Recollections of My Childhood and Youth

"Recollections of My Childhood and Youth" by Georg Brandes is a memoir written in the late 19th century. The book reflects on the author's formative years, exploring the experiences and influences that shaped his early perspective on life, family, education, and society, particularly within a Danish context. Through his recollections, Brandes reveals a detailed portrayal of childhood innocence, alongside the complexities of growing up, as he navigates the intricacies of familial relationships, societal expectations, and self-discovery. The opening of the memoir introduces Brandes as a delicate child who views the world from a vantage point of vulnerability and curiosity. He recounts lighthearted memories of his early interactions with family and friends, detailing experiences that reveal his mixed feelings about growing up—such as learning lessons at school and encountering new elements like water and fire. As he describes the freedom of childhood alongside the impositions of parental authority, the themes of innocence and the quest for understanding gradually come to the forefront. The initial chapters emphasize his keen observations of social dynamics, contributing to his understanding of the broader world, setting the stage for deeper exploration of his formative years in later sections of the memoir. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Georg Morris Cohen Brandes was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind the "Modern Breakthrough" of Scandinavian culture. At the age of 30, Brandes formulated the principles of a new realism and naturalism, condemning hyper-aesthetic writing and also fantasy in literature. His literary goals were shared by some other authors, among them the Norwegian "realist" playwright Henrik Ibsen.