Gösta Berlings Saga - Selma Lagerlöf

Art. no. 216584027 24 Apr 2025

Gösta Berlings saga (1891) is Selma Lagerlöf's debut novel and one of the most important works of Swedish literature. The story is set in Värmland in the 1820s and revolves around the deposed priest and cavalier Gösta Berling. The novel consists of a two-part introduction and 36 chapters, many of which offer alternative stories with colorful secondary characters.

In Gösta Berling's saga, the reader follows Gösta Berling, a young and charismatic priest who loses his position due to his wild lifestyle. He is rescued from a snowstorm by the Countess of Ekeby, a manor house where he becomes one of the twelve pensioners, known as the 'Cavaliers'. Together they live a life filled with parties, adventure and romance. The novel weaves together realism and romance, with Lagerlöf creating a world in which supernatural elements and folk traditions play a central role. The work has been translated into several languages and has been adapted for film on several occasions, testifying to its enduring importance and popularity.