A Happy Man

By Arto Paasilinna

A wickedly funny satire about money, power, and the joys of small-town life.

Bridge engineer Akseli Jaatinen is tasked with replacing Kuusmäki’s rotten wooden bridge with a concrete one, on the very spot where, during the 1918 civil war, a bloody battle between the ‘whites’ and ‘reds’ took place – an episode whose memory continues to divide the residents of the village.
 
The parish council holds a grudge against Jaatinen and do everything they can to stop him completing the project on time. But the feisty Finn refuses to surrender.

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About the author

Arto Paasilinna (1942-2018) worked as a lumberjack and journalist before becoming a full-time writer. He published thirty-five novels and twelve non-fiction works during his lifetime, cementing his authorship as one full of creative vision, humour, and uplifting portrayals of man’s relationship with nature. One of Finland’s most well-known writers, his works have been translated into over 40 languages and have sold over 8 million copies worldwide.