Aksel Sandemose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aksel Sandemose (March 19, 1899 - August 5, 1965) was a Danish/ Norwegian novelist, born in Nykøbing, Mors Island, Denmark of a Danish father and Norwegian mother.
As well as writing, in his early years, he worked as a teacher, journalist, sailor and lumberman in America. Although his birth name was Axel Nielsen, in 1921 he changed his name to Aksel Sandemose. His new surname was a danicised version of his mother's birth place, Sandermosen, near Oslo.
His litterary debut came with "Fortællinger fra Labrador" in 1923. In 1929 he settled in Norway. Two years later he published his first book written in Norwegian bokmål. Sandemose remained in Norway until 1941, when his involvement in the Norwegian World War II resistance forced him to escape to Sweden. After the war Sandemose settled in the countryside near Risør, Norway.
Several of his works were based upon his upbringing in Nykøbing Mors. One of his more famous concepts, the Jante Law, is developed in his novel En flyktning krysser sitt spor ("A refugee crosses his tracks") (1933), where he portrays his native town Nykøbing Mors as it was in the beginning of the 20th century.
[edit] Bibliography
- 1923 Fortællinger fra Labrador
- 1924 Ungdomssynd
- 1924 Mænd fra Atlanten
- 1924 Storme ved jævndøgn
- 1927 Klabavtermanden
- 1928 Ross Dane
- 1931 En sjømann går i land
- 1932 Klabautermannen
- 1933 En flyktning krysser sitt spor
- 1936 Vi pynter oss med horn
- 1939 September
- 1945 Tjærehandleren
- 1946 Det svundne er en drøm
- 1949 Alice Atkinson og hennes elskere
- 1950 En palmegrønn øy
- 1958 Varulven
- 1960 Murene rundt Jeriko
- 1961 Felicias bryllup
- 1963 Mytteriet på barken Zuidersee
In addition he wrote a large number of essays and articles.