Putnik
The novel The Traveler by Finnish writer Mika Waltari, originally published in 1948 under the title Mikael Karvajalka, is a historical fiction that follows the adventures of a young Finn, Mikael Karvajalka, in the turbulent 16th century.
Mikael, an orphan and illegitimate child, begins his life as a naive intellectual with ambitions to become a theologian. However, a series of historical upheavals takes him on a journey through Europe and the Mediterranean, where he witnesses key events of the time.
Starting in the Finnish city of Turku, Mikael's journey includes the Danish conquest of Sweden and the bloodshed in Stockholm, student life at the Sorbonne in Paris, the Protestant Reformation and political unrest in Germany, including the rise of Luther and Müntzer, the Inquisition's witch hunts in Germany, the wars in Europe and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, the sack of Rome during the pontificate of Pope Clement VII, etc.
Throughout these events, Mikael faces moral dilemmas and personal challenges, often finding himself in situations that test his faith and beliefs. His story is an introspective search for identity and meaning in a world full of conflict and change.
The Traveler is the first part of the Mikael Carvajalka duology, and his story continues in the novel The Wanderer (Mikael Hakim), where Mikael continues his journey, this time in the Ottoman Empire.
One copy is available
- The cover is missing
