The Charles Men consists not of a connected narrative but of a group of short stories, each depicting a special phase of the general subject. Somewhat uneven in interest for an average reader, eight or ten of these are among the finest of their kind in literature. They comprise a great variety of scene and interest: grim episodes of war, idyllic interludes, superb canvases of world-shaking events, and delightfully humorous sketches of odd characters. The general effect is tragic. Almost nothing is said of Charles' spectacular victories, the central theme being the heroic loyalty of the Swedish people to their idolized king in misfortune and defeat.

To carry out this exalted conception the author has combined the vivid realism and imaginative power we have noticed in his early poetry and carried them out on a grand scale. His peculiar gift, as had been suggested before, is his intensity. George Meredith has said that fervor is the core of style. Of few authors is this more true than of Heidenstam. The Charles Men has a tremendous range of characters, of common folk even more than of major figures. The career of Charles 12, is obviously very similar to that of Napoleon. His ideal was Alexander of Macedon, as Napoleon's was Julius Caesar. His purpose, however, was not to establish an empire, but to assert the principle of divine justice. Each aspired to be a god in human form, but with each it was a different kind of god. Each failed catastrophically in an invasion of Russia and each brought ruin on the country that worshipped him. Each is still glorified as a national hero.