The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature

by Jan Kaus (Editor), Eric Dickens (Translator), Eduard Vilde (Contributor)

The Dedalus Book of Estonian Literature offers a wide-ranging selection of fiction from the end of the nineteenth century until the present day, including work by Estonia's classic and most important contemporary authors. This is the most important selection of Estonian fiction to have appeared in English and will be essential reading for anyone wanting to gain an idea of Estonian Literature and for the many American visitors to Estonia.

Estonia is one of the smallest and least populated countries in the European Union. It has a population of about 1.4 million. For most of its history it has been part of its larger neighbours, Sweden and Russia. It regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

It is really in the nineteenth-century that Estonian Literature develops and a prose tradition established. This anthology features work by significant authors in this period such as Eduard Vilde and Juhan Liiv and extends to the modern day with contributions from leading contemporary authors such as Peeter Sauter and Eeva Park. Estonia's most famous and widely-translated author is Jaan Kross, who should have become the first Estonian author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is represented in the anthology by 'Uncle' (1990).

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Jan Kaus on eesti luuletaja, romaanikirjanik, tõlkija ja toimetaja. Ta on korraldanud Tallinna rahvusvahelist kirjandusfestivali HeadRead ja toimetanud kultuurilehte Sirp.

Reviews

[James]

One of the things I do with every country I visit is read some of its literature before and after my trip. It gives a far richer knowledge and experience of the culture that you can't get from looking at the tourist attractions. I've been to Estonia many times, but never came back with books by Estonian writers; unfortunately, translations into English are not so common. So I was very pleased to find this small cornucopia of important Estonian authors. Mostly short stories (with an extract from a novel), they include surreal fantasy, world travels, reference to Soviet occupation, meanderings in the countryside and modern urban drama. Translator Eric Dickens has managed to produce an English prose that accurately conveys the voice of the Estonian people to a wider readership. Anybody who has been to Estonia or is looking for something a little different in literature would appreciate it.

[Linia]

My first introduction to many Estonian writers! Very accessible, as well as interesting.