Stn.—Knocking the Swedes has become almost a literary form. Mr.
Fennell's is a reasonable example of the genre, since he has produced the usual mix- ture of facts, incorrect information and fiction. A letter of equal length to his article would be re- quired to put things straight for the record.
What the article lacks is an attempt to differen- tiate characteristics which are inherent in Swedish character and others that have been induced by their prosperity; also how much of what he found in Sweden is not a specifically Swedish phenomenon (does he know anything about Norwegian and Fin- nish drinking habits?) but is common to other Scan- dinavian countries.
We are still waiting for a book or articles where the basic research has been done, but it is easier to theorise on a few films or to generalise one's particular dislikes into a criticism of a whole country.
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