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Hamsun: Writer and Polemicist
A very necessary biography of Knut Hamsun for the first time in English.Extraordinary private facts reveal his personal life and
character.

At one time, many years ago he was considered by some to be
"the soul of Norway" because of his books written in the late
19th and early 20th centuries.

Later he was shown to be too much of an aggressive controversialist because of actions during the 1930's/40's.
Ingar Sletten Kolloen, a well known and respected journalist
of Norway's leading newspaper (AFTENPOSTEN)has produced this
excellent biography with very little held back: it is definitive!

Dag Stomberg
St. Andrews, Scotland ... Read more

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This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Customer Reviews (2)

Works of Knut Hamsun
Works of Knut Hamsun. Including Hunger, Pan, Wanderers, Growth of the Soil, Shallow Soil & more (mobi)

There are a lot of writers that get propelled to classic status and the modern reader is left to ponder why. I have often struggled through so-called classics championed by the academia. I would finish with a dirty feeling that the scholars and critics pulled a fast one on me.
Now, by struggle, I refer not to a challenging read but rather to a work that is dull and seems to offer little reward. Some classics aren't bad but they don't live up to the hype. This made me a bit hesitant when I decided to tackle Norwegian author Knut Hamsun. Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski both raved over Hamsun quite often. This Nobel Prize winning author received adulation from many other authors and poets I admire.
Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski were right. I was enthralled by most of his works. Anyone seriously interested in literature and its history should read this ebook.
Enjoy!

Knut Hamsun was way ahead of his time.
Hamsun was a true pioneer in not just literature but also modern thought. A must read for anyone who enjoys fine literature.
... Read more

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Translated by W. W. Worster ... Read more

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Translated from the Norwegian. Trade paperback. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

good taste of rural Northern Norway
Picked up this book while on a 2-wk visit to Norway. I was up in the North and read about fishing villages at the same time as I was surrounded by them. It was not too hard to imagine the way they looked during the time-period covered by the book.It definitely enhanced my experience of this country and its peoples.

I loved the way the book handled the characters. They were believable for the most part, and truly complex, facing the challenges of a hard life dependent upon the wiles of nature and the yearning on the part of some for "the better life", meaning materially more substantial.

It is a long book, engrossing and entertaining. Got me thinking as it also got me chuckling in parts.

Compelling book!
Wayfarers is the first book of August trilogy. August is a much traveled man and comes back to his village where he meets Edevart. They become good friends each other. Edevart respects August who seems much different from village people and seems to be so mysterious to him. I will never forget August's comical character. For me, August is as powerful as Nagel in Mysteries. Every time I read this book, I was laughing at August's remarks and comical acts. Hamsun is the master of human psychology and Wayfarers is one of his master pieces.

A very Northern tale from Hamsun's later writing
I read this book in two sittings, so I must have enjoyed it quite a lot. It details the lives of August and Edevart, two boys from rural Northern-Norway, and their adventures during their youth. It is the first part of the August-trilogy, and if the rest of the trilogy is like this then I've got quite some nice time ahead of me. The tale is very typical of Hamsun, with gradual "colonization" of barren lands, and exploitation of the potential we all have in ourselves. This being said, he doesn't hesitate to show us the lesser sides of our human existence, even though I feel he might have overdone it a bit. I don't particularly enjoy the constant theme of promiscuity and infidelity that runs rampart in this book, but I guess he was trying to show how badly the modern world has affected the North. August is something of a joker in the book, always bringing some new profitable idea to Edevart and others around them, just when it is needed the most, and then returning to poverty or the high seas after the seeds are sown.

Edevart on the other hand, is working himself up to quite a respectable man, through twists and turns of fate. Although he often gets brought down to earth painfully fast, he is steadily improving his lot. I won't say much more about the book than this, it is very much a typical Hamsun-book, and that says a lot.

Highly recommended reading from our very own "right-wing" anti-modern conservative Norwegian author.

(I read a different edition)

The men who cast themselves out.
Born in 1859, Hamsun received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920. Credited by many as being one of the key influencers of modern literature style, his work is largely forgotten today. In part, that amnesia has been caused by Hamsun's resolute support of the Germans during World War II. Even today, he is a figure of great controversy in Norway.

The Wayfarers (written in 1927) is one of his later novels, and is largely about his concerns with the insatiable need for travel and the corrupting influence of the modern on traditional life. August and Edevart are two boys from a small town who move across Norway earning and losing small fortunes in a constant quest to better themselves.

This is the second book by Hamsun that I have read, and I was moved and impressed by what a lovely novel it is. Hamsun scrapes the surface of small town life and builds brilliantly ambiguous characters who manage to be neither idealized nor grotty. There is a kind of realism that works very well at conveying small town life without either idealising or judging.

The McFarlane translation seems very good. It was clean and free from awkwardness.

Highly recommended.

I wish Wayfarers got more attention
I"ve read everything (in English) by Hamsun I've been able to find and, along with Growth of the Soil, this is my favorite.What some call lightness I think of as a calmness (absent from Hunger and Mysteries) that allows more of the character of Norway to show through.The timescale is long here and the kinds of immediate panic that move his more urban characters (and Glahn in Pan) are not as important in lives that stretch over time.These characters are friends, rather than loners (though they, as are we all, are that too), and I feel this book has more to communicate about ordinary people's lives than those about purely solitary men. ... Read more

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Translated by PAULA WIKING ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Wanderer
This is my least favorite out of the four by Hamsun I have read. As in most of what he wrote I think a lot of his personal screwiness comes through in the main character of the book. In this case its a man who spends his life roaming from town to town in Norway doing random labor for hire. He gets stalkerish obsessions with women who it is in innappropriate for him to have interest in, namely the wives of his employers. Mainly this book focuses on the main characters obsessions, manipulations and petty intrigues involving these women. The Wanderer isn't a bad book but its definitly not where you want to start if you want to read some of Hamsuns work.

strange and original view of life
I can see how this book might have a limited appeal for the general reader, for it is kind of "out there". But I must admit that now and then I relish reading something a little offbeat and cockeyed, and this book by Hamsun satisfies that description quite well. The narrator of the two short novels which make up this volume certainly marched to the sound of a different drum-actuated by the myriad impacts of nature on his senses and by the rhythms of his own emotions.

At the beginning of the first novel the wanderer, Knut Pedersen, has fled the city, seeking peace and nurturing from nature. We see him at the end of the second novel wintering alone in a cabin near the mountains, once more seeking peace through solitude in nature and reflecting on what he has learned of life. These scenes bracket the story of his experiences as an itinerant peasant, and particularly his relations with Captain Falkenberg and his wife, wealthy members of the gentry.

Knut, in his peasant role is an extremely enigmatic character. He is an able and versatile worker who does many things well, and even has a flair for inventing. Even though we are privy to his thoughts through the narration, there is a sense of mystery and profound depths about the man. His relations with other people seem terribly erratic-sometimes very poised, other times inept and bumbling.

This is nowhere more evident than in his ambiguous attachment to Mrs. Falkenberg, a young woman who obviously feels neglected and unhappy in her marriage. Knut, in late middle age and far below her station in life, is smitten to his depths and can't seem to suppress an almost pathological desire to achieve some type of intimacy with her. In his more lucid moments, usually after being humiliated, he admits to himself that he is ridiculous. Through his perspective from the background, we see a domestic tragedy unfold. But this breakdown of a marriage, and its attendant unpleasantness for master, mistress, and servants, would all be rather conventional if not seen through the emotionally charged temperament of Knut.

His endless speculations about human behavior are sometimes very penetrating, sometimes self-delusional. But he remains unrepentant for his emotional involvement in the affairs of others, seeing life as something to be experienced through participation, even when painful; rather than being something to be studied at a remove, like literature. Sometimes he is a meddler, sometimes guardian angel. His past is shadowy and there are hints that he has gone through cycles ofemotional involvement, then renunciation and search for peace. His background is cultured and he walks a fine line trying to fit in with the everyday life of the peasants. Some of his experiences are strange indeed, even macabre, such as his taking a thumbnail from a graveyard, and subsequently being harassed by the previous owner.Something in Knut's soul seems to be a magnet for episodes of intense emotional content.

Nature, with its serenity and its impersonal immensity, it'sintimately caressing sound and scent, is ever present for him in a vital way. It seems that ultimately his goal is to tell truthfully, without sparing himself, of the forces impacting his psyche from both within and without. The translators seem to have done a wonderful job of capturing the poetic spirit of of these novels, although there are occasionally passages that I find a little obscure; which may be more my fault than theirs. I highly recommend this volume for anyone who savors great fiction presented from an original angle.

A Valuable Return
When do you play 'on muted strings'? When you are 50 and seeking to make sense of the path you trod. This is the duo of tales Hamsun produced in his middle years, that draws the curtain on his early triumphs and (as it transpires) sets the scene for his later masterpieces the Wayfarers and Growth of the Soil. The division between the narrator and the author is threadbare here, artistically necessary; and through this you get an insight into the characters that burned so brightly in the earlier works but who were much more detached from the writer.Hamsun sets this scene in the opening pages, the sense of being back to somewhere he knew before. And then the muted strings can play. A masterpiece again.

Two of Hamsun's best books in one volume
With this short book, Hamsun once again came through. The book is about the civilized and cultured Knut Pedersen (Hamsun's birth-name), a man past his prime that is at the same time a gentleman and a hobo. He meets a man he used to work at road building with in his youth, and sheds his fine clothes to become part of the proletariats again. It's strange that he does this by choice, but Hamsun was probably saying that it doesn't matter whether you're a high-ranking official or a carpenter, as long as you do what you're born to do.

The only strange thing about the book is the somewhat decadent theme of infidelity and promiscuity that runs through it, but considering that he's writing about a hobo, it makes sense. Not that much comes out of Pedersen's constant efforts in that vein anyway. The prose of Hamsun really shines through in the book, and he conjures up a great image of the nature and the culture of Norwegian rural-life in times long past. So, all in all; avoid dwelling upon the decadent parts of the book, and just enjoy this otherwise excellent book from Norway's greatest master of words. I read the book in one sitting, so I guess that says it all. Once again our very own "right-wing" anti-modern conservative proves he's the biggest we ever had. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

The second book picks up 6 years after the first part ended, in this trilogy about Knut Pedersen, a free-spirited worker of the land. He once again seeks work at various farms, and eventually returns to the farm of Captain Falkenberg. The years have not been kind to the farm, but through a lot of work and dedication, Pedersen and the kind and proper farm boy, fix the farm up. I really enjoyed the parts where they work the land and the various tasks they perform on the farm; it's like a glimpse of a future book by Hamsun that he won the Nobel's prize for. The prose is wonderful, and you have a hard time putting the book down.

The book then engages in more about the human condition, with adultery and alcoholism taking its heavy toll on the farm. But the good thing is; punishment is put where its due and you really see the effects that unfaithfulness and alcohol causes. I loved the book, and the political views of our beloved "right-wing" anti-modern conservative author really shine through. To be sure one of Hamsun's top books, and a worthy follow-up to "Under the autumn star". Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition) ... Read more

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Translated by CARL CHRISTIAN HYLLESTED ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

SMILINGLY bad translation WTF :)
I haven't finished the book yet, but one thing is DRIVING ME INSANE.It is the fault of whatever moron translated this book.

Have you ever read a translated book, and some weird quirk of the translator stands out and practically ruins the experience?Well, it's happening to me with this book and it is so FUNNY I just wanted to warn people.

Whoever translated from Hamsun's original repeatedly and unceasingly uses the word "smilingly".As in, "he added smilingly", "She asks me smilingly", "answered Coldevin smilingly".

Now, I don't know if that even is a word, and the first time I read it I thought it was cute, but then it started occurring every few pages!I mean, the guy must just associate some common word in Norwegian with the very UNCOMMON "smilingly" in English!He doesn't stop to think that in English, running across the word smilingly on every friggin' page is WEIRD.It has gotten so that now I am just cringing as I read along, waiting for him to use it again.

Anyway, just a warning!"Beware!", he said smilingly.

Bob

Probably Hamsun's most decadent and failed book
The book centres on a bohemian circle of friends and artists in their 30's in Oslo around the year 1900. The book is very different compared to the other Hamsun books, which normally centre on rural themes, where this all takes place in Oslo and in urban surroundings. I really can't emphasize enough how untypical this book is of Hamsun, and if it weren't for a few funny dialogues here and there, I wouldn't have believed it was. The endless theme of infidelity, economic manipulations, money lending and decadent artists seemed to go on forever. I can't really say anything nice about this book, and it's very strange that it's written by the "right-wing" anti-modern conservative Hamsun. I guess he didn't always have to agree with what he wrote. A book you can safely avoid, but don't throw out the baby with the washing-water! Hamsun is Norway's greatest author, so please do check out some of the other magnificent books from this Norwegian "right-wing" radical conservative.

(I read a different edition)

(PS: I accidentally pushed "5 stars" instead of "1 star", as I intended. The book is awful, not great :-)

Probably Hamsun's most decadent and failed book
The book centres on a bohemian circle of friends and artists in their 30's in Oslo around the year 1900. The book is very different compared to the other Hamsun books, which normally centre on rural themes, where this all takes place in Oslo and in urban surroundings. I really can't emphasize enough how untypical this book is of Hamsun, and if it weren't for a few funny dialogues here and there, I wouldn't have believed it was. The endless theme of infidelity, economic manipulations, money lending and decadent artists seemed to go on forever. I can't really say anything nice about this book, and it's very strange that it's written by the "right-wing" anti-modern conservative Hamsun. I guess he didn't always have to agree with what he wrote. A book you can safely avoid, but don't throw out the baby with the washing-water! Hamsun is Norway's greatest author, so please do check out some of the other magnificent books from this Norwegian "right-wing" radical conservative.

(I read a different edition)

an all time great...
To many hamsun readers this one will seem to be quite a departure for Hamsun, as it is an urban tale centering around a bohemian clique, rather than the usual tale of the Norwegian peasantry. As I know only those that are already Hamsun fans will ever read this, let it suffice to say that this book is as good as any of his works (even Pan), so hurry up and get a copy... ... Read more

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In all the literature known to me, there is no writer who appears more ruthlessly and fearlessly himself, and the self thus presented to us is as paradoxical and rebellious as it is poetic and picturesque. Such a nature, one would think, must be the final blossoming of powerful hereditary tendencies, converging silently through numerous generations to its predestined climax. All we know is that Hamsun-s forebears were sturdy Norwegian peasant folk, said only to be differentiated from their neighbours by certain artistic preoccupations that turned one or two of them into skilled craftsmen. More certain it is that what may or may not have been innate was favoured and fostered and exaggerated by physical environment and early social experiences.

Customer Reviews (1)

A Norwegian masterpiece
This book is one of Norway's best pieces of literature. It's written by Knut Hamsun, the world-famous author of so many great works. It centres on a young artist; a writer, and his struggle to uphold himself in every way. The book is largely autobiographical from what I can deduce, although we never learn the protagonist's name, and it mirrors the challenges Hamsun himself had as a young author in Norway's capitol. As most of Hamsun's books, it has a lot of bizarre episodes and dialogues, but contrary to what many people seem to think, it's also hilarious. It made me laugh out loud several times, when the main character invents all these surreal ideas and thoughts in his head. As the book progress his hunger takes more and more control over him, and in an unforgettable situation he tries to eat his own finger. He is in a steady decline throughout the book, but I won't reveal much more than that. I love the book, and the fact that it's written by a "right-wing" anti-modern conservative, makes it even better in my view. Hamsun got the Nobel Prize for his later work "The growth of the soil", but this is almost alongside that book in quality. Great, just great!

(I read a different edition of the book) ... Read more

Product Description
Fiction. ON OVERGROWN PATHS was written after World WarII, at a time when Hamsun was in police custody for his openlyexpressed Nazi sympathies during the German occupation of Norway,1940-45. A Nobel laureate previously loved by his countrymen, Hamsunwas now reviled as a traitor -- as long as his sanity was not calledinto question. The psychiatric report declared him to be sane, butconcluded that his mental faculties were "permanently impaired." Thisconclusion was emphatically refuted by the publication, in 1949, of ONOVERGROWN PATHS, Hamsun's apologia. In its creative elan, this book,filled with the proud sorrow of an old man, miraculously recalls thespirit of Hamsun's early novels, with their reverence for nature,absurdist humor, and quirky flights of fancy. This is the firstauthoritative English translation of Hamsun's last work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Hamsun's last book!
On overgrown path is profoundly moving book. Humsun was in police custody due to his expressed Nazi sympathies. While waiting for his postponed trail, he started writing this book in order to tell the truth. He explained why he behaved in this specific way and his patriotism toward Norway.
He recorded daily trivial activities and made art from trivial things. Even though this book's main purpose was showing his innocence, he never forgot to describe the beauty of natures and make humors. This book touched my heart profoundly.

The grand finale of a life's work
It was with a sad mind I closed this final book by Hamsun, having now read through it all. This is his answer to the World post-45, in essence telling them "hah, you did your best, but history will name me victor". The book is written after his capture and "imprisonment" at then hands of the "Allies'" dupes, the Norwegian "resistance". He was put away in old people's homes, and insane asylums, all to break his resistance and will-to-life. Turns out, the over 80 year old man just wouldn't die, so they could avoid an uncomfortable trial.

We read of his mistreatment and abuse at the hands of the staff, but also small flashes of light from various people around the world. One of the episodes that struck me was that once a week a young man in his 30's came to pick up his mother, who was a co-resident at the old people's home with Hamsun, the mother always turned her head when they passed Hamsun, to avoid greeting him, unlike the son, who would smile and say hello. Hamsun was at this point nearly deaf, but eventually he felt the need to clarify to the young man in his unmistakeable Hamsun-way, that he was supposedly an evil man, imprisoned for his beliefs. That is when the young man so brilliantly answers; "Just as precious to me!"

Otherwise, the book is filled with the last memories and thoughts of an old man, in large part isolated due to his bad hearing and his fame. It pains me to think of the fact that we treated Scandinavia's possibly biggest author this way, but such is the harsh past. Still, it wouldn't be a book by Hamsun if it wasn't filled with small amusing stories and episodes from his daily life and his past. Nobody gets me laughing the way Hamsun does, he is for sure deserving of his name as the "Great Observer".

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is one of my favourite books, and in the Hamsun-canon it ranks right up there along with "Hunger", "Victoria" and "Growth of the Soil", in my view. The book ends and his pen get laid down with the words; "Today, the Supreme Court has passed its judgement, and I end my writing".

Read it!

(I read a different edition of the book)

More Than Just A Memoir
This non-fiction work (Hamsun's last) was written while Hamsun was under arrest & on trial for treason. Part of the book deals with his annoyance over the affair, especially his anger at "well meaning" beaurocrats & doctors who seem to be putting off his trial & finally letting him off the hook for having "permanently impaired faculties." Reading the book, you can easily tell that Hamsun is hardly impaired. Proud till the end, Hamsun wanted to stand up like a man & take whatever punishment the court may give him. No excuses. But all they seemed to want to do was excuse him and/or his conduct. But what really sparkles, are the collection of "trifles." Hamsun was at his best, in my opinion, in his simple, straightforward works about life in small Norweigen fishing villages, where life's true meaning & beauty shines through seemingly meaningless trifles. Hamsun's prose is brief & to the point, loaded with brilliant understatement. Another interesting aspect of the book is that in his real-life recollections, you can see the origin of characters like Per of Bua & Benoni as well as the philosophical undertones of Shallow Soil & Growth Of The Soil. I've loved everything I've ever read by Hamsun (& that's everything translated into English!) & this book is no different.

graceful
This is a short, simple book that will appeal to fans of Hamsun - or those interested particularly in his arrest and trial following WWII. Knut wrote this book while in his nineties, living in a series of state hospitals and sanitariums, awaiting trial. It is not really a novel, but an assortment oframbling, journal-style entries and musings on life and old age. The simplebeauty and frankness that are Hamsun's hallmarks are still vibrant in thislate work.

For first-time Hamsun readers, try Hunger instead.

The Grand Finale
Then, after the second world war, after the harassment, the trial and humilation of the country's great literate hero, after the psycological hospital and the statement that Hamsun was old and senile and could notstand responsible for his thoughts and actions - then in 1949 thisfantastic book was published for the first time. Written by a 90 year oldKnut Hamsun, it is a document from the time, a diary of what happened tohim and which were his thoughts. The book is marvellous. Hamsun stillpossessed the craft and the capability of telling an accurate and tenselyatmosperic story to the full. It is just unbelievable that it is written bya 90 year old man, whom when he died in 1952, with this book left his finalfootprint, in history and in literature. A book anybody should read andfind pleasure from. From his first acknowledged work "Hunger"(1890) to this, his last one, the man and his books were unique. KnutHamsun left the literary world, as he came, in a storm. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hamsun Savages the USA
A cynical, savage, relentless attack on the culture, intellect and spirit of modern America, infused with Hamsun's wit.In short, a must read!Sure we are all proud Americans, but a look from the other side can be healthy now and then.Besides, Hamsun doesn't seem to me to be hateful, just honest about, and sometimes puzzled by, what he sees.He goes so far as to offer explanations for America's condition, recognizing the short time the country has existed as the reason for its low culture.

I found myself nearly on the floor from laughter every few pages as Hamsun critiques America's cultural icons, Whitman and Emerson.Accurately, in my opinion.His description of the behavior of the audience at the theater will stay with me forever.

As for the "...Modern..." part of the title, don't be fooled.Hamsun's descriptions of life in then USA are as accurate now as they were one hundred years ago.In fact, the most startling thing aboutthis book is how little has changed since Hamsun's visits.

Hamsun raves about "ignorant America"
This really isn't a book, when you consider the literary masterpieces Knut Hamsun has penned. It's just a collection of ravings about how culturally ignorant America is. Later in life, Hamsun regretted writing it &apologised for the mean-spirited vindictiveness of the work. If you're likeme, & want to read everything Hamsun has written, sure, go for it. LoveAmerica bashing? You'll love it. If neither of those situations apply, I'dstrongly suggest not wasting the money on this work when there are so manyother quality works available for purchase. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

THE tale of the free-roaming European vagabond
With this short book, Hamsun once again came through. The book is about the civilized and cultured Knut Pedersen (Hamsun's birth-name), a man past his prime that is at the same time a gentleman and a hobo. He meets a man he used to work at road building with in his youth, and sheds his fine clothes to become part of the proletariats again. It's strange that he does this by choice, but Hamsun was probably saying that it doesn't matter whether you're a high-ranking official or a carpenter, as long as you do what you're born to do.

The only strange thing about the book is the somewhat decadent theme of infidelity and promiscuity that runs through it, but considering that he's writing about a hobo, it makes sense. Not that much comes out of Pedersen's constant efforts in that vein anyway. The prose of Hamsun really shines through in the book, and he conjures up a great image of the nature and the culture of Norwegian rural-life in times long past. So, all in all; avoid dwelling upon the decadent parts of the book, and just enjoy this otherwise excellent book from Norway's greatest master of words. I read the book in one sitting, so I guess that says it all. Once again our very own "right-wing" anti-modern conservative proves he's the biggest we ever had. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

My Favourite Book Of The Wanderer "Trilogy"
I completed this before Christmas and moved quickly on to the second of The Wanderer Trilogy, On Muted Strings.

This one may have been more enjoyable than the other two but it was The Last Joy which brought me to tearfully regret it's end.

I will not say anything else that may serve as an obstacle to your immediate acquistiton of the three of them, beginning with this book.

His knowledge and portrayal of the human condition is similar to Dostoyevsky, with more love towards the human race despite it's faults. Hamsun celebrates the flawed human for we are all one and beautiful. But then again, at times, I hate my fellow man and speak evil of him in dark corners. Hamsun wanders both of these paths and the arterial directions that spread o'er the face of time, past and present.

A smooth and good novel
"Yesterday the sea was smooth as a mirror; it is smooth as a mirror today." That way the novel opens and it continues elegant and skilfully crafted by the master Knut Hamsun. It is the story about thewanderer Knut Pedersen (actually Hamsun's real name), wandering around theNorwegian countryside doing such work as he can find, while having his eyeswide open to study nature and his fellow human beings. "Under theAutumn Star" was first published in 1906 and the story about KnutPedersen is continued in "On Muted Strings" from 1909. Bothnovels manage to hold the story and the atmosphere on the same high levelall the way through, and they have earlier been published together in thesame volume called "The Wanderer". Oliver and GunnvorStalllybrass have also done a very good translation. This is writing ofvery high quality and joyful reading, but not as fantastic as Hamsun'smasterpieces as "Hunger", "Mysteries", "Pan","Victoria" and "Growth of the Soil", though some piecescan remind a bit of "Mysteries", among else when he has a goagainst Henrik Ibsen who died the same year "Under the AutumnStar" was published. ... Read more

Product Description
Powerful personal narratives by the renowned author of Living Up the Street. These small essays are not unlike Dutch paintings of the sixteenth century. They are clear and precisely rendered, and are either thematically domestic scenes or pedestrian in their observations of the ordinary. There is a delirious joy in Soto's writings, and heartbreak. This collection features his much-lauded essays "The Jacket" and "Like Mexicans," along with new essays such as "Childhood Worries, or Why I Became a Writer," "Getting It Done," and the title essay in which Soto fashions himself to be Fresno's own Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian writer of the 1920s who lived on nothing more than his five senses. Poet and critic Christopher Buckley said of his poetry, "[Soto has] mastered his form, has found his voice, and has the life experiences to provide meaningful content." He could have been speaking of his prose as well. Soto is at home with the essay; he is able to paint moments that would otherwise seem dull and not worthy of comment. He picks up hitchhikers, sorts through the mystery of finding a wife, and pulls together his wits to solve the hunger of stray dogs. He is tender and outrageous; he is reflective on worldly matters and cagey with his family and friends. In all, his dazzling effects of language will keep the reader continually surprised. These portraits are set in his hometown, Fresno, and in his current residence, the San Francisco Bay area. They therefore mark his time and place, but honor the instincts of the master Knut Hamsun, who walked around his town, a spectacle of wonder. This volume includes forty-eight pieces: all of the personal narratives formerly collected in Small Faces, the best of Lesser Evils--both volumes long out-of-print--as well as five new essays. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This is writing
If you missed Gary Soto's short stories the first time around, here's your chance to enjoy a great collection of his older pieces along with some new ones. While Soto makes it look easy, his series of generally two- to three-page recollections are a primer on how to see the things people walk past, overlook or forget, the things right in front of you. From stories pulled straight from his childhood in Fresno and reflections on growing up to the present, Soto's gift is evoking what he's seen and felt and combining it all in honest, vivid prose. In The Effects of Knut Hamsun on a Fresno Boy you will find writing that is sad, funny and sadly funny. It contains insights that are both personal and universal. Soto is not only a teriffic "Chicano writer," but, a teriffic writer without any categorical qualifier.

A smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues
Essayist and poet Soto provides a series of sketches and vignettes In The Effects Of Knut Hamsun On A Fresno Boy which includes the contents of two previous works in addition to five recent essays published in different journals. The result is a smorgasbord of images and reflections on social issues, growing up in California, and moments of Soto's Latino youth. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Probably Hamsun's and Norway's best book
This is THE tale from Norway. It's strange to think about that the entire book spawns from the actions of a single man entering the wild. This man is Isak Sellanrå, a man of few words and many actions. He's the embodiment of the Germanic farmer. He enters the wild with nothing but his bare hands, and once there, in the no-mans land, he starts building his farm, Sellanrå. Eventually his future wife, Inger, comes along, and she becomes the second member of Isak's household. From there many happenings take place, and I must say it is perhaps my favourite book. It is for sure the best book in Norway, at least. One of Norway's 3 Nobel's prizes in literature; Hamsun was awarded the prize in 1920 for this book.

Hamsun shows us that there are many views of life, but there is only one thing that is real and universal as a currency; arable land. In this book Hamsun is quite skilled in conveying his political views to us; anti-abortion, anti-capitalism, anti-modernity, but unlike so many others of a political persuasion, he doesn't only give us "anti's", but also shows us what a organic, vibrant society we can have if we want to. The tale is wonderfully built up, so unmistakably Hamsun, with all the diverse characters he's so well known for.

Norway's biggest author Knut Hamsun; the anti-modern "right wing" conservative's best book.

Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

A highly overrated book from the Master himself
This is the second part of the twin-novel "Benoni" and "Rosa". I was quite disappointed from the first part; "Benoni", all the fuzz I'd heard about it growing up, it quickly turned out to be to say the least, one of Hamsun's lesser works. I then started reading "Rosa". This novel also has a small fishing-village in Northern-Norway as its setting. The same people live their lives in this book, as the first one. The main parts are about Benoni Hartvigsen (Hartwich, after he gets rich and annoying enough), and Rosa, his on-and-off love. The degree of decadence and promiscuity is beyond anything else I've read in Hamsun's works, and it's quite annoying. Not that the racial quality of North-Norwegians is anything to cheer about, but this is just too much. The only reason I didn't loathe the book totally, is the fact that the description of nature and such, is very well done. If you plan on reading your first, or even your tenth book from Hamsun, then "Benoni" & "Rosa" can safely be left alone.

(I read a different edition)

A highly overrated book from the Master himself
This is the second part of the twin-novel "Benoni" and "Rosa". I was quite disappointed from the first part; "Benoni", all the fuzz I'd heard about it growing up, it quickly turned out to be to say the least, one of Hamsun's lesser works. I then started reading "Rosa". This novel also has a small fishing-village in Northern-Norway as its setting. The same people live their lives in this book, as the first one. The main parts are about Benoni Hartvigsen (Hartwich, after he gets rich and annoying enough), and Rosa, his on-and-off love. The degree of decadence and promiscuity is beyond anything else I've read in Hamsun's works, and it's quite annoying. Not that the racial quality of North-Norwegians is anything to cheer about, but this is just too much. The only reason I didn't loathe the book totally, is the fact that the description of nature and such, is very well done. If you plan on reading your first, or even your tenth book from Hamsun, then "Benoni" & "Rosa" can safely be left alone.

(I read a different edition)

A highly overrated book from the Master himself
This is the second part of the twin-novel "Benoni" and "Rosa". I was quite disappointed from the first part; "Benoni", all the fuzz I'd heard about it growing up, it quickly turned out to be to say the least, one of Hamsun's lesser works. I then started reading "Rosa". This novel also has a small fishing-village in Northern-Norway as its setting. The same people live their lives in this book, as the first one. The main parts are about Benoni Hartvigsen (Hartwich, after he gets rich and annoying enough), and Rosa, his on-and-off love. The degree of decadence and promiscuity is beyond anything else I've read in Hamsun's works, and it's quite annoying. Not that the racial quality of North-Norwegians is anything to cheer about, but this is just too much. The only reason I didn't loathe the book totally, is the fact that the description of nature and such, is very well done. If you plan on reading your first, or even your tenth book from Hamsun, then "Benoni" & "Rosa" can safely be left alone.

(I read a different edition)

Very Dissapointing.....
Rosa is the other side of the coin of Benoni's tale. Whereas Benoni was the hero of "his" book, he's the goat of "hers." I think part of what I didn't like about this book was that a character I really loved was taken and made a mockery of. Hamsun seems more driven to show Rosa's spitefulness & hatred, which gets in the way of his usually beautifully simplistic style. Instead of having the easy-going flow of most of his "small Norweigen fishing village" novels, it's more of a vitriolic diatrabe. Hamsun is one of the most brilliant novelists of all-time, but this is definately my least-favorite work of all his works translated into English. If you're a Hamsun lover, go ahead & get it. If you've never read Hamsun before, this definately isn't a good place to start.

Huge enjoyment here.
Knut is 1-in-a-hundred-million, able to actually step back and see the bigger human picture (and, of course, write about what he sees better than anyone else). In fact, Knut stands so far back, we're all like little bugs to him.

Knut takes the Richard Dawkins canon (men have feelings; women have strategies) and expresses it in language so painfully acute that the reader (if you're like me), is left screaming aloud with delight.

The novel is short, but the fun is long because there's zero extra words. I read it s-l-o-w-l-y in order that the phenomenal phraseology could sink in. Made it last all week. And dressed like Parelius the narrator to try to get more into the story. ... Read more

Product Description
novel, tr from Norwegian by Oliver Stallybrass ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

a beautiful novel
this is one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. we all fall in love at a young age, but not too many of us continue to remain faithfully in love with one person throughout our lives.

Hamsun's writing is simple, but yet the words are powerful, but however, sad.

The vagaries oftrue love
Knut Hamsun at his finest.A brillant observer of people, with a keen eye for human emotions. This is about love,intense love.And excepting the options,with a wavering reluctance.The genius of Hamsun is that he implies so much in the most simple andhumblest of styles.Excellent read.Class distiction? Love? What is one to do.Enjoy. Good Health!
Happy New Year
BDf


Excerpts

"...It was a heart's naive,fervent confession,eruptions that couldn't be held back but leaped up from the lines like stars coming out of the sky..."


"...Work will force me to be calm,and in a few hours I may be cheerful again..."

The most beautiful European love-story ever?
This is probably Knut Hamsun's' masterpiece when it comes to love stories, and possibly one of Europe's most beautiful love stories. The book is about the son of the old miller, and the daughter of the local "nobleman", the owner of the "Castle". From they are very small and all the way up until the very end he loves her. The parts where they are in the cave and on the island are so beautiful and melancholic. But he being the miller's son, and her being part of the "upper-class", the love is an impossible one. Various circumstances increase the distance between them, and the impossibility of their love, but I won't reveal much. The story is just so beautiful and sad, that it should be required reading for all.

Then comes the fun part, the author; Knut Hamsun, probably Norway's greatest author of all time, was a die-hard "right-wing" anti-modern conservative. This is quite amusing, because all the liberal and anti-European readers just can't wrap their mind around the fact that a person that wrote such beautiful prose was so "abhorrent" in their twisted view. One of his 5 best books and one whose story you'll carry with you forever. Highly recommended!

(I read a different edition)

Possibly Hamsun's Best
I will agree with what has been said so far. This is a beautifully written novel by an extraordinary writer.I don't know if a movie was made from this novel, but I certainly hope there won't be.I don't know how the thoughts Hamsun puts down on paper can be conveyed through film.It would take a director greater than any living today.

I would have a hard time saying whether this or Hunger represents Hamsun's greatest work of fiction.No matter, get them both.And thanks to Oliver Stallybrass for a magnificent translation.

An elegantly twisted love story
This was the first of the Knut Hamsun novels that I read, and my favorite. It's a love story like no other, there's a mixture of emotions throughout the novel, which makes it a scarcely unwritten type oflove story. The use of words in this novel is excellent. You feel like you really learn when you're done reading this book, which will not take long because it's hard to put down. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Translated from the Norwegian by George Egerton; With an Introduction by Edwin Björkman ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more