August Strindberg's novel The Red Room centers on the civil servant
Arvid Falk as he tries to find meaning in his life through the pursuit
of writing. He's accompanied by a crew of painters, sculptors and
philosophers each on their own journey for the truth, who meet in the
"Red Room" of a local restaurant. Drawing heavily on August's own
experiences, The Red Room was published in Sweden in 1879. Its reception
was less than complimentary in Sweden-a major newspaper called it
"dirt"-but it fared better in the rest of Scandinavia and soon was
recognised in his home country.