The title that was only published on 17th of March climbed the bestseller lists immediately and has sold in amazing numbers.

A young woman from a Nordic country meets a Catalan man in Barcelona. A smart, modern love story ensues.

IRRATIONAL THINGS asks is it a contradiction if you are a strong independent woman, but also falling madly in love – so much in love that you are willing to change everything in your life for someone else?

When the main character falls in love with a Catalan man, they first try living in Spain, then the try Finland, and when things don’t work out they try breaking up. But the bond between them is so strong, that they have to keep inventing new ways to be together.

The novel also discusses writing about love. Is love a suitable subject to deal with if you want to be taken seriously?

Download the English and Spanish sample and synopsis here.

PRAISE:

“Even though love is complicated, it is never irrational. This, and other ideas Turunen carefully depicts with her lovable style that pays attention even to the smallest of details.”
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper 17.3.

“Like Saga Noren dropped in the middle of Los Serranos!”  – Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper 17.3.

“In a short time Turunen has become the most interesting contemporary Finnish writer.” – Ilta-Sanomat newspaper 17.3.

“I love the way Turunen writes about seemingly mundane details, but they actually represent structures or pain points of the society. Her language is straightforward, and the humor is seen in the contrasts of what is said and what happens. “ – Turun Sanomat newspaper 17.3.

IRRATIONAL THINGS by Saara Turunen
Tammi, March 2021, 340 pp.Autofictive story of love, death and life between two countries. Turunen’s funny, witty and melancholic voice examines the contradiction of sense and sensibility.

What if you are in love with a good man – a man you have always wanted to fall in love with? But what if this man lives in one country and you in another? Should you be sensible and leave the man to be free and independent? Or should you follow your heart, burn the bridges behind, and go after him?

The narrator travels to Barcelona to study theatre. After a few weeks she falls in love with a local man. Thus begins an intensive relationship that tears her between two countries and two cultures. She learns that relationships are between two individuals who have their own ways of expressing love to others and to themselves.

Turunen’s novel paints a relatable picture of relationships, breakups and the constant battle between fear and love. It is a beautiful picture of a woman growing up and trying to balance between social expectations, commitment and freedom.

Saara Turunen is an internationally acclaimed award-winning author, playwright and director.

Turunen has previously authored two highly acclaimed novels, Love/Monster 2015 and The Bystander 2018. Her debut novel Love/Monster won the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize in 2015.
She is known for her bold and direct style and much of her work examines the themes of identity and social norms. Her newest novel Irrational Things (Spring 2021) is a story of love, death and life between two countries.

In addition to her work as a novelist, Turunen is also known for her plays, that have been translated into  English, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, German, French, Russian, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Estonian, Greek and Lithuanian and performed all around the world. Turunen was granted with the Finland Prize in 2016, a high profile award given by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, and with the City of Helsinki’s The Artist of the Year Award in 2018.