Autobiographical
Jan Guillou has stated that Ondskan is basically a true story. "Some things, like the identity of the love interest, the placing of the swimming pool and such were changed to make the story better. But the stuff you're wondering about - the violence, the crap, the psychological terror - is absolutely true." Indeed the school Guillou went to was scandalized in the newspapers and bankrupted a few years after his graduation, and he speaks in interviews very convincingly of his extensive and personal experience of violence. However, in 2003, his family including his mother and half sister and also his class mates stated that Guillou's claims that he had been assaulted by his stepfather is for the most part untrue or very exaggerated. A film based on the book was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003, but Guillou was unable to attend as he is still listed as a terrorist by the USA. He managed to get a visa, but it was linked to attend the Academy Award ceremony and he was unable to get a ticket.
Read more about this topic: Evil (novel)