Oskar Luts - Creative Life

Creative Life

Oskar Luts created his happiest literary works in the years before World War I. He wrote several comedies as well as his first novel called "Kevade" (Spring) (part I 1912, part II 1913). This highly popular novel portrayed the daily school life of young people in rural Estonia. "Kevade" proved to be Oskar Luts's most successful and well-known work.

The life of the same characters continued in Luts's novel "Suvi" (Summer) (I 1918, II 1919), which also became quite popular. However, although subsequent sequels ("Tootsi pulm", "Argipäev") and the novel "Sügis" (Fall) (part I – 1938)) were written to meet public demand, they did not attain the popularity of his earlier works. After World War I his works contained less humor and were much gloomier. The second part of "Sügis" remained in manuscript form for decades, the entire story not being published until 1988.

There are highly popular Estonian films that are based on "Kevade", "Suvi" and "Sügis", and they carry the same titles. The films are all produced by Arvo Kruusement.

Oskar Luts also wrote for children, and his most popular children's book is "Nukitsamees" (1920), which has also been made into a film (1981). The music for "Nukitsamees" was written by Olav Ehala and is as popular as the film itself.

As a playwright, Oskar Luts is best known for "Kapsapea" (The Cabbage). The animation "Kapsapea" is based on Oskar Luts' writings. The cartoon is about a large cabbage growing in the garden of an Estonian family. The cabbage eventually causes a sensation in the US, Russia and China.

Oskar Luts' works have been translated into many languages.