Product Description

A feat of straightforward folksy storytelling, The People of Hemso is set on an island in Strindberg's beloved Stockholm archipelago. Written during a difficult period in exile from Sweden, the novel paradoxically has a strong sense of place, and is like a sunny, carefree summer holiday in comparison with some of his more psychologically intense work. Mrs.Flod, a widow of some means, hires Carlsson to run the farm on the island. As a newcomer and a landlubber among sailors and fishermen Carlsson is implicitly distrusted by the locals. His main rival is Gusten.the son and heir, and a struggle for control of the farm develops between them. Although it may be possible to see traces of a Nretzschean power struggle in their confrontation, the novel is far too light and happy to carry any sustained philosophical weight. Nevertheless, this contest is a clever, page-turning device: is Carlson a slippery confidence trickster preying on the lonely widow, or an honest, hard-working man revitalizing the neglected farm? This question, also debated by the other characters in the novel, still exercises readers today. It explains, together with the magnificent passages describing the sea and the islands, the broad rustic comedy, and the dramatic final twists and turns of the plot, why The People of Hemso has achieved its status as one of the most popular Swedish novels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1704142 in Books
• Published on: 1959
• Format: Unabridged
• Binding: Hardcover
• 220 pages