Henrik Pontoppidan
Henrik Pontoppidan was a Danish author who shared the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1917 with Karl Gjellerup. He is known for his realistic depictions of Danish life and his critical stance towards society. His notable works include 'Lykke-Per' and 'The Promised Land'.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Lucky Per
The Story of a Man's Life
The novel follows the life of Per Sidenius, a young man from a devoutly religious family, who rebels against his provincial upbringing to seek fortune and success as an engineer in the bustling world of Copenhagen. Ambitious and driven, Per dreams of freeing Denmark from its reliance on foreign energy through his innovative engineering projects. Throughout his journey, he confronts the rigid class structures of Danish society, engages in tumultuous relationships, and struggles with his own internal conflicts and existential doubts. Despite his initial rapid ascent, Per ultimately faces the consequences of his relentless pursuit of material success, leading him to reevaluate the true meaning of fulfillment and happiness in life.
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2. Lykke Per Bind 1
A young man raised in a strict, pietistic coastal community breaks with his father's narrow expectations and sets out to study engineering, driven by a fervent belief in progress and his own capacity to remake his life. The first volume follows his upbringing and early years: clashes with family and local piety, budding intellectual and emotional awakenings, tentative relationships, and the mounting tension between religious tradition and modern ambition that propels his restless pursuit of social success and personal fulfilment.
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3. De Dødes Rige
Austere and observant, the novel paints a portrait of a rural Danish community in the grip of social and moral change, tracing how economic pressures, personal ambitions and entrenched traditions corrode relationships and certainties. Through close, often ironic depictions of several inhabitants, the story explores hypocrisy, duty, loneliness and the quiet, inevitable presence of death, blending social critique with psychological insight. The result is a somber, elegiac account of a world in decline and the human costs of modernity's advance.
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4. Lykke Per – Bind 2
A sweeping psychological and social portrait of a driven young engineer who rejects his strict, pietistic upbringing to pursue technical ambition and modernize his homeland; his professional successes and passionate relationships bring both social ascent and personal fragmentation, forcing him to confront the costs of pride, the pull of faith and family, and the moral consequences of trying to remake society in an age of change.
