The Visionary; or, Pictures from Nordland (Den Fremsynte) was first published in English translation in 1894. A contemporary of both Ibsen and Bjornson, Lie first aspired to a seafaring life, but his eyesight made such a career impossible. He turned then to poetry and journalism, finally producing in 1870 this first novel, "a tragedy in which resistless Fate hurries its victims to destruction. The hero, David Holst, is one of those unhappy beings who seem doomed to a more than ordinary share of the ills of life. He has inherited from his mother at least a tendency to insanity, and he lives in fear of being involved in a terrible catastrophe, from which he only saves himself by strong efforts of will and by the recollection of the lost love of his youth ..."

Author Biography

Jonas Lauritz Idemil Lie (1833 - 1908) was a Norwegian novelist, poet and playwright who is considered to have been one of the Four Greats of 19th century Norwegian literature, together with Henrik Ibsen, Bjornstjerne Bjornson and Alexander Kielland. He graduated in law in 1857 and shortly afterwards began to practice at Kongsvinger, a town located between Lake Mjosa and the border with Sweden. Clients were not numerous at Kongsvinger and Lie found time to write for the newspapers and became a frequent contributor to some of the Christiania journals. His first work was a volume of poems which appeared in 1866 and was not successful. During the four following years he devoted himself almost exclusively to journalism, working hard and without much reward, but acquiring the pen of a ready writer and obtaining command of a style which has proved serviceable in his subsequent career.