Laugh with Larni [antikvár]

Foreword A Finnish critic wrote in the preface to a collection of his essays: "/ belong to that school of writers who regard the preface as the sauce that accompanies the text." This definition is entirely correct, for the only savoury part of his vast work is the preface, which is a brilliantly prepared sauce. Without it, it would be quite beyond the strength of a normal reader to digest the book, and the reactionary, shallow philosophy of the author may well cause the reader to develop headaches and stomach pains. Unfortunately, I do not belong to that school which uses the preface as a sauce for the text. On the contrary, I look upon the foreword as a kind of apology, a word of justification by the author to his reader whose sympathy he tries to gain. I consider it my duty to make myself clear on this point. And now I shall get on with my own foreword. These short pieces, which APN Publishing House has generously agreed to put out in a single volume, were written over the last few years. The editor of this book has come up with a kind of cocktail by including in it both light and serious pieces. It may strike the reader, at first, as something that reminds him of a blanket made of scraps. The explanation for this is that events taking place in the world are of the most diverse kinds. When a collection of my satirical sketches was published twelve years ago one critic described me as a "venomous mocker" who, armed with a sharp awl, lies in wait for his