A Burnt Child

A Burnt Child (Bränt barn) is a novel by the Swedish author Stig Dagerman, published in 1948.[1][2]

A Burnt Child
Cover of Penguin European Writers edition (2019)
AuthorStig Dagerman
Original titleBränt barn
PublisherWilliam Morrow and Company
Publication date
1948
Published in English
1950
ISBN978-0-241-40073-9 (Penguin European Writers edition, 2019)
Websitehttp://www.dagerman.us/writings/novels/a-burnt-child

It is Dagerman's most widely read novel both in Sweden, where it has been published in ten editions, and internationally, with translations to twenty languages. The original title derives from the Swedish proverb "Bränt barn skyr elden" ("A burnt child fears the fire").[2]

An English translation of A Burnt Child was first published in 1950. In 2018, a translation of the novel was published by Penguin European Writers with the title A Moth to a Flame with a preface by Siri Hustvedt.[3]

Plot summary

"Set in a working-class neighborhood in Stockholm, the story revolves around a young man named Bengt who falls into deep, private turmoil with the unexpected death of his mother. As he struggles to cope with her loss, his despair slowly transforms to rage when he discovers his father had a mistress. But as Bengt swears revenge on behalf of his mother's memory, he also finds himself drawn into a fevered and conflicted relationship with this woman - a turn that causes him to question his previous faith in morality, virtue, and fidelity." (from Stig Dagerman US website)

Critical reception

"This is a writer who sees life, and especially family life, under a burning glass; and the result is a novel of extraordinary power. It is an absorbing work." — The Observer, Review 1950

Adaptations

In 1949 Dagerman adapted the novel to the stage play Ingen går fri ("Nobody Walks Free"), which he directed himself. The novel has been filmed twice, the Swedish Bränt barn in 1967 and The French L'enfant brulé in 1991.

References
  1. Self, John (23 October 2019). "A Moth to a Flame by Stig Dagerman review – Swedish menace". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. "A Burnt Child". dagerman.us. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. "A Moth to a Flame". Penguin Books. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
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