OLSSON, HAGAR

(1893-1978)

A Finland-Swedishcritic, novelist, short story writer, essayist, and dramatist, Olsson grew up in the Aland Islands and Karelia, after which she went to Helsinki to attend the university. She quickly embarked on a career in journalism and became a literary critic in Helsinki's Swedish-language press, in which capacity she became very helpful to the young poetEdith Soädergran.

Olsson s earliest novels are apprentice pieces. However, important themes emerge as early as in her literary debut,Lars Thorman och doden(1916; Lars Thorman and Death), in which both fear of death and an interest in mysticism are evident.The second theme is strongly present in her third novel,Kvinnan och naåden(1919; The Woman and Grace), in which the story of the biblical Hannah and her son, the prophet Samuel, is retold. Other novels, such asMr. Jeremias soker en illusion(1926; Mr. Jeremiah Seeks an Illusion),Pa Kanaanexpressen(1929; On the Canaan Express), andDet blaåser upp till storm(1930; A Storm Is Brewing), show that Olsson had not yet found herself as a novelist.

The partly autobiographical novelChitambo(1933), on the other hand, which depicts the development of a young woman, introduced a figure that from then on was to be a strong presence in Olsson's fiction.Träsnidaren och doden(1940; tr.The Woodcarver and Death, 1965) pays homage to Karelia, much of which had just been taken by Russia. Her shorter prose workKinesisk utflykt(1950; Chinese Excursion), as well as the tales inHemkomst: Tre beraättelser(1961; Homecoming: Three Tales),Droämmar(1966; Dreams), andRidturen och andra beraättelser(1968; On Horseback and Other Stories), feature young women as protagonists.

Olsson also wrote drama.Hjaärtats pantomim(1927; The Pantomime of the Heart) shows influence from Germanexpressionism.InS.O.S. (1928) the inventor of a superpowerful poison gas is accused of being unpatriotic when he destroys the gas s chemical formula, whileDet blaå underet(1931; The Blue Wonder) dramatizes the conflict between different political positions—liberalism, communism, and fascism—within a single family. InRoävaren och jungfrun(1944; The Robber and the Maiden) there is yet another young woman who embodies the hope for the future, whileKaärlekens doäd(1952; Love s Death) shows that the malaise of the time was caused by human selfishness.