Release date is 2025-03-28

Anna Siren and Tapio Riikonen

"Vanha konsti parempi kuin pussillinen uusia: Kertomus hra Kenosen matkasta Lontooseen" by Tiitus is a humorous novel written in the early 20th century. The book follows herra (Mr.) Kenonen, a somewhat old-fashioned and opinionated Finnish gentleman, as he sets off on a journey from Finland to London to fetch his daughter Leena. The narrative appears to blend light satire of travel and cultural misunderstandings with lively character portraits, making it a likely choice for readers interested in gentle humor, observations on national character, and comical travel adventures. The opening of the book introduces Mr. Kenonen as he reluctantly prepares for his trip abroad after his daughter Leena, staying in London to improve her English for a bank job, requests help returning home. Kenonen scoffs at the need to visit such cities, but resigns himself to the journey, seeing it as his paternal duty. The story quickly brings in other travelers, such as Kenonen’s practical cabin-mate Taavetti Tiilikainen, and introduces their humorous difficulties with foreign languages and customs. Amid vivid and witty depictions of travel woes—like seasickness on the ferry, bureaucracy at customs, and comic misunderstandings—the narrative expands to include the aspirations and foibles of Finnish people dreaming of adventure abroad. In these pages, the tone is light, conversational, and scattered with amusing anecdotes, skillfully blending slice-of-life humor with social commentary. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Helsinki: Kust.Oy Kirja, 1926