History Literature / TheUnknownSoldier

* {{Gorn}}: purposefully averted by the author, with only a few small expections here and there. Linna wanted to make the reader to emphasize with the characters as if they were real people and thus feel sadness when they die, instead of trying to "shock" the reader by brutal descriptions of what happens to their bodies. As he said, important is **what** is dying, not **how** it's dying.

* SceneryPorn: the forested wilderness and the countryside of Karelia are //beautiful// and Linna knows just how to describe it. The beauty and peace of nature forms a constant background to the violence, death, suffering and immorality taking place within its woods and fields.

* {{Gorn}}: purposefully averted by the author, with only a few small expections here and there. Linna wanted to make the reader to emphasize with the characters as if they were real people and thus feel sadness when they die, instead of trying to "shock" the reader by brutal descriptions of what happens to their bodies. As he said, important is //what// is dying, not //how// it's dying.

* {{Jerkass}}: Private Korpela.

* CulturedWarrior: Major Sarastie.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Captain Kaarna [[spoiler: who, unfortunately, gets killed early in the war and is replaced by Lieutenant Lammio, who is a cocky martinet]]. Also 2nd Lieutenant Jalovaara becomes one.

* TheQuietOne: Lieutenant Koskela, who is nicknamed ''Ville Vaitelias'' ("Silent Billy").

* SlidingScaleofIdealismVersusCynicism: the novel is *very* cynical about the high browned, nationalistic-patriotic idealism of the day. However, the story does have human heart.

* HeroicBSOD: 2nd Lieutenant Jalovaara, when war is over. He falls in a heap, crying openly over the fate of Finland.

The novel has been made into a film two times: a black and white movie by Edvin Laine in 1955, and in colour by Rauni Mollberg in 1985. Both filmations had good success. Rumors of a third film adaption surfaced in 2014 but were initially denied by the director Aku Louhimies, however a few months later he confirmed the existence of the project and the movie was officially announced in August 18th, 2015. The third film adaption is going to be based in the uncut Sotaromaani version of the book and is slated for release in October 27th, 2017.

The novel has been made into a film two times: a black and white movie by Edvin Laine in 1955, and in colour by Rauni Mollberg in 1985. Both filmations had good success. Rumors of a third film adaption surfaced in 2014 but were initially denied by the director Aku Louhimies, however a few months later he confirmed the existence of the project and the movie was officially announced in August 18th, 2015. The third film adaption is going to be based in the uncut Sotaromaani version of the book and is slated for release in December 6th, 2017, [[MeaningfulReleaseDate Finland's 100th Independence Day]].

Compare with the works of Creator/JamesJones for similar American novels.

* {{Badass}}: Many. Usually against their will, like Sergeant Hietanen and Corporal Rokka.

The novel has been made into a film two times: a black and white movie by Edvin Laine in 1955, and in colour by Rauni Mollberg in 1985. Both filmations had good success. The book has been translated into many languages; however the original English translation not only omits some scenes but even changes some character's personalities entirely. A new English translation has been made in 2014. It is highly recommended reading.

* FinnsWithFearsomeForests: UnBuiltTrope: most of the action indeed happens in forests, but WWII (where the book is set) is the origin of the trope.

(Not to be confused with the DCComics character of the [[ComicBook/UnknownSoldier same name]].)

The novel has been made into a film two times: a black and white movie by Edvin Laine in 1955, and in colour by Rauni Mollberg in 1985. Both filmations had good success. The book has been translated into many languages; however the English translation not only omits some scenes but even changes some character's personalities entirely.

* FateWorseThanDeath: Happens to Corporal Lehto, [[spoiler:who gets a hit on his spine and gets paralyzed from chest down in the night outflank maneuvre.]] [[AteHisGun He decides it's a FateWorseThanDeath]].

* ScrewTheWarWerePartying: Capture of Petrozavodsk and plunder of the liquor factory, ase well as General/President Mannerheim's birthday.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Lieutenant Koskela, who appears in Linna's major opus ''TäälläPohjantähdenAlla''.

* CommonRanks: Finnish ''alikersantti'' (Sub-Sergeant) corresponds to Corporal in the US and British armies. Finnish ''korpraali'' (Corporal) is a rank of the rank and file, and corresponds to PFC in the US and Lance Corporal in the British armies.

* DeadpanSnarker: Sergeant Hietanen

* CommonMilitaryUnits: A machine gun company with three platoons with three machine gun squads in each.

* DadTheVeteran: Lieutenant Koskela's father was a company leader in Finnish Civil War.

''The Unknown Soldier'' is a novel by Finnish author Väinö Linna. It is a war novel, with its milieu being the ContinuationWar between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1941-1944, describing the tour of duty of a Finnish machine gun company and its men. The main protagonists are the men of rank and file and lower officers, who are all conscripts or reservists.

The novel is based on Linna's own experiences in the war before he was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to a recruit training. The book is written in very realistic style and is considered as one of the best war novels ever written. Many of the protagonist personae are loosely based on real life persons from Linna's patchwork regiment where many soldiers came from different Finnish regions. The ''Unknown Soldier'' is considered a very deep analysis of the psychology of soldiers and what war does to people as well as what makes a good soldier.

The novel has been made into a film two times: first, a black and white movie by Edvin Laine in 1955, and second, a colour movie by Rauni Mollberg in 1985. Both filmations are considered successful. The book has been translated into many languages; unfortunately the English translation leaves much to be desired as it not only omits some scenes but even changes some character personalities entirely.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Captain Lammio. His men universally hate him because of him being a strict martinet and having no faults to loathe.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Sergeant Hietanen and Corporal Lahtinen. Also Major Sarastie.

* BadassBoast: Lieutenant Koskela, who usually behaves in very correct and prudent way, yells when drunk: ''Koskela Suomesta! Syö rautaa ja paskantaa kettinkiä!'' (Koskela from Finland! Eats iron and shits out chain!)
* BlingOfWar: Averted. Men considered it as rewarding of deeds which would be crimes in civilian life.

* CannonFodder: The Soviets. In RealLife their losses were horrendous.

* DeathByAmbulance: Subverted by Sergeant Hietanen. [[spoiler:The ambulance carrying him to the field hospital gets ambushed and everyone inside are killed.]]

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Lieutenant Koskela, [[spoiler:who destroys a tank with a satchel charge, dying himself too]]. Also Captain Kariluoto, [[spoiler:leading a counterattack to capture positions lost earlier]].

* EarnYourHappyEnding: ''The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics won, and the second to finish was small but tenacious Finland'', says Corporal Vanhala at the last page of the book. Finland managed to maintain her independence and freedom. Also most of the surviving characters at the end of the book finished the war as [[FieldPromotion field promoted]] non-commissioned officers, such as Vanhala, who began as Private.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Happens to Corporal Lehto, [[spoiler:who gets a hit on his spine and gets paralyzed from chest down in the night outflank maneuvre. He shoots himself.]] Also to Sergeant Hietanen, [[spoiler:who first gets a hit on his eyes, and the ambulance carrying him to hospital gets ambushed and everyone inside are killed.]]

* FieldPromotion: Happens to several of the protagonists.
* FinnsWithFearsomeForests: Played straight. Most of the actions happens in forests.
* FriendlySniper: Corporal Rokka, with Suomi submachine gun. [[spoiler:He single-handedly slaughters a Soviet ski company in an ambush. This is based on a RealLife event.]]

* HeroicBSOD: 2nd Lieutenant Jalovaara, when war is over.[[spoiler:He falls in a heap, crying openly over the fate of Finland.]]

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Lieutenant Koskela, who appears in Linna's major opus ''Täällä Pohjantähden alla''. (Under the North Star).

* IShallReturn: Corporal Rokka as he gets wounded in action and is stretchered away. [[spoiler:He says to stretcher bearers: ''Goddammit, carry me head ahead. I won't be leaving here feet ahead.'' His RealLife counterpart, Viljam Pylkäs, survived the war unscathed.]]

* KarmicJackpot: Subverted by Corporal Lehto, who suffers one of the nastiest fates in the book. [[spoiler: He gets wounded in action and paralyzed from chest down, and he shoots himself with his service rifle.]] Lieutenant Koskela says later: ''It was good it happened to Lehto. He was the best of us to suffer that kind of fate.''
* LaserGuidedKarma: Private Korpela, [[spoiler:who insults and yells to Lammio and is about to become a DangerousDeserter, and gets killed in an artillery barrage.]]

* MoreDakka: Finns and Soviets used weapons of same caliber and cartridge size. The Finns always looted Soviet ammunition when they had a chance. Machine guns are notoriously dakka-hungry. Also played straight by Corporal Rokka [[spoiler:as he single-handedly destroys a Soviet ski company with a submachine gun in an ambush. He has Private Lampinen with him just to fill up the magazines. He shoots seventeen magazines empty.]]

* NewMeat: The company gets them regularly. [[spoiler:They usually either get killed very quickly, or grow up into decent soldier as quickly.]]
* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Usually played straight.
* ObligatoryWarCrimeScene: Corporal Lehto shoots a Soviet prisoner of war. [[spoiler:Sergeant Hietanen almost kills Corporal Lehto in retaliation, who is only saved by intervention of Lieutenant Koskela]]

* PintSizedPowerhouse: Private, later Corporal and even later Corporal Määttä. He is noted for his small stature.
* PluckyComicRelief: Private, later Lance Corporal and even later Corporal Vanhala. [[spoiler:He is one of the most lovable characters in the book.]]

* ReturningWarVet: Corporal Rokka, Private Susi and Lieutenant Koskela were all veterans of Winter War.

* ScrewTheWarWerePartying: Capture of Petrozavodsk and plunder of the liquor factory, and Mannerheim's birthday
* SergeantRock: Sergeant Hietanen. Also Corporal Rokka to [[EnsignNewbie 2nd Lieutenant Kariluoto]]

* ShotAtDawn: Two privates of the same battalion from disobedience and defying the orders.

* StealingFromTheTill: Corporal Lehto and privates Määttä and Rahikainen. [[spoiler:They get caught by Lieutenant Lammio, who sentences them to stand in attention for half an hour in full gear in sunshine. Unfortunately, an air raid occurs while they are doing their punishment...]]

* TheBully: Corporal Lehto. [[spoiler: He is one of the most unpleasant characters in the book.]]

* TheQuietOne: Lieutenant Koskela, who is nicknamed ''Ville Vaitelias'' (literally "Silent Billy").

* TriggerHappy: Private Asumaniemi. [[spoiler: ''Where those Russkies are so I can kill them?''. Also ''One is missing, said the Devil when he counted the fire ants''.]]
* ToAbsentFriends: The Marshall Mannerheim's birthday party. [[spoiler:The MilitaryMoonshiner squad have prepared ''kilju'' and everyone gets dangerously drunk.]]

* UnusualWeaponMounting: The machine guns on the bows of the assault launches

* WarIsGlorious: Private Rahikainen earns well as a scrounger.

* ZergRush: The usual Soviet tactics. Especially the Soviet assault where Corporal Lahtinen gets killed. [[spoiler:He dies beside his machine gun.]] Early in the book, Lahtinen responds to the boast "a Finnish soldier is as good as ten Soviet ones" with the matter-of-fact "yes, but what do you do when the eleventh one comes?"

(Not to be confused with the DCComics character of the [[UnknownSoldier same name]].)

* ZergRush: The usual Soviet tactics. Especially the Soviet assault where Crporal Lahtinen gets killed. [[spoiler:He dies aside his machine gun.]]

* IShallReturn: Corporal Rokka as he gets wounded in action and is stretchered away. [[spoiler:He says to stretcher bearers: ''Goddammit, carry me head ahead. I won't be leaving here feet ahead.'' His RealLife protagonist survived the war unscatched.]]

* ColdSniper: Corporal Lahtinen. Not with sniper rifle, though, but with [[{{BFG}} Maxim machine gun]]. Also Rokka (using a Suomi SMG)[[labelnote:*]]the latter's exploits are a ''toned-down'' version of war hero Viljam Pylkäs' actions[[/labelnote]].

* ColdSniper: Corporal Lahtinen. Not with sniper rifle, though, but with [[{{BFG}} Maxim machine gun]].

* TheNeidermeyer: Staff Sergeant Sinkkonen. Double Subverted by Captain Lammio, who is a strict martinet with NoSocialSkills and an ego the size of a small nation. He is also an insanely brave soldier and efficient leader, but his complete lack of weaknesses does nothing to endear him to the rank-and-file.

* TheNeidermeyer: Staff Sergeant Sinkkonen. Averted by Captain Lammio, who is, while a strict martinet with no psychological eye whatsoever, also an insanely brave soldier and efficient leader.

* BadassBoast: Lieutenant Koskela, who usually behaves in very correct and prudent way, yells when drunk: ''Koskela Suomesta! Syö rautaa ja paskantaa kettinkiä!'' (Koskela from Finland! Eats iron and sh*ts out chain!)