Vappu Kannas | University of Helsinki (original) (raw)
Papers by Vappu Kannas
When the journals of L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) were first published in the 1980s, t... more When the journals of L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) were first published in the 1980s, they became instantly widely read, just as her best-seller novel Anne of Green Gables had done in 1908. This can partly be explained by the literary quality and readability of the journals themselves. Not much, however, has been written about these aspects of the journals. Since our understanding of Montgomery s life is largely based on her journals, it is crucial that we take a closer look at what happens in the text. This dissertation is the first extensive study of the literary facets of Montgomery s life-writing mainly her journals, but also her letters and scrapbooks. With the focus on romance, both as a rhetorical device and subject matter, I explore the way Montgomery writes about her male and female love interests with what I term fictionalisation. By analysing the ten unpublished journal manuscripts as well as the published versions of them, The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery (1985- 2004) and The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery (2012-2013), I approach diary as a literary genre. I explore questions such as how editing affects diary writing and its analysis and how literary conventions are employed in diaries. I demonstrate that for Montgomery the conventional romance is often a façade, one that is undercut by more subversive nuances, as presented for instance in the discourse of female intimacy. Intimate relationships with women come out as a more satisfying alternative to the conventional romance plot. Nevertheless, when this material is transferred to Montgomery s fiction it turns into the expected conventional romance between a man and a woman. Montgomery s self-conscious way of using romance must therefore be seen as one of the main features of her journals and one that may also influence our readings of her novels. Familiar literary conventions found in the diary, from the two suitors motif to the suicidal lesbian, show how aware Montgomery was of the literary and social customs of her time, whether of the 1890s or the 1930s. The use of the motif of the fallen woman, the tragedy of Hamlet, the fairy tale, especially Cinderella, the gothic novel and the satirical diary novel showcase the diversity of Montgomery s art as she recreates the story of her own romances in her life-writing. Although Montgomery s journal portrays a rather traditional romantic heroine, the forlorn heroine of a terribly sad life story , in Montgomery s own words, I maintain that analysing her journals in the same detailed way we analyse her fiction expands on our understanding both of her life and her writing. What is more, our understanding of diary as a genre can benefit from what is found in Montgomery s highly elaborate journals.
L.M. Montgomery’s journals are a perfect example of what Lynn Z. Bloom terms “public private diar... more L.M. Montgomery’s journals are a perfect example of what Lynn Z. Bloom terms “public private diaries”, that is, diaries that are “artfully shaped to accommodate an audience”. Although not published until 1985 onwards, Montgomery’s journals were never strictly private documents. Meticulously edited by their author, the journals as a whole resemble more an autobiography than a diary, with complex narrative patterns, inserted photographs and a central character whose development into a writer is followed.
Therefore, it makes sense to examine what kind of processes took place in the production of The Selected Journals, a kind of behind-the-scenes viewpoint to the editing of the published and abridged versions of Montgomery’s journals.
Who abridged Emily? Translation history of L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon in Finnish. L.M... more Who abridged Emily? Translation history of L.M. Montgomery’s
Emily of New Moon in Finnish.
L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon (1923) was first translated into Finnish by I. K. Inha in 1928 and it has remained a popular book in Finland ever since. This article examines the translation history of Pieni runotyttö, the Finnish rendition of Emily of New Moon. Inha’s original translation was revised in 1961, as were
the sequels, Emily Climbs (revised 1964) and Emily’s Quest
(revised 1965). Who made the revised translations is not known, but I suggest that it was most likely Inka Makkonen, the then head of the children’s literature department of WSOY, one of the biggest publishing houses in Finland. In addition to looking at a specific translation and its history, the article problematises the cultural significance of translating children’s and young adult literature. Lack of prestige might be seen in the fact that
the revised and abridged Finnish translations of Emily of New Moon, for instance, have not been previously studied. However, retranslations and revised translations should in general be analysed more critically, also when it comes to children’s
literature, because they reveal historical translation tendencies, tell about our attitudes toward a particular genre and also shed light on how books change in translation. The article suggests that the genre and target audience of Emily of New Moon changed significantly with the revised Finnish editions, from a (young) adult novel to a children’s book and from adult readers to children, especially girls.
The L.M. Montgomery Reader, Volume One: A Life in Print, 2013
Books by Vappu Kannas
In this book chapter of Reading Today, I examine a collection of texts about the Finnish reader ... more In this book chapter of Reading Today, I examine a collection of texts about the Finnish reader responses to Finnish translations of Montgomery’s Anne and Emily books.
Alice Munron Kallis elämä -kokoelman omaelämäkerrallisuudesta.
When the journals of L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) were first published in the 1980s, t... more When the journals of L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery (1874-1942) were first published in the 1980s, they became instantly widely read, just as her best-seller novel Anne of Green Gables had done in 1908. This can partly be explained by the literary quality and readability of the journals themselves. Not much, however, has been written about these aspects of the journals. Since our understanding of Montgomery s life is largely based on her journals, it is crucial that we take a closer look at what happens in the text. This dissertation is the first extensive study of the literary facets of Montgomery s life-writing mainly her journals, but also her letters and scrapbooks. With the focus on romance, both as a rhetorical device and subject matter, I explore the way Montgomery writes about her male and female love interests with what I term fictionalisation. By analysing the ten unpublished journal manuscripts as well as the published versions of them, The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery (1985- 2004) and The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery (2012-2013), I approach diary as a literary genre. I explore questions such as how editing affects diary writing and its analysis and how literary conventions are employed in diaries. I demonstrate that for Montgomery the conventional romance is often a façade, one that is undercut by more subversive nuances, as presented for instance in the discourse of female intimacy. Intimate relationships with women come out as a more satisfying alternative to the conventional romance plot. Nevertheless, when this material is transferred to Montgomery s fiction it turns into the expected conventional romance between a man and a woman. Montgomery s self-conscious way of using romance must therefore be seen as one of the main features of her journals and one that may also influence our readings of her novels. Familiar literary conventions found in the diary, from the two suitors motif to the suicidal lesbian, show how aware Montgomery was of the literary and social customs of her time, whether of the 1890s or the 1930s. The use of the motif of the fallen woman, the tragedy of Hamlet, the fairy tale, especially Cinderella, the gothic novel and the satirical diary novel showcase the diversity of Montgomery s art as she recreates the story of her own romances in her life-writing. Although Montgomery s journal portrays a rather traditional romantic heroine, the forlorn heroine of a terribly sad life story , in Montgomery s own words, I maintain that analysing her journals in the same detailed way we analyse her fiction expands on our understanding both of her life and her writing. What is more, our understanding of diary as a genre can benefit from what is found in Montgomery s highly elaborate journals.
L.M. Montgomery’s journals are a perfect example of what Lynn Z. Bloom terms “public private diar... more L.M. Montgomery’s journals are a perfect example of what Lynn Z. Bloom terms “public private diaries”, that is, diaries that are “artfully shaped to accommodate an audience”. Although not published until 1985 onwards, Montgomery’s journals were never strictly private documents. Meticulously edited by their author, the journals as a whole resemble more an autobiography than a diary, with complex narrative patterns, inserted photographs and a central character whose development into a writer is followed.
Therefore, it makes sense to examine what kind of processes took place in the production of The Selected Journals, a kind of behind-the-scenes viewpoint to the editing of the published and abridged versions of Montgomery’s journals.
Who abridged Emily? Translation history of L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon in Finnish. L.M... more Who abridged Emily? Translation history of L.M. Montgomery’s
Emily of New Moon in Finnish.
L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon (1923) was first translated into Finnish by I. K. Inha in 1928 and it has remained a popular book in Finland ever since. This article examines the translation history of Pieni runotyttö, the Finnish rendition of Emily of New Moon. Inha’s original translation was revised in 1961, as were
the sequels, Emily Climbs (revised 1964) and Emily’s Quest
(revised 1965). Who made the revised translations is not known, but I suggest that it was most likely Inka Makkonen, the then head of the children’s literature department of WSOY, one of the biggest publishing houses in Finland. In addition to looking at a specific translation and its history, the article problematises the cultural significance of translating children’s and young adult literature. Lack of prestige might be seen in the fact that
the revised and abridged Finnish translations of Emily of New Moon, for instance, have not been previously studied. However, retranslations and revised translations should in general be analysed more critically, also when it comes to children’s
literature, because they reveal historical translation tendencies, tell about our attitudes toward a particular genre and also shed light on how books change in translation. The article suggests that the genre and target audience of Emily of New Moon changed significantly with the revised Finnish editions, from a (young) adult novel to a children’s book and from adult readers to children, especially girls.
The L.M. Montgomery Reader, Volume One: A Life in Print, 2013
In this book chapter of Reading Today, I examine a collection of texts about the Finnish reader ... more In this book chapter of Reading Today, I examine a collection of texts about the Finnish reader responses to Finnish translations of Montgomery’s Anne and Emily books.
Alice Munron Kallis elämä -kokoelman omaelämäkerrallisuudesta.