August Strindberg's novel The Red Room centers on the civil servant Arvid Falk as he tries to find meaning in his life through the pursuit of writing. He's accompanied by a crew of painters, sculptors and philosophers each on their own journey for the truth, who meet in the "Red Room" of a local restaurant. Drawing heavily on August's own experiences, The Red Room was published in Sweden in 1879. Its reception was less than complimentary in Sweden-a major newspaper called it "dirt"-but it fared better in the rest of Scandinavia and soon was recognised in his home country.