Knut Hamsun Books

The story of an elemental existence in rural Norway.

Knut Hamsen remains one of the most important and influential novelists of his time. This volume offers a collection of thirteen essays and stories based largely on Hamsun's experiences during the four years he spent in the US when he was a young man. Most of these pieces have never been published before in an English translation.

The book is a significant work in the genres of Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, highlighting its historical importance. Alpha Editions has taken care to preserve its legacy by republishing it in a modern format, ensuring clarity and readability through reformatting and redesigning, rather than relying on scanned copies. This effort aims to keep the work accessible for both present and future generations.

First published in 1927, this novel focuses on Edevart, an uprooted young Norwegian who is exposed to the corrupting ways of August, a charming scoundrel whose values threaten the stability of society

INTRODUCTION BY JO NESB� AFTERWORD BY PAUL AUSTER Nineteenth-century Kristiania is an unforgiving place, and work is thin on the ground. Roaming the streets of Norway's capital, a penniless young writer searches for inspiration whilst trying desperately to make ends meet. Driven to extraordinary lengths, sleeping under the stars with his stomach growling, the writer's behaviour becomes increasingly irrational and his world spirals into chaos. Hunger was Knut Hamsun's first novel and earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920. A disturbing and darkly humorous masterpiece of existential fiction, Hunger anticipated and influenced some of the twentieth century's most acclaimed writers including Camus, Kafka and Fante.

The first complete English translation of the Nobel Prize-winner’s literary masterpiece A Penguin Classic Mysteries 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. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A proud young writer grows delirious with hunger in circa-1900 Norway."

The Nobel Prize winner’s lyrical and disturbing portrait of love and the dark recesses of the human psyche A Penguin Classic A lone hunter accompanied only by his faithful dog, Aesop, Thomas Glahn roams Norway’s northernmost wilds. Living out of a rude hut at the edge of a vast forest, Glahn pursues his solitary existence, hunting and fishing, until the strange girl Edvarda comes into his life. Sverre Lyngstad’s superb translation of Hamsun’s 1894 novel restores the power and virtuosity of Hamsun’s original and includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Set in a late 19th-century Norwegian coastal village, this novel explores the tragic love story of Johannes, a miller's son, and Victoria, an impoverished aristocrat. Their romance is hindered by class differences and societal expectations, leading to a poignant realization of their lost chance at happiness. Celebrated for its poetic and psychologically rich narrative, the story delves into the complexities of love within a rigid class structure. This new translation captures the haunting lyricism and emotional resonance of Hamsun's work.

The book is a reproduction of a historical work, published by Megali, which focuses on making literature accessible to individuals with impaired vision through large print formatting. This initiative highlights the importance of inclusivity in reading, ensuring that classic texts can be enjoyed by a wider audience.