Reality and Poetry in C. J. L. Almqvist’s Amalia Hillner

Abstract

The subject of the analysis is a less central novel by one of the central figures of Swedish 19th-century literature, C.J.L. Almqvist, namely Amalia Hillner. The novel represents a synthesis of Romantic and Realist ideas, albeit in a manner that deviates from the expectations of the reading public of the time. Almqvist, who was known for his experimentation with form and content, situates the law at the core of the plot in a somewhat unconventional manner. While questions of law and its representatives are present in numerous literary works, Almqvist’s approach is distinctive in that he not only assigns them a role but also elevates them to a literary status. This redefinition challenges the conventional boundaries between Romanticism and realism. The novel, presented as an innocuous love story, conveys ideas that are as radical as those expressed in Drottningens juvelsmycke or Det går an. This explains why Almqvist’s works retain their contemporary relevance almost two hundred years later.