The best novels of all time

of the Baltic and Scandinavian countries

Selected by piero scaruffi
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  1. Knut "Hamsun" Pedersen (Norway, 1859): "Pan" (1894) ++
  2. Peer Hultberg (Denmark, 1935): "Requiem" (1985) ++
  3. Jens-Peter Jacobsen (Denmark, 1847): "Fru Marie Grubbe" (1876) +
  4. Knut "Hamsun" Pedersen (Norway, 1859): "Markens Grode/ Growth of the Soil" (1917) +
  5. Hjalmar Soederberg (Sweden, 1869): "Doktor Glas" (1905) +
  6. Peer Hultberg (Denmark, 1935): "Byen Og Verden/ The City and the World" (1993) +
  7. Sigrid Undset (Norway, 1882): "Kristin Lavransdatter" (1922) +
  8. Per-Olov Enquist (Sweden, 1934): "Livlakarens Besok/ The Royal Physician's Visit" (1999) +
  9. Sara Lidman (Sweden, 1923): "Regnspiran/ The Rain Bird" (1958) +
  10. August Strindberg (Sweden, 1849): "Roeda Rummet/ The Red Room" (1879) +
  11. Karen "Isak Dinesen" Blixen (Denmark, 1885): "Gengaeldelsens Veje/ The Angelic Avengers" (1944) +
  12. Bjoernstjerne Bjoernson (Norway, 1832): "Magnhild" (1877) +
  13. Jonas Lie (Norway, 1833): "Familjen Paa Gilje/ The Family at Gilje" (1883) +
  14. Amalie Skram (Norway, 1846): "Hellemyrsfolket/ People of Hellemyr" (1898) +
  15. Knut "Hamsun" Pedersen (Norway, 1859): "Sult/ Hunger" (1890) +
  16. Kerstin Ekman (Sweden, 1933): "Haexringarna/ Witches' Rings" (1974) +
  17. Jon Fosse (Norway, 1959): "Melancholia I" (1995) +
  18. Jon Fosse (Norway, 1959): "Det andre Namnet - Septologien I-II/ The other Name - Septology I-II" (2019) +
  19. Erlend Loe (Norway, 1969): "Naiv Super" (1996) +
  20. Paer Lagerkvist (Sweden, 1891): "Barabbas" (1950) +
  21. Selma Lagerloef (Sweden, 1858): "Nils Holgerssons underbara Resa Genom Sverige/ Wonderful Adventures of N.H." (1907) +
  22. Olav Duun (Norway, 1876): "Juvikfolke/ The People of Juvik" (1923) +
  23. Henrik Pontoppidan (Denmark, 1857): "De Dodes Rige/ The Realm of the Dead" (1916) +
  24. Kjartan Flogstad (Norway, 1944): "Fimbul" (1994) +
  25. August Strindberg (Sweden, 1849): "Hemsoeborna/ The People of Hemsoe" (1887) +
  26. Paer Lagerkvist (Sweden, 1891): "Dvaergen/ The Dwarf" (1944) +
  27. Halldor Laxness (Iceland, 1902): "Sjalfstaett Folk/ Independent People" (1935) +
  28. Lars-Saabye Christensen (Norway, 1953): "Halvbroren/ The Half Brother" (2001) +
  29. Jan Kjaerstad (Norway, 1953): "Homo Falsus" (1984) +
  30. Gunnar Ekeloef (Sweden, 1907): "Vaegvisare Till Underjorden/ Guide to the Underworld" (1967) +
  31. "Njal's Saga" (Iceland, 128#) +
  32. Karl-Ove Knausgard (Norway, 1968): "Min Kamp/ My Struggle" (2011) +
  33. Johannes Jensen (Denmark, 1873): "Kongens Fald/ The Fall of the King" (1901) +
  34. Eyvind Johnson (Sweden, 1900): "Romanen om Olof/ The Novel About Olof" (1937) +
  35. Halldor Laxness (Iceland, 1902): "Heimsljos/ World Light" (1940) +
  36. Sara Lidman (Sweden, 1923): "Tjaerdalen/ The Tar Pit" (1953) +
  37. Karl Ristikivi (Estonia, 1912): "Tuli Ja Raud/ Fire and Iron" (1938) +
  38. Paavo Rintala (Finland, 1930): "Faustus" (1996) +
  39. Juhani Aho (Finland, 1861): "Papin Rouva/ Pastor's Wife" (1893) +
  40. Frans-Eemil Sillanpaeae (Finland, 1888): "Silja Nuorena Nukkunut/ Silja Fallen Asleep While Young" (1931) +
  41. Snorri Sturluson (Iceland, 1179): "Egils Saga Skallagrimssoner/ Egil's Saga" (Iceland, 123#) +
  42. Sigurjon-Birgir "Sjon" Sigurdsson (Iceland, 1962): "Manasteinn - Drengurinn sem Aldrei var Til/ Moonstone - The Boy Who Never Was" (2013) +
(In no particular order)
  • Aleksis "Kivi" Stenvall (Finland, 1834): "Seitsemaen Veljestae/ The Seven Brothers" (1870) +
  • Juhani Aho (Finland, 1861): "Yksin/ Alone" (1890) +
  • Volter Kilpi (Finland, 1874): "Alastalon Salissa" (1933) +
  • Ilmari Kianto (Finland, 1874): "Ryysyrannan Jooseppi" (1924) +
  • Joel Lehtonen (Finland, 1881): "Putkinotko/" (1920) +
  • Helvi Haemaelaeinen (Finland, 1907): "Saeaedyllinen Murhenaeytelmae/ A Dignified Tragedy" (1939) +
  • Vaeinoe Linna (Finland, 1920): "Taeaellae Pohjantaehden Alla/ Here Beneath the North Star" (1963) +
  • Paavo Rintala (Finland, 1930): "Mummoni and Mannerheim/ Grandma and Mannerheim" (1962) +
  • Joern Donner (Finland, 1933): "Isae Ja Poika/ Father And Son" (1985) +
  • Juhani Peltonen (Finland, 1941): "Valaan Merkkejae" (1973) +
  • Leena Krohn (Finland, 1947): "Matemaattisia Olioita Tai Jaettuja Unia/ Mathematical Beings or Shared Dreams" (1997) +
  • Annika Idstroem (Finland, 1947): "Pelon Maantiede/ The Geography of Fear" (1995) +
  • Kari Hotakainen (Finland, 1957): "Juoksuhaudantie/ The Trench Road" (2002) +
  • Pirjo Hassinen (Finland, 1957): "Viimeinen syli/ The Last Embrace" (1998) +
  • Rosa Liksom (Finland, 1958): "Kreisland" (1996) +
  • Ranya ElRamly (Finland, 1974): "Auringon Asema/ The Position of the Sun" (2002) +
  • Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas (Lithuania, 1893): "Altoriu Sesely/ In the Shadows of the Altars" (1933) +
  • Ricardas Gavelis (Lithuania, 1950): "Vilniaus Pokeris/ The Poker Game in Vilnius" (1989) +
  • Anton Tammsaare (Estonia, 1878): "Tode Ja Oigus/ Truth and Justice/ Verita` e Giustizia" (1933) +
  • Friedebert Tuglas (Estonia, 1886): "Felix Ormusson" (1915) +
  • August Gailit (Estonia, 1891): "Toomas Nipernaadi" (1928) +
  • Karl Ristikivi (Estonia, 1912): "Hingede Oo/ The Night of the Souls" (1953) +
  • Aris Fioretos (1960): "Stockholm Noir" (2000) +
  • Jaan Kross (Estonia, 1920): "Kolme Katku Vahel/ Between Three Plagues" (1970) +
  • Jaan Kross (Estonia, 1920): "Valjakaevamised/ Excavations" (1990) +
  • Helga Nou (Estonia, 1934): "Paha Poiss" (1973) +
  • Mats Traat (Estonia, 1936): "Puud Olid Puud Olid Hellad Velled/ Trees Were Tender Brothers" (1979) +
  • Nikolai Baturin (Estonia, 1936): "Karu suda/ The Bear's Heart" (1989) +
  • Ene Mihkelson (Estonia, 1944): "Nime Vaev/ The Torment of the Name" (1994) +
  • Mati Unt (Estonia, 1944): "Sugisball/ Autumn Ball" (1979) +
  • Mati Unt (Estonia, 1944): "Huvasti Kollane Kass/ Hello Yellow Cat" (1992) +
  • Maimu Berg (Estonia, 1945): "Ma Armastasin Venelast/ I Loved a Russian" (1994) +
  • Viivi Luik (Estonia, 1946): "The Beauty of History" (1991) +
  • Eeva Park (Estonia, 1950): "Naeru Opilane/ A Student of Laughter" (1998) +
  • Tonu Onnepalu "Emil Tode" (Estonia, 1962): "Hind/ Price" (1995) +
  • Tove Jansson (Finland, 1914): "Sommarboken/ The Summer Book" (1972) +
  • Andrus Kivirahk (Estonia, 1970): "Rehepapp/ Old Barny" (2000) +
  • Hans-Christian Andersen (Denmark, 1805): "Kejserens nye Kl�der/ The Emperor's New Clothes" (1837) +
  • Vigdis Hjorth (Norway, 1959): "Om Bare/ If Only" (2001) +
  • Jonas-Hassen Khemiri (Sweden, 1978): "Montecore" (2006) +
  • Carl Frode Tiller (Norway, 1970): "Innsirkling/ Encirclement" (2007) +
  • Lars Gustafsson (Sweden, 1936): "En Biodlares Doed/ The Death of a Beekeeper" (1978) +
  • Monika Fagerholm (Sweden, 1961): "Den Amerikanska Flickan/ The American Girl" (2005) +
  • Olga Ravn (Denmark, 1986): "De Ansatte/ The Employees" (2020) +
  • Laura Lindstedt (Finland, 1976): "Oneiron" (2015) +
  • Dag Solstad (Norway, 1941): "Professor Andersens Natt/ Professor Andersen's Night" (1996) +
  • Tove Ditlevsen (Denmark, 1917): "Ansigterne/ The Faces" (1968) +
  • Halldor Laxness (Iceland, 1902): "Brekkukotsannall/ The Fish Can Sing" (1957) +
  • Juhani Aho (Finland, 1861): "Juha" (1911) +

Chronological

See the Chronology of Baltic Literatures
See the Chronology of Finnish Literature
See the Chronology of Scandinavian Literatures