Kristian Mandrup Elster

Born Mar. 4, 1841, in Overhalla; died Apr. 11, 1881, in Trondheim. Norwegian writer.

Although Elster’s first novel, Tora Trondal (1879), depicts a traditional love triangle, the author was actually writing about fundamental problems of Norwegian society. The novel was highly regarded by H. Ibsen, G. Brandes, B. Bj0rnson, and A. L. Kielland. Dangerous People (1876; published 1881; Russian translation, 1882), the first realistic Norwegian novel, dynamically portrays life in provincial Norway from the 1840’s to the 1860’s, in particular, the struggle between old and new life styles and points of view. Elster’s depictions of female characters reveal the influence of I. S. Turgenev. His brand of realism incorporates elements of romanticism and didactic literature.