Comet in Moominland
Encyclopedia
Comet In Moominland is the second in the series of Tove Jansson
's Moomin books, published in 1946.
An earlier story The Moomins and the Great Flood
exists, but Comet in Moominland is often seen as first novel in the series as it introduces many of the main characters, like Snufkin
and the Snork Maiden
, and is set in Moominvalley
.
The English language
book is a translation of the first version of Jansson's book, which she was later to revise, which was published in 1968. It contains a number of minor differences; for instance, the Silk Monkey character is changed to a kitten.
and his friend Sniff
go into the forest and find a mysterious path. They follow it and meet the Silk Monkey.
They go pearl fishing, and then discover a cave. However, they get scared when they visit the cave later and see a comet drawn with the pearls , which the Muskrat tells Moomintroll may destroy the valley.
So they sail to the observatory in the Lonely Mountains to ask the Professors if the comet will destroy the Earth.
They are attacked by crocodiles who are distracted by their trousers. They then meet Snufkin, who joins them, and Sniff has a run-in with a giant lizard after he tries to steal its garnets.
The boat gets stuck in a cave and they almost fall into a dark hole when they are rescued by a Hemulen
with butterfly net. They find the observatory, and the scientists tell them the exact time that the comet will arrive.
Moomintroll saves the Snork Maiden
from a deadly bush, then she and her brother Snork join them on their way back to Moominvalley.
They buy gifts in a store, then attend a dance in the forest. The comet heat dries up the sea, and the group has to cross on stilts.
On the way they meet another Hemulen, who follows them home. Moominmamma
has baked a welcome home cake.
The family flees to a cave, along with the Muskrat, Silk Monkey, and the Hemulen. However, the comet misses Moominvalley. The friends rejoice.
The novel has been adapted into animation several times, including the 1978 serial Mumi-troll
, 1992 feature Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Mūmindani no Suisei and 2010 compilation movie Moomins and the Comet Chase
.
Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
's Moomin books, published in 1946.
An earlier story The Moomins and the Great Flood
The Moomins and the Great Flood
The Moomins and the Great Flood is a book written by Finnish author Tove Jansson in 1945...
exists, but Comet in Moominland is often seen as first novel in the series as it introduces many of the main characters, like Snufkin
Snufkin
Snufkin is a character in the Moomin series of books authored by Swedish-speaking Finn Tove Jansson, appearing in six of the nine books...
and the Snork Maiden
Snork Maiden
The Snork Maiden is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. She is a member of the species known as Snorks, and is the sister of the Snork and Moomintroll's beloved, although their relationship is very innocent...
, and is set in Moominvalley
Moominvalley
Moominvalley is a fictional place, where the Moomins live in the tales by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Especially in the early books Moominvally is depicted as a beautiful place with green slopes, rivers, fruit trees, flowers and a place for calm and peaceful life as in the tradition of pastoral...
.
The English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
book is a translation of the first version of Jansson's book, which she was later to revise, which was published in 1968. It contains a number of minor differences; for instance, the Silk Monkey character is changed to a kitten.
Plot summary
MoomintrollMoomintroll
Moomintroll is the main character in the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. He lives in the Moominhouse together with his father Moominpappa and his mother Moominmamma and has a keen spirit of adventure. Moomintroll is a 'moomin' - a little white troll with a hippopotamus-like big round nose.His best...
and his friend Sniff
Sniff
Sniff is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. Moomintroll's immature friend and later adopted brother. He is the son of the Muddler and the Fuzzy. He is one of the few characters in the Moomin series who is sincerely interested in money, and is always on the...
go into the forest and find a mysterious path. They follow it and meet the Silk Monkey.
They go pearl fishing, and then discover a cave. However, they get scared when they visit the cave later and see a comet drawn with the pearls , which the Muskrat tells Moomintroll may destroy the valley.
So they sail to the observatory in the Lonely Mountains to ask the Professors if the comet will destroy the Earth.
They are attacked by crocodiles who are distracted by their trousers. They then meet Snufkin, who joins them, and Sniff has a run-in with a giant lizard after he tries to steal its garnets.
The boat gets stuck in a cave and they almost fall into a dark hole when they are rescued by a Hemulen
Hemulen
Hemulens are a species of characters in the Moomin series of books by Swedish-speaking Finnish author Tove Jansson. Hemulens feature in several of the books. One Hemulen collects butterflies, and another is an avid skier...
with butterfly net. They find the observatory, and the scientists tell them the exact time that the comet will arrive.
Moomintroll saves the Snork Maiden
Snork Maiden
The Snork Maiden is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. She is a member of the species known as Snorks, and is the sister of the Snork and Moomintroll's beloved, although their relationship is very innocent...
from a deadly bush, then she and her brother Snork join them on their way back to Moominvalley.
They buy gifts in a store, then attend a dance in the forest. The comet heat dries up the sea, and the group has to cross on stilts.
On the way they meet another Hemulen, who follows them home. Moominmamma
Moominmamma
Moominmamma is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Moominmamma is married to Moominpappa and is the mother of Moomintroll. She very rarely gets cross and takes even the most distressing circumstances in her stride...
has baked a welcome home cake.
The family flees to a cave, along with the Muskrat, Silk Monkey, and the Hemulen. However, the comet misses Moominvalley. The friends rejoice.
Other versions
Jansson wrote and illustrated a black-and-white comic strip version for newspapers. The 86 day story does not follow the book plot, for example, the Moomins get their news from a radio, not a trip to the observatory, and Little My appears throughout the story, albeit often observing. In this version the comet hits Moominvalley dead on, laying the landscape bare. Right away, however, flowers bloom, and life begins again.The novel has been adapted into animation several times, including the 1978 serial Mumi-troll
Mumi-troll
Mumi-troll was a series of three short films made in the USSR in 1978, based on the book Comet in Moominland, which was a part of the Moomin series by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson.-The Films:Three films were made.* Mumi-troll i drugie Mumi-troll (Russian language: Муми-тролль,...
, 1992 feature Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Mūmindani no Suisei and 2010 compilation movie Moomins and the Comet Chase
Moomins and the Comet Chase
Moomins and the Comet Chase is a 2010 stop motion film compiled from the Comet in Moominland-based episodes of the 1977–1982 Moomins TV series animated at Se-ma-for in Poland, restored and re-soundtracked with multiple voice actors replacing the single narrator...
.