- Torgny Lindgren
Gustav Torgny Lindgren (born
June 16 ,1938 in Raggsjö,Norsjö ,Sweden ) is a Swedish writer.Lindgren is the son of Andreas Lindgren and Helga Björk. He studied in
Umeå to become a teacher and worked as a teacher until the middle of the 1970s. He was for several years active as a local politician for theSwedish Social Democratic Party . In the 1980s he converted to theCatholic faith .Lindgren began as a poet in 1965 but had to wait until 1982 for his breakthrough, with "The Way of a Serpent" (Swedish: "Ormens väg på hälleberget"). Lindgren has been translated into thirty languages and is one of Sweden's most internationally successful contemporary writers. He became a member of the
Swedish Academy in 1991.The Way of a Serpent
"The way of a Serpent" tells the story of a farmer family in a poverty-stricken region in the northern parts of Sweden in the nineteenth century. The family formerly owned its land, but had to sell it cheap during a succession of years of famine. The new owner collects his rent as long as there is money in the household, and exploits the women when there is no money.
The way of the serpent is a surprisingly thin novel, considering the width of its content and specifically that it spans over three generations. The language is stark and spartan, and is heavily influenced by the local dialect. The main theme is the family's struggle for survival, where both the mother and the daughters have to contribute to indulge their creditor.
The novel is considered to be one of Lindgren's greatest works, and was made a film by
Bo Widerberg in 1986.Bibliography
* "Plåtsax, hjärtats instrument" (1965)
* "Dikter från Vimmerby" (1970)
* "Hur skulle det vara om man vore Olof Palme?" (1971)
* "Hallen" (1975). ISBN 91-1-751161-5
* "Brännvinsfursten" (1979). A book aboutLars Olsson Smith . ISBN 91-1-791042-0
* "The Way of a Serpent" ("Ormens väg på hälleberget") (1982/1990). ISBN 91-1-811692-2 / ISBN 0-00-271817-0
* "Merabs skönhet" (1983). ISBN 91-1-831412-0
* "Övriga frågor" (1983). ISBN 91-7448-214-9
* "Bathsheba" ("Bat Seba") (1984/1989). ISBN 91-1-841262-9 / ISBN 0-00-271271-7
* "Legender" (1986). ISBN 91-1-861122-2
* "Skrämmer dig minuten" (1986)
* "Light" ("Ljuset") (1987/1992). ISBN 91-1-871472-2 / ISBN 0-00-271171-0
* "Sweetness" ("Hummelhonung") (1995/2000). ISBN 91-1-912432-5 / ISBN 1-86046-656-7
* "I Brokiga Blads vatten" (1999). ISBN 91-7263-086-8
* "Hash" ("Pölsan") (2002/2005). ISBN 91-1-301044-1 / ISBN 1-58567-651-9
* "Dorés bibel" ("Doré's Bible) (2005).
* "The Stories" ("Berättelserna") (2003). ISBN 91-1-301208-8
* "Norrlands akvavit" (2007).External links
* [http://www.svenskaakademien.se/ENG/members/lmp/chair9.html Torgny Lindgren] - Biography at the Swedish Academy web site
Persondata
NAME = Lindgren, Torgny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Lindgren, Gustav Torgny (birthname)
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Swedish writer, member of theSwedish Academy
DATE OF BIRTH =June 16 ,1938
PLACE OF BIRTH = Raggsjö,Norsjö ,Sweden
DATE OF DEATH = living
PLACE OF DEATH =
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