Views from a Tuft of Grass

by Harry Martinson, Erland Anderson (Translation), Lars Nordström (Translation)

Winner of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Literature (with fellow Swedish writer Eyvind Johnson), Harry Martinson (1904-1978) was noted for his innovative use of language combined with his keen observation of nature. He also wrote three volumes of nature essays in the 1930s. Views from a Tuft of Grass, however, was published late in his life, in 1963, and the essays of this volume reflect a maturer and cleaner style and are less philosophically dense than the earlier works.

Genres: Poetry, Sweden, Scandinavian Literature

149 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Harry Martinson (May 6, 1904 – February 11, 1978) was a Swedish sailor, author and poet. In 1949 he was elected into the Swedish Academy. He was awarded a joint Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974, "for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos.", together with fellow Swede Eyvind Johnson. The choice was very controversial, as both Martinson and Johnson were members of the academy and had partaken in endorsing themselves as laureates.

He has been called "the great reformer of 20th century Swedish poetry, the most original of the writers called 'proletarian'."

Detailed Biography: http://authorscalendar.info/harrymar.htm

Reviews

[Vee]

assorted essays and poetry about pretty much anything, most of it about nature. definitely melancholic but Martinson writes with a never-ending childish sort of curiosity and playfulness not only towards the world but towards the language he uses; I'm always surprised and delighted by verb or adjective choices in his works

[Maggi]

Lest på norsk.

[Mina Widding]

Fina, stämningsfulla och insiktsfulla essäer om naturen, naturdiktning, stämningar, känslor och i slutet även om människans åverkan på naturen som börjar göra naturditningen omöjlig (idag närmast omöjligt att inte ta med den aspekten). Sänk blicken, betrakta livet från en grästuva! Obs - skapar outsäglig längtan efter sommar.

[Michael]

Korta uppsatser som försöker att förknippa konsten med naturvetenskapen där det gäller att betrakta naturen och sin skönhet. Kopplad med ett fantastiskt sprak!

[Michael Pennington]

Such beautiful drops of words.

["Robert Ekberg"]

"Att uttala sig ironiskt om goda årgångar av gott vin, skulle aldrig falla en god ironiker in" (s. 100).

[Linnea Ekström]

Ett vackert kärleksbrev till vår natur som avslutas med en skrämmande profetia

[Tova Andreasson]

Definitivt det bästa jag läst av Harry Martinsson