The image stormer

Lars Bukdahl's criticism 1988-2006

"At the age of only 32, Lars Bukdahl is one of Denmark's most powerful literary critics. Feared by writers like the butcher from Pilestræde. Appreciated by editors because he is a butcher. The entertaining kind.”

The quote is taken from a famous and infamous interview with Lars Bukdahl in the magazine Press from 2001. It states in a few words how Bukdahl was perceived by large sections of the public at the time.

Twenty-five years after his spectacular breakthrough at Weekendavisen, Lars Bukdahl remains a significant name in Danish literary criticism. His views are widely controversial. Therefore, he has also managed to attract a high degree of attention in the literary environment, even though his influence has waned over the years.

Biledstormeren is a systematic attempt to analytically characterize, explain and discuss his critical practice as it unfolded in the decisive years of his work. The analyzes are basically characterized by an investigative approach in an attempt to understand the critic's perspective on the literary world.

Bukdahl has exercised considerable power for years. In that light, one should naturally also ask critical probing questions about his review and avant-garde literary views. The analytical presentation is therefore continuously supplemented with a plurality of critical and alternative perspectives. This applies not least in the last part of the book.