Letters from Hell
Encyclopedia
Letters from Hell is a didactic Christian novel
by the Danish
priest and author Valdemar Adolph Thisted
(1815-1887), The work was published in Copenhagen
in 1866 and went through 12 editions in its first year.
, concluding with the arrival in Hell of the narrator's mother. Some of the book's descriptions of Hell are reminiscent of Emanuel Swedenborg
's Heaven and Hell
.
. The book's title caused it to be banned by Mudie’s
circulating library. Letters from Hell went through several editions in the 19th century, one of which (1884) contained a preface by George MacDonald
. Thisted 's name does not appear in these editions and the translation is attributed to LWJS, the JS seemingly indicating the author and translator Julie Sutter.
had read Letters from Hell and something of its influence may be detected in The Screwtape Letters
. Hans Christian Andersen
was absorbed by the book and found details reminiscent of his own fairy-tales.
Christian novel
A Christian novel is any novel that expounds and illustrates a Christian world view in its plot, its characters, or both, or which deals with Christian themes in a positive way.-The tradition of Christian fiction:...
by the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
priest and author Valdemar Adolph Thisted
Valdemar Adolph Thisted
Valdemar Adolph Thisted was a Danish writer, translator and priest. He is best-known among English readers for his novel Letters from Hell. He studied theology in Copenhagen and became an assistant professor in Aarhus. In 1855 he began ministering in northern Schleswig. His works include novels,...
(1815-1887), The work was published in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1866 and went through 12 editions in its first year.
Plot summary
The narrator, Otto, who has died in the prime of life, relates the torments and regrets that are a consequence of the self-centred and dissipated life he led in the world. He also describes the fates of other lost souls who inhabit HellHell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, concluding with the arrival in Hell of the narrator's mother. Some of the book's descriptions of Hell are reminiscent of Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
's Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Swedenborg)
Heaven and Hell is the common English title of a book written by mystic Emanuel Swedenborg in Latin, published in 1758.The full title is Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen, or in Latin: De Caelo et Ejus Mirabilibus et de inferno, ex Auditis et Visis.This book is a detailed...
.
Translations
An English edition of Letters from Hell appeared in 1866, under the pseudonym of M Rowel. The translator was Rev. Mordaunt Roger BarnardMordaunt Roger Barnard
Mordaunt Roger Barnard, Rev. was a Church of England clergyman and translator of works from Scandinavian languages. He was the eldest son of Mordaunt Barnard, Rector of Preston Bagot. a rural dean and JP for Essex...
. The book's title caused it to be banned by Mudie’s
Charles Edward Mudie
Charles Edward Mudie , English publisher and founder of Mudie's Lending Library and Mudie’s Subscription Library, was the son of a second-hand bookseller and newsagent. In 1840 he established a stationery and book-selling business in Bloomsbury...
circulating library. Letters from Hell went through several editions in the 19th century, one of which (1884) contained a preface by George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
. Thisted 's name does not appear in these editions and the translation is attributed to LWJS, the JS seemingly indicating the author and translator Julie Sutter.
Reception
C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
had read Letters from Hell and something of its influence may be detected in The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters is a satirical Christian apologetics novel written in epistolary style by C. S. Lewis, first published in book form in February 1942...
. Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
was absorbed by the book and found details reminiscent of his own fairy-tales.