Bjornstjerne Bjornson was the consummate idealist, crusading for noble causes all over Europe, but maintaining his sympathy for human failings. Bjornson's tales of country life were a romantic attempt to capture the Norwegian national character in literature. They were vastly popular in the United States among homesick Norwegian immigrants. When the Modern Breakthrough arrived, Bjornson began energetically composing plays of social relevance. Although less widely read today, Bjornson remains a significant figure in Norwegian literary history. Bjornson died in 1910.