Description

A strange, compelling fable about Europe, capitalism and the human heart. Vatanescu, an impoverished construction worker, wants a future for himself and a pair of football boots for his son. So he decides to head north to a cold, dark country where there is money to be made…

Publisher Review

Kyro pokes fun at the powerful and powerless, freedom and oppression, charity and greed, technology and tradition, obscurity and celebrity, Finns and non-Finns, appealing to readers with irreverence throughout. By intermingling caricature, commentary, and comedy, Kyro concocts a cynical and hilarious world that informs one man's journey in search of a simple life of modest comfort and decent values.' * Publishers Weekly * The Beggar & the Hare has a warmth, heart and humour that inspires, a firm touch on the European state of mind and European state of play, and more than enough to say about the ways of the world and its ills. * Bookbag * As much an exploration of Finland's relationship with its neighbours and of the nature of European capitalism as it is a witty and entertaining picaresque, The Beggar & The Hare is an assured and beguilingly-told modern fable.' * Booktrust * This beautifully told fable takes a tongue-in-cheek look at capitalism in Europe today. Told with a deep affection for this loveable anti-hero, it is impossible not to fall in love with Vatanescu.' * Good Book Guide * A delicious novel... Kyro handles the humor and satire wonderfully, sketching a surreal vision of our modern lives.' * La Gazette Nord * The Beggar & the Hare is a sweet tale of friendship and strength even during the hardest of times... Kyro's prose is often hilarious and I found myself smiling whilst reading the closing chapters, as I felt as though I'd really travelled with our plucky hero... Similar to Jonas Jonasson's The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared in both style and content, fans of Jonasson's work will enjoy this slightly over-the-top tale.' * Books and Such * Kyro's narrative is fast and shifting: unlikely opportunities give way to unlikely accidents, and the cycle repeats itself, propelling the plot forward... The Beggar & the Hare is a meditation on power, politics, and celebrity. But Vatanescu's journey is also the touching story of a father willing to do anything necessary to ensure the happiness of his son; a husband who finds meaning and satisfaction in his domestic life; and a country that is slowly coming to terms with its open borders. * The Peddle Journal * The Beggar & the Hare feels fresh, funny and smart... it not only entertains, but also provides thoughtful social and political commentary on life in today's Europe.' * Maphead's Book Blog * The best tales are always deceptively simple. They seem to be about one thing when, really, they're about another entirely. They suck you in before you know it. They have you churning and spinning, both frightened and excited at the same time. You may think you know where you are going. In truth, you don't. And neither do you, in all honesty, care. The Beggar & the Hare is one such novel.' * Pop Matters *