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The Dwarf
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The Dwarf

novel by Lagerkvist
Also known as: “DvĂ€rgen”
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

The Dwarf, novel by PĂ€r Lagerkvist, published in Swedish in 1944 as DvĂ€rgen. Set during the Italian Renaissance and cast in the form of a journal, it is a study of the psychology of evil. The narrator, Piccoline, always referred to as “the Dwarf,” is a minor retainer at the court of an Italian Renaissance prince, a position he has obtained by strangling his predecessor. He keeps a journal of his observations and impressions. A...

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