Hellström, Gustaf

▪ Swedish author

born Aug. 28, 1882, Kristianstad, Swed.

died Feb. 27, 1953, Stockholm

      Swedish realist novelist, journalist, and literary critic.

      As foreign correspondent for several Scandinavian newspapers, Hellstrom lived in Paris, London, and New York City (1907–35), and these cities form the background for much of his early fiction. His critical studies interpreted European and American culture for Swedish readers. His best work, however, deals with Swedish themes. Snörmakare Lekholm får en idé (1927; Lacemaker Lekholm Has an Idea), considered his masterpiece, is a family chronicle covering three generations of life in a provincial garrison town. He also wrote a fictionalized autobiography, Stellan Petreus: en man utan humor (1921–52; “Stellan Petreus: A Man Without Humour”).

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