New-York tribune., 1912-04-07
FINLAND
Country and People, Their His
tory and Culture.

FINLAND TO-DAY. By George EenVick:
r r.. q. :. with 81 illustrations and
map. Svo. PIP. xii, 3iN. Charles
Scribncrs Sons.
LETTERS FROM FINLAND. August,
190S- March. 1909 BY Rosalind Trav-
crS. With Illustrations and man.
Nvo. PIP Xi. ioi. Imported by +. 7.
Dutton & co.
These two books on the Country OF
Thousand Lakes" deal with very much
the same material but in a widely vary
ing manner Both pay tribute 10 tho
natural beauties Of a region Of the world
that. though much praised of late IN
many volumes. still continues to be neg
lccted by the tourist. under the mistaken
impression, perhaps, that II Is too re-
mote, too difficult to reach and lack
ing in the comforts which make travel
agreeable elsewhere. Both books include
in their scope the history of Finland,
insisting upon the recent episode Of the
incorporation Of the old duchy into the
Russian Empire Both deal with the
characteristics of the Finnish people,
their customs and manners. the status
Of their women in public and private
life. with their literature. art and music.
with their educational system, agricult-
urc trade and industries. Mr. Renwick
takes M these subjects methodically,
one by one: Miss Travcrs discourses Of
them as occasion offers i'm the series ~
delightful letters to various friends
which make up her book. The attitude
Of both authors is that Of English SYM
pathy with nation that has heon de-
prived Of it's long established rights and
liberties but whereas Miss -'TraVers
writes chiefly for the stay-at-home, Mr..
Renwick Enthusiastically has in view the
needs Of the tourist who would follow
i'm his steps.
The impression conveyed by Ooth theSe
authors is that Of a country OF wondrous
natural beauty. and OF people well
worth visiting and knowing. Both com
ment upon the prevalence Of Scotch
names in Finland. borne by the descend
ants of soldiers of fortune who joined
The armies of the warlke Swedish kings.
Miss Travers is most interesting in dis
cussing Swedish cultural influences i'm
the duchy. and the awakening Of It's
national consciousness, which, seventy
,.ears ago led TO a concerted movement
for the development Of the language,
and which since has shown itself In
Finnish painting as we'll as in modern
Finnish literature That literature, Mr.
Renwick informs ms. has devoted itself
almost exclusively tn the production Of
poetrv and fiction. Miss Travers, a poet
herself, gives numerous translations Of
Finnish verse. and AS for Finnish paint
7 ing:
The general effect is extremely modern
and quite aStOnishingly original and sim
ccre, but rather startling. You must re-
member that Finland has not much at
moSphere, so II Is small wonder ~ the
painters there often render things in a
| way that seems TO us nat. sharp and hard
] (althOugh they have a wonderfully gay
scnse of COLOR. while. considering the
national type, II isn't very surprising that
they should have carried the CUT ot elN
20 all almost inhuman extent But II -
oil so living, so Jolly. 80 go ahedd, so
rl02r rHc' The general effect is twofold:
There is that sense of freshness anc Nlsor
! that you find in any of the modern groups
! ur schools and there is the almost bar
barrie originality and deli@h; OF the pco-
Pile. artistically gifted, to whom painting
itself is new.
Both books are abundanuy and in
/ formingly illustrated, both with pictures
( OF country and town and people, and
with reproductions of paintings