We’re not happy with central heating.’”Īnother thing that makes the book interesting is the fact that Tove Jansson was already a respected artist when her first book was published in 1945. ‘But only where people still have stoves, I mean. For example, in the story, Moominmamma tells Moomintroll how Moomins used to live behind tall stoves in people’s houses and were driven out by the advent of central heating: “‘Some of us still live there now, I’m sure,’ said Moominmamma. Indeed, the book contains a good bit of Moomin history. Other main characters from the world of Moomins presented in the book include the Hemulens and the Hattifatteners, as well as the ancient moomintrolls, the ancestors, who are introduced as characters living behind the stoves of people’s houses. They move through a forest full of suspense and a monumental flood, counter a stream of surprises and meet all kinds of peculiar beings along the way, including a “little creature” who, in fact, is an early Sniff who joins them for the journey.

“The Moomins and the Great Flood” is a story about Moominmamma and Moomintroll’s quest to find the lost Moominpappa who has gone off with the Hattifatteners, and how they find their way to the beautiful Moominvalley, born as a result of a great flood.

Nevertheless, it presents an early version of Moomintroll and the characters and themes for which Tove Jansson would later on become internationally renowned, and it shines a light on how her ideas and artworks evolved as she developed the Moomin themes and series.įirst glimpse of the history and the future of the Moomins Also, the story has been referred to both as the grand “creation myth of moominology”, as well as a prelude to the eight official Moomin novels rather than “an official Moomin book” due to differences in style and content. First, it went largely unnoticed by the larger audience, sold only 219 copies during its first year, and was translated into English as late as 2005. To the surprise of many, even though the book is the very first published Moomin story and it introduces the Moomins and how they find Moominvalley, it has always had a complex position within the array of the Moomin books. These are the first enchanting words written about Moominvalley and the Moominhouse, found at the end of the book “The Moomins and the Great Flood” (1945). And there, in the midst of the meadow, stood a house that almost looked like a stove, very elegant and painted blue.” “At last they came to a small valley that was more beautiful than any they had seen that day.

The moomins and the great flood pdf