Pelle the Conqueror (novel)
novel by Martin Andersen Nexø
Pelle the Conqueror (Danish: Pelle Erobreren) is a Danish novel written by Martin Andersen Nexø. The book was published in four volumes, beginning with Boyhood in 1906, followed by Apprenticeship in 1907 and The Great Struggle in 1909 and concluding with Daybreak in 1910.
The novel follows the character Pelle Karlsson, who immigrates to Denmark from Sweden in 1877 at age eight. At 18, he moves from Bornholm to Copenhagen, and becomes a leader in the labour movement in Denmark, motivated by poor working conditions.
Analysis
Nexø based the novel on many of the experiences in his own life. While written as a biography of a fictional character, Pelle the Conqueror reports on widespread economic and historic social matters. The format is of a Bildungsroman.
The novel was translated into English by Jesse Muir and Bernard Miall in 1913–1916. Despite this, it is not a popular novel in the English-speaking world. Pelle the Conqueror has been compared to Les Misérables.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Pelle the Conqueror (novel)” as novel by Martin Andersen Nexø. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as novel by Martin Andersen Nexø. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1642629. VIAF identifies the subject as 179843697. The Library of Congress control number is n84019981. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1906, 1907, 1909 and 1910.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Pelle the Conqueror (novel)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Pelle the Conqueror (novel) primary sources, Pelle the Conqueror (novel) archive and Pelle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Pelle the Conqueror (novel)”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Pelle the Conqueror (novel)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.