The cover page is adapted from The Kiss, a painting completed in 1892 by Edvard Munch. The cover and title pages feature the League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by The League of Moveable Type. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_Munchwww.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/
Martin Birck’s Youth
Chapters (33)
- Dedication 0:00
- Preface 0:10
- The Old Street: I 13:04
- II 16:06
- III 25:23
- IV 32:10
- V 42:10
- VI 47:22
- VII 51:22
- VIII 54:39
- IX 1:00:40
- X 1:25:44
- XI 1:30:23
- XII 1:32:42
- The White Cap: I 1:34:50
- II 1:39:27
- III 1:41:13
- IV 1:48:13
- V 2:06:07
- VI 2:09:07
- VII 2:11:22
- VIII 2:13:47
- IX 2:30:37
- X 2:53:39
- XI 2:56:35
- XII 3:06:45
- XIII 3:19:02
- XIV 3:26:39
- The Winter Night: I 3:32:10
- II 3:40:42
- III 3:54:02
- IV 4:02:25
- V 4:18:17
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Narrated in a collection of vignettes, the start of Martin Birck’s young life in Stockholm is filled with the joys and frustrations of children everywhere. As he ages, his idealism falls away in a series of small shocks: stories of local murders told by an older friend, having to hold his own in school, an encroaching disbelief in the Christian faith his mother has instilled in him. These, along with his perceived trajectory, lead to the shattering revelation: “So this is life.”
Written in 1901, Martin Birck’s Youth is split into three parts, covering Martin’s experiences as a child, a late teenager, and a young man. It seems at least partially based on Hjalmar Söderberg’s own life, and shares themes with his other work, including a deep interest in the psychology of his characters and a pervasive feeling of melancholy. These days it’s seen as one of Söderberg’s major works, alongside Doctor Glas and The Serious Game.