The Adventurer (novel)

The Adventurer (UK title: Michael The Finn; original title Mikael Karvajalka) is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari, published in 1948. It is a fictional tale of young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka (Hairy-foot), set in 16th century medieval Europe. The main character Mikael is shown as an intellectual but rather naive person, starting his life as an orphan bastard who pursues a better social status with help of friendly people and by means of theological studies, but ends up drifting along through historical events across Europe rather than being able to steer his life himself.

The book begins in the city of Turku and follows Mikael along an adventure throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. The book depicts many actual historical events with a rich style, although Mikael's involvement in the events is fictitious. The historical events and millieus featured in the book include:

The story is continued in The Wanderer, where the protagonist explores the Ottoman empire.

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Wikipedia