
Out of the Darkness
Classic Short Fiction from Sweden
University of Minnesota Press
Published on 24. April 2026
Book
Hardback
184 pages
978-1-5179-2066-1 (ISBN)
Description
A treasure chest of stories by Swedish authors from the 1880s to the 1950s, many appearing for the first time in English
In the late nineteenth century, Swedish romanticism gave way to vibrant new literary styles that flourished through the 1950s. Out of the Darkness is the first anthology to bring the short fiction of this golden age of Swedish literature to English readers, celebrating the country's rich literary tradition and several of its most renowned authors. The stories in this volume (many in entirely new translations, and most never before published in English) reflect the arc of the short story in Sweden, from realism to symbolism to modernist experimentation, and stand as lyrical exemplars of the creativity and depth of Swedish literature.
Some stories explore themes of crime and refuge, others ask what makes life meaningful, and some challenge sexual and social constructs of their time. All are fueled by shadows - of evil, madness, or fate, eerie fantasy or grim reality. Including internationally famous authors like August Strindberg, Stig Dagerman, and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerloef, Out of the Darkness also features writing by influential women such as Victoria Benedictsson and Agnes von Krusenstjerna, who are less familiar to English readers. A showcase of stylistic virtuosity and incisive social commentary, Out of the Darkness at last brings this remarkable period of Swedish prose into the light.
Contributors: Victoria Benedictsson, Hjalmar Bergman, Karin Boye, Stig Dagerman, Thorsten Jonsson, Agnes von Krusenstjerna, Selma Lagerloef, August Strindberg, Hjalmar Soederberg.
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In the late nineteenth century, Swedish romanticism gave way to vibrant new literary styles that flourished through the 1950s. Out of the Darkness is the first anthology to bring the short fiction of this golden age of Swedish literature to English readers, celebrating the country's rich literary tradition and several of its most renowned authors. The stories in this volume (many in entirely new translations, and most never before published in English) reflect the arc of the short story in Sweden, from realism to symbolism to modernist experimentation, and stand as lyrical exemplars of the creativity and depth of Swedish literature.
Some stories explore themes of crime and refuge, others ask what makes life meaningful, and some challenge sexual and social constructs of their time. All are fueled by shadows - of evil, madness, or fate, eerie fantasy or grim reality. Including internationally famous authors like August Strindberg, Stig Dagerman, and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerloef, Out of the Darkness also features writing by influential women such as Victoria Benedictsson and Agnes von Krusenstjerna, who are less familiar to English readers. A showcase of stylistic virtuosity and incisive social commentary, Out of the Darkness at last brings this remarkable period of Swedish prose into the light.
Contributors: Victoria Benedictsson, Hjalmar Bergman, Karin Boye, Stig Dagerman, Thorsten Jonsson, Agnes von Krusenstjerna, Selma Lagerloef, August Strindberg, Hjalmar Soederberg.
Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly.
Reviews / Votes
"Finally, an English-language collection of short stories by this exceptional group of Swedish writers who touch readers across space and time. Out of the Darkness is a gem to savor!" -Stellan Skarsgard"Out of the Darkness sheds light on an underexamined genre in Swedish literature. Short prose has been the favored genre of a number of important Swedish writers who gained fame for other types of writing, such as novels, plays, or poetry. The period from 1880 to the 1950s arguably represents something of a literary golden age for Sweden, and these pearls of the prose art allow readers to sample an impressive spectrum of styles." -Susan Brantly, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"As the literary world - the world in general- continues to congeal into a disheartening mass of indistinguishable patter, a well-honed anthology such a this reminds us that national literature is still with us, still shiny with its sharp sentences, its individual personalities, its endless possibilities." -Daniel Handler
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Minnesota
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 217 mm
Width: 148 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
390 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5179-2066-1 (9781517920661)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Vendela Vida is a founding editor of The Believer magazine and the award-winning author of six books, including Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, and We Run the Tides. Two of her novels have been New York Times notable books of the year, and she received the Kate Chopin Award, given to writers whose female protagonists choose an unconventional path.
David Katznelson is a Grammy-nominated musicologist and record producer and publisher of the newsletter The Signal From David Katznelson.
Ulf Olsson is professor emeritus of literary studies at Stockholm University and literary critic for the daily newspaper Expressen.
David Katznelson is a Grammy-nominated musicologist and record producer and publisher of the newsletter The Signal From David Katznelson.
Ulf Olsson is professor emeritus of literary studies at Stockholm University and literary critic for the daily newspaper Expressen.
Content
Contents
Introduction: Into the Light
Vendela Vida, David Katznelson, and Ulf Olsson
The Gates (1929)
Agnes von Krusenstjerna
Out of the Darkness (1888)
Victoria Benedictsson
Stories
Hjalmar Soederberg
The Sketch in India Ink (1897)
The Fur Coat (1897)
The Wages of Sin (1897)
Drizzle (1897)
A Dog without a Master (1894)
The Kiss (1907)
The Shadow (1898)
Prelude (1934)
Karin Boye
What the Tree-Swallow Sang in the Buckthorn Tree (1903)
August Strindberg
The Outlaws (1904)
Selma Lagerloef
Fleeing to Water and Morning (1941)
Thorsten Jonsson
To Kill a Child (1948)
Stig Dagerman
The General's Ring (1925)
Selma Lagerloef
The Silver Lake (1898)
August Strindberg
A Clown's Catechism (1930)
Hjalmar Bergman
Streetcar and Paradise (1940)
Karin Boye
A Thousand Years with God (1954)
Stig Dagerman
Half a Sheet of Paper (1903)
August Strindberg
Editors' Acknowledgments
Contributors
Introduction: Into the Light
Vendela Vida, David Katznelson, and Ulf Olsson
The Gates (1929)
Agnes von Krusenstjerna
Out of the Darkness (1888)
Victoria Benedictsson
Stories
Hjalmar Soederberg
The Sketch in India Ink (1897)
The Fur Coat (1897)
The Wages of Sin (1897)
Drizzle (1897)
A Dog without a Master (1894)
The Kiss (1907)
The Shadow (1898)
Prelude (1934)
Karin Boye
What the Tree-Swallow Sang in the Buckthorn Tree (1903)
August Strindberg
The Outlaws (1904)
Selma Lagerloef
Fleeing to Water and Morning (1941)
Thorsten Jonsson
To Kill a Child (1948)
Stig Dagerman
The General's Ring (1925)
Selma Lagerloef
The Silver Lake (1898)
August Strindberg
A Clown's Catechism (1930)
Hjalmar Bergman
Streetcar and Paradise (1940)
Karin Boye
A Thousand Years with God (1954)
Stig Dagerman
Half a Sheet of Paper (1903)
August Strindberg
Editors' Acknowledgments
Contributors