KRUSENSTJERNA, AGNES VON

(1894-1940)

A Swedish novelist, Krusenstjerna was descended fromErik Gustaf Geijerand was born into a noble family. In poor mental health much of her life, she produced a semi-autobiographical series about a woman named Tony, consisting ofTony vaxer upp(1922; Tony Grows Up),Tonys laroar(1924; Tony's Apprenticeship), andTonys sista laroar(1924; The Last Year of Tony's Apprenticeship), in which Tony is portrayed as suffering a mental breakdown. Her seven novels with the common titleFroknerna von Pahlen(1930-1935; The Misses von Pahlen) gave rise to a heated debate about her portrayal of female sexuality. Krusenstjerna's final work was a tetralogy,Fattigadel(1935-1938; Impoverished Nobility), in which she exposed the private lives of members of her family.