Was Selma Lagerlöf's work overly sentimental?
Some might say so, those who prefer the stark, unvarnished truth that leaves no room for tears. But is it sentimental to believe in the possibility of change, in the power of a compassionate gaze? I have seen much hardship in my life, and I have written of it. Yet, I have also seen the quiet strength of those who endure, the flicker of light in the darkest night. If to portray the longing for forgiveness, the courage to mend one's ways, is sentimentality, then perhaps there is a place for it in this world. My aim was always to explore the heart's deepest currents, not to judge, but to understand.
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