Eyvind Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eyvind Johnson
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Eyvind Johnson
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| Born | Olof Edvin Verner Jonsson 29 July 1900 Boden, Sweden |
| Died | 25 August 1976 (aged 76) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Period | 1924–1976 |
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| Notable awards | Nobel Prize in Literature 1974 (shared with Harry Martinson) |
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| Children | 3 |
Eyvind Johnson (born 29 July 1900 – died 25 August 1976) was a famous Swedish writer. He wrote many novels and short stories. People thought he was one of the most creative writers in modern Swedish literature. In 1957, he became a member of the Swedish Academy, a group that works to improve the Swedish language and literature.
In 1974, he shared the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature with another writer, Harry Martinson. They won the award because their stories showed a "far-seeing" view of different lands and times, all while serving the idea of freedom.
Contents
Eyvind Johnson's Life Story
Early Years and First Jobs
Eyvind Johnson was born Olof Edvin Verner Jonsson. He was born in a small village called Svartbjörnsbyn, near the town of Boden in northern Sweden. The house where he was born is still there today. It has a special sign to remember him.
Eyvind left school when he was only thirteen years old. He then worked many different jobs. He helped float logs down rivers and worked at a sawmill. He also sold tickets and showed movies at a cinema. These early experiences gave him many ideas for his future stories.
Becoming a Writer
In 1919, Eyvind left his hometown and moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. There, he started writing articles for magazines that wanted big changes in society. He also became friends with other young writers who wrote about the lives of working-class people. Together, they started their own magazine.
In the 1920s, Eyvind traveled to Germany. He also lived near Paris, France, from 1927 to 1930 with his first wife, Aase Christoffersen. By this time, he had already published his first books. His very first book, De fyra främlingarna (The Four Strangers), was a collection of short stories published in 1924.
Developing a New Style
Eyvind Johnson was inspired by famous writers like Marcel Proust, André Gide, and James Joyce. He started to move away from traditional ways of writing novels. He became a very important writer in what is called "modernist literature" in Sweden. Modernist writers tried new and different ways to tell stories.
His early novels were not widely read at first. But his 1929 novel, Kommentar till ett stjärnfall (Comment on a Falling Star), became a big success with critics. This book criticized the way capitalist society worked.
The Novel about Olof
Eyvind Johnson's first major success as a writer came between 1934 and 1937. He published four novels that told parts of his own life story. These books were later put together as Romanen om Olof (The Novel about Olof). They told the story of a young man growing up in northern Sweden.
In these novels, Johnson mixed real-life events with fairy tales. He also used new writing techniques, like showing a character's thoughts directly (called "inner monologue") and changing who was telling the story (called "point of view"). The Novel about Olof became a classic book in Swedish literature. It was even made into a movie called Here Is Your Life.
Speaking Out Against War
In the 1930s, Eyvind Johnson became very worried about the rise of powerful, controlling governments. He was strongly against fascism and nazism. During World War II, he edited a magazine called Håndslag. He also published a group of three novels called Krilon.
These novels used an allegory, which means they told a story with a hidden meaning. The story dealt with the events of the war. In Krilon, Johnson spoke out against Nazi oppression. He also criticized Sweden's policy of staying neutral during the war, which was a debated topic. Krilon is considered one of Johnson's best works.
Later Works and International Fame
In 1946, he published one of his most famous novels, Return to Ithaca (Strändernas svall). This book was based on the ancient Greek story of Odysseus returning home after the Trojan War.
Eyvind Johnson married translator Cilla Johnson in 1940. He lived with his family in Switzerland from 1947 to 1949, and then for a year in England. His travels to Italy and France gave him ideas for several popular historical novels. These are stories set in the past.
Some of his well-known historical novels include Dreams of Roses and Fire (Drömmar om rosor och eld, 1949). This story is set in France in the 1600s, during the time of Cardinal Richelieu. Another famous one is Molnen över Metapontion (The Clouds above Metapontion, 1957). This later novel often switches between different time periods, which was typical of his writing style.
Johnson's most famous works around the world include Return to Ithaca and The Days of His Grace (Hans nådes tid, 1960). These books have been translated into many languages. For The Days of His Grace, Johnson won the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1962.
See also
In Spanish: Eyvind Johnson para niños
