“Water walks with the moon and embraces the earth, and it isn’t afraid to die in fire or live in air. When you step into it, it will be as close as your own skin, but if you hit it too hard, it will shatter you .”
― Emmi Itäranta, Memory of Water
Nowadays I never read or especially like Finnish literature (except few books), because I often find that books of Finnish authors miss something. Sometimes it’s the plot, sometimes it’s the language. Often I read a book through and I end up thinking that I didn’t really get what it missed but something it lacked. . This is why I was really surprised to find myself reading Emmi Itäranta’s debut Memory of Water (Finnish: Teemestarin kirja = The Tea Master’s Book).
What I liked about this book was that the setting was in Finland and plot and characters were original. I liked Noria as not so many dystopian main characters live very privileged life. I also liked the fact that in this dystopian world, somehow there was strong tea drinking culture (poor coffee drinkers) and tea ceremony.The writing was beautiful, use of words was excellent in this book and the fact that Itäranta translated the book herself (I think?) makes the English kind of nicely different.
What I really did not like about this book was how the plot was built very well and then the ending was rushed. I waited for the next level for the whole book and there never was one. And the ending seemed a bit fake. There could have been much potential to take things slower and turn this book into trilogy.
I would rate this book 6½ – 7/10.
Death is water’s close companion, and neither of them can be separated from us, for we are made of the versatilitiy of water and the closeness of death. Water doesn’t belong to us, be we belong to water: when it has passed through our fingers and pores and bodies, nothing separates us from earth.”
― Emmi Itäranta, Memory of Water
How-To Read Memory of Water
1 I think you will find the setting to be interesting: Finland! Also the book has common and less common Finnish names that make reading interesting. At same time if you are Finn, names aren’t so typical that they would annoy you.
2. 260 pages and ending seemed a bit rushed to me and I hoped there could be a sequel but I doubt that there will be. I was disappointed as I was expecting something much more from this book and Finnish literature in general but I don’t regret reading this book.
3. I liked how it was realistic: China is the most influential country, there is plastic and junk everywhere and something has gone wrong with the weather so that Noria, the main character, has never really seen what snow looks like.
4. Philosophical, I liked how Itäranta described the water as element (as you can see in the quotes and pictures)
5. Book has been translated well into English but of course you could always try learn Finnish ;) Personally, I think both titles match the book well. Finnish: Teemestarin tytär and English: Memory of Water.
I’ve been meaning to read this for ages! The only problem is that I can’t decide if I should read it in Finnish or in English :D
I am somehow more attracted to books in English haha but maybe you should read in Finnish and then we could compare somehow? :D Thank you for commenting! :)
This is actually in my to-be-read stack right now! Too fun to find a review of it on your blog; I’m looking forward to seeing how my impressions compare. :)
Really, haha. That’s nice :) Let me know once you have read the book! My TBR list is so unreal nowadays, might have to cut few books away
I read this book a while ago in Finnish and it was I liked how Itäranta used the metaphors and how she described everything, however I agree with you, it did seem a bit rushed and it would have been nice if there were more sequles to Memory of Water.
This book is amazing! I loved the book so much and you should see how amazing Emmi itaranta is in person! I’m the luckiest person In the world I think, because I had pleasure to met her! She said that she might write the sequel and her another novel the city of woven streets has just been released! Personally I liked this book because it’s philosophical and there’s no love triangle or revolution spots.
That’s awesome!! Where did you meet her? I always like meeting authors or seeing them being interviewed because then the book is different when you know who author is and what they were thinking when writing the book. Been planning to read City of Woven Streets for a while now. I liked this book but still I think this had potential for a an epic book and epic fantasy and that didn’t happen unfortunately. I do hope she writes a sequel!
She went in my country and my publishing company hosted her so I had opportunity to spend a day with her! that was so awesome! She’s not like Noria but, she’s very smart lady! Well yeah it had a potential but I think the beauty of it is the ending and the hope that author leaves that some day the world will be different!
Whoa!! :) That was definitely beyond awesome opportunity. I’m happy for you haha. Well, let’s agree to disagree :)