I myself felt like an insect about to go under, attacked by annihilation in this world ready to go to sleep. - Knut Hamsun, Hunger
I read and enjoyed this book a couple years ago and this line always stuck with me. For those of you who enjoy books that take you through a bizarre, winding tunnel of subjective experience (for example: Kafka's The Trial
, or Albert Camus' The Stranger
), take a look at this book. Hell, even read it. Hamsun published Hunger in 1890; consequently, it predates the aforementioned novels. He would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He would also, however, go on to be an ardent supporter of the Nazis, only being spared from charges of treason (he was Norwegian) because of his mental state. Despite this "supposed" mental state he went on to write another book. So, sounds like they should have actually taken away his food, given him a typewriter and let him write a sequel to Hunger until his organ functions eventual gave in to starvation. Like H.P. Lovecraft and his racism (and distasteful names for cats), Hamsun is unfortunately an example where we must read and appreciate the work he had done despite his severe character flaws.
The other benefit to reading all of the above books is that you can do so in a coffee shop while wearing all black and complaining about the pointlessness of it all in all your aloof, pretentious glory...suppose then, actually, you'd better throw some Sarte on the stack.
, or Albert Camus' The Stranger), take a look at this book. Hell, even read it. Hamsun published Hunger in 1890; consequently, it predates the aforementioned novels. He would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He would also, however, go on to be an ardent supporter of the Nazis, only being spared from charges of treason (he was Norwegian) because of his mental state. Despite this "supposed" mental state he went on to write another book. So, sounds like they should have actually taken away his food, given him a typewriter and let him write a sequel to Hunger until his organ functions eventual gave in to starvation. Like H.P. Lovecraft and his racism (and distasteful names for cats), Hamsun is unfortunately an example where we must read and appreciate the work he had done despite his severe character flaws.The other benefit to reading all of the above books is that you can do so in a coffee shop while wearing all black and complaining about the pointlessness of it all in all your aloof, pretentious glory...suppose then, actually, you'd better throw some Sarte on the stack.
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