Customer Reviews
Both profound and simple - By: A Common Reader, 15 May 2008 
At first glance Tove Jannson's Fair Play is simply a collection of stories about two female artists living together in their old age. It is semi-autobiographical, with Tove being the fictional Marie, & her lifelong partner, graphic designer Tuulikka Pietelä, being Johanna. Tove is of course the author & creator of the Moomin series of childrens' books, which spawned a large number of television programmes popular in the 1970s & 80s, & to this day.
Marie & Johanna divide their time between a large apartment in Helsinki & a tiny island of the coast of southern Finland, across the channel from Estonia. Both women have a strong commitment to their work, & while living as partners, they also create plenty of personal space for their artistic preparation & reflection.
As in Tove's books, The Summer Book & A Winter Book, on the face of it, nothing much happens. However it is in the minutiae of their daily life together that forms the real core of the book & if there is a message at alll, it is about making the most of each moment of the day, & appreciating everything that is around you - this almost Buddhist message comes across strongly in these simple stories.
The two women generallly get along & share much of their lives together, but they also argue, they get jealous, & they often irritate each other. On the other hand, they both understand the rhythms of each other's lives, & they both understand the creative process & its tensions.
The forward by Ali Smith offers useful scene-setting, & I think I agree with her that this is "a novel with a profound sense of discretion at its core" - a lot isn't said, & a lot of conversation between these women doesn't need to be said out loud. They understand each other & realise that sometimes when up against a brick walll, you don't have to keep battering your head against it, but can simply walk around the side of it.
I can't say this is a great work of literature, but I do know that sometimes it is good to read the words of people like Tove Jannson who lived the life they were meant to live with uncompromising artistic integrity.
Wolverhampton Libraries LGBT Reading Group Review - By: R. L. Graham, 17 Jan 2008 
This slow paced book is about the relationship between two intelligent & artistic women existing together, rather than exciting things that happen to them.
A lot of mundane things happen (just like real life, right?) which left some readers feeling that this book lacked momentum but, it was agreed that with perseverance, the quirky moments & delightful incidental characters made this quite an amusing book.
Precisely written, this book is made of snapshots from Jonna's life with Mari - they live together, yet separately, in a remote island house in Finland with the Baltic ocean (and the Russian military) creating an atmospheric backdrop, with few neighbours but several unusual friends.
There is an autobiographical feel throughout the book, & the subject of two older women who have been together a very, very long time was one not often covered before.
Easy-to-read with short chapters, it never specifies that Jonna & Mari were lovers, but it's understood without doubt that their partnership is one of love, companionship & creativity.
Another delight - By: Drew, 11 Jul 2007 Another simple but profound piece of writing from Tove. This was the perfect holiday read for me over a week. Gentle tales about gentle people living their lives. Uncompromising in many ways. So much is left unsaid & for your imagination. Like with a best friend you don't have to say everything as they already know what your thinking. If you are looking for a book which is action packed then this isn't for you but if you want something about art, life & friendship with humour then.....
simplistic beauty - By: J. Wild, 10 Jul 2007 As with her previously translated adult books,The Summer Book & The Winter Book, Jansson manages to capture a world of emotion & understanding with the most minimal use of language. Indeed the book is very short,a collection of connected vignettes about two aging women living & growing old together. As usual the themes of age, rebellion & communication are clearly defined, but what makes Jansson a master of storytelling is her ability to say the obvious when least expected & avoid it when it feels inevitable. Thus alllowing the reader to follow the subtext & relate to those situations in life where we already know what the conversation will be about, what will be said, what avoided. Not only does this feel like slices of real life it also manages to be a warm heartfelt & honest piece of work. Who needs pages of description when Jannson's characters can create an entire world in the most succinct of ways.
