Hjalmar Söderberg
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Hjalmar Emil Fredrik Söderberg (2 July 1869 – 14 October 1941) was a Swedish novelist, short story writer, playwright and journalist. His works often deal with melancholy and lovelorn characters, and offer a rich portrayal of contemporary Stockholm through the eyes of the flaneur. Söderberg is regarded as one of the greatest writers in
Swedish literature Swedish literature () refers to literature written in the Swedish language or by writers from Sweden. The first literary text from Sweden is the Rök runestone, carved during the Viking Age circa 800 AD. With the conversion of the land to Chri ...
. His works are translated to more than twenty languages.


Biography

Born in Stockholm, Söderberg began his literary course at the Swedish news daily '' Svenska Dagbladet'', age 20. Six years later his first novel was released, ''Förvillelser'' (Delusions, 1895), written from the viewpoint of a young dandy aimlessly idling in the capital, recklessly squandering money and love. The somber yet reflective and insightful story would prove typical of much of Söderberg's output. Subsequent to the release of '' Historietter'' (1898), a collection of twenty short stories, his next major work – ''Martin Bircks Ungdom'' ('' Martin Birck's Youth'', 1901) – was released. Much like ''Förvillelser'' in terms of its vivid environmental depiction and acute perception, it follows the development of a young amateur poet. Söderberg's next novel, by some considered his masterpiece, was ''
Doktor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockholm ...
'' (Doctor Glas, 1905). In a frightful tale of vengeance and passion, Söderberg stays true to his detached yet emotionally poignant writing style. The love story ''Den allvarsamma leken'' ('' The Serious Game'', 1912) was Söderberg's last conventional novel. A prolific
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
writer, Söderberg published numerous stories in magazines and newspapers that was later collected in short story collections. Following his most famous book of short stories '' Historietter'', these include ''Främlingarna'' ("The Strangers", 1903), ''Det mörknar öfver vägen'' ("It Is Darkening Over the Road", 1907) and ''Den talangfulla draken'' ("The Talented Dragon", 1913). Söderberg was also a playwright, best known for '' Gertrud'' (1906) about the woman Gertrud who abstain the mediocre love from her husband and two lovers and choose to live in loneliness in waiting for the perfect love that may not be. He also wrote the plays ''Aftonstjärnan'' ("The Evening Star", 1912) and ''Ödestimmen'' ("The Hour of Destiny", 1922). In his later years, Söderberg turned to journalism and theological studies. His books about
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
, the novel ''Jesus Barabbas'' (1928) and the scientific study ''Den förvandlade Messias'' (1932, "The Transformed Messiah"), were highly controversial at the time. In the latter book Söderberg claimed that Jesus and
Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...
were in fact the same person, and that Jesus was never crucified. His later books also included a collection of poems (''Vers och varia'', 1921) and a collection of various prose (''Resan till Rom'', 1929). Söderberg was also an acclaimed translator, translating works by
Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...
,
Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...
,
Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticism inherited ...
and Heinrich Heine to Swedish. He was a fierce critic of
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...
, and wrote often on the subject in the revered Resistance paper ''
Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning ''Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning'' (''GHT'') was a daily newspaper published in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1832 to 1985. History and profile ''GHT'' was founded in 1832 by publisher Magnus Prytz and had a liberal alignment from the lat ...
''. He died in
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
and is buried on Vestre Kirkegård in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. Söderberg was married to Märta Abenius (1871–1932) from 1899 to 1917. They had three children: actress Dora Söderberg-Carlsten (1899–1990), Tom Söderberg (1900–1991), and Mikael Söderberg (1903–1931). From 1917 he was married in Denmark to Emelie Voss (1876–1957), with whom he had one child: actress Betty Søderberg (1910–1993). Söderberg had a stormy on/off relationship with Maria von Platen (1871–1959) for a number of years; this relationship which is said to have influenced him in his writing, especially his 1906 play '' Gertrud'', and the character of Lydia in '' The Serious Game''.


Themes

The characters in Söderberg's stories always appear to suffer from an incurable loneliness, standing on the side of the events observing themselves and their environment. Feelings of melancholy and nostalgia are prominent. Determinism is a recurring theme in Söderberg's writing. It is a prominent theme in all of his novels, particularly in ''
Doktor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockholm ...
'' and '' The Serious Game''. The latter book has the
motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
"You do not choose your destiny", which could be the motto of Söderberg's entire authorship.


Legacy

Hjalmar Söderberg is regarded as one of the greatest writers in
Swedish literature Swedish literature () refers to literature written in the Swedish language or by writers from Sweden. The first literary text from Sweden is the Rök runestone, carved during the Viking Age circa 800 AD. With the conversion of the land to Chri ...
. His works are still widely read and are frequently published in new editions. His works are translated to more than twenty languages.Bure Holmbäc
Hjalmar Söderberg
Söderbergsällskapet (in Swedish)
A recent reissue of
Paul Britten Austin Paul Britten Austin (5 April 1922 – 25 July 2005) was an English author, translator, broadcaster, administrator, and scholar of Swedish literature. He is known in particular for his translations of and books on the Swedish musician, si ...
's translation of ''
Doktor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockholm ...
'' into English, as ''Doctor Glas'', and with a perceptive introduction by Margaret Atwood, has meant a rise in his popularity in the Anglo-Saxon literary world.


Quotations

*"I believe in the lust of the flesh and the incurable isolation of the soul." (From ''
Doctor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockhol ...
'', later used in '' Gertrud'') *"One wants to be loved, in lack thereof admired, in lack thereof feared, in lack thereof loathed and despised. One wants to instill some sort of emotion in people. The soul trembles before emptiness and desires contact at any price." (From ''
Doctor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockhol ...
'')


List of works

* ''Förvillelser'' (1895) – "Delusions" * '' Historietter'' (1898) – "Short Stories" * ''Martin Bircks ungdom'' (1901) – "Martin Birck's Youth" * ''Främlingarne'' (1903) – "The Strangers" * ''
Doktor Glas ''Doctor Glas'', an epistolary novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, tells the story of a physician in 19th-century Sweden who deals with moral and love issues. Synopsis The novel is about Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas who is a respected physician in Stockholm ...
'' (1905) – "Doctor Glas" * '' Gertrud'' (1906) (play in three acts) * ''Det mörknar över vägen'' (1907) – "It Is Darkening Over The Road" * ''Valda sidor'' (1908) – "Taken Sides" * ''Hjärtats oro'' (1909) – "Worry of the Heart" * '' Den allvarsamma leken'' (1912) – "The Serious Game" * ''Aftonstjärnan'' (1912) – "The Evening Star" (play in one act) * ''Den talangfulla draken'' (1913) – "The Talented Dragon" * ''Jahves eld'' (1918) – "The Fire of Jahve" * ''Ödestimmen'' (1922) – "The Hour of Destiny" (play in three acts) * ''Jesus Barabbas. Ur löjtnant Jägerstams memoarer'' (1928) * ''Resan till Rom'' (1929) – "Trip to Rome" * ''Den förvandlade Messias'' (1932) – "The Changed/Transformed Messiah"


Works in English


Modern Swedish masterpieces
(1923) translated by
Charles Wharton Stork Charles Wharton Stork (12 February 1881 – 22 May 1971) was an American literary author, poet, and translator. Life Charles Wharton Stork was born in Philadelphia on 12 February 1881 to Theophilus Baker and Hannah (Wharton) Stork. He gradu ...
. *Martin Birck's Youth, (1930) translated by Charles Wharton Stork. *Selected Short Stories, (1935) translated by Charles Wharton Stork. *Doctor Glas, (1963) translated by
Paul Britten Austin Paul Britten Austin (5 April 1922 – 25 July 2005) was an English author, translator, broadcaster, administrator, and scholar of Swedish literature. He is known in particular for his translations of and books on the Swedish musician, si ...
. In 2002, the latest edition was published by
Anchor Books Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was purchased by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random ...
with an introduction by
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
author Margaret Atwood. *Short Stories, (1987) translated by Carl Lofmark. *The Serious Game, (2001) translated by Eva Claeson. *Martin Birck's Youth, (2004) translated by Tom Ellett. *Diversions, (2014) translated by David Barrett.


References


External links


''Spleen:''
short story by Hjalmar Söderberg

;Books

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 ...
. * *
''Historietter''
at Swedish
Wikisource Wikisource is an online digital library of free-content textual sources on a wiki, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole and the name for each instance of that project (each instance usually re ...
.
''Short Stories''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soderberg, Hjalmar 1869 births 1941 deaths Writers from Stockholm Swedish-language writers Uppsala University alumni Swedish male novelists Swedish male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Swedish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Swedish dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Swedish novelists 20th-century Swedish novelists 19th-century male writers 20th-century Swedish male writers Swedish short story writers Burials at Vestre Cemetery, Copenhagen