Review | The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen

Jaakko Kaunismaa is informed by his doctor that he’s dying because someone has been poisoning him. He’s shocked, and his immediate reaction is to tell his wife. But to his surprise, his wife has her own secrets. Feeling alone, he decides to conduct an investigation into his impending death.

Who could be planning for his demise? His suspects include the owners of a rival mushroom company, the workers at his own business and possibly his own wife. As he goes deeper into his investigation, he also faces scrutiny from the police and realises that his life is nothing like he thought it was.

“I want to be able to contact you at any time. I need a number. In case I need painkillers or something.” 

I can almost hear the doctor cursing the incursion into his long-awaited holiday. But let’s face it, I’ll only be murdered once.

I absolutely enjoyed The Man Who Died! I found this book absurdly funny and surprising as the story goes to unexpected directions. I’ve seen comparisons of the book to the movie Fargo which I think is fair. Jaakko finds himself questioning whether everyone in his life has been lying to him. He also finds himself unwittingly involved in ridiculous situations, some of his own making. The morbid humour is probably not for everyone but it had me laughing! I loved the poetic writing, it didn’t feel like anything is lost in translation.

I never thought the mushroom industry in Finland could be so interesting! The intricate production process of pine mushrooms from the picking to the shipping is detailed here and I found it fascinating. While Jaakko is intent on finding his potential murderer, he also gets caught up in making sure his company is safe after he is gone. This is where the book hits the mark for me. Because between the funny scenes there are moments of real contemplation by Jaakko about his mortality. Things like eating ice cream, swimming in the sea, seeing the morning sun all feel more precious to him. It’s no wonder his life turns upside down the moment he knows he’s dying, because that’s when he decides to truly live.

The Man Who Died is a delightful, contemplative mystery of death, love and the beautiful moments in life. If you’re looking for a book that can make you laugh about death while giving you more appreciation for life, this would be the perfect read.

About the author: Antti Tuomainen

Photo by Unsplash