The dark side of the Moomins

Question to Swedes: what were you child impressions of "Pettson och Findus"? I read it to children as an adult, and impressions are that it tells of the funny & sad sides of taking care of children, and I sympathize to Pettson, of course. I wonder how you saw it as children.

On topic: interesting read. I'd never think these stories had so much dark side to them.

I got all 9 stories in 3 books at the age of 11 and read most of them, and was very happy with the stories, never noticing any of the dread the article speaks about.

Especially the Midwinter story was fascinating - we lived not that North, but in cold winter mid-continent, and the story was like looking out watching for the first signs of the spring, that eventually always comes, but you shouldn't celebrate any of those too early -- when day temperature comes above 0 in March, you know it's going to be freezing in the evening. (Later I was stunned with foreigners in our city complain of this March weather, call it "winter" and be depressed!)

A few years ago someone on social networks posted her impressions from reading them out loud to children -- that indeed it's depressive.

So I guess, the conclusion is that people make opposite meanings and moods of the same events.

I liked Pettson because he's awesome and invents things. I think he's like a physical version of the guy who writes a bunch scripts that together are able to do all his work.

Findus is more of experimenter. He comes up with an idea about something, and ends up following that idea so that it gets tested. He isn't a systematic, scientific experimenter though, since he's a cat.

I also liked all the little animals. To contrast that with the Moomin stories, I only saw it on TV, but it was immediately obvious that they were very austere and very Finnish, even though of course, the author is a Finland-Swede. It's good stuff, but can be, not scary, but something adjacent, to watch as a child. It might be worth it since it allows you to understand these characters in this very austere, isolated environment.

Not a swede (yet) but grew up with the books (and merch): I never identified Findus as a child as he was, obviously, a cat. It was fun comic around 3-9 but I cannot say the lesson ever really made sense to me since it was just too abstract. Just funny, like the other Nordquist books. I also liked the associated PC games, which where interesting as they where quite challenging at a certain age with lots of engineering puzzles. But at that point it is really not much about Findus anymore, just the general mood that comes from the comics. Oh, and my brother loved the pancake-cake, whose receipt we somehow got from the book.

Interesting. I've only watched Soviet cartoons about Moomins, so no idea what's no dreadful in the Dutch one.

I did like me some Petsson och Findus. Besides agreeing with sibling commenter, the melancholic story with the fox and the fireworks was impactful. The dark moments and their resolution were in general the most meaningful. Fully agree with the notion that it's misguided to deprave ("spare") children from struggles and difficult questions of life. Nothing graphical or depraved but you get the point.

As for the Moomins, I don't know what you all are on about in the comments. I'm with OP on this one. Lasting child Moomin impressions:

- Original comic: Dark, heavy, existential, anxious, depressed, sarcastic, "this is probably not for kids". Still loved them and still find them underrated and wish more people read them.

- Mainstream TV cartoon: Fun fantastical times. And Groke (aka Mårran) was indeed nightmare material

- Newspaper comic: Couldn't keep track

- TV live action: Now this was the true nightmare material. I think it was supposed to be lighthearted but my brother at 37 still talks of how it traumatized him.