Customer Reviews (4)

No, It's NOT a Book about Dictatorship....
... not a parable nor a satire of Stalinist Russia, not a 'political agenda' book at all, and if Johnson's leftist pals turned against him because of this novel, it must have been a matter of sour grapes or envy. "The Days of His Grace" is a historical romance, set in Lombard (Langobard) Italy between 775 and 825 AD. The 'history' in it is based on sound scholarship -- pedantry, to be blunt about it -- but the romance is too sourly frustrated, I fear, to appeal to the usual readers of the genre. There are brilliant passages of description, scenes of high drama, vivid characters, even a few touches of what a Swede might take for humor, but the whole novel is awkward, dour, and at times pretentious. Johnson did indeed win the Nobel Prize, but he isn't a writer of the caliber of other Scandinavian winners such as Par Lagerkvist or Halldor Laxness.

There is a curious 'ethnographic' agenda to the book, one which troubles me as an occasional historian. Johnson is plainly fascinated by the Langobards because he wants to believe that they migrated originally from Sweden, or at least from the Scandinavian Peninsula, and that therefore they were "us" -- proto-viking Swedes -- with all our virtues. I've encountered the same daydream among Japanese who visit the Hopi/Navajo reservations in Arizona; 'they' are evidence of 'our' cultural energies. To paraphrase another Johnson, "nationalism is the last refuge of egotists."

This isn't such a bad book, though. If you like historical novels with fairly authentic detail, you'll probably enjoy it, but don't be fooled into looking for depths.

Whatever you call it - it is still a dictatorship!
This book is dictatorship and the struggle against it. The dictator is Charlemange, and the opposition is led by newly conquered Lombard nobles. It is not a book about ninth century Europe - it is a book about our own times. Dictatorships are all the same, even if they are known by different names. The struggle against them is also timeless; even an oppressed nobleman is still oppressed!The methods of dictatorships remain the same also: torture, disappearances, secret police, concentration camps, etc. The book could rank with 1984, George Orwell was also an apostate from communism.
This book got Eyvind Johnson in trouble with the cultural elite in Sweden: they saw it as an attack on the Soviet Union. The author had been an ardent communist, but after visiting Stalinist Russia he denounced it as just another dictatorship, and that communism was a sham. The treatment he received form his former friends forced him to commit suicide.

Did I Miss Something?
I considered myself lucky to have found this book a few years ago.I was aware that the author, Eyvind Johnson, was a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature but wasn't sure I would ever find a book in English of his that I could read.When I finally got around to reading "The Days of His Grace", I spent most of the book wondering what the point of the story was.As the book was coming to its' conclusion, I realized that it certainly qualifies as a love story; one in which a life-long love is given its' chance in the twilight years.OK, I guess I appreciated that aspect of the story.I also realized that those Charlemagne buffs out there (if any) could enjoy this book somewhat.In addition, fans of Medievel Europe could probably appreciate the book as well.However, this is not a biography of Charlamagne and, although he is "His Grace", little specific information about him is supplied.There is also not enough about daily life in Medievel Europe to make this any sort of "cult classic" for those fans.

What the bulk of the book seems to be about is the members of an Italian family of intermediate nobility who put their fortune on a failed plot.What happens to them over the years is, apparently, the crux of the story.I had trouble keeping track of who was who and which ones were the "good guys".As I said, in the end some pieces start to fall into place for an adequate story.However, the hopes for something special had long since been discarded.

Martin Seymour Smith, in a review of 20th Century Literature, commented that the Swedish over-rate their authors.He points out that not all countries are guilty of this and cites the Dutch as an example.I quess I would have to cite this book as supporting evidence.However, it finished well enough for me to give the author one more chance.My research on the author tells me that his focus is on man's frustration."The Days of His Grace" certainly frustrated me.

highly recommended
This is a gravely underappreciated work of art by one of Sweden's finest novelists (if not the finest). The story is about hope, life, death and foresaken love in the realm of Charlemagne. A tribute, one might say, to the survival of intellect in the midst of unfettered violence and raw power. ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Israël Shamir, Axel Munthe, Allan Edwall, August Strindberg, Viktor Rydberg, Pär Lagerkvist, Eyvind Johnson, Jan Guillou, Göran Malmqvist, Per Olov Enquist, Stig Dagerman, Eva Dahlbeck, Harry Martinson, Erland Josephson, Öyvind Fahlström, Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Vilhelm Moberg, Torgny Lindgren, Fuat Deniz, Stig Claesson, Horace Engdahl, Björn Skifs, Lars Forssell, Olaus Magnus, Peter Englund, Artur Lundkvist, Per Wästberg, Knut Ahnlund, Frans Gunnar Bengtsson, Faruk Iremet, Johan Norberg, Hjalmar Söderberg, Kerstin Ekman, Sten Selander, Verner Von Heidenstam, Povel Ramel, Göran Tunström, Patrick Boman, Håkan Lindquist, Sven Lindqvist, Björn Larsson, Sven Lidman, Karl August Nicander, Lars Gustafsson, Carl Jonas Love Almqvist, Tomas Tranströmer, Jesper Svenbro, Anders Olsson, Bror Von Blixen-Finecke, Björn Ranelid, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Jenny Åkerström, Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom, Ivan Aguéli, Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Anders Isaksson, Magnus Lagerström, Carl-Henning Wijkmark, Wendela Hebbe, Göran Sonnevi, Gunnar Ekelöf, Per Olof Sundman, Klas Östergren, Edita Morris, Lars Gyllensten, Esaias Tegnér, Claude Kayat, August Blanche, Lotta Lotass, Gunnel Vallquist, Kjell Espmark, Ragnar Josephson, Ulf Linde, Bo Ralph, Malte Persson, Jöran Nordberg, Johan Turi, Karin Boye, Gustaf Rune Eriks, Olof Von Dalin, Göran Sahlberg, Per Hagman. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Israël Shamir est le pseudonyme de Adam Ermash - nom changé légalement en Jöran Jermas -, d'un écrivain journaliste très controversé, connu pour son militantisme anti-sioniste et pro-palestinien. Il est considéré par ses détracteurs comme antisémite. Ayant vécu longtemps en Israël et en Palestine, il est à la base un citoyen israëlien d'origin...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Johanna Larsson (born 17 August 1988 Boden, Norrbotten County) is a Swedish tennis player. Her career high ranking is World No. 84 on June 14, 2010. Johanna began playing international tennis on the ITF junior circuit, where she reached a career-high junior ranking of 79 in September 2006. During the Fed Cup in 2005 she began her quest for recognition by defeating Anna Kremer, Johanna went on to defeat Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Joanna Sakowicz. Larsson was awarded a Wild Card for a WTA Event In Stockholm, Johanna beat Kristina Barrois in 3 sets before taking Swedish number 1 Sofia Arvidsson all the way before losing in 3 sets. Towards the end of 2006 Johanna had injuries regarding her hamstring she came back in early 2007 mainly in the USA beating Leanne Baker and Alla Kudryavtseva (Top seed at $25,000 Hammond). The Swede's excellent Fed Cup record has gained her a place in the team for a 3rd consecutive year. She won the $10,000 Falkenburg title 2 times in consecutive years beating Arvidsson in 2005. Johanna returned to Fed Cup again in 2007, losing to Maa Zec Pekiri and beating Vojislava Luki and Naomi Cavaday both ranked in the top 300, giving Sweden 9th place. 2008 has been Johanna Larsson's breakthrough year, winning two $25.000 ITF events in Stockholm and Sutton, she also made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open where she made the second qualifying round. Johanna went on to make the second qualifying round at Wimbledon and the US Open final qualifying round, in September Johanna also captured her biggest doubles title to date at the $75,000 Shrewsbury event. Johanna ended the season playing Swedish Team tennis for Helsingsborg alongside Sofia Arvidsson. Johanna began the year at the Australian Open, where she lo... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=10395552 ... Read more