Anton Hansen Tammsaare Biography

Anton Hansen Tammsaare was an Estonian writer who is best known for his pentalogy ‘Truth and Justice’, which is regarded as one of the foundational works in Estonian literature. Born to a poor farmer, he somehow managed to gather enough money to supported his education. After completing matriculation, he joined the University of Tartu to study law but unfortunately contracted tuberculosis and withdrew without obtaining a degree. He had a keen interest in writing from an early age and after recovering from the illness, he decided to pursue a career in literature. His early works reflected the atmosphere of the revolution of 1905, succeeded by several short urban novels and collections of miniatures. Later, when Estonia became independent, he wrote prose works based on the history and lives of the Estonian people. These works earned him a prominent place in Estonian literature and he was able to connect with the readers on an emotional level. Subsequently, he published his groundbreaking five-volume saga titled ‘Truth and Justice’ which laid the foundation of Estonian literature and earned him much appreciation for emphasizing on the critical questions in life. Throughout his literary career, he published numerous literary works, most of which remained closely connected with the history of Estonia. Crowned as the most famous writer of Estonia, his classics continue to make their way to the hearts of readers