Book Description

Customer Reviews (76)

Offers little more than a few amusing antedotes
Amazon recomended this book to me, probably because I had showen interest in Fante and Bukoski.I am glad, however, that I was able to check it out from the library and did not have to buy this book.Hunger did little to impress me.Perhaps I am being too harsh in my negative review, but I have a purpose in doing so; that is, to counter-balance all the reviews that (in my opinion) give this book far too much praise.

My first complaint is that Hunger lacks any attempt at a plot.So even as the book is relatively short, it's not a breezy read, since their is hardly any motivation to turn to the next page.Instead of a plot, we are supplied with the mostly dull encounters of a hungry man wandering around a city.

All of this might be fine, but the problem I had with this book is how incredibly TAME it is.You would think this hungry man would get into some pretty entertaining situations and have some pretty good stories to tell, but he does not.No drinking, no fighting, no sex; this is FAR from a Bukowski.Rather, the situations that the author gets into are for the most part riducously dull.

I also find this book to be rather unbelievable and unrealistic.It has been labeled a psychological novel, which I am unsure of.Perhaps if there were to be a better edition of this text, containing criticism, and offering insight as to just what we should get out of this book, then I would have enjoyed it more.Personally though, I can not realate to a charactor who has been starving for 4 days and manages to turn down a free meal.I cant understand why a person who been reduced to such a poverty can not be at all angry at the world.


Some compare the narrator to Raskolnikov.Sure there are some similarties (isolation, avoiding the landlady, etc.).But in all actually Dostoyevski makes Hamsun look like a lobotomy case, like a man with a 70 IQ walking around stupified.

A must read!
Hamsun and Celine were favorites of Charles Bukowski.Hunger is the story of a starving and struggling writer as Bukowski was himself.Note that Hamsun was sympathetic to the Nazis.

One of the ten best novels of all time
First published in 1890, Hunger is the story of an impoverished writer starving in the streets of Christiania (Oslo).Predating 20th Century stories of homelessness, alienation, and despair, at a time when the prolix, mannered stories of the Victorian writers held sway, Hansun's writing must have been a bit of a shock to first encounter, not that a lot of readers would have encountered it since it was written in Norwegian.Humsun's writing is clear, spare, honest, intimate and punishing.He has a story to tell and he actually wants to tell it, which sets him apart from many very successful modern writers, who seem to have little to say but wish to impress by saying it at length and with a studied obscurity.There isn't much ennui, angst, or navel-gazing in this story either.The protagonist knows what he wants to do (write), knows that he is good at it, but just cannot earn enough money to keep himself fed, clothed, or housed.He is willing to work at anything but cannot find a job.He does sell the odd article to newspapers, but this just gives him enough money to stave off dereliction for a week or so.He gradually spirals down to the nether regions of society, having pawned everything of value, including his winter clothing.The uncompromising, unsentimental depiction of grinding poverty and what it does to individuals, families, and, ultimately, society, is timeless.Hamsun, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920, lived the bleak, frustrating life of his protagonist, not for the three or four months depicted in the novel, but for ten years, finally breaking through with the publication of Hunger.Other brilliant novels (Pan, Mysteries, Growth of the Soil), plays, and essays were to follow.Despite the gruelling trials experienced by the protagonist, this is not a depressing book.On the contrary, it is peppered with offbeat, improbable humour.One can't help liking this self-destructive yet admirable and intriguing character, and hoping that he will succeed.And the writing; it doesn't get any better than this. (Note.This review refers to the Robert Bly translation.)

bad translation?
many have suggested that this edition is a bad translation...I HOPE SO cuz this book sux.realism is a wasted artistic technique if its dreadfully dull.why waste the time and money to read some one complaining for 200+ pages. its not interesting or entertaining.

mysteries is a MUCH better book.Ama-thoughtpolice-zon has pulled that review stand because I kept bring up Hamsuns pubic and well documented support of german bad guys from WW2.yunno the ones.

A True Classic by a True Pioneer
Like Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche before him, Hamsun was a true pioneer in not just literature but also modern thought.At the time this book was first published in Norway (circa 1890) the 'first person' novel was not very common at all to say the least.'Hunger' is a semi-autobiographical work, describing a young and egocentric writer and his descent into near madness as a result of hunger and poverty.The novel takes place in the Norweigan capital of Kristiana (modern day Oslo) about a decade before the end of the 19th century.Our hero struggles to survive as he wanders aimlessly about - unemployed and unable to find work, in poor and failing health, practically homeless, and completely without anything but the tattered clothes on his back - hungering not just for subsistence, but perhaps more importantly, hungering for inspiration, dignity, and self-discovery.

If this book sounds a tad depressing, let me be the first to tell you, it is.However, please don't let that restrain you from reading this amazing piece of literature.

There is no doubt about it, Knut Hamsun was way ahead of his time.I believe that if it were not for writers such as him (along w/ a handful of others like Dostoevsky, Kafka, Mann, etal...) there wouldn't have been a Fante, Kerouac, Bukowski, Toole, etal...This is the first novel (I am half way through his Nobel Prize winning "The Growth of Soil" which I love up to this point) I have read of Hamsun.I originally became inspired to read his novels after reading John Fante (a.k.a. Bukowski's God) and learning that this was his greatest influence as a writer (interesting to note, that Ernest Hemingway himself also once wrote 'Hamsun taught me how to write').If you are a fan of Bukowski and Fante then more than likely you will love this book.It is amazing how much the three of them have in common.For one, all three writers suffered through very difficult childhoods full of abuse and poverty.Also Hamsun, like Buke and Fante, was completely self-made and self-taught.He received most of his informal education from the 'streets'.

One of the things I admire most about the man (our hero in the story) is that no matter how much suffering and hardship he endures, no matter how many times he fails, he never completely gives up hope and he NEVER lets this cruel, alien world we live in destroy him.Also, unlike Dostoevsky, Hamsun is able to endure it all and still keep his sense of humor in tact (ala Buke, Fante, Toole, etal...)This is what truly makes him unique in my opinion!Where as writers such as Dostoevsky, Kafka and Camus lament about it all, Hamsum is able to mix into his very dark, often times disturbing novel, quite a bit of humor.In fact, many times he uses humor as a way to protect what little dignity he had left while living the life of a starving artist.And thank God for the humor, because I don't think most of us could have made it passed the second part (the novel is divided up in four parts total) without it.In fact, there were many times in this somber novel in which Hamsun had me laughing out loud hysterically, particularly in last part of the book.I guess it is true what they say, laughter is the best medicine.Now speaking of medicine, those of you out there who are hungering for a great classic novel to read, well... hunger no more.This is it!

It is a wonderful work of art!
... Read more

Amazon.com
The main character, like the title says, is a mysterious guy. Nagel arrives in a Norwegian town with plenty of money and goodwill, and though kind of an eccentric, seems to start to fit in with the local crowd. But it's almost as if Nagel only just landed on Earth, and while he wishes to live correctly, has no idea how to do it. Published at the end of the last century, Mysteries is an existentialist novel, very strange, often very funny, often sad and largely asking the question, "Why live?"Book Description
Mysteries (1892) is the story of Johan Nilsen Nagel, a mysterious stranger who suddenly turns up in a small Norwegian town one summer-and just as suddenly disappears. Nagel is a complete outsider, a sort of modern Christ treated in a spirit of near parody. He condemns the politics and thought of the age, brings comfort to the insulted and injured and gains the love of two women suggestive of the biblical Mary and Martha. But there is a sinister side of him: in his vest he carries a vial of Prussic acid. The novel creates a powerful sense of Nagel's stream of thought, as he increasingly withdraws into the torture chamber of his own subconscious psyche. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

What's it all about?(Love)
The existential nightmare par excellence of unrequited love.

This is the third book of Hamsun's I've read at this point - Growth of the Soil and Hunger being the other two - and I'd say, probably the best of these.It is an obvious offshoot of Hunger in that it deals with one man's existential crisis, and contains a slight amount of foreshadowing for the pastoral ideals attempted in Growth of the Soil.Like Hunger, Mysteries depicts a man at wits end, alienated and starving for fulfillment in a crass and forsaken world.Johan Nilsson Nagel randomly decides to take up residence in a small Norwegian village and involve himself in its social life.In fact, he falls in love ("obsesses over" might be more accurate) with two different women and befriends the village idiot, Miniman, about whom he is curious as though he were his own doppelganger.Nagel is living off an inheritance and could care less about money, which he gladly attempts to dispense with in every bar, shop and encounter with his newfound subjects.There's really not much plot to speak of and that's part of the "mystery" of it all:Where did he come from?Why is he here?What's he doing?It is a testament to Hamsun's success in this mostself-reflecting and self-conscious of novels that you'll be looking around yourself and over your own shoulders asking these same questions and reflecting as to whether Nagel's increasingly paranoid delusions and wild dreams are his, or your own.Quite disturbing!

On the whole, Nagel is a philanthropic and philosophical man who seeks to do good, but whose deeds are largely unaccepted, much like Christ.His simple wish is to have "a mission in the world", but failing this basic requirement, he seeks to somehow achieve something "that would scandalize the carnivores" of the world (p.228).A vial of Prussic acid hangs around his neck and its clear from his nightly wanderings through the local forest that these are his only compensations for an otherwise spiritless existence.As we and the villagers come to know him his conversations grow stranger and stranger and yet they are full of strange paradoxes and premonitions.Whereas in Hunger Hamsun focused almost exclusively on one man's internal battles with starvation, with Mysteries we get a more rounded depiction of a man living from contingency to contingency.Hamsun largely does away with the literary conventions of his day, and ours, and by doing so has divided critical opinions about the success of this novel.Following Nagel's meanderings through town, in the forest, and in his own psyche is often uncomfortable and even a little frightening; a bit like watching a train-wreck in slow-motion, but always compelling and stimulating.On the whole, this is a fascinating and refreshing novel with many potential ideas for modern novelists.

This 2001 Penguin edition contains an informative introduction by the translator, Sverre Lyngstad, a comparative literature professor from Norway who is somewhat of an expert on Knut Hamsun.There are both textual and explanatory notes as well as suggestions for further reading (not to mention a great Edvard Munch woodcut on the cover!) making this paperback the sine qua non of Mysteries.Go crazy!! ("To be well adjusted to a sick society is no sign of good health").

Wow. An absolute masterpiece....
I honestly do not know exactly what to say about this novel, other thanthank God I managed to stumble upon it one day in my grandfather's collection.

I just finished it several minutes ago and it was one of the most fascinating, thought provoking, and mesmorizing books I have ever read.The manic main character is easily one of my favorite characters found in any book or movie (or in real life). His rambling yet calculated monologues never cease to amaze me in what direction they end up taking the reader and the audience in the book.His inner monologues are so intense in their portrayel of a very highly intelligent human mind alternating between exuberance and utter despair.Frankly, I am in awe that anyone could write a novel like this without having gone over the edge from genius to madness and back again.

I must admit many of the books "mysteries" remain very much unclear to me, though obviously the ending (the last page) hit me like a smack in the face---I thought better of the particular character of whom much is revealed. I, after the novel sinks in a little bit, plan on rereading it and trying to decipher more out of it.There is much in the book that I thought was just stream of consciousness that turns out to mean a lot more than random thoughts.

The lack of a plot, or a plot in the traditional sense, allows this novel to take you where it does.Hunger is good, but this is far better in my amatuerish opinion.

Beware, this is not a book for some light reading.Very few of my friends would like this book, unfortunately, as they would rather watch sportscenter reruns or read dime a dozen books like the Da Vinci code....

Once again I am brought back to Hamsun....I cannot wait to read those of his works that I have yet to see. His work is completely different than any others I have read.

If only I can go back and read this book for the first time again. But I am confidant I will end up reading it numerous times before my days are done.

A peculiar book from the hands of Norway's biggest author
The book is about a young man; Johan Nagel Nilsen, that for reasons unknown, steps off the boat that is in the harbour of a small and sleepy Southern-Norwegian town. In the course of a few weeks, this man sporting a totally yellow suit manages to turn everything around in the small community, with the help of his surreal ideas, his money and the help of an evil midget. The book is quite typical of Hamsun's earlier work, with surreal situations and peculiar conversations. Mr. Nilsen is extremely bi-polar, going from the blackest of moods to the highest peaks of joy, and this drives the novel onwards. It's a real page-turner, because you always want to know a little more of what is actually going on. (Not that I felt I learned very much at all, but it does reveal parts of the "mystery" in the end.) I'm not going to say much more about the book, since I don't want to ruin the "surprises". The book is very existentialist, and a fine piece of Norwegian literature. I loved the book, and the fact that it's written by a "right-wing" anti-modern conservative, makes it even better. Hamsun got the Nobel Prize for his later work "The growth of the soil", but this is not too far from that book in quality. Just great!

(I read another edition of the book)

Strange...
This is the first novel I've read by Hamsun. I came upon it by accident, having read a chapter aloud for recording purposes. Intrigued, I took it home and read it. I'm still not entirely sure what I've read here. Nagel was so strange and out of his element just being in the world, it was difficult for me figure out what Hamsun was trying to do. If that was his entire point, well, he got that across. Some of the dialogue and discussions among characters were profoundly interesting and entertaining, and even though I didn't quite get Nagel, he definitely held my interest. He was frequently quite frustrating to me, though. I've read elsewhere that Nagel is a "Christ figure" done almost to the point of parody. I think that's a bit much. Any work is better if you can understand it in its original language, so maybe some of my disconnect with this text has to do with its translation, but I don't see the genius that others have ascribed to this author. If I run across it, I'll pick up Growth of the Soil to see if that resonates with me, but this one didn't leave me with a burning desire to read more of Hamsun. Just a lingering, wondering why...

Hamsun's Greatest Novel!
With 'Mysteries', Hamsun succeeded at creating one of modern literature's most interesting and dynamic main characters (Nagel).
Arguably, this novel's ability to captivate, stun, and thoroughly astound the reader is even greater than in Hamsun's more famous work, 'Hunger'.One can read and re-read this book and develop dozens of various theories as to why Nagel does what he does, who he is, where he has come from and so forth.This is where lies the magic of the novel.Like the main character in 'The Castle' by Franz Kafka, or 'Crepuscule' by Roman Payne, the main character in Hamsun's novel has appeared in a community and all clues given to suggest his personality and origins only make the reader wonder more.It is a well known fact among Nobel Prize winning authors that readers fall in love with characters like him, those who escape definition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Apollo versus Marsyas in Knut Hamsun's Pan
There is little to add to Mr. McMahon's astonishing review of this novel. However, I think there's a worthwhile point to make on the symbolism here. The character Lt. Glahn is Pan, a symbolic equivalent of the satyr Marsyas. In Greek mythology, the god Apollo skins Marsyas alive after beating him in a music competition. In Hamsun's book, the wealthy merchant Mr. Mack functions as Glahn's nemesis, as Apollo, and torments him in various ways throughout the book (won't spoil too much as this is Amazon.com.)

However, in this angle on the myth, the Apollonian vs. Marsyan/Dionysian, the satyr bites back, hurting Mr. Mack and his daughter Edvarda (Glahn's lover) with various schemings. Although though Glahn suffers the greater helping of the grief, it calls into question how much those who live by logic/Apollonian standards suffer due to their oversight and brutal intolerance of the emotional, spontaneous forces which Glahn/Pan has mastered. In other words, if goat-men were so inconsequential, why would sun-gods have to torture them? Thou dost protest too much, Apollo, and I wonder if the punishment is disproportionate to the goat man's crime.

A splendid glimpse of Norwegian nature and culture in the late 1800's
The book is about lieutenant Glahn that spends a summer in a hunting-cabin in Northern-Norway, living off what he can hunt and generally enjoying nature. He becomes something of a typical Germanic man, at ease in nature, but feeling estranged by the meaninglessness of the modern "West". The descriptions of the nature in coastal Northern-Norway in summertime are quite famous and magnificent. He takes long strolls with his dog, and sleeps out in the wild when he feels like it. He is slowly dragged into the local bourgeois life of the tiny town nearby, and falls in love with the lovely Kielland. The book then takes many strange twists and turns, and I won't reveal much of it. The book is one of his very best, and therefore naturally some of the best literature of Norway. The fact that it's written by one of the few Scandinavian "right-wing" anti-modern conservatives makes it even more of a classic. I don't think you'll find anyone that has read Hamsun that will disagree when I say that this is one of his 5 best books. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

and what is human nature? the wild? the cultured?
Pan begins as a nature story - detailed, lush, knowledgeable descriptions of nature, of living a solitary existence, of feeding off the forest and sea.Phrases such as "there was a sweet sulphurous smell from the old leaves rotting in the woods" lull the reader into an expectation of a pastoral romance novel.This is anything but.It is, rather, an exploration of the relationship of the solitary Lt. Glahn with two women in particular and society in general.Lt. Glahn is socially inept and impulsive.The two women? One is servile and unavailable; the other, more interested in the power of the chase than the capture.The resulting story is an intriguing study of human emotions, of motivation and of the honesty of self-revelation.An excellent book by an excellent author.

Hamsun Skewers Noble Savage Myth
Pan is a short, terse, novel about a reclusive "wild" man, Lieutenant Thomas Glahn, gifted with sexual charisma who idealizes nature and himself but is blind to his arrested development, his cruelty, and his enslavement to his own compulsive actions, which, as the novel progresses, have tragic consequences. By showing the disparity between Glahn's perception of himself, which is rather romantic and lofty, with the "other" Glahn, the uncouth, abrasive one who clashes with other people, Knut Hamsun succeeds in writing an ambiguous, mysterious fable about the conflict between solitude and civilization, and how the "self" cannot be defined in its isolated state.

For an updated theme of the man being taken over by his inner beast, check out James Lasdun's modern masterpiece The Horned Man.

Bronte Meets Woolf And It Works Well
I sat up all night, reading the whole story.This tale about a lonely, self-destructiveman in Norway, who happens to meet a young girl andstarts to love her, looks like "Wuthering Heights" written byVirginia Woolf.Introspective, but not too much "stream ofconsciousness" that might make you bored.Basically a lovestory and tradegy, it is an absorbing story; sometimes veryviolent, but surely it touches the innermost recess of mostunaccountable aspects of humans'

heart: passion of love and hate.Still, beware; sometimes its violence sounds like "Takeshi"films and sexual nuance is always there, though much less thanDH Lawrence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

ENIGIMA
I think that it is a very well written biography book of Knut Hamsun. It dipicts and well studied how Hamsun's own experiences relate to his works. Anyone who loves Hamsun's works must read this book. I am very sure that you will enjoy reading it and will understand Hamsun's attitude towards his works deeply. This book is highly recomended his admires who have read Hamsun's majore books, but not a novice I guess.

not hungry
I wanted the writing here to be as great as Knut Hamsun's own Hunger--and of course, it simply can't be. I'm not at all sure that it's Ferguson's fault. I wanted to know what Hamsun's mindset was at the time of struggling through his masterpieces like Hunger and Pan and Victoria, I wanted to be able to get inside the great writer's mind...and it just can't be, because the author of this bio wasn't there. If you want psychological insights and great writing you must go to the source: Hamsun's own novels. Yes, you'll getdates and details here in Enigma, but that does not make for interesting and/or engaging reading. I was disappointed. The gifted, self-taught Knut Hamsun remains a favorite, though. One of the giants.

Put 2 And 2 Together People: Read This Book!
i bought this book. i read this book. i lost this book on a bus in one city. i saw someone reading this book in a different city months later. we discussed knut hamsun for 5ive hours. in another city i bought this book again. who among us could read hunger, pan, mysteries, victoria, dreamersand under the autumn star without wanting to know all we can about theauthor? this is as natural as stubbing your toe. if reading the aforementioned books doesnt make you want to know everything about knut hamsun,you are defective. this should be against the law. like not dying of thirstwhen you refuse to drink water.

they call this book ENIGMA people. figureit out. they call it that because knut hamsun was an extremely intrestingperson composed of complex contradictions. and this book also gives asynopsis of every major work hamsun ever produced. something like thatcould very well be termed invaluable, couldnt it? it also is packed full ofanecdotes from hamsuns life. but then again, what did you expect?

didyou know that he was a nazi sympathiser? did you know that he found afingernail in a graveyard when he was a child and was consequentlytormented by a ghost for some time?

oh yeah, if you were worried aboutwhether its "well written" or not, i can assure you that it is.but maybe ive presumed too much. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A short story from a decadent village along the coast of Northern-Norway
This is definitively one of Hamsun's minor works. It's a short read, merely an hour or so of reading, and nothing that will linger in the annals of literature. The book centres on a certain Rolandsen, a charlatan and a drunkard. He tries to seduce just about every girl on the island they live on. The milieu is that of Northern-Norway around late 1800's, from what I can deduce. Nothing great or horribly bad about this tale. It's an okay, but decadent tale from the hands of Norway's greatest author, but feel free to skip it unless you are extremely interested in Hamsun's minor works.

(I read a different edition)

SMALL VILLAGE CASANOVA TRIUMPHS
Ove Rolandson is what a modern audience would call a "playa". He goes around flirting with the factory girls, is the sire of a couple of illegitimate children, proposed to Elise Mack, the daughter of the local fish glue magnate, and become engaged to Olga, the sexton's daughter. And he also has an eye on the new curate's wife. As you can see, he has a lot on his plate. He's not quite the smooth operator that he wishes to be though. While working at the telegraph station and getting drunk and picking up chicks seems to be his only pasttimes, he harbors a secret desire to be an inventor and an entrepreneur. He is secretly experimenting on different methods of extracting fish glue from parts that others see as useless, that, if he can get them patented, could make him a competitor of Trader Mack, the boss of the town.

Dreamers is lighter novel than Hamsun usually writes. It's basically a comic work. We have almost-murders, almost-affairs, almost-dirty dealings, but nothing ever brings the book down into the realm of "heavy" literature. It almost feels like a Shakespearean comedy such as Much Ado About Nothing. Nobody gets hurt in the end. At bottom, most of the characters here have a core of goodness that never lets the plot degenerate into tragedy.

This was a good light read. For an example of more intense works by Hamsun, I would check out "Hunger" and "Pan", the latter novel showing how the same elements we find in "Dreamers" can be melded into something more primal and powerful. I would also recommend Shakespeare's comedies such as "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Love's Labor's Lost". Also, check out "Harvest" by Jean Giono for a similar take on a pastoral subject with more intensity.

A delightful, humorous well-crafted novel
Hamsun is an author everyone should read - his clear and precise language, his ability to pick details that build fully human characters, and his wicked sense of humor all make for reading at its best.

In this novel, a young but ambitious telegraph operator who is a womanizing drunk as well as a clever inventor seeks capital to make his dreams of better, cheaper fish-glue with dye as a byproduct.Along the way one meets the fiancee he can't get rid of, a curate with a hell-fire-brimstone manner and a wife who is spoiled and childish, lay-helpers with hidden hatreds ... a whole village of believable characters acting in very human ways.

This is not a deep, philosophical novel but through the characters' actions there is a sense of hopefulness that overpowers the foibles.

Optimistic
What a delight this little book is! And to think that I expected Hamsun to be either experimental, or to have a heavy writing style so common among classic writers... Snip: (...).

A Hamsun gem of a romantic tale in new translation.
Dreamers is another wonderful non-romantic romance involving ordinary people in a small Norweigen village from the master of the genre, Knut Hamsun. However, this new translation is a great dissapointment to me afterreading the 1920's Alfred A Knopf edition. Much of the colour & humorare lost in this edition. I would strongly suggest using Amazon's used booksearch & auctions to find the out of print Alfred A Knopf version as itis a far superior translation to this edition that will bring many moresmiles and laughs to the reader. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
When it first appeared in 1898, this fourth novel by celebrated Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun captured instant acclaim for its poetic, psychologically intense portrayal of love’s predicament in a class-bound society. Set in a coastal village of late nineteenth- century Norway, Victoria follows two doomed lovers through their thwarted lifelong romance. Johannes, the son of a miller, finds inspiration for his writing in his passionate devotion to Victoria, an impoverished aristocrat constrained by family loyalty. Separated by class barriers and social pressure, the fated pair parts ways, only to realize—too late—the grave misfortune of their lost opportunity. Elegantly rendered in this brand-new translation by Sverre Lyngstad, Victoria’s haunting lyricism and emotional depth remain as timeless as ever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This novella would make a great movie!
It won't take the reader long to quickly breeze through this touching, tantalizing and tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers - Johannes and Victoria.However once you are through with this novella, odds are you will never forget it.I certainly will carry it's vision with me forever, for it's truly unforgettable.Johannes is the relatively poor son of a miller who secretely pines for the beautiful Victoria, daughter of the lord of the castle (who also holds her admirer, covertly close to her heart).Like many heartbreaking love stories throughout history, the two young lovers are forever separated by their social status, along with quite a lot of bad luck to boot.Hamsun was a man who seemed to find the sublime in sorrow and sadness:"Asked what love is, some reply:It is only a wind whispering among the roses and dying away."This is undoubtedly one of his finest works and by far, his greatest love story.

The real tragedy though, is Hamsun himself.Perhaps the greatest Norweigan writer next to Ibsen that ever lived, most of his great work will forever be tainted by the author's tragic mistake of being a Nazi sympathizer (he wrote an obituary for Hitler in which he referred to him as "a warrior for mankind").However, as deplorable as his misguided beliefs were, there is no denying the profound elegance of his prose.

Hamsun's terse, unpretentious style of writing has influenced countless other greats from Hemingway to Bukowski and it's just a shame that his conservative beliefs and his allegiance to Adolph will forever mar his magnificent works.It's very difficult to believe, that someone who wrote such sensitive, stirring stories such as this one, could have even remotely advocated such atrocities.Again, we have no idea what kind of propaganda he was being fed at the time while living in the German occupied Norway during WWII.Regardless, he is a writer that deserves more attention than he gets here in the U.S.How many Noble Prize winning authors (he was awarded it in 1920) are lesser known than him?Not many.

This is a beautiful love story, but a definite tear-jerker as well. As I referred to in my title, I don't understand why Hollywood hasn't made a movie based on this story yet, especially with all of the recycled garbage it continues to put out.Definitely a worthy read!

The most beautiful European love-story ever?
This is probably Knut Hamsun's' masterpiece when it comes to love stories, and possibly one of Europe's most beautiful love stories. The book is about the son of the old miller, and the daughter of the local "nobleman", the owner of the "Castle". From they are very small and all the way up until the very end he loves her. The parts where they are in the cave and on the island are so beautiful and melancholic. But he being the miller's son, and her being part of the "upper-class", the love is an impossible one. Various circumstances increase the distance between them, and the impossibility of their love, but I won't reveal much. The story is just so beautiful and sad, that it should be required reading for all.

Then comes the fun part, the author; Knut Hamsun, probably Norway's greatest author of all time, was a die-hard "right-wing" anti-modern conservative. This is quite amusing, because all the liberal and anti-European readers just can't wrap their mind around the fact that a person that wrote such beautiful prose was so "abhorrent" in their twisted view. One of his 5 best books and one whose story you'll carry with you forever. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

A classic and simple tale of love
This book has been one of my all time favorites that I read over and over. I'm no scholar, but the love letter Victoria writes at the end is the most inspiring I have ever read. It brings me to tears every time! It is a short easy to read book. It is so beautifully written. I recommend it to anyone who wants to really feel both heartache and true love. It will make you FEEL deeply. I love this book!

"You don't get the woman you should have."
Written in 1898, this carefully constructed psychological study reads almost like a fable, the protagonist viewing the world through the distance of the unattainable. Johannes watches as the young people visit the local manor, which he calls the Castle, their fairy tale lives as distant as the stars, the beautiful, pampered children of wealth, frolicking on the Norway coast. At fourteen, Johannes covetously watches Victoria, in awe of her beauty, although she is only ten-years old. Son of the mill owner, he is frequently asked to row the youngsters to the Castle or on their adventures, but they treat him differently, like a servant, someone to do their bidding but not to be included. A dreamer, Johannes begins to create the poetry that will define his youth, inspired by Victoria and his secret yearning for her affection.

As the years pass and they mature, Victoria is not immune to Johannes' charms and frequently indulges in repartee, flirting with him, encouraging the love she knows is blossoming; she knows this romance can never come to fruition, given the vast differences in their backgrounds and social status. Johannes nurtures his secret love, writing to assuage the pain, soon leaving home. Abroad, he writes volumes of poetry and a number of novels of some renown, his work flowing from a broken heart. Victoria remains practical, though when she sees Johannes after he returns, she is surprised to find the attraction retains its power. Victoria struggles with family obligations, and, as time passes, becomes engaged to a man of means, although unable to resist her attachment to Johannes. Now a man of the world, Johannes is less constrained than in his youth, hoping that Victoria will at last entertain his affections. Her response is ambiguous, as she spins in and out of his reach.

In a unique "sequence of episodes", reality is followed by a replication of the same incidents in Johannes imagination, scenes repeating themselves, Victoria pushing and pulling Johannes in a private tug-of-war. Regardless of time or unfolding events, Johannes remains Victoria's prisoner, acting out their drama over and over without resolution. The erotic impulse is governed by psychological constraints, the beloved never escaping from the imagination, the wanting more powerful than the deed could ever be. To the end, Johannes' passion for Victoria gives birth to his talent, his inspiration inextricable from the source of his yearning, the unavailability of his muse a catalyst through the years, a perpetual source of unfulfilled adoration. Pure Victoriana, the idealized love of the unattainable maiden is the crux of this novel, Victoria's impulsive declarations of love quickly retracted in fear of compromise and failure to provide for her family. Johannes exists in his fantasy world, destined to dance forever on the edge of unrequited romance, the lover always out of reach, informing his prolific work. Luan Gaines/ 2005. ... Read more

Book Description

First published one hundred years ago, and now translated into English for the first time by noted Norwegian scholar Sverre Lyngstad, In Wonderland is a diaristic account of a trip Hamsun took to Russia at the turn of the century. This detailed travelogue is a rich and loving portrait of the people and culture of Russia, and is filled with the trademark style and keen observations of the author of such classics as Hunger, Mysteries, and Growth of the Soil.

In Wonderland is unlike any other book written by Hamsun, and offers not only an intimate glimpse into the mind of the Nobel Prize winning author at his unguarded best, but a rare view into a Russia that would soon vanish in the fire of revolution.

Customer Reviews (5)

Beyond a Travel Book
I have read a number of books by Knut Hamsun who is certainly an interesting writer.Recently I read several accounts of his travels in America where he freely expressed his opinions of the USA and various aspects of its' culture circa the 1880's.He has a keen sense of observation and a unique perspective of his fellow man.This is true in his book "In Wonderland" where he details an account of his travels in Russia just before the turn of the previous century.He details a lot of interesting observations from food to ethnic groups to travel accommodations.It comes across as a very interesting trip (with his "companion") and an interesting look at a world that has changed greatly since his visit.That look at a world that no longer exists is the real greatness of "In Wonderland".

Hansun was a gregarious individual with freely expressed opinions that will (or, at least, SHOULD) ruffle some feathers.His disdainful comments about Jews keep popping up.However, looking past that you'll find he is disdainful of others as well.The bedbugs kept me from wishing I was along for the ride but I was able to appreciate the scenery nonetheless thanks to Hamsun's candid literary skills.

An excellent view of both Hamsun and Imperial Russia
This is a travel journal of Knut Hamsun and his first wife from their trip to the Caucasus. The book begins in St. Petersburg, and details their journey by both train and horse-carriage towards Asia and Persia. The book captivated me totally, and I felt I saw the world of a hundred years ago through the words of Hamsun. As in all his books, he includes surrealistic episodes and warm humour from his small encounters with various characters and situations. He made me laugh several times, and it was wonderful to read about the different cultures and races he meets. He has a unique Germanic Norwegian view of things, and it's very interesting to follow his train of thought around what he witnesses. It's also a bit more of a political book than his other early novels, but I enjoyed that. As one of the few "right-wing" anti-modern conservative Norwegian authors, for once this fact really shines through in the text. I enjoyed his various racial descriptions, and for once his anti-Zionism is open. It's strange to think about that a famous author only 100 years ago could write so openly about this issue, compared to today's censured intellectual climate. A lovely light read, that makes you get to know Hamsun as a person even better. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

Ignore the previous review
This means you, "Gill Doyle". You are an idiot.

Hamsun's "In Wonderland" is not an anti-Semetic diatribe. The tired old charge of Hamsun's "collaborationism" during WWII has been discussed to death and has been proven to be a red herring. Drop it, please.

Nothing to add, review wise. It's a damned fine read, although something of an afterthought in the Hamsun canon. Be sure to read the more famous works, and come back to this as a completist, if thou art so inclined.

Hamsun's anti-Semitism
The publisher calls this a "loving portrait of the people and culture of Russia."Hamsun's anti-Semitism, though, leaves a bad taste in the mouth.It is more evident here than in any of his other writings.

I'll give a few examples.I translate directly from my own Norwegian edition of the book:

"Two Jewish ladies, apparently mother and daughter, complain to the waiter that their napkins are not clean.Other napkins are brought to them on a plate, but neither do these seem clean to them, and they must have new napkins for a third time.Then they wipe glass, knife, and fork before they use them.Their fingers are fat and dark, covered with jeweled rings.Then they eat.They are obviously very rich, and they sit and act so fine with their thick fingers.When they've eaten, they demand water bowls and wash their hands.It is as though they do this every day at home when they eat with their Abraham or Nathan.Then each takes her toothpick and cleans her teeth with it, while she covers the toothpick with her other hand as she has no doubt seen other fine folk in Batum do."

"I thank the officer.He's a fat, slightly older man with strangely foppish manners.He speaks many languages loudly and boldly, but incorrectly.His face is unpleasant, Jewish [ubehageligt, jødisk]."

"One hears singing from the Armenian Jews farther back in the car.It's a really fat old Jew [en rigtig fed gammel Jøde] and that fat eunuch who are singing a kind of call and response song.The unseemly behavior goes on forever, for two hours.Now and then they both laugh at what they've sung, then begin again with their monotonous song.The eunuch's voice is more a bird's than a person's voice."

"He was a swindler, a Jew who tried to blackmail me."

"A Jew can swindle ten Greeks."

Lyngstad's translation is fine.He doesn't hide anything.All of the passages that I've translated here appear in Lyngstad's translation.Perhaps he softens Hamsun's ugly racism here and there.Take Hamsun's description of the Jewish ladies at table.Hamsun wrote:

"De sidder og bærer sig saa fint ad med deres tykke Fingre."

Lyngstad translates this:

"They use their thick fingers so daintily."

My translation is closer to the original and suggests, as I think Hamsun meant to suggest, that these women are not at all fine.They are merely aping their betters.

It's interesting that Hamsun describes in this book his encounter with a Jewish peddler who attempts to sell him a cheap and useless watch that has one special feature that makes it valuable -- "there is a highly obscene picture in there.The picture seems to amuse him.He lays his head to one side and looks at it."I find the incident interesting because Hamsun resurrects the Jewish peddler of cheap watches ("klokkejøden" -- really a swindler) in Landstrykkere (Vagabonds), one of his better novels.

This book (In Wonderland) should be of interest primarily to Hamsun enthusiasts who may not know about the writer's anti-Semitism.In his preface, editor Lyngstad acknowledges "the prejudiced and reactionary attitudes displayed in certain passages of the book."He points to Hamsun's "racial and other slurs on Jews."One has to take Hamsun as he is.Those interested in Hamsun as a stylist would be better off reading the novels -- Pan, in particular.Those interested in the Caucasus can no doubt find better books on the subject.Those interested in Hamsun as flawed human being should read this book.

Another Hamsun Classic
Hamsun writes of his travels through Russia, or more accurately the Caucus region.Hamsun as always combines his sharp perceptual powers with honesty and humor.I was surprised how favorably Hamsun wrote of the mountain people, both Muslims and Christians.He seemed taken with the landscape and the way these people dealt with the harshness of life in this area, their fitness and fatalism.Along the way, Hamsun encounters conmen, police, armed villagers, beggars, oil drillers, peasants and nobles.

This is especially interesting reading given the importance this region now has geopolitically.Altogether, a fascinating bit of travel writing, worthwhile for Hamsun lovers and anyone looking for an easy adventure travel read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A highly overrated book from the Master himself
Before I started reading this book, I had quite high expectations, considering the level of fame and fuzz this book has caused in Norway. I was quickly disappointed. The main-character of the book, Benoni Hartvigsen (later on, it changes to "Hartwich", once he becomes delusional enough) is extremely annoying and megalomaniac. He is just a postal-worker and fisherman in the small fishing-village of Northern Norway where the setting is, at first. Then, after a random happening involving a Sami, the priest's daughter Rosa and rumours, he's suddenly elevated to a big-shot in the village. His luck goes up and down, and he is taken under the wings of the shopkeeper and mini-king Mister Mack. From there on his rise in the village is ever increasing, but along with it, his extreme tendency to annoy the reader. I won't reveal much more of the book, since I believe its better you read it, if so inclined. The book is very decadent, with infidelity and promiscuity going rampant throughout.

I can't say I really enjoyed the book, and I don't see what all the fuzz was about. It's the first of a twin-book, the second part being "Rosa". It's quite meaningless to read just one of them, but if you want to read good Hamsun-books, then just avoid both of them, since you won't be missing anything great. All in all, one of the books from our anti-liberal "right-wing" conservative author, that you can safely leave out.

(I read a different edition) ... Read more

Book Description
Powerful personal narratives by the renowned author of Living Up the Street. These small essays are not unlike Dutch paintings of the sixteenth century. They are clear and precisely rendered, and are either thematically domestic scenes or pedestrian in their observations of the ordinary. There is a delirious joy in Soto's writings, and heartbreak. This collection features his much-lauded essays "The Jacket" and "Like Mexicans," along with new essays such as "Childhood Worries, or Why I Became a Writer," "Getting It Done," and the title essay in which Soto fashions himself to be Fresno's own Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian writer of the 1920s who lived on nothing more than his five senses. Poet and critic Christopher Buckley said of his poetry, "[Soto has] mastered his form, has found his voice, and has the life experiences to provide meaningful content." He could have been speaking of his prose as well. Soto is at home with the essay; he is able to paint moments that would otherwise seem dull and not worthy of comment. He picks up hitchhikers, sorts through the mystery of finding a wife, and pulls together his wits to solve the hunger of stray dogs. He is tender and outrageous; he is reflective on worldly matters and cagey with his family and friends. In all, his dazzling effects of language will keep the reader continually surprised. These portraits are set in his hometown, Fresno, and in his current residence, the San Francisco Bay area. They therefore mark his time and place, but honor the instincts of the master Knut Hamsun, who walked around his town, a spectacle of wonder. This volume includes forty-eight pieces: all of the personal narratives formerly collected in Small Faces, the best of Lesser Evils--both volumes long out-of-print--as well as five new essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is writing
If you missed Gary Soto's short stories the first time around, here's your chance to enjoy a great collection of his older pieces along with some new ones. While Soto makes it look easy, his series of generally two- to three-page recollections are a primer on how to see the things people walk past, overlook or forget, the things right in front of you. From stories pulled straight from his childhood in Fresno and reflections on growing up to the present, Soto's gift is evoking what he's seen and felt and combining it all in honest, vivid prose. In The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy you will find writing that is sad, funny and sadly funny. It contains insights that are both personal and universal. Soto is not only a teriffic "Chicano writer," but, a teriffic writer without any categorical qualifier.

A smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues
Essayist and poet Soto provides a series of sketches and vignettes In The Effects Of Knut Hamsun On A Fresno Boy which includes the contents of two previous works in addition to five recent essays published in different journals. The result is a smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues, growing up in California, and moments of Soto's Latino youth. ... Read more

Book Description
Powerful personal narratives by the renowned author of Living Up the Street. These small essays are not unlike Dutch paintings of the sixteenth century. They are clear and precisely rendered, and are either thematically domestic scenes or pedestrian in their observations of the ordinary. There is a delirious joy in Soto's writings, and heartbreak. This collection features his much-lauded essays "The Jacket" and "Like Mexicans," along with new essays such as "Childhood Worries, or Why I Became a Writer," "Getting It Done," and the title essay in which Soto fashions himself to be Fresno's own Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian writer of the 1920s who lived on nothing more than his five senses. Poet and critic Christopher Buckley said of his poetry, "[Soto has] mastered his form, has found his voice, and has the life experiences to provide meaningful content." He could have been speaking of his prose as well. Soto is at home with the essay; he is able to paint moments that would otherwise seem dull and not worthy of comment. He picks up hitchhikers, sorts through the mystery of finding a wife, and pulls together his wits to solve the hunger of stray dogs. He is tender and outrageous; he is reflective on worldly matters and cagey with his family and friends. In all, his dazzling effects of language will keep the reader continually surprised. These portraits are set in his hometown, Fresno, and in his current residence, the San Francisco Bay area. They therefore mark his time and place, but honor the instincts of the master Knut Hamsun, who walked around his town, a spectacle of wonder. This volume includes forty-eight pieces: all of the personal narratives formerly collected in Small Faces, the best of Lesser Evils--both volumes long out-of-print--as well as five new essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is writing
If you missed Gary Soto's short stories the first time around, here's your chance to enjoy a great collection of his older pieces along with some new ones. While Soto makes it look easy, his series of generally two- to three-page recollections are a primer on how to see the things people walk past, overlook or forget, the things right in front of you. From stories pulled straight from his childhood in Fresno and reflections on growing up to the present, Soto's gift is evoking what he's seen and felt and combining it all in honest, vivid prose. In The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy you will find writing that is sad, funny and sadly funny. It contains insights that are both personal and universal. Soto is not only a teriffic "Chicano writer," but, a teriffic writer without any categorical qualifier.

A smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues
Essayist and poet Soto provides a series of sketches and vignettes In The Effects Of Knut Hamsun On A Fresno Boy which includes the contents of two previous works in addition to five recent essays published in different journals. The result is a smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues, growing up in California, and moments of Soto's Latino youth. ... Read more

Book Description
The epic novel of man and nature that won its author the Nobel Prize in Literature—the first new English translation since the novel’s original publication ninety years ago

When it was first published in 1917, Growth of the Soil was immediately recognized as a masterpiece. Ninety years later it remains a transporting literary experience. In the story of Isak, who leaves his village to clear a homestead and raise a family amid the untilled tracts of the Norwegian back country, Knut Hamsun evokes the elemental bond between humans and the land. Newly translated by the acclaimed Hamsun scholar Sverre Lyngstad, Hamsun’s novel is a work of preternatural calm, stern beauty, and biblical power—and the crowning achievement of one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.Download Description
Now, if Isak had wanted to show his displeasure with Oline and maybe thrash her for her doings, here was his chance--a Heaven-sent chance to do that thing. They were alone in the house; the children had gone after the men when they went. Isak stood there in the middle of the room, and Oline was sitting by the stove. Isak cleared his throat once or twice, just to show that he was ready to say something if he pleased. But he said nothing. That was his strength of soul. What, did he not know the number of his goats as he knew the fingers on his hands--was the woman mad? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Possibly the best book you will ever read!
Reading this book was one of the healthiest experiences of my life.Knut Hamsun's prose is poetically calming and simplistic.As if told from the perspective of the soil itself, this existential tale unfolds step by step as it bestows wisdom and common sense.You see how the accumulation of smaller actions yields great things.

Finding Norway
I don't remember where exactly I first stumbled upon Knut Hamsun. What I do know is that after delving into his work, he is, without a doubt, one of my favorite writers. GROWTH OF THE SOIL was the first of his books that I read, and I haven't stopped thinking about it. Admittedly, it probably would have been a pretty interesting journey had I started with HUNGER and worked my way through the rest of his books chronologically, but I have no regrets. GROWTH OF THE SOIL, with its simple and brilliantly nuanced prose, affected me within the first few pages. In fact, the coming of a lone character, Isak, on the first page to the land that will eventually grow and become a community, is one of the best opening passages of any novel I have ever read. In a world where people increasingly forget the value of nature and producing the things one owns and treasures, GROWTH OF THE SOIL, is a wonderful reminder of how beautiful it is to go out and create with one's own hands.

Why don't we know about this?
I found this book walking up and down the aisles of my library. (My husband was watching the baby and I took a mini-vacation perusing the stacks. Yippee!) The book looked old and caught my eye.I'll admit I had a fairly strong feeling I had happened upon something really good.I didn't know it was going to be one of the best books I've ever read in my life.Now I'm a bit perturbed - why didn't I know about this book?I'm a well-read literature graduate from a good private school...hum...
I hope there's lots, lots more like this!

Here's a juicy one for you: While reading The Good Earth, I was obviously irked when Wang Lung showed despite toward his wife.But I was possibly thinking, "Typical ungrateful man..."somewhere in the back of my mind?Because when Inger pulls the same crap my blood was boiling - she should KNOW better!Certainly pushed some different buttons for me.

What did he see in the woods?

Nature yields to a stubborn Scandanavian
Hamsun's reissued classic has new lessons for the 21st century ecologically-literate reader.The primary themes of unrelenting manual labor, and self-sufficiency overlay a seemingly innate wisdom of Nature's protocols in a harsh land, which gives grudgingly and takes wantonly.

Beautiful Novel, Odious Novelist
This book should be exhibit 1 in any discussion of the difficult task of separating the work of art from the artist.

It's a beautiful novel, one of the most quietly moving novels I've ever read, written with a direct and spare style and full of incredible insight into humanity. Hamsun reminds me of Halldor Laxness, the great Icelandic author of Independent People - the same themes of stoic, agrarian tradition and the incursion upon those traditions by modernity and capitalism. Where Laxness' writing is pure poetry, Hamsun's is direct and unadorned. Where Hamsun may excel Laxness is in his ability to draw his characters in all their human fullness. You put down this book feeling like you really know these people and their motivations, their idiosyncrises, their humanity. And you never feel like Hamsun is preaching to you, in fact, you never feel the author's editorial presence at all. The story simply unfolds and you are inexorably drawn to the conclusions Hamsun intended.

....Which made me feel almost dirty and ashamed of myself. This from an author who vigorously defended the Nazis even after the world know the extent of their genocidal nihilism, who gave his Nobel Prize to Joseph Goebbels and who wrote a nauseating, fawning eulogy for Hitler.

How do you separate out the two?

... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A peculiar book from the hands of Norway's biggest author
The book is about a young man; Johan Nagel Nilsen, that for reasons unknown, steps off the boat that is in the harbour of a small and sleepy Southern-Norwegian town. In the course of a few weeks, this man sporting a totally yellow suit manages to turn everything around in the small community, with the help of his surreal ideas, his money and the help of an evil midget. The book is quite typical of Hamsun's earlier work, with surreal situations and peculiar conversations. Mr. Nilsen is extremely bi-polar, going from the blackest of moods to the highest peaks of joy, and this drives the novel onwards. It's a real page-turner, because you always want to know a little more of what is actually going on. (Not that I felt I learned very much at all, but it does reveal parts of the "mystery" in the end.) I'm not going to say much more about the book, since I don't want to ruin the "surprises". The book is very existentialist, and a fine piece of Norwegian literature. I loved the book, and the fact that it's written by a "right-wing" anti-modern conservative, makes it even better. Hamsun got the Nobel Prize for his later work "The growth of the soil", but this is not too far from that book in quality. Just great!

(I read another edition of the book)
... Read more

Product Description
Translated from the Norwegian by George Egerton; With an Introduction by Edwin Björkman ... Read more

Book Description
They had met during their younger days, he and the widow of Theodore paa Bua. The original fusion of their passion had taken place during a golden opportunity out in the berry field--she had given him a certain look upon leaving the house and he had gone a round-about way and met her. Violence--violence and violation, but so welcome, so unimpeachable. Ay, and their affair had continued without interruption throughout two whole summers and one winter. When they parted, they had had good cause to remember each other and when they met again they had neither of them changed; they were the same mad lovers they had been during their earliest youth.Download Description
They had met during their younger days, he and the widow of Theodore paa Bua. The original fusion of their passion had taken place during a golden opportunity out in the berry field--she had given him a certain look upon leaving the house and he had gone a round-about way and met her. Violence--violence and violation, but so welcome, so unimpeachable. Ay, and their affair had continued without interruption throughout two whole summers and one winter. When they parted, they had had good cause to remember each other and when they met again they had neither of them changed; they were the same mad lovers they had been during their earliest youth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The splendid ending of August's adventures
This is the final part of the August-trilogy, and what an ending! 15 years has passed and August is now an ageing man, well into his 70's. As in most of Hamsun's work, the various books use the same characters and settings, and it turns out that August has now arrived in Segelfoss, the city where so much took place in a previous twin-novel. August is now operating under the name "Altmulig", meaning "Jack-of-all-trades" in English, hiding his true identity for various reasons, most of all because he thinks he owes a lot of money back home in Polden, something we'll later discover is not the case at all.

He is the same old August, but a bit calmer, restraining his lies and exaggerations a bit, although he is still yearning for "progress" in every field. He becomes the right hand man of the consul, being his consultant in matters large and small, and ever trying to fend off the gypsy Otto Alexander that has caused so much mischief for the city. Sometimes he allies with him, and sometimes he has to stop his more aggressive actions, he even has to defend the mother of the consul against herself and her dreadful secret about her son. The story is decidedly one of Hamsun's greatest, and is very humorous as it details the last period of August's life on Earth. I can not do much else than to highly recommend the book, and the ending of it was so splendid and amusing that it had me laughing loudly, what an end!

The book is also a very skilful attack against the conventions of bourgeois society back in the days, and their meaningless conventions and hypocrisy. All in all a wonderful tale from Norway, containing excellent storytelling and a venomous attack against unbridled capitalism and the ever increasing hunger for "profit" and "progress" among the upper and middle classes. August is a fine representative of the times, "lying as the age itself", to quote the author.

(I read a different edition)

good but a disappointing finish to the triology
I was really looking forward to this book as I LOVED Wayfarers - which I highly recommend. The road leads on, however, was too long, aimless and had nothing new to say about Capitalism that Wayfarers hadn't already said and didn't tell us anything new about August's end - which it needed to. Overall a sad end to a great trilogy ... Read more

Book Description
novel, tr from Norwegian by Oliver Stallybrass ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

a beautiful novel
this is one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. we all fall in love at a young age, but not too many of us continue to remain faithfully in love with one person throughout our lives.

Hamsun's writing is simple, but yet the words are powerful, but however, sad.

The vagaries oftrue love
Knut Hamsun at his finest.A brillant observer of people, with a keen eye for human emotions. This is about love,intense love.And excepting the options,with a wavering reluctance.The genius of Hamsun is that he implies so much in the most simple andhumblest of styles.Excellent read.Class distiction? Love? What is one to do.Enjoy. Good Health!
Happy New Year
BDf


Excerpts

"...It was a heart's naive,fervent confession,eruptions that couldn't be held back but leaped up from the lines like stars coming out of the sky..."


"...Work will force me to be calm,and in a few hours I may be cheerful again..."

The most beautiful European love-story ever?
This is probably Knut Hamsun's' masterpiece when it comes to love stories, and possibly one of Europe's most beautiful love stories. The book is about the son of the old miller, and the daughter of the local "nobleman", the owner of the "Castle". From they are very small and all the way up until the very end he loves her. The parts where they are in the cave and on the island are so beautiful and melancholic. But he being the miller's son, and her being part of the "upper-class", the love is an impossible one. Various circumstances increase the distance between them, and the impossibility of their love, but I won't reveal much. The story is just so beautiful and sad, that it should be required reading for all.

Then comes the fun part, the author; Knut Hamsun, probably Norway's greatest author of all time, was a die-hard "right-wing" anti-modern conservative. This is quite amusing, because all the liberal and anti-European readers just can't wrap their mind around the fact that a person that wrote such beautiful prose was so "abhorrent" in their twisted view. One of his 5 best books and one whose story you'll carry with you forever. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

Possibly Hamsun's Best
I will agree with what has been said so far. This is a beautifully written novel by an extraordinary writer.I don't know if a movie was made from this novel, but I certainly hope there won't be.I don't know how the thoughts Hamsun puts down on paper can be conveyed through film.It would take a director greater than any living today.

I would have a hard time saying whether this or Hunger represents Hamsun's greatest work of fiction.No matter, get them both.And thanks to Oliver Stallybrass for a magnificent translation.

A Jewel
Knut Hamsun has sometimes been described as the Thomas Hardy of Scandinavian literature, and the theme of Victoria- love between two people of different social classes- is one which Hardy treated several times. Here the protagonists are Johannes, the son of a miller, and Victoria, the daughter of the local squire, who meet and fall in love as children. Although they continue to love one another throughout their lives, they are separated by circumstances and the story ends tragically.

The forces that conspire to thwart their love are more complex than simple snobbery or class-distinction. During the period in which the book is set (the 1890s), the marriage of an internationally successful author (which Johannes becomes in adult life) to the daughter of a minor nobleman would not have raised too many eyebrows in society. Although Victoria's family are aristocratic, however, they are not wealthy; indeed, they are in desperate financial straits and need to secure a financially advantageous marriage for their daughter to re-establish their fortunes and to restore the Castle, as their crumbling manor-house is called. She is therefore pressurised, much against her will, to become engaged to Otto, the son of a wealthy official at the Royal Court, even though she does not love him. Johannes also enters into an unsuccessful engagement with another woman; only at the end of the novel, when it is too late, do Victoria and Johannes discover how much they mean to each other.

This could easily be the plot of a Hardy novel, but Hamsun tells this story in a style which is very different to Hardy's. Hardy's novels are generally complex, discursive and with a large cast of characters both major and minor. Victoria is a very short novel (at 170 pages much shorter than any of Hardy's), told in a simple and direct manner and concentrating very much on the two lovers. The other characters are not developed in any detail, with the partial exception of Otto, who is presented as an arrogant and unpleasant lout.

Although the story is told in a straightforward manner, this does not mean that the prose is plain or unadorned. Although this is a third-person narrative, the action is mostly seen from the viewpoint of the poet Johannes and narrated in an appropriately poetic style. (This, at least, is the effect of Oliver Stallybrass's translation; I do not speak Norwegian so I cannot compare it with the original). The lyricism of the writing complements the pathos of the loves' plight; the result is a book that can be compared to a jewel, small, but beautiful and highly polished. ... Read more