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**bypeTeenehalT** · 10-08-2009, 05:37 PM

Lagerkvist's "Barabbas", "The Death of Ahasuerus", "The Dwarf", "The Sibyll" (maybe) were the first Swedish literature I ever read, at about the age of 16, several years before I learned Swedish. They were all written in the 1940s and 1950s. Curiously, they were available in English translation in a rather nondescript branch library.

What I remember about "Barabbas" is that it was pretty bleak. I believe that Lagerkvist was an athe?st, so I don't think the "harmless Christian bedtime story" is quite right. I think his approach to religion was more existentialist than Christian. He certainly reacted against the Church as a young man in rather the same way as Ingmar Bergman did. The Swedish Lutheran Church was rather grim and uncompromising in those days. Nor do I think that Lagerkvist was trying to add to the cruxifixion theme. He was examining the role and psychology of Barabbas, the outcast, who is but a minor character in the original Bible story. Barabbas was the one criminal who was set free, by Passover tradition. Unfortunately, Jesus was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got picked to substitute him. But the key psychology here is surely the guilt of escaping death. Whatever the case, a very thorough study guide for "Barabbas" is here:

Barabbas Study Guide by P?r Lagerkvist Study Guide

But it's not all free access. They want money, if you want to read the whole thing.

The anti-Semitic German Nazi rag "Der St?rmer" called Lagerkvist a "Judenknecht" (Jewish lackey), which he took as being a badge of honour. He was also on the Gestapo death list. And his allegorical novel (also a play) "The Executioner" was burnt by the Nazis.

P?r Lagerkvist had quite a long writing life: 1912-1967.

10-08-2009, 05:37 PM	#6
bypeTeenehalT Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 494 Senior Member	Lagerkvist's "Barabbas", "The Death of Ahasuerus", "The Dwarf", "The Sibyll" (maybe) were the first Swedish literature I ever read, at about the age of 16, several years before I learned Swedish. They were all written in the 1940s and 1950s. Curiously, they were available in English translation in a rather nondescript branch library. What I remember about "Barabbas" is that it was pretty bleak. I believe that Lagerkvist was an athe?st, so I don't think the "harmless Christian bedtime story" is quite right. I think his approach to religion was more existentialist than Christian. He certainly reacted against the Church as a young man in rather the same way as Ingmar Bergman did. The Swedish Lutheran Church was rather grim and uncompromising in those days. Nor do I think that Lagerkvist was trying to add to the cruxifixion theme. He was examining the role and psychology of Barabbas, the outcast, who is but a minor character in the original Bible story. Barabbas was the one criminal who was set free, by Passover tradition. Unfortunately, Jesus was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got picked to substitute him. But the key psychology here is surely the guilt of escaping death. Whatever the case, a very thorough study guide for "Barabbas" is here: Barabbas Study Guide by P?r Lagerkvist Study Guide But it's not all free access. They want money, if you want to read the whole thing. The anti-Semitic German Nazi rag "Der St?rmer" called Lagerkvist a "Judenknecht" (Jewish lackey), which he took as being a badge of honour. He was also on the Gestapo death list. And his allegorical novel (also a play) "The Executioner" was burnt by the Nazis. P?r Lagerkvist had quite a long writing life: 1912-1967.
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