Hunger by Knut Hamsun📖

Summary of Hunger 

In Knut Hamsun’s novel “Hunger”, a young homeless man wanders the streets of Kristiania (now Oslo) in search for food. Along the way, he encounters various persons, including a mysterious young woman called Ylajali. Gradually, he becomes overwhelmed by hunger, causing both his body and mind to deteriorate.

Reasons to read Hunger

“Hunger” is a classic early modern psychological novel that explores the effects of malnutrition and isolation on the human mind and body. It is an intense and honest work, though not an uplifting one. Knut Hamsun partly based the novel on his own experiences of poverty before its publication. The book was also influenced by authors such as Dostoevsky and Zola. Hamsun is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern literature, particularly for his use of monologues, flashbacks, and stream-of-consciousness techniques. His racism and political choices during World War II are much less appreciated than his books. Other notable works by Hamsun include “Mysteries” and “Growth of the Soil”, the latter earning him the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Setting: Oslo – Kristiania (Norway)

Original title: Sult

Year of publication: 1890

Nr of pages: 240