Samlede digte

by Tom Kristensen

Samlede Digte.

Fribytterdrømme
Mirakler
Påfuglefjeren
Verdslige Sange
En Fribytters Ord
Mod den yderste rand
Digte i døgnet
Den sidste lygte
Med disse øjne -

Genres: Poetry

361 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

For the Norwegian author by the same name, please see: Tom Kristensen

Tom Aage Kristensen was born in London in United Kingdom in 1893 to Danish parents. In his early childhood the family moved back to Denmark, more specifically Copenhagen, where Kristensen grew up.

Kristensen was a Danish poet, writer, and critic. He was a key figure in Danish literature in the interwar period (as well as later), and is considered one of the few Danish expressionist writers.

A path towards literature was being shaped early on, as he was named after the fictional character Uncle Tom from Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), which was his mother's favorite book.

In 1919 Kristensen graduated with a major in Danish. After graduating he taught English for two years whilst writing his first works. In 1920 he debuted as a poet, when Fribytterdrømme (in English: "Freebooter Dreams") was published. The year after he made his debut as a novelist with Livets Arabesk (in English: "The Arabesque of Life"). Both works are characterized as expressionistic writings with strong influences from Nietzsche's thoughts on chaos and lack of accept of the passed-on systems of belief.

During the 1920's Kristensen travelled a lot within and outside of Europe. Travels to i.e. China, Japan and Spain resulted in published fictional depictions of his destinations.

Despite his many travels and writings thereof, his probably best known novel takes place in his own Copenhagen as well as in some of his own personal struggles:
In 1930 Hærværk (published in English in 1968 as Havoc) was published. The novel, considered by many to be Kristensen's greatest work, revolts around the life of alcoholized literary critic Ole Jastrau, whose life bears great resemblance to Tom Kristensen's own life at the time. The story depicts a self-destructive nihilistic soul determined to drink himself to death in a modern western capital. Kristensen's fascination with chaos and disaster once again shines through in his masterpiece.

A few years after the death of his third wife in 1943, he withdrew from the Danish capital, and moved to the small island Thurø in 1946 where he lived until his death in 1974.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Kristensen er en af Danmarks største digtere og med rette. Hans digte, som indeholder beskrivelser af alt fra mennesker til dyr til natur og til steder i verden, er så detaljerige, levende og dynamiske. Han er en passioneret æstetiker, og det inspirerer læseren. Han har desuden sans for mennesker og typer og beskriver disse meget virkelighedstro. Han har humor, rim og rytme. Han har enormt meget på hjerte, men dvæler også ved farver, detaljer og symbolik. Han er futurist og ekspressionist, og alt han skriver kommer til live, trods dette "bare" er ord.
Kristensen har et stort kendskab til eksotiske steder, personer og kulturer, og det får læseren til at drømme sig alle mulige fantastiske steder hen. Det mener jeg, er helt karakteristisk og specielt ved lige præcis Tom Kristensen, og det er bare én af mange grunde til, at man burde læse hans lyrik.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Især hans tidlige digte er efter min smag (sære, skøre, skæve), men generelt er Tom Kristensen en rimets mester - meget fascinerende læsning!