Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Hunger

One of the most important and controversial writers of the 20th century, Knut Hamsun made literary history with the publication in 1890 of this powerful, autobiographical novel recounting the abject poverty, hunger and despair of a young writer struggling to achieve self-discovery and its ultimate artistic expression. The book brilliantly probes the psychodynamics of alienation, obsession, and self-destruction, painting an unforgettable portrait of a man driven by forces beyond his control to the edge of the abyss. Hamsun influenced many of the major 20th-century writers who followed him, including Kafka, Joyce and Henry Miller. Required reading in world literature courses, the highly influential, landmark novel will also find a wide audience among lovers of books that probe the "unexplored crannies in the human soul" (George Egerton).

First published in 1890 by the (later) Noble Prize winner Knut Hamsun

Here are a few articles you might find interesting.

https://creativematter.skidmore.edu/c...

https://www.outsidersandmisfits.com/b...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/boo...

https://www.idunn.no/story-and-emotio...

I'll be joining in on this once my book is in at the library.

Interesting article - I read the article in The Guardian. I didn't realize Hamsun's politics.

I read this book a few years ago and the impressions it left after reading are still in my mind after all this time.

Kathy wrote: "I'll be joining in on this once my book is in at the library.

Interesting article - I read the article in The Guardian. I didn't realize Hamsun's politics."

Well, always food for thought... how much are we influenced by what we know about the author when we read a book?

Rosemarie wrote: "I read this book a few years ago and the impressions it left after reading are still in my mind after all this time."

That is promising! I’m allways interested in that kind of reads.

I think this is an important book. When I read it about 15 years ago, I was amazed that an 1890's novel I hadn't heard of had such a vivid portrayal of the alienated hero that would become so popular later with Kafka and the 20th Century existentialists. When I look at other 19th Century existential alienated heroes I can only think of the narrator in Dosty's Notes from Underground with Bartleby the Scrivener, though not the story's narrator, more of the forerunner of an absurdist hero.

I have it ready to read this weekend!

It is good that both Dosty's Notes from Underground and Hunger are novella length. While they are great books, that is probably the limit of the amount of the constant intense thoughts of the alienated man that one can really read.

🧐

Brian wrote: "It is good that both Dosty's Notes from Underground and Hunger are novella length. While they are great books, that is probably the limit of the amount of the constant int..."

I read Hunger this past year on my Journey Around the World in 80 Books. It is definitely a book that I marked High Impact. It won't be soon forgotten.

Brian, I like that... 'Dosty.' :) Believe it or not, you are the 1st I have heard use the short name form for him. That is much easier to say and write. I didn't find Notes as spectacular as his big novels though. My favorites are Devils/ Demons, The Brothers, and Crime and Punishment, in that order. I hope you enjoy reading Hunger. That is probably way different than anything I've read.

Yes, I'm trying to promote the use of "Dosty' as a time-saving, spelling-error-free version. Now if I can only stop first typing Hansum rather than Hamsun.
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Hunger's use of internal monologues is a forerunner of, not only existentialists, but also the stream of consciousness writings of Joyce, Woolf and Faulkner

Ok, Brian, Dosty it is:-) And what about... Solzjenitsyn? Gontsjarov?

Claire wrote: "Ok, Brian, Dosty it is:-) And what about... Solzjenitsyn? Gontsjarov?"

I designate a nickname only for Russian authors that are ranked with the best of all time. That is only Dosty, not the others, regardless of a Nobel Prize.
However, since there are varying spellings, Gontsjarov needs some kind of nickname. While I should emulate Oblomov and never decide on one, I will instead designate him "The Gonch."

Haha, Brian, there’s method...:-)

I am halfway through Hunger. I think it is extremely powerful. I will never again complain about having hunger.
And to be able to write like this! What a joy to read.

I finished my re-read. As with my re-read of Jude the Obscure, the books are so powerful that you can't replicate that initial awe and delight experienced during the first reading. You now expect it. However the re-reads are still extremely enjoyable and do not affect my ranking both Jude and Hunger on my ten favorites list. The rankings properly reflect that the books evoked such powerful emotions at first reading and are extremely well written.

Hunger is a powerful portrayal of the thoughts of the unhinged starving would-be artist, though I can see how someone might find it tiresome. I especially admire how he portrays the artist's thoughts rationalizing or explaining his unusual reactions to others. I find Hamsun's writing to be superb.

The Gonch and Dosty! Love it! I’m new to this group and I’ve just started reading Hunger, reading it mainly in English but I’ll read the first couple of chapters in Norwegian to compare the translation with the original, especially since my edition (translated by Lyngstad) has an essay about the shortcomings of Bly’s translation.

Hi Sofia, welcome to the group! Let us know how the translations compare.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as others and I did.

My library hold came in but I’m determined to finish one of the books I’ve already started before I start this one! I can probably start it by Friday.

I just thought I'd share this article on Knut Hamsun that I came across today:

The return of Knut Hamsun https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...

Priyanka Sofia wrote: "I just thought I'd share this article on Knut Hamsun that I came across today:

The return of Knut Hamsun https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20..."
Thank you! I will put it in the message on top too.

I have finished my book and thought it was excellent. Such powerful storytelling, such a writer! I hope you’ll all enjoy your reads.

I’m ~1/3 finished. I really like the writing but I feel a little frustrated with the character. If he would just put aside his pride...

The other frustrating part of the story to me is the lack of compassion by people. So far, only 1 person has helped him.

I finished it this afternoon and wound up really liking it! I read the translation by Sverre Lyngstad, which is not the one linked. I found the story really intriguing, all of the character's crazy thoughts and ramblings.

Pam wrote: "The other frustrating part of the story to me is the lack of compassion by people. So far, only 1 person has helped him."

It is, but a lot of people were poor there. And maybe people felt it was his own fault? Or maybe he acted very strangely?
Glad you enjoyed it too!

I just read a comment in “The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez which made me wonder about the scene in Hunger where the MC is telling the lady that she lost a book. This comment didn’t make sense to me. In “The Friend”, the MC talks about “Balzac lamenting after a night of passion that he just lost a book...” Could this be a literary reference/joke? It’s such an odd comment by the MC, not that he wasn’t prone to making odd comments!

That's interesting, Pam. Maybe? I just read that part and the MC seemed to be crazy with hunger. Maybe he pulled it out of his own knowledge of literature. Or not??

I've read 25 pages of Hunger (my translation is by Robert Bly...came from the library) and think this sums up the action so far: "I was conscious all the time that I was following mad whims without being able to do anything about it. My deranged consciousness ran away with me and sent me lunatic inspirations, which I obeyed one after the other."

I don’t think they are really related. Balzac’s lament would refer to the fact that he thought making money and possessions more important than love. In Hunger I feel the MC talks about the lost book as a way to talk to the girl, a kind of flirtation.

But then again, that is just my idea, i might completely miss something important.

Interestingly, Hamsun based the book on his own experiences as a struggling young writer. I presume he wasn't quite as 'deranged' and 'lunatic' as the Hunger character. We do know, though, that severe hunger does cause one to not be oneself. We've learned that from Snickers commercials.

Brian wrote: "Interestingly, Hamsun based the book on his own experiences as a struggling young writer. I presume he wasn't quite as 'deranged' and 'lunatic' as the Hunger character. We do know, though, that sev..."

Haha, Brian... never seen them, but I can imagine them:-)

I read about 100 pages of Hunger today and had to give it a rest because I started feeling like I WAS the character. Very powerful writing that evokes a lot of emotion. I had this same reaction of "becoming" the character when I read most of Crime and Punishment (by Dosty!) over a two day period back in high school. It's a bit disturbing but also an amazing feeling.

The writing is beautiful. The actions and emotions of the narrator make me want to laugh and cry at the same time--biting his own finger, his problems with the dog bone, making up his own word in the jail cell.

Finished. So glad I read this.

Wonderful to hear so many of you enjoy this!

Claire wrote: "Wonderful to hear so many of you enjoy this!"

Saying I "enjoy" the book makes me feel a bit sadistic. However, I did say earlier that my read of it was "extremely enjoyable."
I think I'll just say it was a powerful, insightful and rewarding book and reading experience.

I forgot my Mystery book so started reading this on Cloud yesterday at lunch.
Barely in but its an eye awakening side of living with hunger and no job but also trying to help another.

Lesle wrote: "I forgot my Mystery book so started reading this on Cloud yesterday at lunch."

You're reading it while eating lunch? And I worried about my being sadistic.

Brian wrote: "Claire wrote: "Wonderful to hear so many of you enjoy this!"

Saying I "enjoy" the book makes me feel a bit sadistic. However, I did say earlier that my read of it was "extremely enjoyable."
I thi..."

Well, there is a difference in enjoying the reading and enjoying the content:-) Otherwise we can no longer enjoy a lot of books...

Lesle wrote: "I forgot my Mystery book so started reading this on Cloud yesterday at lunch.
Barely in but its an eye awakening side of living with hunger and no job but also trying to help another."

True, Lesle. Hamsun shows his talent by describing it so ‘powerful’

Brian wrote: "Lesle wrote: "I forgot my Mystery book so started reading this on Cloud yesterday at lunch."

You're reading it while eating lunch? And I worried about my being sadistic."

Oh my! I didn't even think of that! Eating my lunch while he goes hungry :-(

Claire wrote: "Brian wrote: Saying I "enjoy" the book makes me feel a bit sadistic. However, I did say earlier that my read of it was "extremely enjo..."

I'm not really being serious, Claire. I know that when we say we 'enjoy' a book or movie that depicts human suffering we aren't saying we enjoy the suffering; we are just enjoying the vivid insight into the human condition it gives us. If 'enjoy' means 'to take pleasure in' it is the pleasure of obtaining knowledge and insight into the human experience.

Brian wrote: "Claire wrote: "Brian wrote: Saying I "enjoy" the book makes me feel a bit sadistic. However, I did say earlier that my read of it was "extremely enjo..."

I'm not really being serious, Claire. I kn..."

Haha, Brian, I know. But you got me thinking:-)

His turmoil with God surprised me.
Passing the time with different thoughts, his pencil and now his shoes.
His anger at a man whom was believing his lies was totally uncalled for. His anger seems to be at everyone, does that stay with him always?

Yes and again, Im reading while at lunch :(

I too was surprised by his turmoil with God – it happened a couple of times and I thought it was very random but I guess religion was a bigger thing in the late 19th century in Scandinavia.

I thought the translation by Lyngstad was really well done – read a couple of chapters from the original Sult and then switched back to English.

This is by far one of the best books I’ve read in ages in the sense that however depressing the premise might be I’ve really enjoyed the novel – and however repulsive the narrator is at times, I can’t help but sympathise with him. In an odd way, he’s actually quite likeable.

This book should come with a warning for freelancers – read it at your own risk!