Synnøve Solbakken (novel)
Synnøve Solbakken is a Norwegian peasant novel by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, published in 1857. It first appeared in the newspaper Illustreret Folkeblad and was published as a book in the same year.
The story centers on Torbjørn Granlien and Synnøve Solbakken. Torbjørn lives at the Granlien farm, a dark, shaded place, while Synnøve’s Solbakken farm is sunny. In the Granlien family, the oldest sons are named Torbjørn and Sæmund in alternating generations; those named Sæmund always do well, while those named Torbjørn do not.
Torbjørn’s father, a strict Sæmund, tries to control his son’s wild nature through hard work. The book follows Torbjørn’s struggle to win Synnøve’s love and his journey from the shadowy side to the sunny side of life. Synnøve loves him, but her mother believes Torbjørn is not good enough for her.
In the end, Torbjørn proves he has changed by forgiving a man who stabbed him nearly to death. The story finishes with Torbjørn at the sunny Solbakken farm, looking back at the dark Granlien.
The novel has been adapted into films four times.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:54 (CET).