Karl Adolph Gjellerup
Karl Adolph Gjellerup | |
---|---|
Born | Roholte vicarage at Præstø, Denmark | 2 June 1857
Died | 11 October 1919 Klotzsche, Germany | (aged 62)
Nationality | Danish |
Notable awards | Nobel Prize in Literature 1917 (shared) |
Karl Adolph Gjellerup (Danish: [ˈkʰɑˀl ˈɛːˌtʌlˀf ˈkelˀəʁɔp]; 2 June 1857 – 11 October 1919) was a Danish poet and novelist who together with his compatriot Henrik Pontoppidan won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917. He is associated with the Modern Breakthrough period of Scandinavian literature. He occasionally used the pseudonym Epigonos.
Biography
Youth and debut
Gjellerup was the son of a vicar in
Among the early works of Gjellerup must be mentioned his most important novel Germanernes Lærling (1882, i.e. The Germans' Apprentice), a partly autobiographic tale of the development of a young man from being a conformist theologian to a pro-German atheist and intellectual, and Minna (1889), on the surface, a love story but more of a study in woman's psychology. Some Wagnerian dramas show his growing romanticist interests. An important work is the novel Møllen (1896, i. e. The Mill), a sinister melodrama of love and jealousy.
Later years
In his last years he was clearly influenced by
Den fuldendtes hustru (1907, i.e. The wife of the perfect) is a versified drama, inspired by
Rudolph Stens Landpraksis (1913, i.e. The country practice of [physician] Rudolph Sten) is set in the rural Zealand of Gjellerup's youth. The main character develops from a liberal, superficial outlook on life, including youthful romantical conflicts, through years of reflection and ascetic devotion to duty towards a more mature standpoint, hinting at the author's own course of life.
Das heiligste Tier (1919, i.e. The holiest animal) was Gjellerup's last work. Having elements of self-parody, it is regarded as his only attempt at humour. It is a peculiar mythological satire in which animals arrive at their own Elysium after death. These include the snake that killed
Aftermath
In Denmark, Gjellerup's Nobel award was received with little enthusiasm. He had long been regarded as a German writer. During various stages of his career, he had made himself unpopular with both the naturalist left surrounding Georg Brandes and the conservative right. His nomination for the Nobel award was, however, supported from Danish side for several times. Because Sweden was neutral during World War I, the divided prize did not arouse political speculations about partial decision, but showed on the other hand allegiance between the Nordic neighbors.
Today Gjellerup is almost forgotten in Denmark. In spite of this, however, literary historians normally regard him as an honest seeker after truth.
Gjellerup's works have been translated into several languages, including German (often translated by himself), Swedish, English, Dutch, Polish, Thai and others.[citation needed] The Pilgrim Kamanita is his most widely translated book, having been published in several European countries and the United States.[citation needed] In Thailand, a Buddhist country, the first half of the Thai translation of Kamanita have been used in secondary school textbooks.[citation needed]
Biographies
- Georg Nørregård: Karl Gjellerup – en biografi, 1988 (in Danish)
- Olaf C. Nybo: Karl Gjellerup – ein literarischer Grenzgänger des Fin-de-siècle, 2002 (in German)
- Article in Vilhelm Andersen: Illustreret dansk Litteraturhistorie, 1924–34 (in Danish)
- Article in Hakon Stangerup: Dansk litteraturhistorie, 1964–66 (in Danish)
External links
- Works by Karl Adolph Gjellerup in eBook form at Standard Ebooks
- Works by Karl Gjellerup at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Karl Adolph Gjellerup at Internet Archive
- Works by Karl Adolph Gjellerup at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Works by Karl Adolph Gjellerup at Open Library
- Knud B. Gjesing: Karl Gjellerup, portrait of the author, Archive for Danish Literature, Danish Royal Library(in Danish) (pdf)
- List of Works
- Karl Adolph Gjellerup on Nobelprize.org
- MyNDIR (My Norse Digital Image Repository) Illustrations from manuscripts and early print books by Karl Adolph Gjellerup.