大象传媒

A charming tale by Tove Jansson about two elderly eccentrics who develop an unlikely friendship when they tussle over a bench in the hothouse of a Finnish botanical garden. Read by Andrew Sachs, this thought-provoking story combines sharp observations about human nature with beguiling descriptions of the natural world.

Translator: Silvester Mazzarella
Abridged and produced by Gemma Jenkins

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A charming tale about friendship and old age by the acclaimed Finnish writer, Tove Jansson, best known as the creator of the "Moomin" stories.

Two elderly eccentrics develop an unlikely friendship when they tussle over who gets to sit on a bench in the hothouse of a Finnish botanical garden. Although they are both solitary by nature, they begin to look forward to their weekly encounters in the hothouse and to the lively discussions that ensue.

This thought-provoking story combines sharp observations about human nature with beguiling descriptions of the natural world.

"The Hothouse" is taken from the newly published short story collection, "Travelling Light." Written by Jansson in 1987, this is the first time that these stories have appeared in English.

Translator: Silvester Mazzarella
Reader: Andrew Sachs
Abridged and produced by Gemma Jenkins.