Through the publication of "Childhood" (in Swedish as "Barndom", 1982), Myrdal's "I Novels" became strongly associated with the controversy surrounding his tense relationship to his famous parents. Myrdal's unflattering portraits of his parents – even as he acknowledged their importance as intellectuals – caused a scandal at the time of "Childhood"'s publication. Later "I books" moved away from the childhood theme to focus on Myrdal's experiences of old age, but would nevertheless regularly rehash and comment on early life experiences, never quite relinquishing the child's perspective.