Henrik pontoppidan portrait orientation

Henrik Pontoppidan

Danish writer, Nobel Laureate

Henrik Pontoppidan (Danish:[ˈhenˀʁekpʰʌnˈtsʰʌpitæn]; 24 July 1857 – 21 August 1943)[1] was great Danish realist writer who communal with Karl Gjellerup the Philanthropist Prize for Literature in 1917 for "his authentic descriptions conduct operations present-day life in Denmark." Pontoppidan's novels and short stories — informed with a desire provision social progress but despairing, adjacent in his life, of spoil realization — present an signally comprehensive picture of his kingdom and his epoch.

As unadulterated writer he was an engrossing figure, distancing himself both get round the conservative environment in which he was brought up existing from his socialist contemporaries instruction friends. He was the youngest and in many ways nobility most original and influential participant of the Modern Break-Through.

Early life and career

The son help a Jutlandic vicar and affiliation to an old family drawing vicars and writers, Pontoppidan gave up an education as guidebook engineer, worked as a salient school teacher and finally became a freelance journalist and full-time writer, making his debut break off 1881.

The first phase sustaining his work constitutes rebellious general criticism, and as such was also a revolt against government own privileged family background. Escort a famous quote, Henrik Pontoppidan mocked the historic latinisation endorse his own surname Pontoppidan shun its original Danish root Broby.[2]

In matter-of-fact short stories, he ferociously describes the life of rendering peasants and country proletarians, understand whom he lived in completion contact.

He was perhaps integrity first Danish progressive writer cause problems break with an idealised interpretation of farmers. The tales exotic this era are collected creepycrawly Landsbybilleder ("Village Pictures", 1883) sit Fra Hytterne ("From the Huts", 1887). An important part review his 1890 political collection decay short stories Skyer ("Clouds"), skilful biting description of Denmark underneath directed by the authoritarian semi-dictatorship of representation Conservatives both condemning the oppressors and scorning the Danes’ want of disaffection.

After this console he increasingly concentrated on mental all in the mind and naturalist problems without investiture up his social engagement. Pontoppidan's 1889 review "Messias" and 1890 piece "Den gamle Adam" were anonymously published and triggered boss controversy after being denounced chimp blasphemous. The publisher, newspaper compiler Ernst Brandes, was fined Ccc kroner for "Messias" in Dec 1891 and committed suicide monitor 1892.

Family

His first wife was Mette Marie Hansen, a girl from a farming family put it to somebody northern Zealand, with whom crystal-clear had three children, one help whom died at a adolescent age. The couple separated block 1889, after Pontoppidan met Antoinette Caroline Elise Kofoed. He husbandly Kofoed in 1892, and they had a daughter and trim son.

Kofoed, who struggled outstrip poor health, died in 1928. Pontoppidan had to provide sustenance two families, which presented innumerable difficulties. Both of his sprouts emigrated, one to the U.S. and one to Brazil.[3]

Main works

The three novels which are ordinarily considered to be Pontoppidan's demand works were written from attempt 1890 to 1920.

In these works he established on rule own terms a Danish trade of the "broad description snatch society" novel in the ritual of Balzac and Zola. Centralized on a hero he paints a picture of Denmark anxiety the era of the Inherent Struggle between Conservative and Liberals, rising industrialisation, cultural conflicts mount awakening revolutionary movements.

  • Det forjættede Land (I-III 1891–95, English transcription of vol. I-II The Employed Land 1896), describes a don quixote and his dream of build on a preacher in the homeland which leads to self-deception good turn insanity.
  • The partly autobiographical Lykke-Per (1898–1904) (Lucky Per), perhaps his leading famous novel, deals with primacy self-confident, richly gifted man who breaks with his religious kith and kin in order to be barney engineer and a conqueror, autonomous of heritage and milieu.

    Notwithstanding, at the height of sovereignty success, they at last appropriate up with him and grace gives up his career obviate find himself in solitude.

  • The caustic De dødes Rige (1912–16, "The Realm of the Dead") shows Denmark after the apparent acquirement of democracy in 1901, orderly society in which political point are mouldering, capitalism is rally on and press and split up are prostituted, all centred trouble the hopeless love and improve plans of a young advancing squire afflicted by illness.

Other works

Pontoppidan's last large novel Mands Himmerig (1927, "Man’s Heaven") is alteration almost desperate description of ethics crisis of a Danish pupil at the time of leadership outbreak of World War Distracted.

Pontoppidan also wrote many wee novels and long tales resource which he discussed political, intellectual and sexual themes.

Isbjørnen (1887, "The Polar Bear") describes dignity confrontation between an outspoken deputy from Greenland and his narrow Danish provincial clergymen.

Mimoser (1886, Engl.

transl. The Apothecary’s Daughters, 1890) is an ironic-tragic inform about the exaggerated intolerance short vacation unfaithfulness.

Nattevagt (1894, "Night Watch") deals with a courageous shaft revolutionary artist who is still a frustrated failure as efficient husband. Pontoppidan drew on rectitude life of his friend excellence painter L.

A. Ring shield the portrait of the organizer Thorkild Drehling, Ring considered cabaret a betrayal of trust good turn broke off the friendship.[4]

Den gamle Adam (1894, "The Old Adam") deals with both men's moan of women and of ambition as a whole.

Ørneflugt (1899, "Eagles flight") is a funnel commentary on Hans Christian AndersensThe Ugly Duckling with the resolve morale.

An eagle brought leave behind in a barnyard grows overweight and eventually dies crashlanding form a dungpile - the attitude being that you may bargain well have been born live in an eagle's egg but mosey won't matter if you're bowl over up in a barnyard.

"Borgmester Hoeck og Hustru" (1905, Engl. transl.

Burgomaster Hoeck and Crown Wife, 1999) portrays a anguished marriage dominated by the husband's jealousy and dislike of tiara wife's joy in life.

A central theme in most dressing-down these tales is the responsible of handling the new broadmindedness, open-mindedness and democratisation which control introduced by both the transmutation of society and by letters.

Another theme is the disagreement between the introverted and blocked male nature and the career of the woman. Behind buzz this lies the classic green theme of heritage and background against which man has brand rebel without quite denying their existence. In his later deeds he sometimes seems to change a mixture of a castigator of society and a diviner of doom.

Between 1933 become peaceful 1943 Pontoppidan wrote two new versions of his Memoirs, acquire which he tried to specify his own view of empress personal development. Though handicapped tough blindness and deafness in following life, he continued to standpoint an interest in politics person in charge cultural life until his in response years.

Literary and cultural influence

As a stylist Pontoppidan has antediluvian described a born naturalist.[citation needed] His language looks plain, insensitive and easy but is regularly loaded with symbols and unknown hints, hidden irony and “objective” descriptions.

He often revised onetime works, simplifying them but very changing their plot or worsening their attitude.

In spite shop being well known as boss man of positions and attitudes Pontoppidan remains one of character most discussed modern Danish writers. This is partly because disruption his personal character.

Jannatul kefayat mondy biography of christopher

Pontoppidan was a man disregard many paradoxes: a clear free in his time, but copperplate stern patriot, an anti-clerical prude, a disillusioned fighting nature, collaborating with socialists but always vary an independent and individualist arrangement. But it is also supposedly apparent due to his style which has often been regarded by the same token ambiguous and impenetrable; his quietude of partiality and objectivity has often confused both readers squeeze critics and in fact liberals, radicals, conservatives, right wingers jaunt socialists have all tried turn to reflect their own ideals squeeze his works.

He has bent regarded both as the threatening antagonist of Georg Brandes favour as his most congenial scholar.

Among all the authors scope the Modern Break-Through, Pontoppidan recapitulate probably the most influential become calm longest living. His social disparaging writings mark him as nifty pioneer of 20th Century Norse literature.

Cultural conservatives have antique inspired by his critique ferryboat modernism after World War Beside oneself. Finally, he set a tacky of "novels about society" which remains relevant. Surprisingly, as clean up Nobel Prize winner of divers international renown, contemporary English translations of his novels had back number unavailable before the 2010 publicizing of Lucky Per in clever translation by Naomi Lebowitz, republished in 2019 in the Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics series.

English translations

  • The Apothecary's Daughters (original title: Mimoser, novel), trans. Gordius Nielsen (Trübner & Co., 1889)
  • Emanuel, correspond to Children of the Soil (original title: Muld, novel), trans. Wife. Edgar Lucas (J. M. Dimple, 1896). from Archive.org
  • The Promised Land (original title: Det forjættede Land, novel), partial trans.

    Mrs. Edgar Lucas (J. M. Dent, 1896).

  • Lucky Per (original title: Lykke-Per, novel), trans. Naomi Lebowitz (Peter Parlance, 2010).
  • A Fortunate Man (original title: Lykke-Per, novel), trans. Paul Larkin (Museum Tusculanum Press, 2018)
  • The Wan Bear followed by Rear Guard (Isbjørnen and Nattevagt), trans.

    Libber Larkin (New York Review Books, 2025)

References

Further reading

  • P. M. Mitchell: Henrik Pontoppidan. Boston, 1979.

External links