Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
Henrik Pontoppidan
ヘンリク・ポントピダン
Henrik Pontoppidan
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1857-07-24 （Fredericia, Denmark）
- Died
- 1943-08-21 （Charlottenlund, Denmark） age 86
- Nationality
- Danish
- Languages
- Danish
- Religion
- Lutheran (Church of Denmark)
- Residence History
- Jutland (birth region) → Copenhagen (long-term residence) → Charlottenlund (later years)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Journalist, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1881-1943
- Influenced By
- Honoré de Balzac, Émile Zola
- Influenced
- 20th-century Danish literature, Contemporary Danish writers
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Nobel Prize in Literature | — | — | Swedish Academy | 受賞 |
Nobel Prize in Literature
1917
Organization:
Swedish Academy
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Promised Land
1895 Realism / Social novelA multi-volume work portraying a fantasist who dreams of being a preacher; it examines self-deception and descent into madness within rural and religious contexts.
Religion and faithRural society depictionSelf-deception
Translations
- Partial translation of The Promised Land (1896)
Lucky Per
1904 Partly autobiographical social novelA partly autobiographical novel about a gifted man who breaks from his religious family to become an engineer; it traces his rise and eventual disillusionment, reflecting Danish society in transition.
Modernization and the individualReligion versus secularizationAmbition and disillusionment
Adaptations
- [TV/drama] Lucky Per (screen adaptation)
Translations
- Lucky Per, trans. Naomi Lebowitz (2010)
- A Fortunate Man, trans. Paul Larkin (2018; NYRB 2025)
The Realm of the Dead
1916 Social novel / Critical long novelSet after the supposed victory of democracy in 1901, it depicts societal decay as capitalism advances and ideals fade, centered on a progressive squire afflicted by illness and doomed love.
Disillusionment with democracyRise of capitalismCommercialization of art and press
Bibliography
- Landsbybilleder (Village Pictures)
- Fra Hytterne (From the Huts)
- Skyer (Clouds)
- Mimoser (The Apothecary's Daughters)
- Isbjørnen (The White Bear)
- Nattevagt (Night Watch)
- Den gamle Adam (The Old Adam)
- Ørneflugt (Eagle's Flight)
- Lykke-Per (Lucky Per)
- Det forjættede Land (The Promised Land)
- De dødes Rige (The Realm of the Dead)
- Mands Himmerig (Man's Heaven)
Translations of Works
- The Apothecary's Daughters, trans. Gordius Nielsen (1889)
- Partial translation of The Promised Land, trans. Mrs. Edgar Lucas (1896)
- Lucky Per, trans. Naomi Lebowitz (2010)
- The White Bear & The Rear Guard, trans. Paul Larkin (2025)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Naturalist and realist stylePlain, objective prose often loaded with symbols and ironySocial-critical depiction of contemporary life
- Recurring Motifs
- Heredity and milieuContrast between rural and urban lifeConflict of introverted male nature vs. vital female presenceClash of modernization and religious tradition
Health
-
Blindness晩年（1930年代以降）Vision impairment hindered reading and writing, but he continued to engage intellectually and politically.
-
Deafness晩年（1930年代以降）Hearing loss limited social interactions, though he continued writing and working on memoirs.
Legacy
Pontoppidan was a pioneering figure in 20th-century Danish literature, establishing a tradition of broadly descriptive social novels. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917 and is known for his realist and naturalist portrayals of Danish society.
Archives
- Royal Danish Library (Copenhagen)
In Popular Culture
- Renewed interest through English translations and screen adaptations of works such as Lucky Per
Quotes
-
For his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark.
Source: Nobel Prize (citation) (1917)
Trivia
- He mocked the Latinisation of his family name from the original Broby to Pontoppidan.
- The publication of political pieces (e.g. 'Messias') led to the publisher Ernst Brandes being fined and subsequently committing suicide.
- He had three children with his first wife (one died young) and two with his second wife; his sons later emigrated (one to the U.S., one to Brazil).
- In later life he suffered blindness and deafness but continued to write memoirs.
- He shared the 1917 Nobel Prize in Literature with Karl Gjellerup.