The book opens with an introduction by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen, tracing Alexander Kielland's literary development from his early, deceptively light novelettes to his mature social novels. Kielland emerges as a rare aristocratic democrat, possessing a Gallic perspicacity of style that transforms the Norwegian language into an instrument of razor-sharp social critique. In tales like Pharaoh, the author exposes the savage envy of the impoverished masses looking upon the glittering luxury of the wealthy, anticipating the revolutionary undercurrents of the age. Other stories, such as Romance and Reality and At A Good Conscience, mercilessly satirize conventional marriage and the hollow self-righteousness of benevolent societies that exist merely as moral poultices for tender consciences.
Moving beyond brief sketches, Kielland tackles the corrupting influence of the higher classes upon the lower and the psychological intricacies of pietistic movements, as seen in Skipper Worse. His pen spares neither the orthodox clergy nor the educational system, particularly in Poison and Fortuna, where the young protagonist Abraham Lövdahl is systematically crippled by a system that demands uniformity and kills individuality. The overarching theme is a relentless assault on the spiritual sterility and servility of provincial life.
In his later work, Jacob, Kielland delivers a harsh blow to optimistic poetic justice. A peasant lad models his life on the biblical trickster, stealing and cheating his way to becoming a local magnate and a defender of the old orthodoxy, proving that success is merely complete adaptation to a corrupt environment. Through these interconnected narratives, Kielland positions himself among the fearless thinkers helping humanity readjust its attitude toward a changing world.
