Among Russian readers, Swedish literature is associated primarily with children's prose. This is explained by the enormous popularity of the cheerful "man in the prime of life." This colorful character for more than fifty years does not leave the television screens in the entire former Soviet Union. However, it should be remembered that Swedish writers have written and continue to write books for adults. Their contribution to world literature is significant. A small number of Swedish surnames among the names of Nobel laureates in literature can be explained only by the small number of this nation.
The emergence and development of Swedish literature
The history of Swedish literature dates back to the Viking era, when writing was represented exclusively by runic inscriptions. Runes do not contain literary value - they are more likely historical documents. The first information about Swedish literature dates back to the early 14th century. Many of the writings of the Middle Ages were written in Latin, and only after a series of important historical events, as a result of which Sweden turned into a great northern power, did genuine Swedish writers and poets appear who created exclusively in their native language. Nevertheless, the literature of this era was represented more by poetry than prose.
Under the influence of representatives of German romanticism in Swedish literature at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, authors of fabulous and fantastic works appear. The famous writer of this period is Selma Lagerlöf, who created many of her works on the basis of folklore materials. Fame brought her the novel "The Saga of Yates Burling." But Lagerlöf devoted most of her works to young readers.
With the weakening interest in romantic subjects in world culture, a realistic school is developing, among which there are also Swedish writers of the 19th century: August Blanche, Frederic Bremer, Sofia von Korning, Emilia Flyugare-Karlen. Away from realism were August Strindberg and Gustav Fröding.
The historical events of the 20th century are reflected in Swedish literature. The most striking writers of the first half of the century are Per Lagerquist, Harry Martinson, Arthur Landquist.
Anti-fascist prose
Swedish writers of the first half of the last century gravitated to social realism. The artistic style of Lagerquist cannot be attributed to this literary movement. The characteristic features of his prose are myth and allegory. This author received world recognition with the release of the poetry collection "Tosca". Then a collection of philosophical reflections “Conquered Life” is published. By the beginning of World War II, humanist prose emerged from under his pen, in which he sought to prove the need to combat world evil. The coming to power of the Nazis could not but affect the prose of those years. The answer to the development of Nazi ideology in Europe was Lagrequist's story “The Executioner”. In this work, the author draws a parallel between two time periods in history - the Middle Ages and the 30s of the XX century.
Based on a biblical story, the novel Barabbas instantly attracted the attention of critics. This book has become the most famous work of the writer. Among the writers, she was considered the most reliable and powerful in the spiritual sense. A few years later, a film was made based on the novel. And in 1952, Peru was awarded the Nobel Prize to Lagerkvist.
The first poet of the space age
In the development of Swedish literature in the postwar period, a significant shift occurred. The tragic historical events, the sensation of a new world and the search for a person’s place in it - all this gave rise to many talented authors around the globe. One of the most prominent personalities of these years is the Swedish writer, Nobel laureate Harri Martinson.
His main work was Aniara. This work is a series of epic poems dedicated to the wandering of the cosmic ark. The interplanetary ship Aniara rescues several thousand inhabitants of the Earth from an atomic catastrophe. Martinson's poems are permeated with philosophical and symbolic meaning. The writer became a Nobel laureate in 1974.
Another Nobel laureate is Eivind Johnson. His most famous works are The Olaf Roman, The Surf, and It Was Jens. The author of these novels was awarded a prestigious literary prize with the wording of the jury: "For art that serves freedom."
Representatives of Swedish intellectual prose are also Per Olof Enqvist, Joran Tunström and Sarah Lidman.
Modern Swedish detective
An undoubted breakthrough in modern Swedish literature was detective prose. Sweden is a small country, and its inhabitants are characterized by Nordic calm. But, despite this, a number of talented authors have created and continue to create works in the criminal genre. Swedish detective writers are authors of a unique style based on classical canons. But these pen masters also boldly borrow elements of other literary genres. Among the representatives of criminal prose, one can name such authors as May Chevall and Per Vale, Henning Mankell, Oke Edwardson, Johan Theorin and many others.
In Russian literature, the detective genre is given secondary importance. And therefore, its study and development is not given due attention. In Sweden, everything is different. An institute for the study of a detective story was created here, and special literature is published on the criminal genre.
Such works, according to the Swedes, are somewhere between "mass literature" and "high genre."
Interest in the Swedish detective in recent years has been growing in many countries. This is primarily due to the quality of the literature. It is not surprising, therefore, that many famous Swedish writers today are authors of action-packed detective novels. The main features of their works are mystical coloring and social orientation.
"Locked room"
May Chevall and Per Valo are modern Swedish writers, authors of a series of novels in the style of a social detective. The works “Locked Room”, “Laughing Policeman”, “Scoundrel from Sefle” became an important phenomenon not only in Swedish literature, but also in world detective prose. In their novels, Per Vallet and May Chevalley - using the traditional form of the genre - managed to create something new, different from the works of "mass culture". The reader of the "Locked Room" already knows the name of the criminal from the first pages. He is on a par with the villain and has the full information that the police so eagerly get in the process of the whole story. This is the main difference between the Swedish detective and classic English.
The style of Per Vallet and May Chevalley is characterized by the presence of small details and a quick change of action during a slow investigation, and sometimes even its complete absence. The typical character of detective Vale and Chevall is melancholy, suicidal. He is constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A striking example is the depressing image of Commissioner Beck. Subsequently, other authors began to actively use this tradition.
Ghosts and crime
Johan Theorin is also a representative of the authors of the criminal genre. But contemporary Swedish writers are so popular all over the world that they can combine classics and original features in their books. In Theorin’s novels, real and other worlds harmoniously coexist . Ghosts act here on a par with living people. No wonder this writer is called the Swedish Stephen King.
The author nevertheless said in one of his interviews about his novels: “The heroes of my books often meet with the inhabitants of the other world, but the reader always has the right to decide whether these ghosts are a figment of fantasy, or whether they actually exist.”
The work of Maria Lang, “The Heirs of Alberta,” is not without a mystical atmosphere. The action takes place on the estate of a middle-aged lady who dies under strange circumstances. A lot of details, circumstances and minor events from the first pages immerse the reader in a mysterious and bewitching world. The effect is enhanced by the dark time of the day, at which the main actions of the novel unfold.
Henning Mankell
Swedish detective writers have also become popular outside their home country. One of the most widely read authors is Henning Mankell. The biography of this man is full of adventure, which allowed him to become a multi-faceted creative person.
At sixteen, he dropped out of school and went sailor to the fleet. Managed to live in France and Japan, worked in one of the theaters of Stockholm. In 1993, his debut took place: the novel "Mountain Blaster" was published. Mankell gained international fame thanks to a series of police novels about Kurt Wallander. For the work “Faceless Killers” in 1991, the writer was awarded the Prize of the Academy of Detective Writers of Sweden. Almost all of Mankell’s works are filmed.
Karin Alvtegel
Karin Alvtegen is the niece of the famous Astrid Lindgren. But, unlike her relative, she writes not literature for children, but action-packed criminal prose. Before publishing her first work, Karin Alvtegen worked as a screenwriter for several years. The most famous novels are “Loss”, “Betrayal”, “Shadow”.
Social topics in criminal prose
The books of Swedish writers are filled with acute social problems: fascism, sociophobia, the dominance of emigrants, loneliness, depression and domestic violence. A detective in Sweden has long been no longer part of popular culture. He turned into a highly social art brand.
Specialists of Old Icelandic literature believe that the roots of the Swedish detective go back to the Icelandic sagas. As in calm, prosperous Sweden, nothing special happened in medieval Iceland. Life in these parts has always been unusually calm and measured. Therefore, such terrible events as murder, rape and robbery, always caused a mad boom. For the same reason, the world depicted in the Swedish detective story sometimes appears to be really monstrous in the eyes of readers.
For the first time, criticism drew attention to a Swedish detective with the release of the Stig Larsson trilogy “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. Events in the life of Michael Blomkvist captured the minds of lovers of the detective genre. The image of this character is ambiguous. In a classic detective story, he could very well have become an outstanding personality. The Swedish author is an ordinary person who is trying to fight the omnipotent state machine.
Modern Swedish detective writers skillfully use mysticism, boldly introduce their heroes to religion and mysterious societies. Their characters suffer from depression and are struggling with a brutal state system. These features of the plot, as well as the fact that the action itself takes place in Sweden, a country mysterious and incomprehensible for a foreign reader, make the Swedish detective incredibly popular all over the world.
Swedish literature for children
Astrid Lindgret and Selma Lagerloch are the creators of the cult characters of Soviet cartoons. Tales of Swedish writers for Russian readers - this is primarily a story about Malysh and Carlson.
However, few people know that the character Astrit Lindgret in his "homeland" was never very popular, rather, he was a negative hero. The writer herself claimed that there was a lot of Russian in Carlson. She was also sure that her books in Russia are popular primarily due to high-quality translation. Nevertheless, this author has written more than 80 books, most of which have been published in one hundred countries of the world.
Selma Lagerlöf's best work for children is the Niels Tale of the Journey. This book was written at the beginning of the last century. According to legend, the writer planned to create a work in which information on the history and geography of Sweden will be presented in a fascinating way. The best way to captivate a young reader, Lagerlöff believed, would be to create a traveling character. They became Nilson. But the study book did not work out of the work, and a wonderful tale came out about the extraordinary wanderings of Niels and his friend, the goose Martin. With the light hand of the Soviet animators, these heroes of the Swedish author turned into famous cartoon characters. Few people today know that their creator was Selma Lagerlöf - the first woman to become a Nobel Prize in Literature.
Astrid Lindgret and Selma Lagrelef are Swedish children's writers who have gained popularity in Russia thanks to domestic cartoons and performances. The importunate but handsome Carlson may have taken root on Soviet soil thanks to the character traits that are inherent in many characters in Russian fairy tales: laziness, boasting, and unceremoniousness. In the United States, for the bad temper of this character, the work was expelled from the school curriculum.
Tales of Maria Gripe
In recent years, mysterious fairy tales “Glassblower Children”, “Dung Beetle Flies at Dusk”, and “Children of Shadows” have been revealed to the Russian reader.
Maria Gripe from childhood loved to tell all kinds of stories. In her youth, she began to write poetry, but, in her opinion, did not succeed in poetry. And only when she became a mother, she took seriously writing mysterious children's stories. In the 70s, the writer created a series of stories about the boy Elvis, who later became a classic character in Swedish children's literature.
Other Swedish writers are less popular outside their homeland. For children, the works of Sven Nurdkvist, Birgitta Gedin, Rosa Lagekranz, Ulf Stark are also published. But these authors are little known in Russia, perhaps because they are not particularly actively translated into other languages.
21st Century Literature
However, the Swedish literature is not limited to the detective genre and children's prose. Today, Swedish writers, representatives of so-called social prose, also publish their works. These include Yunas Gardel, Marie Hermanson, Vigdis Yort, Lynn Ullman.
The works of Marie Hermanson are called "fairy tales for adults." “The Mystery of a Shell House” is based on a Scandinavian myth where evil trolls abduct a person. The captive will be able to return home, but never to become the same.
The best Swedish writers compose a whole list of talented authors, the most popular of which at the end of the last century and the beginning of 2000 was Stig Larsson. His famous trilogy has been translated into forty languages. In addition to writing, Larsson made a significant contribution to journalism, becoming the author of numerous articles on acute political topics. The journalistic prose of this Swedish author has an anti-fascist orientation. The novel Right Extremism explores the history of the development and spread of racism in modern society.