Most of these books must be dismissed with a few words in
order that our remaining space may be given to the four or
five that are of the greatest power and significance. "The
Editor," the first of the modern plays, offers a fierce
satire upon modern journalism, its dishonesty, its corrupt
and malicious power, its personal and partisan prejudice.
The character of the editor in this play was unmistakeably
drawn, in its leading characteristics, from the figure of a
well known conservative journalist in Christiania, although
Bjornson vigorously maintained that the protraiture was typical
rather than personal.

"In various other countries than my own, I have observed
the type of journalist who is here depicted. It is characterized
by acting upon a basis of sheer egotism, passionate and
boundless, and by terrorism in such fashion that it frightens
honest people away from every liberal movement, and visits
upon the individual an unscrupulous persecution."

This play was not particularly successful upon the stage,
but the book was widely read, and occasioned much excited
personal controversy. "A Bankruptcy," on the other hand,
proved a brilliant stage success. Its matter was less
contentious, and its technical execution was effective and
brilliant. It was not in vain that Bjornson had at different
times been the director of three theatres. This play has
for its theme the ethics of business life, and more
especially the question of the extent to which a man whose
finances are embarrassed is justified in continued speculation