Summary of Growth of the Soil
“Growth of the Soil” is an epic novel about Isak Sellanraa, a man who clears a plot of land in a remote part of northern Norway. Together with his wife, Inger, and their children, he succeeds in building a thriving farm. The novel is both a tale of a farmer’s struggle against nature and an exploration of the relationships within the peasant family, particularly the impact of Inger’s cleft lip on their lives.
Reasons to read Growth of the Soil
“Growth of the Soil” is a tribute to the simplicity of agrarian life on a Norwegian farm, contrasting it with modern city life. Despite its somewhat outdated societal ideals, the novel remains a popular classic of Norwegian literature. Hamsun is widely regarded as a pioneer of early modern literature, particularly for his use of flashbacks, monologues, and stream-of-consciousness techniques. His political choices during the Second World War and his racism are far less admired than his literary achievements. Other notable works by Hamsun include “Hunger” and “Mysteries”. “Growth of the Soil” earned him the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Setting: Norway
“Growth of the Soil” is set in an unnamed rural area in northern Norway, likely in Nordland County. Hamsun grew up in Hamarøy (Nordland). The 1921 silent film adaption was filmed in Rana (Nordland).
Original title: Markens Grøde
Year of publication: 1917
Nr of pages: 352
