Den objudne gästen hur Maeterlinck introducerades och mottogs i Sverige intill 1903

Sammanfattning: Boström, T. 1979. Den objudne gästen. HurMaeterlinckintroducerades och mottogs i Sverige intill 1903. The Intruder. How Maeter1 inck1 s work became known and was received in Sweden up to I9O3. With a Summary in French. ISBN 91-7174-038-4. 230 pp.The aim of the thesis is to show how Maurice Maeter1 i nek 1 s work became known i n Sweden and how it was received up to 1903. This examination is placed in relation to important facts concerning the man himself, his aesthetic theory, his literary production in general and the background of Belgium and France. From these countries his literary path is traced to Sweden through Denmark, Norway and Finland. Attention is concentrated on Maeterlinck's reception by the Scandi nav.i an pub 1 i c and on which of his works were translated and published or introduced by means of the stage. In this connection the motives and principles for staging The Intruder and Pelléas and Mé1 isande are studied. Up to 1892 Scandinavian critics regarded Maeterlinck's works as being essentially realistic. Later there was a change and the critics then began to regard and interpret him as a symbolist. On the whole it cannot be said that Maeter1 i nek was justly performed or understood, which probably helped to delay interest in him and in symbolism in general. Opponents of conventional Swedish stage procedure sometimes used Maeterlinck as a positive argument for change,but on the whole the spiritual climate remained unfavourable for the author. Not until 1902 did Maeterlinck become a recognised master owing to two Swedish translations of the internationally successful Life of the Bees, which received cri t i cal acci aim and was the start of his breakthrough in Sweden. The following year Monna Vanna was a similar success on the Swedi s h s tage. The traditions in Swedish cultural life which had meant that Maeterlinck's symbolist works were not accepted instead ensured his success now that he had abandoned symbolism.