The Role of Norwegian Literature in the Modernization Program of the Élet Magazine

Abstract

The Élet [Life]: literary, artistic, social and economic magazine (1891–1895) is not among the best-known press products from the 19th century, although one of the clearly defined goals of its program was the improvement and reformation of Hungarian culture and society. Through the diverse writings published on its pages, a peculiar side of Hungarian literary modernity can be discovered, whose essence was the simultaneous preservation of national features and the utilization of foreign models. The present study analyses this role through a general overview of Élet, an account of the emerging opinions about it, and the periodical’s own self-definitions, paying particular attention to the influence that Norwegian literature – especially Henrik Ibsen – had on the work of the editors and on their conceptions of modern literature.