From a wealthy Norwegian merchant family, Kielland studied law and received his degree in 1871. He purchased a brickworks, which he managed for a number of years, but his true interests were already leaning towards a career in writing. On a visit to Paris in 1878, he met Bjornstjerne Bjornson, who was impressed by his stories and found him a publisher. The following year his first book, Tales of Two Countries, appeared. In 1880, he published Garmen og Worse, one of his most important novels and the subsequent inspiration for Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks. From 1881 to 1883, he lived in Denmark and became close friends with J. P. Jacobsen. Kielland was very active during the 1880's, producing a number of important utilitarian works, but by 1891 he had virtually ceased writing fiction. From 1889 to 1890 he was a journalist at Stavanger Avis and in 1892, became the mayor of Stavanger. In 1902, he was appointed governor of Romsdal. Kielland's literature raised many sociological issues during its time and he is regarded as one of the four great Norwegian authors with Ibsen, Lie and Bjornson. His other works included New Novelettes (1880), Arbejdtsfolk (1881), Else (1881), Skipper Worse (1882), Gift (1883), Fortuna (1884), Snow (1886), Sankt Hans Fest (1887), Professoren (1888) and Jacob (1891). |
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