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Thread: Knut Hamsun

  1. #1
    Executioner, protect me Kyriakos's Avatar
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    Knut Hamsun

    Anyone read some of his works?

    I have read Hunger, and The blessing of the earth. Both many years ago. I vaguely remember being impressed by Hunger. From the novel i only recall one scene, since it was very abrupt.

    And you?

    In case you have read it, you are welcome to suggest anything else by him i could pick up.

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    He was also a facist and supported the nazis. He even mailed his nobel prize to goebbels.

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    Registered User Desolation's Avatar
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    Who cares if he was a fascist? Lots of writers have questionable political associations, and it usually doesn't show through their work. Hamsun was a damn good writer, that's all I care about.

    Hunger is one of my favorite books.

  4. #4
    Internal nebulae TheFifthElement's Avatar
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    Hunger, Pan and Victoria are all good.
    Want to know what I think about books? Check out https://biisbooks.wordpress.com/

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    I've read "Hunger", and learnt about his life as a part of the Norwegian school curriculum. I find him being a fascist wuite interesting, but it seems as though it didn't really affect his work a lot, so a think of it as unimportant to his writing.

  6. #6
    Bibliophile JBI's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.lucifer View Post
    He was also a facist and supported the nazis. He even mailed his nobel prize to goebbels.
    That is true,

    now, as for his literature...

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    My favourite is Hunger - just great!
    I would also recommend Pan and Mysteries.

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    Quote Originally Posted by isadora66 View Post
    I find him being a fascist wuite interesting, but it seems as though it didn't really affect his work a lot, so a think of it as unimportant to his writing.
    Many people actually seem to hold up the opposite opinion on some of his works - for example The Growth of the Soil which is considered pure nazi-propaganda by many. I myself didn't feel like this when I read it, as I find it to be more about man's relation to nature that is being neglected in modern society. It is perfectly shown in here as well - in the beginning Isak is walking on something that's nothing more than a path in the woods, then he grows the earth and later on he is doing it with machinery. Its sort of how farming went through a shred of its outer skin.

    Hunger is very good. Hamsun takes a lot of credit for inventing the psychological novel which was introduced in this one. Otherwise Pan is probably his most beautiful book. Victoria was nice but didn't make too much of an impression on me after first read. On Overgrown Paths was interesting to read, as his final testament - his defense speech for being accused of supporting the nazis was well written. The fact that he wasn't imprisoned on the terms of having "permanently impaired mental abilities" is astonishing, to say the least.

  9. #9
    Registered User Desolation's Avatar
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    I'm kind of surprised that Pan is getting such high praises...I read a little over half of it on a bus a couple of weeks ago, and I thought that it was awful. Did I stop before some incredible twist that makes it more interesting? Maybe I'll try picking it up again.

  10. #10
    Growth of the Soil is in my possession and is on my list to be read by the end of the month, I'm excited to read it.
    Perhaps there is nothing but peace and stillness

  11. #11
    I've not read any of his works, but having googled him, I see that he was considered a controversial figure in Norway.
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    Controversial or not, Knut Hamsun is one of the great novelists of 20th Century literature. I too was highly impressed by Hunger and have recently acquired a copy of Mysteries. which was very good.

Similar Threads

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    Last Post: 01-17-2002, 06:16 PM

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