An orgy of human suffering

August Strindberg (1849-1912) is universally considered to be the best Swedish writer ever. Personally, I consider him to be somewhat overrated as a writer and extremely unsympathetic as a human being. His only redeeming trait was his opposition to Greater Swedish nationalism, not an academic issue during his lifetime. At the end of his career, Strindberg also expressed support for the labour movement.

Otherwise, he was a really raving misogynist, a psychological wreck, and very pseudoscientific. He actually believed that the Earth was flat, and that the corn crake (a species of bird) had supernatural abilities. Another strange idea of his was that the cross of Christ could be seen in a certain nebula on the night sky. He also wondered why roses and lilies were mysteriously drawn to human graves. (Because people plant them there?) Strindberg's personal philosophy went from bad to strange, as he replaced a kind of Nietzscheanism with a highly idiosyncratic version of Christianity, based on the religious visions of Swedenborg and material from the Theosophists.

Frankly, I would never buy anything written by this troubled soul. Luckily, I happen to work right above a large book warehouse, and occasionally scavenge their garbage containers for interesting books. Just this Friday, I found seven volumes of Strindberg's works, in almost mint condition. A very Strindbergesque situation, don't you think?

I cannot vouch for this particular translation of "The Dream Play" and "The Dance of Death", since I have only read them in Swedish. This review is therefore based on the Swedish originals. What on earth "The Link" might be, I honestly don't know. Nothing even resembling that title shows up in the Swedish bibliographies of Strindberg's works. Perhaps I didn't look deep enough in that container?

"The Dance of Death" (1901) and "The Dream Play" (1902) were written very late in Strindberg's life. The old man had undergone a religious conversion of sorts. "The Dance of Death" is to some extent still a naturalist drama, but it has a strong religious or quasi-religious undertone. "The Dream Play" is not naturalist at all, and the spiritual message is explicit. Both plays give a pessimistic view of human life, but at least "The Dance of Death" has a happy ending. Or should have, since the second part of the play is rarely performed. I hope it's included in this English translation!

The main characters of "The Dance of Death" are named Edgar and Alice. They have been married for 25 years, and are about to celebrate their silver anniversary. However, the couple has very little to celebrate. Their marriage has always been unhappy, and they spend their entire waking time pestering each other. Since they live on a military outpost on a small island, they rarely meet anyone else. The situation slowly gets out of hand with the arrival of Kurt, a cousin of Alice from the mainland. During the climax of the play, it looks as if Alice is finally going to break free of Edgar, who almost dies after an unsuccessful attempt to kill her. However, after recovering, husband and wife forgive each other, and everything goes back to normal. In other words, business as usual pestering! It's strongly implied that the island is actually Hell, and Edgar is referred to several times as a vampire. Kurt also gets a bout of vampirism, but overall, he sounds like a Christian, claiming that one shouldn't repay evil with evil, but rather patiently wait for some higher power to dispense justice.

The second part of the play (the one theatres seldom perform) is more optimistic. Edgar continues with his usual intrigues, this time directed at both Kurt and his son Allan. Another new arrival on the island is Judith, Edgar's and Alice's daughter. Initially, she is just as obnoxious and manipulative as Edgar. In the end, she falls in love with Allan, the conspiracies of Edgar come to nothing, and the old vampire promptly dies. The other protagonists then forgive Edgar in good old Christian fashion, and manages to leave the island. Or is it Hell? Note also the Biblical symbolism of the name Judith, a character from the Apocrypha who slays the evil Holophernes. Without this second part, "The Dance of Death" is almost morbidly dark and pessimistic, and it sure makes you wonder why the happy ending isn't performed as often as the first part? As a gossipy side point, many Strindberg experts believe that the dysfunctional marriage between Alice and Edgar is based on real characters: Strindberg's sister Anna and her husband Hugo von Philp. Strindberg hated the latter in particular, even more so after his religious conversion, since Philp was an atheist and rationalist.

"The Dream Play" is less straightforward. It's also more pessimistic. The main character is Agnes, who turns out to be the daughter of the Vedic god Indra. For some reason, Agnes wants to visit Earth and study the behaviour of humans. She experiences poverty, a loveless marriage, and meets a number of pathetic human beings, including a poor officer who is constantly waiting for his sweet heart Victoria to come out and join him (it's unclear whether Victoria even exists). The play becomes progressively more surrealistic as Agnes visits what is presumably Heaven and Hell. In the end, the difference between them seems somewhat moot! At various points in the play, a mysterious door appears, a door behind which the solution to the riddle of existence is supposedly hidden. The door is eventually opened, but we never really learn what's behind it, and the humans who peek inside refuse to accept the answer. Strindberg implies that there really isn't anything at all behind the door (i.e. Nirvana). Humanity is lambasted for having killed "the son of Indra", obviously Jesus. Agnes then burns herself on a funeral pyre, promising to take the complaints of humanity back to her heavenly father. If she ever did, and if anyone gave a damn, is never explained.

I can't say I liked these plays. They are orgies of human suffering, where everything constantly repeats itself, almost reincarnation-like. The only solutions offered are a pious faith in providence (in "The Dance of Death") or exit to oblivion (in "The Dream Play").

I think I'm going to read something else next weekend. A Marvel Comic cartoon, perhaps?

And now, sports...