Белгісіз Сайың

1954 war novel by Väinö Linna

The Unknown Soldier (, Okänd soldat) or Unknown Soldiers is a war novel by Finnish author Väinö Linna, considered his magnum opus. Published in 1954, The Unknown Soldier chronicles the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union during 1941–1944 from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. In 2000, the manuscript version of the novel was published with the title Sotaromaani ("the war novel") and in 2015, the latest English translation as Unknown Soldiers. A fictional account based closely on Linna's own experiences during the war, the novel presented a more realistic outlook on the formerly romanticized image of a noble and obedient Finnish soldier. Linna gave his characters independent and critical thoughts, and presented them with human feelings, such as fear and rebellion. Although published to mixed reviews, The Unknown Soldier quickly became one of the best selling books in Finland and is considered both a classic in Finnish literature and a part of the national legacy. The novel has no single central character and both begins and ends with an ironic play on the narrator's omniscience. Rather, its focus is on different responses and views on the experience of war from a soldier's point of view. The men of the company come from all over Finland, they have widely varying social backgrounds and political attitudes, and everyone has their own way of coping with the war. The novel paints realistic, yet sympathetic, portraits of a score of very different men: cowards and heroes—the initially naive and eventually brave upper class idealist Kariluoto; the down to earth Koskela; the hardened and cynical working class grunt Lehto; the company comedian Vanhala; the pragmatic and strong nerved Antero "Antti" Rokka; the politically indifferent Hietanen, and the communist Lahtinen. Gritty and realistic, the novel was partly intended to shatter the myth of a noble, obedient Finnish soldier. In Linna's own words, he wanted to give the Finnish soldier a brain, an organ he saw lacking in earlier depictions—such as Johan Runeberg's The Tales of Ensign Stål, where Finnish soldiers are admiringly portrayed with big hearts and little independent intellect. The Unknown Soldier is closely based on Linna's own experiences as a Finnish Army soldier in Infantry Regiment 8 during the Continuation War with many of its scenes derived from factual events, but is more or less fictional. The novel has been described as an honest, uncomforting, forlorn, pacifist and critical outlook on the war between the Soviet Union and Finland. The Herald described Linna's aim as "not to home in on individual plights and agendas but to show the whole great shapeless mass of a platoon, one that is continuously besieged and pared down". The Independent stated that Linna examines nationhood and "the fate of small nations in particular" while the novel's "wisest characters come to regard nationality as a matter of chance".

The novel initially received mixed reviews and was not expected to be a commercial success by its publishers, but has since become a revered household classic that Finns are given to read at school. By 2017, it had sold nearly 800,000 units. The novel contributed numerous expressions and idioms into Finnish culture and language, with phrases that are popular to the point of some having become clichès. Few remember the exact characterisations from the book, but some phrases are known word for word. Some of the characters even became role models. For example, the disobedient but competent and pragmatic Rokka, or the humane jokester, Hietanen, are described as typical role models, while the calm, fair and composed Koskela is the paragon of every Finnish leader. In conclusion, the novel is considered to be a defining part of the national legacy and identity of Finland. As such, the 1955 film adaptation by Edvin Laine is broadcast on national television every Independence Day and seen by nearly 20% of the Finnish population.

By 2017, the book had been printed in 60 editions in Finland. An unedited manuscript version was published in 2000 by WSOY as Sotaromaani ("the war novel")—Linna's working title for The Unknown Soldier. Penguin Books published a new English translation by Liesl Yamaguchi in 2015 with the idiosyncratic title Unknown Soldiers to reflect the lives of young Finnish soldiers in the war.