Swedish realism

August Strindberg (1849–1912) was a writer world-famous for his dramas and prose, noted for his exceptional talent and complex intellect.^[1][2] In 1879 he published The Red Room (Röda Rummet), which brought him immediate fame. The Red Room was a satirical novel that relentlessly attacked the political, the academic, the philosophical and the religious worlds.^[1][2]

After several harsh disputes, Strindberg left Sweden in 1883. In 1884, he briefly returned to Stockholm to stand trial in a blasphemy case against his collection of short stories Married (Giftas). He was acquitted, but the trial sparked a psychological turmoil that lasted for some 10 years, during which he wrote some of his internationally best known works: the self-examinatory Tjänstekvinnans son (1886–87), En dåres försvarstal (1887–87); and also plays Fadren, Fröken Julie and Mäster Olof (1886–88).^[1][2]

In 1897 Strindberg engaged himself in occultism, in particular alchemy, leading to a mental breakdown known as his Inferno-crisis. The following year (1897), Strindberg moved back to Sweden and settled in the city Lund. There, he resurrected his literary production by publishing Inferno.^[1][2]

In 1898, Strindberg moved back to Stockholm. He continued writing but also engaged himself energetically in debates in a wide range of subjects. His most notable writings during this period were his dramas, such as The Dance of Death (1900) and A Dream Play (1901).^[1][2]

Victoria Benedictsson is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Swedish realist style, with her most notable works including Pengar ("Money")(1885) and Fru Marianne ("Mrs. Marianne")(1887). In her novels she described the inequality of marriage and often debated women's rights issues in her writings.^[3] Current critics see her as an early feminist; earlier the focus was on her love affair with Danish literature critic Georg Brandes.^[4] She also wrote plays, one of which, entitled I Telefon (Swedish: On Telephone), was highly successful, being performed 27 times at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. The play was serialized in Familie Journalen in 1887.^{[citation needed]}