Short Fiction · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Hjalmar Söderberg.

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Chapter 1
Short Fiction
A collection of short stories exploring themes of love, loss, social class, and the passage of time, featuring characters such as Frederick, Magda, Bloom, and Dr. Henck.
Chapter 2
The Chimney-Sweeper's Wife
A grim story told from childhood memory about the household of Sweeper Wetzmann. His second wife, harsh and prideful, opposes the growing affection between her stepson Frederick (a convalescing student) and Magda, a charwoman's daughter. After discovering them kissing, she violently expels Magda and forbids her return. Magda later sneaks in for a secret visit, but the stepmother returns early, confronts Magda, and beats her to death. Frederick's health collapses, he becomes weak-minded, and the stepmother remarries without remorse.
Chapter 3
Bloom
On a brilliant August morning, Bloom is released from Långholm prison after serving nine months for stealing a jacket. He observes the other released prisoners, then feeds ducks on the bridge, reflecting on his past and future. He meets a woman named Edith, who seems unaware of his imprisonment, and they walk into the woods. After a moment of intimacy, Bloom falls asleep and wakes to find Edith gone and the blue envelope containing his money and certificate stolen.
Chapter 4
The Fur Coat
On a cold Christmas Eve, Dr. Henck, a poor and ailing doctor, visits his friend Judge Richardt to borrow money. After slipping and tearing his coat, he borrows Richardt's fur coat. Wearing it, he feels a renewed sense of self-esteem and hopes to rekindle his wife's affection. When he returns home, his wife, mistaking him for Richardt in the dark, kisses him passionately. The chapter ends with Henck, aware of his failing health, thanking Richardt for the coat and the brief happiness it brought.
Chapter 5
The Blue Anchor
The chapter describes a funeral and the subsequent gathering at the Blue Anchor inn, reflecting on themes of mortality, social class, and the passage of time.

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Short Fiction

The Chimney-Sweeper's Wife

Bloom

The Fur Coat

The Blue Anchor