Mika Waltari Books in Order

Mika Toimi Waltari is a renowned Finnish historical novelist, celebrated for his magnum opus, The Egyptian. Born in Helsinki, Waltari's early life was marked by loss and turmoil, witnessing the Finnish Civil War as a child after his father's untimely death. Despite his mother's wishes for him to study theology, Waltari pursued his true passions in philosophy, aesthetics, and literature at the University of Helsinki, graduating in 1929. As a young writer, he contributed to various magazines, publishing his first book in 1925 and later venturing to Paris to write his debut novel, Suuri illusioni, a poignant tale of bohemian life. Waltari's experiences in Paris and his subsequent writings are reminiscent of the Lost Generation's American authors. A member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, Waltari's views evolved to become conservative. He married in 1931 and had a daughter, Satu, who also followed in his footsteps as a writer.