Swedish Literature - Naturalism, or Realism

Naturalism, or Realism

Naturalism is one name for the literary period between 1880-1900. In Sweden, however, the period starting in 1880 is known as realism. This is partly because the 1880s had a such a strong focus on social realism, and partly because the 1890s was a period of its own, the "90s poets".

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Scandinavian literature made its first and so far only impression on world literature. From Sweden, the main name was August Strindberg, but Ola Hansson, Selma Lagerlöf and Victoria Benedictsson also attained wider recognition.

The breakthrough of realism in Sweden occurred in 1879. That year, August Strindberg (1845–1912) published his The Red Room (Röda Rummet), a satirical novel that relentlessly attacked the political, the academic, the philosophical and the religious worlds.

August Strindberg was a writer world-famous for his dramas and prose, noted for his exceptional talent and complex intellect. He would continue to write several books and dramas until his death in Stockholm.