Hunger

De: Knut Hamsun

Narrado por: Gunnar Cauthery

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.

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A good read

Interesting book but not my favorite. There is t much plot. It’s mostly a psychological novel.

Great book, always wanted to read Hamsun,

In 1985 while waiting to see Black Flag I was hanging out with Henry Rollins, he was reading “Hunger” by Knut Hamsun. I wish I would of read it then. It was thoroughly enjoyable! I loved the reader they picked to read the book!

I truly felt hunger while reading this great little book

Hunger comes in more than one form - Hunger for food, hunger for companionship, hunger for accomplishment. You go through each with the young man who longs for accomplishment in his art form of writing. A beautifully written story.

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.

A Tortured Soul

If the narrator had not done such an incredible job, this man's troubled, constantly uncontrolled thoughts would have made the book almost unbearable.

it is a story of someone so frustrated with himself and yet who has the occasional grand illusion and wild misunderstandings, which are constantly tempered by his brief encounters with others.

Written shortly after WWI, it gives you a glimpse of Norwegian society in that time period.

Well worth the listen, but you might need frequent breaks!

Moving, dramatic interior dialogue

Amazing description of what long-term hunger does to the mind as well as the body. It is so effective at recreating the chaos that starvation can wreak that I literally got a stomach ache while listening. This is also an excellent translation and narration.

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.

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 😁

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