The Partridge

Authors

Martin A. Hansen
Inga Wiehl, translator

Keywords

Danish writer, history, culture, philosophical themes

Abstract

"Martin A. Hansen is considered one of the best and most influential Danish writers of the century. Despite his premature death in 1955 at the age of forty-six, he left a rich artistic legacy of novels, short stories, and travel descriptions as well as essays and books dealing with historical, cultural and philosophical themes.

'The Partridge' ('Agerhonen') is the title story of a collection of twelve short stories, all of which emphasize artistic expression as self-revelation. It is the means whereby the artist transforms the world and makes it new. The twelve stories are divided into three parts, childhood, adolescence and maturity. 'The Partridge' belongs with the first group. It tells of the simple faith which was a reality to the writer as a child. The elusiveness of that faith, however, is revealed in the tone of the piece, which reflects the longing of the adult writer, the Christian existentialist, whose need for his childhood's faith is as great as it was then. He yearns for that despite his realization that struggle and doubt are steady companions on the road towards a goal that may never be reached, an innocence that may never be regained." - Inga Wiehl

Recommended Citation

Hansen, Martin A. and Wiehl,, Inga translator (1981) "The Partridge," The Bridge: Vol. 1: No. 6, Article 13.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thebridge/vol1/iss6/13