''En glad Gut'' (A Happy Boy) is a novel published in 1860 by the Norwegian writer

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished ...

. It is one of his peasant novels.

Plot

The main character, Øyvind Plassen, is a cotter's son that eventually wins a foothold in life, and thereby also his beloved Marit, a farm girl, through education at an agricultural school. Alongside the two and their parents, the story also develops the character of Øyvind's older friend and adviser Bård, the schoolmaster, in particular.

Reception

Edvard Beyer Edvard Freydar Beyer (6 October 1920 – 10 November 2003) was a Norwegian literary historian, literary critic, and professor at the University of Oslo from 1958 to 1990. Early and personal life Beyer was born in Haugesund and grew up in ...

wrote in ''Norges litteraturhistorie'' (Norway's Literary History) that "The story has a lyrical feel, especially the scenes from childhood. Bård the schoolmaster is one of Bjørnson's finest portrayals. However, his depiction of the protagonist is not as developed as in ''

Arne Arne may refer to: Places * Arne, Dorset, England, a village ** Arne RSPB reserve, a nature reserve adjacent to the village * Arné, Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées, France * Arne (Boeotia), an ancient city in Boeotia, Greece * Arne (Thessa ...

'', and the last chapters are marked by haste. ... The critics had many words of praise, and with its cheerful tone and simple message—''Løft ditt hode, du raske gutt!'' 'Lift your head, you restless youth!' and ''Elsk din neste, du kristensjel'' 'Love your neighbor, you Christian soul'—''A Happy Boy'' is perhaps the most beloved of all of Bjørnson's stories."

Film adaptation

En glad gutt ''En glad gutt'' ( en, A Happy Boy) is a 1932 Norwegian drama film directed by John W. Brunius, starring Tore Foss, Hauk Aabel and Gøril Havrevold. The film is based on the story ''En glad Gut'' by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, published in 186 ...

'' was filmed in 1932 to mark the centenary of Bjørnson's birth.

Tore Foss Tore Foss (21 February 1901 – 6 August 1968) was a Norwegian singer, actor and theatre director. He made his stage début at Chat Noir in 1927. He played at Balkongen from 1927 to 1928, and later worked for the National Theatre, Det Nye Teat ...

played the lead role as Øyvind. This was one of the first sound films in Norway.

References

External links

1868 edition of ''En glad Gut''
at the

National Library of Norway The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened i ...

1907 edition of ''En glad Gut''
at

Project Runeberg Project Runeberg ( sv, Projekt Runeberg) is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded ...

{{italic title 19th-century Norwegian novels 1860 novels