The Red Room

"The Red Room" ("Röda Rummet") by August Strindberg is considered Sweden’s first modern novel and a landmark work of Scandinavian literature. The novel follows Arvid Falk, an idealistic young civil servant who abandons his government job to pursue a literary career. As he explores Stockholm’s artistic, journalistic, and political circles, he encounters corruption, hypocrisy, and the harsh realities of a society that values money and power over truth and creativity.  
The "Red Room" itself is a café where intellectuals, writers, and revolutionaries gather, engaging in passionate but often empty discussions about art and politics. Through Falk’s journey, Strindberg delivers a sharp satire of bourgeois society, exposing the pretensions and failures of various institutions, from the press to philanthropy.