Sven A. Linholm: ORBITS (Volume I). Published by the author. 2004. 315 pages.

It’s barely four months since the Toronto Estonian author surprised us with a smoothly written artfully mature novel in English about a reluctant revolutionary, evoking a lively prelude to the events of 1905 in St. Petersburg as well as in Estonia. That was actually the second volume from the saga of Jarmo Matson, but the author felt that the development of events is more interesting and intense than in volume I and perhaps for that reason sent it to the literary marketplace in this irregular fashion.

The book under review is part one of the saga, which has been newly published. It takes us to Jarmo Matson’s childhood farm in the province of Virumaa in Estonia. The author’s engaging narrative skill lets us take part in his conception, birth and maturing years as a cowherd and the years of attending the parish school and high school in the city, culminating in preparations for becoming a gentleman. The necessary polish for the latter is given by a girlfriend of his mother, a charming young widow, to whose estate he is sent to work before continuing his studies in St. Petersburg.

As we were already persuaded in the case of volume II, the characters created by the author come alive and are entirely believable. He brings them before the reader with a simple playful ease, often with merely a few deft pen strokes. Jarmo’s life on the farm-home with his parents and two older sisters becomes immediately familiar. The same goes for his friends of both sexes during his cow herding days, among whom “becoming a man” is a tenacious and somewhat bumpy process. Schoolmates from the city high school are perhaps a little less colourful, but even they become familiar. And then there are other memorable characters, like the arrogant Baron von Thalen or the imperious German Pastor Böhnke. Or the vodka-loving Tinsmith Toomas who, with his knowledge about the olden days and long forgotten persons, deftly ties together many lose ends and this way shifts from an unassuming supporting role to the spotlight. And the rather unimportant Crazy-Uugo, who appears from time to time and etches himself in the reader’s consciousness with a memorable presence.

The leading man himself, even if strongly idealized, comes across as likable since the author has not scattered the spices of virtue about him too liberally. For the opposite sex he has a powerful attraction. Sirtsu Ella, a companion from his cow herding days, who has matured into an attractive girl and a maid at the city high school, Asta, both fail in their attempt to seduce him, but before the powerful arsenal of the widowed wife of a grand estate owner the walls of the fortress crumble and the waves of first love crash powerfully around him. A brief idyll ensues which is brought to an end by the inevitability of the real world and the sober mind of a sophisticated woman.

About the construction of the novel I was ready to scatter the trite expression that the author’s fantasy knows no bounds, but suddenly I realized how aslant one could shoot with worn-out expressions. The author’s fantasy is incomparable, but in recognizing the boundaries he merits real admiration. At times he advances exactly to the limit, but not by a step does he cross the boundary. As evidence of that is an original interlude in which the real world and the mythical suddenly collide and then intertwine with ease. Driven by a strange urge, the boy goes alone into a deep forest to look for Lead-Eye—a witch in whose existence he does not believe. And yet he finds her—not the witch but one who was thought to be a witch. She turns out to be the girl Aino (now an old woman) who many years ago had fled into the forest to escape the oppression of the barony, as told to Jarmo and his friend by the drunkard Tinsmith Toomas. The same kind of urge eventually brings Aino back to her village to meet with the love of her youth. To render believable such gymnastics between the no-man’s-land of fable and reality calls for extraordinary talent, which the author evidently possesses. One could surmise that such an interlude could affect the novel as a foreign body, but such is not the case.

The description of Jarmo Matson’s childhood is far more than a simple the story of an Estonian farm lad’s development. The action takes place during what is called the Time of Estonia’s Awakening, and herein are firmly woven the seeds of our peoples’ struggle for freedom. Jarmo’s parents Markus and Anna are not comparable with Andres and Krõõt of Vargamäe (leading characters in the famous series of Estonia’s “Truth and Justice” by A.H. Tammsaare, translator’s note!), although they are tending farm in the same period with a like tenacity. Rather, Markus harbours a touch of Hundipalu Tiit. And Jarmo’s school days in Rakvere are quite a bit like those of Vargamäe Indrek. However, the Director of the school Apfelbaum is no Maurus, but an apparent Juniper-German who later stealthily scatters his needles and shows an ability to wear birch leaves when required. Jarmo himself is no Indrek, but more like Tasuja in modern clothes (Tasuja was the hero in Estonia’s highly successful historical novel by Bornhöhe, translator’s note!), although Bornhöhe is even less likely to have influenced Linholm than Tammsaare. Simply put—he is neither one’s epigon. And when I used the word “saga” it wasn’t just claptrap. The author, I hope, will forgive me for revealing his secret that the story will not end with two volumes. There’s more to come, and some day we’ll probably be able to witness Jarmo Matson’s idealistic struggle for freedom to the very end.

During our long period of exile we have attempted to introduce strangers to Estonia—to portray the nature of our people, our fight for freedom and other pursuits and aspirations—all through the translating of our literature. Now we have something on that topic that is written in English. This should be of interest to our younger generation and to their friends from among other nationalities. I dare offer my warmest testimonial to that effect.

EERIK PURJE
(Translation from the original Estonian, which appeared in Eesti Elu No. 3, January 21 2005 — ESTONIAN LIFE).

[B]Orbits (Volume I) is on sale at the estore in the Toronto Estonian House. It is also available directly from the author, phone 416 481-0212, e-mail