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LITERATURE.
407
At the side of
idealism there appeared from
the year 1879 a realistic
tendency. August
Strindberg (born 1849) in his
novel sRöda Rummet»
(The Red Room)
impressed upon literature
a realistic stamp, and
thereby gave rise to
a violent literary feud.
This realism deviates in
more than one way from
the realism of
contemporary French authors. To
Strindberg and to other
Swedish authors of his
school the form was of
but subordinate
significance; the main thing
was to expose the ideas
for which the battle was
waged. Strindberg
published a whole series of
brilliant works, such as
»Hemsöborna» (The
dwellers at Hemsö), a
superior sketch from the
coast-life near Stockholm; the
collection of novels caUed
»Svenska öden och
äfventyr» (Swedish Events and
Adventures), and »Giftas»
(Marrying), the dramas
»Mäster Olof», »Fadern»,
»Brott och Brott» (Crime and Crime), and »Folkungasagan» (The Folkunga Tale),
as well as a dramatic cycle about the Vasa dynasty. As a dramatist Strindberg
stands foremost in our literature. His pictures of historical persons in his dramas
are, however, often far from being true to history. — The life of the peasants and
the middle classes is dealt with by one of our most industrious and most read
modern writers, G. af Geijerstam (born 1858), who has also written comedies
of good success. — But the shining period of realism was very short. Two of
the most prominent representatives of this literary movement, Anna Charlotta
Leffler, duchessa di Cajanello (1849 92), and Victoria Benedictsson (1850/88,
pseudonym »Ernst Ahlgren»), died early.
Many young poets stood forth in opposition against the realistic school.
V. von Heidenstam (born 1859) at first fought against the great lack of
imagination and vital joy that characterized the prevailing school, and published a
greatly imaginative collection of lyrical poems and romances displaying highly
coloured pictures from the variegated life of the Orient. His later works — as, for
instance, the historical cycle of novels, »Karolinerna» (The heroes of Charles XII) —
are inspired by love of the scenery and history of Sweden. Simultaneously with
Heidenstam also O. Levertin (born 1862) broke with realism. His imagination
has been fructified by medieval mysticism, and there is something of a pre-
August Strindberg.
Photo. Bröderna
Ax-dersok, Stockholm.
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