The Serious Game - Sweden's most enduring love story

Hjalmar Söderberg

Summary

Henning Mankell described The Serious Game as one of Sweden's lost classics. 'Söderberg wrote a contemporary novel. He wants the reader to look upon that time and to understand that love is not a secluded island, it is always affected by the 'big' world; by society; politics, disasters and scandals. Arvid, an educated and ambitious young man, meets Lydia, the daughter of a landscape painter; it is summer, they are young, and they fall in love. Lydia, however, has other suitors, and Arvid is frightened of being tied to her, afraid of his emotions. Instead, they part and both conduct marriages of convenience. Years later, trapped inside loveless marriages, the two struggle to rekindle the passion and promise of their early relationship, but with bitter and tragic results. A work of tremendous insight, tenderness and gentle irony.

Available since: 10/01/2012.

Print length: 244 pages.

Other books that might interest you

The Fly

Katherine Mansfield

"Now one could imagine that the little front legs rubbed against each other lightly, joyfully. The horrible danger was over; it had escaped; it was ready for life again."
Deft, subtle, and bitingly ironic, Katherine Mansfield's short story is a highly concentrated depiction of grief and cruelty. Taking as its narrative occasion a brief meeting between two bereaved fathers, The Fly remains an outstanding literary portrayal of the shadow cast by the First World War.

Show book

Heart of Darkness (Unabridged)

Joseph Conrad

In fading light on the Thames Estuary near London, as Charles Marlow and his companions relax on deck, waiting for the turn of the tide, he tells of the time he turned 'freshwater sailor' on the River Congo. His perilous journey upriver in a little steamboat with a band of white colonialists and a group of cannibals takes him closer to the coveted ivory, closer to Kurtz the rogue agent, closer to certain unspeakable rites and the heart of darkness. Here we encounter the darkness of the jungle; the darkness of forced labour, cruelty, and death; and that darkness that exists in the 'civilized' human heart. Serialised in three parts in 1899, this book was first published in 1902. Joseph Conrad, considered one of greatest novelists in the English language, was born in Poland in 1857, only learning to speak the language fluently in his 20s and always with a strong Polish accent. Frequently, he touches on themes connected with the sea and colonialism, for he had travelled the world as a merchant seaman. He had even skippered a steamboat called Roi des Belges in King Leopold II's private fiefdom of the Congo; these experiences and encounters find a home in this most disturbing and claustrophobic of stories.

Show book

Kaladiyil Bhattathiri

Kottarathil Sankunni

Century-old stories from Kerala that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over a hundred, about magicians and yakshis, feudal rulers and conceited poets, kalari or Kalaripayattu experts, practitioners of Ayurveda and courtiers; elephants and their mahouts, tantric experts.

Show book

A Connecticut Yankee in King...

Mark Twain

This is the tale of a 19th-century citizen of Hartford, Connecticut who awakens to find himself inexplicably transported back in time to early medieval England at the time of the legendary King Arthur in AD 528.

Show book

Forgotten Sherlock Holmes

Sir Aarthur Conan Doyl

Are you ready to embark on an auditory journey that will send shivers down your spine and ignite your imagination? Our digital audio book collection is a treasure trove of gripping stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Let's take a sneak peek into the captivating dramatic reading that await you:

Story 1: The Field Bazaar
Step into a world of enigmatic secrets and unexpected twists with "The Field Bazaar." Uncover the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of an innocent-sounding event, as you join our characters in a thrilling adventure filled with suspense and intrigue. From hidden motives to shocking revelations, this story will leave you craving for more.

Story 2: The Lost Special
Prepare yourself for a mind-bending puzzle that will challenge your intellect in "The Lost Special." Join the hunt for a vanished train that seems to defy the laws of reality. As you unravel the layers of this perplexing enigma, you'll be immersed in a world of suspense that will keep you guessing until the very last second.

Story 3: The Man with the Watches
Dive into a realm of espionage and uncertainty with "The Man with the Watches." Follow the trail of a man who possesses more than just timepieces, as our protagonists navigate a web of deceit and espionage. This story will take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and revelations, leaving you utterly captivated.

Story 4: How‌ ‌Watson‌ ‌Learned‌ ‌the‌ ‌Trick
Uncover the untold story behind one of literature's most iconic duos in "How Watson Learned the Trick." Delve into the partnership between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, and learn the secrets that lie beyond their legendary adventures. This narrative will shed light on the dynamics that have fascinated readers for generations.

Show book

The Magic Casket

R. Austin Freeman

Richard Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was a British writer of detective stories, often starring the forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke. He is often credited with having invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery.) Many of the Dr. Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite obscure, points of scientific knowledge, from disciplines such as tropical medicine, metallurgy, and toxicology. The Magic Casket describes a classic case for Dr. Thorndyke. It tells the story of an ordinary and apparently quite worthless metal casket, which conceals a mysterious secret which nearly costs a young woman her life.

Show book