A gentle reader requested to know a bit more about Torgny Lindgren. And so ever one to oblige those seeking knowledge about my favorite writers, you all shall be punished for his curiosity. I have only five books, I don't know how many are available in translation: The Way of a Serpent , Light , Sweetness , Bathsheba , and Merab's Beauty . The first three that remain most vividly in my mind--the first a story about a wicked landlord who collects the rent from a family in rural Sweden and when the money runs out begins to exploit the women of the household. The title is taken from proverbs 30:19 the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. (KJV) And though my recollection is at something of a distance now, at least two, and possibly all three of these is developed in the course of a very short novel. Perhaps the best description of the book is gritty and realistic. I...
But he is among the greatest and most original novelists alive. Why he has not been given the Nobel is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Wilson,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to find another who is even aware of him. The internet truly makes available the wide world of readers. I couldn't agree more with your evaluation. The only thing I can figure is that they stand for too traditional a moral view of the universe. Once upon a time Francois Mauriac could win a Nobel Prize--but now that view is no longer respectable--hence Mr. Lindgren languishes without a prize. It doesn't matter, so long as he keeps writing.
Thank you for commenting.
shalom,
Steven
Could you tell us a bit more about Torgny Lindgren?
ReplyDeleteI checked the local library, and all it has is an international short story anthology with one of his stories.
Dear Fred,
ReplyDeleteThis will require more than a simple response. I hope to compose something this evening to meet the need.
Thank you for asking.
shalom,
Steven