The Song of the Red Ruby

{{short description|1956 novel by Agnar Mykle}} {{italic title}} {{one source|date=November 2022}} '''''The Song of the Red Ruby''''' (''Sangen om den røde rubin'', 1956) is a Norwegian novel written by Agnar Mykle. It is a story of the young Ask Burlefot's personal ride through shame and letdowns that eventually leads to a closer and deeper understanding of himself. It was controversial in Norway and other countries at the time of publication and ended in court as the so-called Mykle Case. This controversy was due to the explicit sexual descriptions in the adventures of the potent main character. In Norway, the publisher was acquitted, but for instance in Finland the book was confiscated and burnt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kk-tsv-test.lib.helsinki.fi/henkilokuva/601|title=Caius Kajantin ura pysähtyi Mykleen|last=Ekholm|first=Kai|work=Tiellä sananvapauteen – Suomalaisen sananvapauden ja sensuurin muistikirja|access-date=12 November 2022|language=fi}}</ref>

''The Song of the Red Ruby'' can also be viewed in connection with ''Lasso round the moon'' (novel, 1954), ''Tyven, tyven skal du hete'' (novel, 1951) and ''Rubicon'' (novel, 1965) as they all have a young man as the protagonist.

The book was later adapted into the feature film ''Sangen om den røde rubin'' (1970), directed by Annelise Meineche and starring Ole Søltoft and Ghita Nørby.

==See also== * ''The Song of the Blood-Red Flower''

==Further reading== *Villadsen, Ebbe: ''Danish Erotic Film Classics'' (2005)

==References== {{reflist}}

{{1950s-novel-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Song of the Red Ruby, The}} Category:1956 controversies Category:1956 novels Category:1950s Norwegian novels Category:Norwegian novels adapted into films Category:Obscenity controversies in literature Category:Censorship in Norway