Mika Waltari
Mika Toimi Waltari (
pronunciation ) (19 September 1908 – 26 August 1979) was a Finnish writer, best known for his best-selling novel The Egyptian (Finnish: Sinuhe egyptiläinen).
Early life
Waltari was born in Helsinki and lost his father, a Lutheran pastor, at the age of five. As a boy, he witnessed the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki. Later he enrolled in the University of Helsinki as a theology student, according to his mother's wishes, but soon abandoned theology in favour of philosophy, aesthetics and literature, graduating in 1929. While studying, he contributed to various magazines and wrote poetry and stories, getting his first book published in 1925. In 1927 he went to Paris where he wrote his first major novel Suuri illusioni ('The Grand Illusion'), a story of bohemian life. In terms of style, the novel is considered to be the Finnish equivalent to the works of the American writers of the Lost Generation. (In Waltari's historical novel The Adventurer, taking place in the 16th century, the hero is a Finn who goes to Paris during his twenties and lives there a rather bohemian life). Waltari also was, for a while, a member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, though his political and social views later turned conservative. He was married in 1931 and had a daughter, Satu, who also became a writer.
Podcasts:
Famous quotes by Mika Waltari:
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by Robbie Williams
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by Radiohead
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by Faithless
My Culture
by: Robbie WilliamsSpoken:
I'm the sub-total of my ancestors
I carry their DNA
We are representatives of a long line of people
And we carried them around either with
This long line of people
That goes back to the beginning of time
And when we meet - they meet other lines of people
And we say bring together the lines of me
When I look back over the years
At the things that brought tears to my eyes
Papa said we have to be wise
To live long lives
Now I recognize
What my father said before he dies
Vocalize things I've left unsaid
Left my spirit unfed for too long
I'm coming home to my family
Where I can be strong
Be who I planned to be
Within me my ancestory
Givin'me continuity
This is what my Daddy told me
I wished he would hold me
A little more
Than he did
But he taught me my culture
And how to live positive
I never wanna shame
The blood in my veins and bring pain
to my sweet grandfathers face
In his resting place
I made haste to learn and not waste
everything my forefathers earned in tears
For my culture
Chorus:
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm water
(For my culture)
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again.
Hello Dad,
Remember me?
I'm the man you thought I'd never be.
I'm the boy who you
Reduced to tears
Dad, I'd been lonely for 27 years
Yeah, that's right
My name Bob
I'm the one
Who landed the popstar's job
I'm the one who
You told look, don't touch
I'm the kid
Who wouldn't amount too much.
I believe in the senses that I sound
I have always been around
Won't you help me drown it out?
And When I feel
What I'm feeling is so real
I'm a massive of spinnin' wheels
Always digging in my heels
Now I got the faith to
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm water
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again.
This is what my Daddy told me
I wished he would hold me
A little more
than he did
But he told me my culture
And how to live positive
I never wanna shame
The blood in my veins and bring pain
To my sweet grandfathers face
in his resting place
I make haste to learn and not waste
everything my forefathers earned in tears
For my culture
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm water
Water to air
You're on your feet again
Your feet again
(For my culture)
Fall back again
Crawl from the warm water
Water to air
Your on your feet again
Your feet again
(For my culture)