Arctic Hysteria and Other Strange Northern Emotions

Book excerpt: This volume opens a new perspective on the thriving area of research on the imagined North by studying emotions in the light of case studies in Finnish literature. It addresses the cultural history of Arctic hysteria and maps other strange emotions depicted and evoked in literature of the Finnish North. The case studies range from the works of internationally renowned authors, such as Rosa Liksom, Emmi Itäranta and Tove Jansson, to the affectively controversial and provocative writings of Timo K. Mukka, Marko Tapio and Pentti Linkola. By focusing on the imagined North in the literature of modernism and late modernity, the authors offer fresh views on experiences of modernisation and the changing Northern environment in the age of the Anthropocene. The book is intended for scholars and students in literary studies, together with everyone interested in the imagined North and emotion, Finnish literature and culture.