Neither did I know you were a fellow Finn! :D It's a tiny, tiny world, sometimes.

I read the book, and shortly afterwards was shown the traditional film version. I think it lost a lot in the adaptation; the film is very much "yay war heroes" while the book is more of the anti-war persuasion, albeit not All Quiet on the Western Front. Additionally, since I have what is best termed "face nearsightedness", the actors were indistinguishable, what with their identical haircuts and uniforms. Also, the book was very clearly written by a socialist; the film is more in support of the traditional institutions of power.