much fun.
April 25, 2018
After living in uk I could definitely find some similarities in the way Joel describes the cultural differences. I even found myself laughing a couple times.
September 14, 2019
Read this while in finland, testing its accuracy in real time. It is super accurate and I met Finnish people that wanted a copy.
February 28, 2018
Miltä Suomi vaikuttaa kolmasosan elämästään Suomessa asuneen britin silmin? Joel Willans kertoo kokemuksistaan elävällä ja hauskalla tavalla. Willans ei sorru kliseisiin vaan erittelee erilaisia ilmiöitä yhteiskunnan rakenteista suomenkielisiin sanontoihin.
Tämä teos sopii niin Suomesta kiinnostuneelle ulkomaalaiselle kuin Suomessa ikänsä asuneelle natiiville.
Tämä teos sopii niin Suomesta kiinnostuneelle ulkomaalaiselle kuin Suomessa ikänsä asuneelle natiiville.
January 9, 2018
No joo. Aika lailla sitä samaa klisettä mitä Suomesta ja suomalaisista on luettu/kuultu jo moneen kertaan ja tässäkin kirjassa toistetaan aika usein samat asiat (sää, saunakulttuuri yms.). Ehkä en ollut kohderyhmää enkä ole tutustunut alkuperäiseen podcastiin tai somejuttuihin. Mulle putoais ehkä vähän syvällisemmät analyysit näistäkin aiheista.
December 9, 2018
Sarcastic. Biased. Wrong target audience.
Story: Joel Willans is a brit who has lived in Finland for 15 years. In this book he writes 10 examples of Finland culture misunderstood for foreigners. It's intention is to be a humorous guide to those just moved to Finland, are interested in visiting Finland, or who know nothing of Finland.
Language: Sarcastic. The author uses a sarcastic wit to discuss all topics, regardless of how factual or not they may be. To someone who has lived in Finland awhile, the lines between fact and humor may be clear, but to those unfamiliar with the country, it may give off the wrong impression about many of things great in the country.
Characters: The author is British and the book has a strong British bias, comparing Finland and the UK throughout the whole book. While readers from the UK may enjoy the book, readers from around the rest of the world might prefer the book to be more objective, making the readership more inclusive.
I am an immigrant and have lived in Finland over 7 years as of this post. This book is marketed and written as a humor book about Finland, when it really contains some good material to be a good travel book that happens to have humor. That being said, I didn't get on with the sarcastic tone throughout the whole book. The UK bias got old very quickly. And I feel like the target audience was wrong. Not very useful to tourists or those interested in reading about Finland, this book would be better off in the hands of native Finns to gain a perspective of an immigrant to their country.
In addition, I went to a literary fair where the author was speaking about the sequel to this book. He went on to say how to tried to learn the Finnish language when he first moved here but gave up "because it was too hard." What qualifications does someone have to write a cultural book about a country when they don't even speak the language? Aivan uskomatonta ja harmi, kun hän ei halua edes yritää oppimaan suomen kieltä. Miten joku voi ymmärtää maan kulttuuri kun hän ei osaa puhua? 2/5
Story: Joel Willans is a brit who has lived in Finland for 15 years. In this book he writes 10 examples of Finland culture misunderstood for foreigners. It's intention is to be a humorous guide to those just moved to Finland, are interested in visiting Finland, or who know nothing of Finland.
Language: Sarcastic. The author uses a sarcastic wit to discuss all topics, regardless of how factual or not they may be. To someone who has lived in Finland awhile, the lines between fact and humor may be clear, but to those unfamiliar with the country, it may give off the wrong impression about many of things great in the country.
Characters: The author is British and the book has a strong British bias, comparing Finland and the UK throughout the whole book. While readers from the UK may enjoy the book, readers from around the rest of the world might prefer the book to be more objective, making the readership more inclusive.
I am an immigrant and have lived in Finland over 7 years as of this post. This book is marketed and written as a humor book about Finland, when it really contains some good material to be a good travel book that happens to have humor. That being said, I didn't get on with the sarcastic tone throughout the whole book. The UK bias got old very quickly. And I feel like the target audience was wrong. Not very useful to tourists or those interested in reading about Finland, this book would be better off in the hands of native Finns to gain a perspective of an immigrant to their country.
In addition, I went to a literary fair where the author was speaking about the sequel to this book. He went on to say how to tried to learn the Finnish language when he first moved here but gave up "because it was too hard." What qualifications does someone have to write a cultural book about a country when they don't even speak the language? Aivan uskomatonta ja harmi, kun hän ei halua edes yritää oppimaan suomen kieltä. Miten joku voi ymmärtää maan kulttuuri kun hän ei osaa puhua? 2/5
June 16, 2019
Very biased!
I borrowed this book from a friend, I'm actually pretty happy I didn't have to pay for it. The title wants to make you get it and almost fell for it. I was lucky enough, I did not find it in book stores. It is not a book people care to find anyway, I think it is only sold online, so if you really want to waste your time and money, ordering it online is the only solution.
Let's get to the point. There is a Facebook page with that name, very catchy to Finnish and foreigners. Till recently, I did not know there is such a book, but I thought, why not?
The book tries hardly to be funny and sarcastic. And there you see the lack of talent of the writer.
It tries pretty hard to be funny, with stereotypes and misinformation. But it is repeatable and not funny. I got bored of it and left it.
I borrowed this book from a friend, I'm actually pretty happy I didn't have to pay for it. The title wants to make you get it and almost fell for it. I was lucky enough, I did not find it in book stores. It is not a book people care to find anyway, I think it is only sold online, so if you really want to waste your time and money, ordering it online is the only solution.
Let's get to the point. There is a Facebook page with that name, very catchy to Finnish and foreigners. Till recently, I did not know there is such a book, but I thought, why not?
The book tries hardly to be funny and sarcastic. And there you see the lack of talent of the writer.
It tries pretty hard to be funny, with stereotypes and misinformation. But it is repeatable and not funny. I got bored of it and left it.
January 12, 2018
Ensimmäisen kolmanneksen jälkeen ajattelin, että kirjan nimeksi sopisi paremmin 101 yleisintä klisettä Suomesta ja suomalaisista, eikä noiden 101 joukossa tosiaan ollut kuin pari asiaa, joita ei mainittaisi aina muulloinkin vastaavissa teoksissa. Makkarasta en voisi olla enempää samaa mieltä - suosittelen maistamaan vaikkapa jotain Lidlin saksalaista makkaraa, niin ymmärtää mistä kyse. Mutta että suomalaiset joisivat aivan erityisen tujakkaa sumppia?? Suomalaisesthan juovat vaaleapaahtoista litkua!
Joka tapauksessa viihdyin kirjan parissa niin hyvin, että pakkohan sille on 4 tähteä antaa.
Joka tapauksessa viihdyin kirjan parissa niin hyvin, että pakkohan sille on 4 tähteä antaa.
October 15, 2019
The back made me chuckle so I figured the rest of the book might, too. And it did, on several occasions, even.
And yet I either got desensitized towards the end or it was less funny. The first half and maybe a bit after was 4 star stuff, but the end was somehow too full of references to earlier stuff. Still funny though.
Not sure anyone who isn't a Finn or has lived in Finland for a bit longer can understand quite a lot of these though. But what do I know, I am a Finn (even if living elsewhere).
And yet I either got desensitized towards the end or it was less funny. The first half and maybe a bit after was 4 star stuff, but the end was somehow too full of references to earlier stuff. Still funny though.
Not sure anyone who isn't a Finn or has lived in Finland for a bit longer can understand quite a lot of these though. But what do I know, I am a Finn (even if living elsewhere).
October 5, 2021
Biased, stereotypical and really bad humour. It tries to be funny but it fails. It is odd reading others saying it's funny, cause I know none of the people we checked it together. But... connections and friend support;
I literally wanted a refund from the second hand shop that I found the book. 😂 Did you questioned how this book has 210 ratings but only 33 reviews? I had the curiosity though, to see if the writer is really living here. I discovered the writer asked from his Facebook friends to rate with 5 stars his book on Goodreads! 🤦
I literally wanted a refund from the second hand shop that I found the book. 😂 Did you questioned how this book has 210 ratings but only 33 reviews? I had the curiosity though, to see if the writer is really living here. I discovered the writer asked from his Facebook friends to rate with 5 stars his book on Goodreads! 🤦
February 15, 2019
Hupaisa kirja suomalaisten erityispiirteistä. "Selviytymisopas" on voimakkaan stereotyyppinen ja kylmä-metsä-sauna-toistelu alkaa välillä kyllästyttääkin. Jopa ulkomaalaiselle menisi varmasti vähemmälläkin perille. Humoristinen, paikoin hyvin liioiteltu ja värikäs kerronta tekevät kirjasta kuitenkin viihdyttävää luettavaa suomalaisellekin. Muutama vähän yllättäväkin "ongelma" tuli vastaan.
January 21, 2021
More than a book about Finnish culture, it is the point of view of a typical Brti person (with the imperialist gaze that was totally revealed during Brexit) about the Finns. If you want to know more about Finnish culture, go to Finland and talk to the Finns, you will find that they are good people just like you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews