Torgny Lindgren

Torgny Lindgren (born June 16, 1938 in Raggsjö, Norsjö, Sweden) is a Swedish writer.

Lindgren began as a poet in 1965 but had to wait until 1982 for his breakthru, with "The Way of a Serpent" (swedish: "Ormens väg på hälleberget"). Lindgren has been translated into thirty languages and is one of Sweden's most internatinally successful contemporary writers. He became a member of the Swedish Academy in 1991.

The Way of a Serpent

The way of the serpent tells the story of a farmer family in a poverty-stricken region in the northern parts of Sweden in the nineteenth century. The family formerly owned its land, but had to sell it cheap during a succession of years of famine. The new owner collects his rent as long as there is money in the household, and explits the women when there is none.

The way of the serpent is a surprisingly thin novel, considering the width of its content and specifically that it spans over three generations. The language is stark and spartan, and is heavily influenced of the local dialect. The main theme is the family's stuggle for survival, where both the mother and the daughters have to contribute to indulge their creditor.

The novel is considered to be one of Lingren's greatest works, and was made a film by Bo Wideberg in 1986.

Bibliography

• Plåtsax, hjärtats instrument (1965)
• Dikter från Vimmerby (1970)
• Hur skulle det vara om man vore Olof Palme? (1971)
• Hallen (1975). ISBN 91–1–751161–5
• Brännvinsfursten (1979). A book about Lars Olsson Smith. ISBN 91–1–791042–0
• The way of a serpent (Ormens väg på hälleberget) (1982/1990). ISBN 91–1–811692–2 / ISBN 0–00–271817–0
• Merabs skönhet (1983). ISBN 91–1–831412–0
• Övriga frågor (1983). ISBN 91–7448–214–9
• Bathsheba (Bat Seba) (1984/1989). ISBN 91–1–841262–9 / ISBN 0–00–271271–7
• Legender (1986). ISBN 91–1–861122–2
• Skrämmer dig minuten (1986)
• Light (Ljuset) (1987/1992). ISBN 91–1–871472–2 / ISBN 0–00–271171–0
• Sweetness (Hummelhonung) (1995/2000) ISBN 91–1–912432–5 / ISBN 1–86046–656–7
• I Brokiga Blads vatten (1999). ISBN 91–7263–086–8
• Hash (Pölsan) (2002) ISBN 1–58567–408–7 (English pre-edition)
• "The stories" (Berättelserna) (2003). ISBN 91–1–301208–8

External Link

• Torgny Lindgren – Biography at the Swedish Academy web site