Sara Videbeck The Chapel Author:C.J.L. Almqvist; trans. A.B. Benson C.J.L. Almqvist is today receiving steadily growing recognition as a figure of signal importance in the history of Swedish literature. His early books were extremely romantic but in the 1830s he became a pioneer in the fictional portrayal of Swedish society in a realistic manner. — Sara Videback was first published in 1839 and immediately create... more »d a sensation. Even today it is notable for its realistic portrayals and for its pioneering ideas on the rights of women. The problems involving the main protagonists are worked out against the background of noneteenth-century Sweden, as Sara Videbeck and Sergeant Albert complete a journey, by boat and by carriage, from Stockholm to Lidkoping.
The story of The Chapel takes place on a small island off the southeast coast of Sweden. Dealing with a young clergyman and his reactions when suddenly being asked to preach to a congregation of poor fishermen, it embodies Almqvist's view of the poor and the afflicted, who in spite of adversity retain their tenacity and their cheerfulness.« less