The red room
The red room (original title: Röda rummet) is a novel by the Swedish author August Strindberg from 1879.
content
The novel describes in 29 chapters in a satirical way the economic, social and artistic life in Stockholm in the 19th century . It contains numerous allusions to the insurance companies, banks, authorities, political parties, publishers and press organs of the time.
Strindberg is consistently critical of the established system and even laughs at it. His admirers appreciate the expressive, content-rich and apt style of language and tend to memorize the first section of the novel, starting with the words "It was one evening in early May". Frequent verbatim speech and several correspondence give the work tension, variety and the impression of a realistic representation. The book is seen as the beginning of the Swedish literary epoch "80s" and marks the beginning of a new linguistic historical period called "Nusvenskan" (roughly: today's Swedish) with its written Swedish language, which was modern for the time.
The title "The Red Room" suggests that important parts of the novel take place in this same meeting room of a restaurant, which belongs to the restaurant " Berns Salonger " (Berzelii Park, SE-10327 Stockholm), which still exists today .
action
The main character of the plot is the young civil servant Arvid Falk, who gives up his career in search of freedom and truth to work as a freelance writer and journalist. He comes into conflict with his older, dominant brother, Carl Nikolaus Falk, a respected businessman and advocate of the conservative social order. While looking for a livelihood, Arvid Falk met the publisher Smith, among others, who offered him the opportunity to write an advertising brochure to promote the sale of overseas transport insurance. Arvid cannot reconcile this assignment with his idealistic outlook and leaves it to Ygberg, his friend, who is threatened by starvation.
The main character does not determine the plot alone. In the course of the novel we get to know numerous other dazzling personalities: the landscape painter Sellén, who finally receives recognition after long unsuccessful years of work; the sculptor Olle Montanus, who gives up his craft in favor of philosophy, later drowns himself and leaves a long suicide note in which he expresses the hope that at least as a corpse he looks happy; the journalist Struve, who writes for the conservative paper "Graumantel" and is friends with political opponents; Doctor Borg, who personally looks after Arvid Falk, who is mentally ill at times, and who writes long letters to his friends Sellén and Struve and many more.
We accompany hypocritical charity ladies on a visit to the slums, artists with a golden heart to the cold buffet in the red room of Bern's salon, watch erotically interesting scenes of the work of the prostitute Marie and poor bohemians on a winter night who try to satisfy their hunger by read to each other from a cookbook. We attend a heartbreaking children's funeral and hear a speech by art sculptor Montanus at a workers' meeting, which is extremely embarrassing for the Swedish nation.
Arvid Falk seeks his own way in dealing with various social forces. In the end, he becomes engaged to a teacher, becomes a recognized writer, and writes a textbook on coin science. Although reintegrating into mainstream society, he remains a political fanatic at heart who will eventually explode.
Origin and publication history
Strindberg wrote the book between February and November 1879, shortly after he himself had to file for bankruptcy due to excessive indebtedness. The book went on sale on November 14, 1879. The publisher Joseph Seligmann paid Strindberg a fee of 2,200 kroner . Within two years, “The Red Room” was sold in four editions with a total of 6,000 copies. The work brought Strindberg the fame he wanted as a writer, and the success of the book saved him from economic ruin.
Individual evidence
expenditure
- The red room. Translated from the Swedish by Else von Hollander . Berlin 1919.
- The red room. Descriptions from the life of artists and writers . Translated from the Swedish by Hilde Rubinstein. With an afterword by Gerhard Scholz. Berlin 1963.
- The red room. Translated from the Swedish by Renate Bleibtreu. Afterword by Peter Henning. New edition for the 100th anniversary of Strindberg's death. Zurich 2012.