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Jens Peter Jacobsen Collection: Marie Grubbe, Niels Lyhne, Mogens, The Plague in Bergamo, & Other Stories
In Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet , Rilke claims that there are only two books he finds truly indispensable and that he carries with him wherever he the Bible and The Collected Works of Jens Peter Jacobsen . In Rilke's words, reading Jacobsen is like "a whole world envelop[ing] you, the happiness, the abundance, the inconceivable vastness of a world. Live for a while in these books, learn from them what you feel is worth learning, but most of all love them. This love will be returned to you thousands upon thousands of times, whatever your life may become... it will go through the whole fabric of your being, as one of the most important threads among all the threads of your experiences, disappointments, and joys."
In order to give every English language reader that same life-altering experience described by Rilke, we are please to offer in one volume all of the essential works of prose fiction by Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen -- the ground-breaking novelist of the Modern Breakthrough and master of literary naturalism, and probably the greatest and most influential nineteenth century European novelist you've never heard of. Included in this volume are the following novels and Jens Peter Jacobsen (1847 – 1885) was a Danish novelist, poet, and scientist, often publishing just under the name " J. P. Jacobsen ." He is considered to be the founder of the naturalist movement in Danish literature and a key leader of the Modern Breakthrough. Originally finding success as a scientist, Jacobsen was the author of an early Danish translation of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Spies and The Descent of Man. As a writer of fiction, he was the author of Fru Marie Grubbe (1876), a ground-breaking work in its depiction of the downfall of a Danish noblewomen that is evocative of the later works of D.H. Lawrence, Niels Lyhne (1880), the story of an atheist struggling in a merciless world that is evocative of the later works of Albert Camus, and the short-story collection Mogens og andre Noveller (1882).
Eupator's Classics' Scandinavian Classics Collection is dedicated to preserving and highlighting the best and most significant classic works of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic literature in English translation, including works by Ludvig Holberg, Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Björnstjerne Björnson, Snorri Sturlson, Jens Peter Jacobsen, Knut Hamsun, Hans Christian Andersen, Adam Oehlenschläger, Martin Andersen Nexø, Selma Lagerlöf, Sigrid Undset, and many more.
In order to give every English language reader that same life-altering experience described by Rilke, we are please to offer in one volume all of the essential works of prose fiction by Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen -- the ground-breaking novelist of the Modern Breakthrough and master of literary naturalism, and probably the greatest and most influential nineteenth century European novelist you've never heard of. Included in this volume are the following novels and Jens Peter Jacobsen (1847 – 1885) was a Danish novelist, poet, and scientist, often publishing just under the name " J. P. Jacobsen ." He is considered to be the founder of the naturalist movement in Danish literature and a key leader of the Modern Breakthrough. Originally finding success as a scientist, Jacobsen was the author of an early Danish translation of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Spies and The Descent of Man. As a writer of fiction, he was the author of Fru Marie Grubbe (1876), a ground-breaking work in its depiction of the downfall of a Danish noblewomen that is evocative of the later works of D.H. Lawrence, Niels Lyhne (1880), the story of an atheist struggling in a merciless world that is evocative of the later works of Albert Camus, and the short-story collection Mogens og andre Noveller (1882).
Eupator's Classics' Scandinavian Classics Collection is dedicated to preserving and highlighting the best and most significant classic works of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic literature in English translation, including works by Ludvig Holberg, Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Björnstjerne Björnson, Snorri Sturlson, Jens Peter Jacobsen, Knut Hamsun, Hans Christian Andersen, Adam Oehlenschläger, Martin Andersen Nexø, Selma Lagerlöf, Sigrid Undset, and many more.
332 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2021
About the author
Jens Peter Jacobsen
125 books248 followersJacobsen was born in Thisted in Jutland, the eldest of the five children of a prosperous merchant. He went to school in Copenhagen and was a student at the University of Copenhagen in 1868. As a boy, he showed a remarkable talent for science, in particular botany. In 1870, although he was already secretly writing poetry, Jacobsen adopted botany as a profession. He was sent by a scientific body in Copenhagen to report on the flora of the islands of Anholt and Læsø.
Around this time, the discoveries of Charles Darwin began to fascinate him. Realizing that the work of Darwin was not well known in Denmark, he translated The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man into Danish.
When still young, Jacobsen was struck by tuberculosis which eventually ended his life. His illness prompted travels to southern Europe.
Literary works:
Jacobsen's canon consists of two novels, seven short stories, and one posthumous volume of poetry—small, but enough to place him as one of the most influential Danish writers.
Prose:
The historical novel Fru Marie Grubbe (1876, Eng. trans.: Marie Grubbe: A Lady of the Seventeenth Century, 1917) is the first Danish treatment of a woman as a sexual creature. Based upon the life of an authentic 17th century Danish noblewoman, it charts her downfall from a member of the royal family to the wife of a ferryman, as a result of her desire for an independent and satisfying erotic life. In many ways the book anticipates the themes of D. H. Lawrence.
Jacobsen's second novel, Niels Lyhne (1880, Eng. trans. 1919), traces the fate of an atheist in a merciless world: his lack of faith is "tested" by tragedies and personal crises until he dies in war, disillusioned but unrepentant.
Jacobsen's short stories are collected in Mogens og andre Noveller (1882, translated as Mogens and Other Tales, 1921, and Mogens and Other Stories, 1994). Among them must be mentioned "Mogens" (1872—his official debut), the tale of a young dreamer and his maturing during love, sorrow and new hope of love. "Et Skud i Taagen" ("A Shot in the Fog") is a Poe-inspired tale of the sterility of hatred and revenge. "Pesten i Bergamo" ("The Plague of Bergamo") shows people clinging to religion even when tempted to be "free men". Fru Fønss (1882) is a sad story about a widow's tragic break with her egoistic children when she wants to remarry.
Mogens og andre Noveller and Niels Lyhne were both highly praised by Rainer Maria Rilke in his letters to Franz Xaver Kappus, translated as Letters to a Young Poet.
Poetry:
The poems of Jacobsen are more influenced by late romanticism than his prose. Many of them are wistful, dreamy and melancholic but also naturalistic. Most important is the great obscure poem "Arabesque to a Hand-drawing by Michel Angelo" (about 1875) the idea of which seems to be that art is going to replace immortality as the meaning of life. They significantly inspired the Danish symbolist poetry of the 1890s.
Around this time, the discoveries of Charles Darwin began to fascinate him. Realizing that the work of Darwin was not well known in Denmark, he translated The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man into Danish.
When still young, Jacobsen was struck by tuberculosis which eventually ended his life. His illness prompted travels to southern Europe.
Literary works:
Jacobsen's canon consists of two novels, seven short stories, and one posthumous volume of poetry—small, but enough to place him as one of the most influential Danish writers.
Prose:
The historical novel Fru Marie Grubbe (1876, Eng. trans.: Marie Grubbe: A Lady of the Seventeenth Century, 1917) is the first Danish treatment of a woman as a sexual creature. Based upon the life of an authentic 17th century Danish noblewoman, it charts her downfall from a member of the royal family to the wife of a ferryman, as a result of her desire for an independent and satisfying erotic life. In many ways the book anticipates the themes of D. H. Lawrence.
Jacobsen's second novel, Niels Lyhne (1880, Eng. trans. 1919), traces the fate of an atheist in a merciless world: his lack of faith is "tested" by tragedies and personal crises until he dies in war, disillusioned but unrepentant.
Jacobsen's short stories are collected in Mogens og andre Noveller (1882, translated as Mogens and Other Tales, 1921, and Mogens and Other Stories, 1994). Among them must be mentioned "Mogens" (1872—his official debut), the tale of a young dreamer and his maturing during love, sorrow and new hope of love. "Et Skud i Taagen" ("A Shot in the Fog") is a Poe-inspired tale of the sterility of hatred and revenge. "Pesten i Bergamo" ("The Plague of Bergamo") shows people clinging to religion even when tempted to be "free men". Fru Fønss (1882) is a sad story about a widow's tragic break with her egoistic children when she wants to remarry.
Mogens og andre Noveller and Niels Lyhne were both highly praised by Rainer Maria Rilke in his letters to Franz Xaver Kappus, translated as Letters to a Young Poet.
Poetry:
The poems of Jacobsen are more influenced by late romanticism than his prose. Many of them are wistful, dreamy and melancholic but also naturalistic. Most important is the great obscure poem "Arabesque to a Hand-drawing by Michel Angelo" (about 1875) the idea of which seems to be that art is going to replace immortality as the meaning of life. They significantly inspired the Danish symbolist poetry of the 1890s.
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September 22, 2024
I can see why this writer was Rilke's favorite, truly classic stuff, in such a distinctive and interesting voice it's very understandable he's rated as one of the most respected Scandinavian authors. Criminal in English language scholarship these works have not been canonized with contemporaries like Hugo, Brönte, Tolstoy, Colette, Chekov, Austen, Dumas, novels and short fiction are absolutely on par with and deserve recognition in the same highest echelon. Wonderful too these translations are in the public domain and I suspect could thus be accessed to read online at no cost. Makes me wonder how many other unsung genius authors of earlier generations have gone unrecognized by larger international audiences...
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review