Fredrika Runeberg

Alexandra GripenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 91K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Fredrika Runeberg by friherrinna Alexandra GripenbergAuthor: Gripenberg, Alexandra, friherrinna, 1857-1913,Language: Finnish, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jun 15, 2005

Editor's review

This is a biography of Fredrika Runeberg written by the Finnish author and women's rights activist Alexandra Gripenberg, originally in Finnish and published as a public-domain Project Gutenberg eBook. Fredrika Runeberg was the wife of the Finnish national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg and a writer in her own right, holding a place in Finnish literary and cultural history. The biography follows the course of her life and also covers her family life, writing, and the social and cultural atmosphere of the time, offering a window into the situation of intellectual women in nineteenth-century Finland. The original Finnish limits its readership, but it is of unique value to those interested in Nordic literature and the history of women's writing. Readers should situate it within the literary background of the Runebergs and note how the biographer's own feminist stance shapes the narrative.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with Finnish reading ability and an interest in Nordic literary history
Researchers of nineteenth-century Finnish women's writing and intellectual women's lives
Enthusiasts of the Runeberg family and Finnish national literature
Libraries and archivists collecting Nordic women's biographies in the public domain

Not a good fit for

General readers who know no Finnish and read only Chinese or English
Readers seeking a selected edition or translation of Fredrika Runeberg's own works
Academic readers expecting systematic literary criticism and theoretical analysis

Reading tips

Before reading, acquaint yourself with the outlines of the Runebergs' lives and the Finnish national literature movement.
Read the biography alongside Fredrika's own works and note the echoes between her life and her writing.
Bear in mind Gripenberg's feminist stance and distinguish biographical fact from the author's evaluation.
If reading Finnish is slow, take chapter-by-chapter notes on characters and chronology for easy reference.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

In what language is this book written, and can Chinese readers read it?

It is written in Finnish and is a public-domain eBook with no Chinese translation included. Readers without Finnish face a high barrier; it is advisable first to learn about Fredrika Runeberg's life from Chinese or English sources, then decide whether to tackle the original with aids.

Who was Fredrika Runeberg?

She was the wife of the Finnish national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg and a writer in her own right, with a recognized place in Finnish literary and cultural history. This biography covers her life, family, and writing, offering insight into the lives and working conditions of nineteenth-century Finnish intellectual women.

Does the author Gripenberg's stance affect the biography?

Gripenberg was a leading figure in the Finnish women's movement and naturally focuses on her subject's situation as a woman and her self-fulfillment. Readers should distinguish verifiable factual narrative from the author's evaluations and leanings, and consult other sources where necessary for a more balanced view.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Finnish literary history?

It is better read as a biography and case study than as a systematic textbook of literary history. To begin with Finnish literary history, start with general surveys and use this biography to fill in specific figures and period detail; the two work best together.

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About the author

Alexandra Gripenberg Author · Finnish · 1857–1913

Alexandra Gripenberg (1857–1913) was a Finnish writer, social activist, editor and newspaper publisher from a Swedish-speaking noble family. She helped found the Finnish Women's Association, Finland's first women's rights organization, served as its chair twice, and founded the magazine Koti ja Yhteiskunta, long speaking out on women's rights and public issues. In 1887–1888 she traveled to Britain and the United States to study the women's movement, and her observations became the travel book Uudesta Maailmasta (From the New World), which records women's lives and public affairs in American society. Her writing also covered biography and history, including Fredrika Runeberg and Orjien vapauttaminen Pohjois-Amerikassa, a work on the emancipation of slaves in North America. In 1907 she was elected to the Finnish Parliament, becoming one of its first female members.