Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen (September 23, 1848 – October 4 1895) was a Norwegian-American author and college professor. He is best remembered for his novel Gunnar: A Tale of Norse Life, which is generally considered to have been the first novel by a Norwegian immigrant in America.

Biography

Early life and education

Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen was born at the Norwegian naval base Fredriksvern, near the village of Stavern in Vestfold, Norway. He grew up in Fredriksvern, then in Kongsberg, and, from 1854, in Sogn. From 1860, he went to Drammen Latin School, and, after his final exams, he took another exam at the university in 1868. Boyesen was well-schooled in both German and Scandinavian literature, graduating from the University of Leipzig and the University of Oslo.

Career

At the age of 21, Boyesen migrated to the United States in 1869 and initially became assistant editor of Fremad, a Norwegian language weekly published in Chicago. Being multi-lingual, he subsequently taught Greek and Latin classes at Urbana University. Boyesen was a professor of North European Languages at Cornell University from 1874 to 1880. Boyesen became a professor of Germanic languages at Columbia University in 1881. His scholarly works included Goethe and Schiller, Essays on German Literature, A Commentary on the Works of Henrik Ibsen and Essays on Scandinavian Literature. Through his public lectures, Boyesen won a reputation as an excellent lecturer. He was a prolific writer, and, over 20 years, he published 25 books including novels, short stories, poems, and literary criticism. He also published short stories, essays, and book reviews in periodicals. Boyesen is more commonly known for his works of popular fiction. His most successful books have remained those based upon Norwegian culture and habits. He wrote many books of fiction for adults and children and some poetry.

Personal life and death

Boyesen married Elizabeth Kean in 1878. They had three sons. Boyesen, who was living in New York, died on October 4, 1895 from rheumatic heart disease.

Selected bibliography