The Snake
The Snake is an anti-militaristic story with fear as its main theme, channeling the war-time zeitgeist. Set in neutral Sweden during raging World War II, Dagerman examines the effects of powerlessness and fear among a group of young people.
He writes:
“Cohabitation with anxiety is the only way of living because
it gives man at least a small possibility to experience himself.”
“During this century, no other Swedish author has made such a violent and convincing debut.” Olof Lagercrantz writing about Ormen, Stig Dagerman’s first novel and breakthrough.
Stig Dagerman (1923–1954) is one of the most prominent authors among the Swedish “Fyrtiotalisterna” (writers of the 1940s). He made his debut in 1945 with the novel The Snake which was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet prize for literature. He is best known as a writer of prose, with Island of the Doomed, 1946, A Burnt Child, 1947 and Wedding Worries, 1949, but…
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Sold to: Czech Republic, Denmark: Jensen & Dalgaard, France: Denoël, Greece: Kastaniotis, Macedonia: AntologThe Snake is an anti-militaristic story with fear as its main theme, channeling the war-time zeitgeist. Set in neutral Sweden during raging World War II, Dagerman examines the effects of powerlessness and fear among a group of young people.
He writes:
“Cohabitation with anxiety is the only way of living because
it gives man at least a small possibility to experience himself.”
“During this century, no other Swedish author has made such a violent and convincing debut.” Olof Lagercrantz writing about Ormen, Stig Dagerman’s first novel and breakthrough.
