This is the cover illustration for Comet in Moominland, by Tove Jansson.In the comic strip version of the story, the comet hits Moominvalley and destroys the landscape, but immediately the flowers begin to bloom again. (I always think it's interesting to factor in that Jansson said she began to write the sweet but weird Moomin stories in response to World War II in Finland.)
Busy today, going over the layout of the Slovakia geography book (which I turned in last summer) one last time before it goes to the printer. It's fun to see the photos and captions in place. Soon, Finland will be ready to go too; though I won't see the actual books for a couple more months.
Blogging is so much better for instant gratification.
That's such a beautiful picture that by all rights should be scary but manages to be mostly just eerie and almost sweet. Why are the people walking around on stilts? That's the detail that makes it for me, somehow.
ReplyDeleteThat's the Moomin, eh, eerie and sweet!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was beautiful too, to see the original watercolor.
I haven't read the story, but Wikipedia says the comet dried up the ocean so people crossed on stilts...
Not sure how that helps.
Maybe the ocean floor was hot?
Congratulations on seeing projects moving to completion!
ReplyDeleteSomething about the round bend of the flames make the comet look almost benevolent.
ReplyDeleteAnd the flowers immediately blooming again! What a quietly hopeful notion, both for the world and the individual.
(I think we'd be in a bit more trouble than the Moomins if a comet hit earth, but it's nice to think that there is wide-spread bloom after personal "comets".)
If I had no context I'd say it had a quasi-apocolyptic feel, not necessarily in a negative way, but just because of the cross I see dead center.
ReplyDeleteHi, Fresca. I finished a book too. I wish I had better proofreaders because at the last moment I noticed a large chunk missing. My books aren't as exciting as yours. They are just 300-page+ books of a huge annual report for the organization I work for. Lots of history in them, however, that needs to be right. Was able to get a new copy to the printer in time. It is fun to see the immediate publication of a blog, isn't it? I think that's what I like most about all this.
ReplyDeleteMOMO: Thanks! You remember my struggles...
ReplyDeleteM'GET: Yes, I think maybe Tove was trying to tell her own story about blooming again after devastation.
I'd like to know more about her.
MAURA: You always see things I don't. Thanks for pointing them out!
FMnSMO: Congratulations on getting your book to the printer too!
Wow--that sounds like intense work, doing annual reports--so particular!
The instant publication is one of the things I like best about blogging too. It keeps me eager to keep on writing!
Great pix, but I don't remember the Moomins tails being that long... (and rat-like) were they always that long?
ReplyDeleteBINK: No, you're right, they don't have such long tails later. I think this is an early version of Moomin.
ReplyDelete