Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Hunger  By  cover art

Hunger

By: Knut Hamsun
Narrated by: Gunnar Cauthery
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $16.77

Buy for $16.77

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Verging on death, a starving, destitute writer navigates the cold and indifferent city of Kristiania in search of his next meal. Frenzied and fevered, he chews on stale bread, devours scraps of wood, and bites his own finger, sleeping under the stars in old, pungent blankets, until one day he is able to sell an article and buy some food - only for the cycle then to repeat itself....

Knut Hamsun's first novel, Hunger, won the author the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 and went on to influence the likes of Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, Charles Bukowski, and Henry Miller. This recording uses the 1996 translation by Sverre Lyngstad, which is considered to be the definitive version in English.

©2019 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2019 Naxos Audiobooks

More from the same

What listeners say about Hunger

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

translation is vital, this is THE ONE

This recording uses the 1996 translation by Sverre Lyngstad, which is considered to be the definitive version in English. Trust me, I attempted to read and listen to several others. They were beyond awful and I was about to give this book a 1-star rating.

Since it's so well thought of and on many "top 100 books of all time" lists, I decided to research it a bit; and I found a number of great write-ups on the differences in translations. One was even a censored version. I re-read (listened to) this one and the book went from 1-star to 5-star.

This translation captures the wit, which was key. And the narration was brilliant. I can now see how it influenced many great writers of the 20th century. It was a breakthrough novel in focusing on internal dialogue and the human psyche. The protagonist is, well, quite bizarre. Someone described him as "fatally self-absorbed." Keep that in mind and enjoy the humor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

This novel I believe works in conversation with Crime and Punishment, presenting a similar scenario, a person who can't afford to pay his landlady, and then what would happen if that person instead of choosing murder/crime, chose to take the high road, even being willing to starve himself to death rather than lower himself to criminal acts.

Great story and one that also highlights how artists are not valued in society, while also making a statement about the necessity of working toward your goals no matter personal obstacle.

Really enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book great narrator

Really great book í noticed the voice of the narrator familliar and i was pleasantly suprized to find out that he is my cousin 😁

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The OG

Knut Hamsun is the grand daddy of modern literature and Hunger really captures what makes him so special as a writer. It’s not always the easiest, but it’s worth powering through. 10/10

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful