Fair Play by Tove Jansson

Fair Play

Tove Jansson

A gentle but unsentimental look at the ways in which Mari and Jonna combine their work and their friendship into a successsful relationship. There are lots of reasons to read this book: it may be partly autobiographical, it's possible to read each chapter as a separate story which is very relaxing, and the descriptions of life on a Finnish island alone will make sure it lingers in your mind.

Extract
'Mari,' said Jonna, 'Sometimes you're really a little too obvious.'
'Do you think? But once in a while a person just needs to say what doesn't need to be said. Don't you think?'
And they went back to their reading.
Parallels
  • The Odd Couple - the play by Neil Simon
  • Ladies in Lavender - the film