ABSTRACT
The Enlightenment has become a vexed point of controversy in the postmodern era. Historians of the period contest that the Enlightenment has been made into a caricature of itself, an "Other" against which postmodernism seeks to define itself. Per Olov Enquist's novels (The Magnetist's Fifth Winter, The Royal Physician's Visit), which bracket his lengthy literary career, present attempts to come to terms with Enlightenment values. There is nothing naive or uncritical about Enquist's presentation of the Enlightenment, but nonetheless, both novels put forth a defense of reason and the Enlightenment's social project. Forty-five years separate the publication dates of The Magnetist's Fifth Winter and The Royal Physician's Visit, but the two works are linked by more than their engagement with the Enlightenment. The Royal Physician's Visit not only deals with real historical figures, but its focus is on generally known public history.
