Tove Jansson Life, art, words

Tove Jansson may not be a household name in the United States, but in her native Scandinavia she is best known as the beloved creator of the Moomin books. As this biography makes clear, the Moomin books were only one part of the enormous output of art Jansson created. Frescos, oil paintings, illustrations, cartoons, and works of fiction for adults are not only mentioned but also analyzed by the author, who had access to Jansson's personal papers and residences. Deep analysis sprinkled among biographical information, however, does at times make the book difficult to follow. In addition, the use of long sentences, run-on sentences, and extremely long paragraphs contribute to the confusion. Black-and-white sketches and full pictures from Jansson's letters and journals help break up the text. While the book makes clear how important friends and family were to Jansson, her longtime partner, Tuulikki Pietilä, does not enter in any major context until nearly halfway through the book. This biography is clearly a love letter to the late Jansson, but the amazing story of a profound and gifted artist gets lost in 500 pages of text. Readers may get a better understanding of Jansson from her own works, such as Sculptor's Daughter or The Summer Book. VERDICT The love of the work and artist is evident, but the magic is lost in translation.--Jessica Durham