However, in honourably failing to depict the entire state of the nation, Faulks has memorably skewered the British literary world. The city center of Helsinki is fairly compact, and you can get pretty much anywhere with public transportation and walking. You can get to Santa Claus Village by driving, taking the S anta’s Express bus , a local bus, or by taxi. Dazzling sights like the iconic Christmas tree and ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, decked-out window displays at Macy's and horse-drawn carriages in Central Park conjure up holiday cheer throughout the city. The cast Faulks assembles for his analysis carefully spans society: the evil financier, the barrister, the entrepreneur, the MP, the suicide bomber, the stoner, the footballer, the glamour model, the literary critic, the Tube driver (whom we quickly recognise as the incarnation of virtue because she enjoys reading).

I’ve written a whole post outlining my experience dog sledding in Lapland, which you should find useful.

From design, to contemporary art, to photography, to architecture, there’s really an incredible choice.

Then there are three or four moments of quite profound pathos, where some of the characters suddenly acquire great emotional depth. His reaction when he reads a novel by a rival critic – "It was worse, far worse, than he had dared to hope" – is spot on. A Week in December, Sebastian Faulks’s tenth novel, came out in September 2009 to considerable press attention. Of course, you can schedule a Northern Lights tour for any of your days in Rovaniemi, but we recommend popping out every evening if you can to at least try and see them yourself, as they can be fickle. Too long on one character and your interest wanes in the others; too little and you merely sketch the individual.If you are visiting Finland with children, you should be aware that most snowmobiles can’t be operated by children under 15 years of age. With daring skill, the novel pieces together the complex patterns and crossings of modern urban life. On Saturday morning, he attends the investiture at Buckingham Palace; in the evening, he walks with his rucksack to the meeting-place at the hospital, south of the river.

Also, don’t forget that it can be very cold in Finland in winter, with temperatures likely to be well below freezing throughout your visit. In this immense wildlife reserve, covering 50,000 sq km (19,305 sq miles) and one of the largest in the world, rain does not stop play. A state-of-the-nation book, a satirical comedy of metropolitan literary life, a sweeping, Dickensian look at contemporary London, a serious examination of Islam and the reasons for radicalism among young Muslims, a thriller, a satire .This is found in Lampivaara, and here you can learn all about amethyst mining, as well as having a go at mining for amethyst yourself! Note that many of the museums and attractions in Rovaniemi are not open every day, with Monday being a popular day for them to close. It’s Mother Nature at her most marvelously unhinged and cinematic – and it’s worth braving a bit of weather for front-row seats.

N\NSEBASTIAN FAULKS PROBES NOT ONLY THE SELF-DECEPTIONS OF THIS INTENSELY REALISED GROUP OF PEOPLE, BUT THEIR HOPES AND LOVES AS WELL.

Winter sports enthusiasts will love visiting Park City, Utah, in December when many of the town's top resorts, including Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort, have reopened for ski season. Whether going away for the festivities or escaping either side, we can help you find your destination. This novel is a riposte to those who say the novel doesn’t deal with big issues any more, only dinner-parties (although, probably as an in-joke, there is a dinner party thrown in, too). If you want a more in-depth overview of the history, culture and people of Finland, then we can recommend a visit to the National Museum of Finland.