A review by greden
Hunger by Knut Hamsun

3.0

A captivating and well-written book about a man trying to survive in Oslo, then Christiania, in the 19th century. Literature experts note this as being a new kind of writing, thus its fame, though I can't really say if it is. I do know it did have a strange effect on me. The way I interpreted the book is that the protagonist is somehow outside society yet paradoxically deeply embedded in it at the same time. He has no family, no place in society, he's been forgotten, yet he's loyal to the customs and mannerisms of society. At the brink of death of starvation, he battles with his dignity and social standing, his reputation, etc. His pride, his fear of other people's opinions of him, nearly kills him of starvation.

It's a book worth reading. I decided to read the first part in the original Danish, Norwegian and English, and ended up with the latter. I'm glad that this book reminded me of the beauty of the Norwegian language.