Penguin Classics By The Open Sea [Mass Market Paperback]

As someone with an interest in Nietzsche and European literature, the concept of a "Nietzschean novel" intrigued me. The title itself might be (though I do not know for sure) a reference to an aphorism of Nietzsche's from "The Gay Science," or it might simply reflect Strindberg's fondness for the water. For a year or so I had been meaning to find a copy of this and read it, and about a day ago I finally did.

"By the Open Sea" is in places a very beautifully written, if sometimes sluggish, work. There is a scene in particular towards the end where Axel Borg, the protagonist of the novel, mocks the simplicity of poets who describe the noise of the sea as a "roar" and then proceeds to give a detailed account of the "symphony" of sounds that make up this "roar" in a unique way. In a sense Axel Borg is much like many modern scientists who say that understanding all the most minute facts of a thing doesn't take away its mystery but in fact makes it more beautiful for its intricacy and depth.

The dialogue is also engaging. While not Shakespearean, and nowhere near as poetic as Strindberg's narrative prose (which some might think is overwritten, but which I rather like), it is everything you would expect from someone who gained most of his fame as a dramatist. Most of the book is dense and devoid of dialogue, but it picks up speed as it goes on.

"By the Open Sea" focuses heavily on the single character of Axel Borg and his over-sensitive nerves. Supposedly Kafka had a particular fondness for this work, and it's easy to see why. The modern consciousness is full of wounded, conflicted, and highly sensitive figures in literature. Axel Borg is similar to Kafka in his susceptibility to outside stimuli being overwhelming. At numerous points in the book he withdraws into solitude as an antidote to the uncleanness of associating with inferior people. In the first thirty or so pages of the book we are treated to Borg's recollections of his youth and we are given a rough sketch of his character. It essentially reads like a very compressed version of Nietzsche's philosophical conceptions of the "higher type" of humanity, allowing for some differences. Borg is a genius, intellectually versatile, unbound by the desires of the mass of humanity, aristocratic in temperament, is in control of himself (he doesn't react on instinct, doesn't pander to petty or popular prejudices), and enjoys working to create and to learn. He is described as of almost deliberately strong character, and he is also a complete misogynist. Throughout the book we are repeatedly confronted with his frustrations and defeats by these lesser people. Ultimately Borg, not an eminently likable character to most people in the first place, is driven to despair and madness. For all the condensed characterization in the beginning of the novel about Axel Borg's superiority, which in many respects must be granted, we end up reading about a man whose series of problems and failures slowly gnaws away at him until he reaches and exceeds his breaking point.

This is an interesting thing to take note of, since this whole book can be seen as a character study of this one man (even though reducing it only to that would be overly simplistic). The view that Axel Borg is supposed to represent Nietzsche's ideal conception of humanity is fundamentally flawed. Strindberg, it seems, projects too much of himself, his psychological problems and his pessimism, into his character, for this to be Nietzsche's übermensch. He starts off in the general vicinity of what Nietzsche was talking about, but he does not endure his ordeals and he does not profit from the wounds life deals him. That which does not kill him does not make him stronger, it simply wears him down. We ultimately witness a man of a very modern psychology with very modern nervous sensibilities who is made frail by his over-sensitivity and destroyed for want of a healthier, more resilient disposition. The novel is Nietzschean in the sense that it engages with many of the general concerns the philosopher had and wrote about, but Axel Borg in no way represents the epitome of humanity. He is far more a "modern" man, one who is psychically hyper-sensitive and is worn down by his own abundance of thought and his conflicts with the world, than he is an übermensch of any sort.

One other thing Strindberg does well is to portray the pettiness of the people, the "savages," who surround Borg. While some people might be a bit superficial and side with anyone who isn't as aloof, distant, and - possibly justifiably - arrogant as Borg, someone looking at the portrayal of Borg's acquaintances dispassionately will see people who are arrogant without any justification and who are often willfully ignorant, jealous, resentful, stupid, and stubborn. When surrounded by people of this caliber, Strindberg does a decent job of condemning humanity's fickle natures and simultaneously uses his dramatist's instinct to garner stronger sympathy for Borg's plight. The way his fiancee treats him, for instance, is nothing short of disgusting - and not even remotely fantastic.

Apart from being uneven in places both in quality and in tempo, my only complaint about the work regards points where Strindberg seems to be making pained personal confessions which could have been both better placed and better delivered. Supposedly Strindberg was somewhat shameless in using his own thoughts and psychology for the genesis of his characters, and in effect is the focus of his own books and plays. This is more apparent the further into "By the Open Sea" you read. However, most of the time this is fairly artistic. Even if the veneer is thin and transparent, it's still there. However present Strindberg the author is through the narration, he usually doesn't shatter the illusion. When he does, it's a tad jarring. Most of that is fortunately confined to the beginning.

Ultimately, I am puzzled by the end result. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it could use some polish, and I cannot say where precisely it should fall in the hierarchy of great literature. There are some uncertainties in the work, some places where the underlying philosophy is unclear, but this does serve to make it an interesting and thought-provoking read. It's not a didactic rendition of watered-down Nietzschean philosophy as numerous religiously themed books are merely watered-down, didactic renditions of their respective creeds, and it's not a tract by a representative of one class of men against another class of men. It is, however, a very strong representation of a specific psychological type of humanity, and, taken in that sense, this is a work without parallel.

August Strindberg (who died in 1912) is often regarded as the greatest Swedish writer ever. He was certainly one of the most succesful. His main works have been translated to the major European languages, including English. Some of his works have even been translated to more obscure languages like Lithuanian, Hungarian or the artificial language Esperanto. In Sweden, his works are readily available in public libraries. Personally, however, I have only read two of his novels and one of his theater plays. I can't say I'm exactly thrilled. But then, I hate to read something just to look "intellectual". And here in Sweden, all "intellectuals" presumably read Strindberg, Schopenhauer and Dostoyevsky.

"By the Open Sea" is an English translation of Strindberg's novel "I havsbandet", originally published in 1890. Translating Strindberg to English must be a real attitude test, and since I've never read this translation, I can't vouch for it. I've only read the Swedish original, and that too was tough.

"I havsbandet" is often described as a Nietzschean novel. Indeed, the main character, a government bureaucrat named Borg, does regard himself as a Nietzschean Ubermensch or Superman, and despises the rest of humanity. Borg is sent to a small island in the Stockholm Archipelago, Osterskar, to aid the fishermen in developing new technologies and fishing methods. He also helps them build new and better houses. However, the islanders turn out to be primitive, stupid and superstitious. They simply don't want to be helped. Even when Borg saves them from a famine, they still remain ungrateful. And when Borg shows them one of his inventions, they interpret it religiously and start an evangelical revival! Finally, Borg experieces a mental break-down, becomes insane and commits suicide by steering his small boat out onto the open sea. Symbolically, the suicide takes place on Christmas Eve, the day the weakling god of weakling men, Jesus, is celebrated. By contrast, Borg steers his tiny vessel in the direction of the star constellation of Hercules, a much better and heathen god, according to Strindberg. Most people who've read this novel strongly suspect that "Borg" is actually Strindberg's alter ego. Indeed, Strindberg himself got a mental break-down and experienced a religious crisis shortly after the novel was published. Incidentally, Nietzsche himself ended up at a mental asylum.

The message of this novel is a pessimistic one. Borg may be a Superman, but he is nevertheless broken by the mediocrity and stupidity of the sub-humans. In the end, more or less voluntary self-destruction becomes the only option for those who have managed to rise above the herd. The fate of the Ubermensch is ultimately a tragic one.

Fair enough, but then what?

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