Alexander Kielland Biography and List of Works

Norwegian novelist who is considered one of "the four great ones" of the 19th century Norwegian literature. The others are Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, and Jonas Lie. Kielland was perhaps the foremost prose stylist of his day.

Kielland was born in Stavanger into wealthy merchant family. He studied law and graduated in 1871. He then worked as a director of a brick works until 1881. In 1872 Kielland married Beate Ramsland. He read such philosophers as Kierkegaard and Georg Brandes, and he decided to devote his creative energies to social criticism and reform. In 1878 Kielland went to Paris, where he met Bjørnson, who encouraged Kielland's literary aspirations. Next year he published a collection of short stories. In 1881-1883 Kiellan lived in Denmark.

Among Kielland's most important novels is GARMAN OG WORSE (1880), in which he depicts the life in his native city of Stavanger and tells of the decline of a family and a firm. Georg Brandes, with whom Kielland was in correspondence, advised him on his literary efforts. It served as a model for Thomas Mann's famous novel Buddenbrooks (1901). ARBEIDTSFOLK (1881) is a penetrating study of the cynical tyranny of Kristiania officialdom and attacks Norway's state bureaucracy. The harrowing ELSE (1881) deals with the sexual exploitation of women. SKIPPER WORSE (1882) is another portrait of his native Stavanger and an indictment of religious fanaticism. In the trilogy GIFT (1883), FORTUNA (1884) and SANKT HANS FEST (1887) Kielland satirizes the hypocrisy of Norway's clergy. The story follows Abraham Lövdahl from his childhood to a failed scientist and reflected the contemporary cultural debate Norway.

With his liberal views Kielland angered 'venstre', the leftist political group, and the conservatives had problems with tolerating his free thoughts on religious questions. When the government rejected Bjørnson's and Jonas Lies request about Kielland's state pension for more or less political reasons, Bjørnson gave up his own pension. Kielland's novel JACOB (1891) was born from the turmoil of these struggles, and mocked political opportunists who are not ashamed of anything. From 1889 to 1890 Kielland worked as a journalist at Stavanger Avis. In 1892 he was appointed Stavanger's burgomaster and in 1902 governor of Romsdal.

Kielland virtually stopped writing in 1891 after 12 highly productive years. In his works Kielland combined elegant stylistic brilliance with reformatory aims, sharing Georg Brandes's view that literature should work as a means of social criticism. French literature deeply influenced Kielland. He scourged hypocrisy in the clergy, revealed bureaucracy in official circles and the oppression of the poor. However, Kielland's coldness for the ill-bred and unrefined, surfacing in his last novel, Jakob, separated him from the writer who supported socialism. In 1905 he published a work on Napoleon. Kielland died in Bergen on April 6, 1906.

For further reading: Min far Alexander Lange Kielland by B. Kielland (1949); Alexander Kielland's litterära genombrott by N. E. Bæhrendtz (1952); Der Einfluss der norwegischen Literatur auf Thomas Manns "Buddenbrooks" by Walter Gryters: Triltsch (1961); Alexander Kielland's romaner by O. Apeland (1971); Tendenz und satirische Schreibart im Werk von Alexander L. Kielland by Helmut Blochwitz (1988); Alexander L. Kielland og hans samtid by Gerhard Gran (1992); Om Garman & Worse av Alexander Kielland by Hilde Sejersted (1996); A History of Norwegian Literature, ed. by Harald S. Naess (1993, vol. 2 of A History of Scandinavian Literature); Mannen i speilet: Alexander L. Kielland i Stavanger 1888-1902 by Einar O. Risa. (1999); Søkelys på "Gift" av Alexander L. Kielland by Ellen Ugland (2000) - Note: Kielland's grandson Axel Kielland (1907-1963), who worked as a journalist for Dagbladet, gained fame as dramatist. He also wrote novels and travel books.

NOVELLETTER, (1879)
PROFESSOREN, (1888)
JACOB, (1891)
SAMLEDE VÆRKER, (1897)
OMKRING NAPOLEON, (1905)
BREVE, (1907)
BREVE TIL HANS DATTER, (1909)
HUNDREÅRSUTGAVE, (1949)
SAMLEDE NOVELLETTER, (1978)
BREV, (1869)
SAMLEDE VERKER, (1995)
TO PAR, (1998)
SAMLEDE VERKER, (1999)
DISHARMONIENS DIKTER, (1999)
SAMLEDE NOVELLETTER, (2000)