Hunger - Knut Hamsun BOOK REVIEW 

Hunger is 'Better Than Food'?

I'm halfway through...had me like , " is this Raskolnikov's long lost brother?" Enjoying it so far.

Book gave me impression that protagonist tries to fool us into believing him. He is a liar, dying of his own stupidity and pride. His prison is his mind.

This is still stand-out for me: “God had poked His finger down into my nerves and gently, almost without thinking, brought a little confusion among those threads. And God had pulled His finger back, and behold--there were filaments and fine rootlike threads on His finger from the threads of my nerves. And there remained an open hole behind His finger which was the finger of God, and a wound in my brain behind the path of His finger.But after God had touched me with the finger of His hand, He let me be and touched me no more and let nothing evil come upon me. He let me depart in peace and He let me depart with the open hole. And nothing evil will come upon me from God who is the Lord through all Eternity....”

(The K in Knut is not silent!) :) Excellent review! I always find it so refreshing to hear you talk about books that I absolutely love which otherwise, to my great dismay, are usually never discussed on any of the other BookTube channels that I frequent! :)

Other reviews for this book on YT are incomprehensibly moronic.

I'm really loving the commitment and quality you're putting into the channel(s), Cliff. I'm finding myself coming to youtube solely for your reviews now

As a Norwegian, and as someone who has read several biographies of Hamsun, I've come to speculate that the reason Hamsun was a Nazi-sympathizer is actually because he hated the British, and less that he loved the ideology of Nazism in particular. He was in many ways a romantic, who hated modern living and the industrialization that was going on before and during his life, and I think that he saw the British as a source of that industrialization, and didn't want the rural farm life of Norway to disappear, hence he opportunistically supported the Germans because he believed they might allow the continuation of that kind of life in Europe and stop the spreading of the work houses and industrial centers that were increasingly becoming part of the European landscape. I might be wrong though, as I said, only speculation. Anyway, good review and yes, a great book indeed! :)

You should check out Mysteries by Knut as well!

About f***ing time. I've been on a hunger strike waiting for this review.

You really love literature. I like your attitude.

You actually made me want to read Hamsun again, I did not see that coming. I read this book when I was 14. It would probably be a completely different experience now as a more mature reader, even though I liked it back then as well.

thanks! because of this review I went down to our grandmas old books to look at Hamsund again and found a first edition of his collected works with a Signed copy of hunger in Norwegian 😄

Really great Review once again. You're slowly becoming my favorite RU-vidr.

A good friend of mine lives just 5 mins from "Nørholmen Gård" wich is the house Hamsun bought after winning the Nobel Price. Hamsun lived his last years in that house. Driving past that house with my Grandpa when I was little, and he telling me that a great writer called Hamsun lived in that house we are driving past right over there was how I discovered Hamsun in the first place.

your reviews, aside from reminding me of all the books I would like to read, are wonderful, always!

Ecstatic that you're covering this one. Truly one of the most raw and depressing books ever written. Also, you deserve every shred of exposure you can get on this site. You're like The Needle Drop of books!

Yaay! I feel honoured that you reviewed a book i suggested, though i'm sure I wasn't the only factor. Thank you so much, you really gave me an even deeper appreciation for this great psychological book. A true descent into mental despair. i'll throw you some more suggestions soon. Merci and adios my friend.

I just finnished a book called Perfume, by patrick suskind. I really think you'll love it! you're videos are amazing by the way!!!

If your into Norwegian litterature. I would defintlely reccomend a novel called "The Violins" or in Norwegian "Fiolinane" by a writer called Jan Roar Leikvoll. So far it isn't translated into english, but some of his other novels are. Sadly he died in 2014 only 40 years old. Trought his life he had a brain tumor which is said to have had an affection on his unique, poetic, and grotesque writing style.

Hello from Colombia. I have read in spanish two of his titles, Growth of the Soil, and Trilogía del Vagabundo, which really consists of three books. I have loved Hamsun, and his prose. I am actually reading "Hunger". Greetings from Colombia.

I was about 5 pages into this book, and then I realized Ylayali isn't not even the girl's real name, just a name that calls out to the narrator due to hunger-based hallucinations. I was like NOPE. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOOOOOOOOOPE - I had to get rid of it.

this is in my crate of unread books. been waiting for it to get cold to try it.

I read this book completely at random, just from the title. Knowing nothing I chose it from Gutenberg.org I was quite impressed and probably read it in a day or two. (It's been a few years). I liked the refusal to admit reality, and how his viewpoint would change depending on his fortune that day.

Have you ever read Of Human Bondage? Would make for a great review

this book is one giant ED trigger. love it!

I first heard of the book when it was dramatised and broadcast on R3 in 1981. Stephen Rea played the writer. Well worth reading especially when you are in your early twenties and fond of books by people like Camus and Dostoevsky

He was the genius. "The Hunger" is masterpiece.

Being a huge Hamsun fan Mysteries and Pan are his masterpieces

Growing those nails out for finger style guitar playing?

Thank you for the great book reviews. Keep them coming. I just finished this book. I bought it on your review. I think the book should be titled PRIDE. The author had many opportunities to eat (like being listed as homeless and eating in the jail) and being in places that inspire him (the city square). Instead he's more interested in complaining about his life and his choices. Even when given the opportunity to eat (say when the landlady gives him 10 Kroner) he refuses it out of pride.

Every book I'm searching for a review there is always a video from you! Especially the gritty ones... Great work overall, enjoying your content

Excellent reflections. I've never read anything that old quite like it...a descent into madness and despairing humiliation with absurd humor. I thought it must have been written in the 1920s, not the 1880s!

I am swedish who used to live in Norway and really impressed how you are giving time tö sö much greät änd glörious Skandinavisk litteratur. You have the Vikings respect!

Thanks Clifford.

“It helped a little,” at the very end of his rant should be read with more cadence. The beauty of Hamsun and why he blows every other writer out of the art in general is because of his subtle comments, like the one you read. It’s imperative to catch these things when reading Hamsun and not take them for granted. The true master of all writers; in my opinion, of course.

You should read The Growth of the Soil. Nuanced, simple, and the crown jewel that won him the Nobel Prize.

One of my favorite books.

But what if you go home with someone and the whole collection of books isn't really there's ?

Another wonderful review, will certainly pick up through your link. Keep em up. The more decadent the better. Recommendation: Agua Viva by Clarice Lispector.

You must read Growth of the Soil it’s ten times better

Hey, very good idea for a channel on yt, I have just found it, so I will surely look it up and read some books of your recommendation... I don't know if you consider viewers suggestions, but I would like to recommend you Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun, I think it shows more why he won Nobel Prize... Anyway, great job, and lot of greetings and support from Serbia...

i am reading this book. great review. i suggest all young writers read every knut hamsun novel pre-'growth of the soil'. also, dude you should be acting in like noah baumbach films but please, just for me, cut your finger nails, please. also please keep on reviewing. peace brother

Wonderful review, I feel like I've already read the book with your descriptive and vibrant review. Enjoyable!

Definitely going to try to read this one. Love the reviews man.

Just read it. Loved it.

I read "Hunger" years ago. I liked it, but wasn't blown away. My friends think there's something wrong with me. I'll have to re-visit Hamsun one of these days and give him another try. Especially after that bit about pissing off HItler. Good review.

Nothing is better than food! Paradox. I just want to know how you say the author's name. Not listen to a Bukowski/Hamsun impression! Sweet! You said it! I'm out!

Also Andreas Latsko Men in War is fucking one of a kind, and short read.

Have you seen the movie? Hunger (1966) Hope you'll enjoy it.

Amazing author

He is a reliable narrator. Rest is cool :)

Thank you for taking the time to Make this video.

This is truly one of the best books ever written.

Your pronunciation of Knut Hamsun and Sult caused my spinal cord to rupture in cringe.

you pronounce the 'k' in 'Knut' to its like "K-Nute" :)

Ligotti's first two collections just got a Penguin Classics reissue. you should review 'em!

did knut hamsun really cut his own leg?

Wow nice channel! interesting and informative. An excellent book choice. Subscribed.

I read this when I was a law student bugging off from my classes (40 years ago), and I pretty much identified with him. Been better off reading Crime and Punishment, but then I'd probably have murdered someone.

Reminds me of nausea

Hello i just found out about this channel today . i want to work on an absurdist novel for my Dissertation . would you recommend a very interesting one please ?

Why haven't I read this yet?

Norwegian version of Raskolnikov.

A well-written book, but I absolutely hated the protagonist.

Happy birthday to you! Thank you!

You look very nice in that lovely white shirt Sir.

Very impressive book and good observation

Wish my literature teacher was as handsome as you!

hows that Herman Miller Aeron Chair treating you?

Why I’m l too late for this review 🤨

Great review, I can't seem to get into Hamsun myself though even he's basically required reading over here. By the way, are you ever going to review some poetry collections or do you just want to stick to prose?

just discovering you chan' man! fuckin' good job damn! Keep it up!

hi do you have a summary in text of the book Hunger

Interesting, but your finger nails need a trim.

The blurb on my cover of "Hunger" read - "One of the most disturbing novels in existence". It really wasn't that disturbing. Good read, but not that disturbing. Cormac McCarthy has more disturbing stuff. Tim O'Brien has more disturbing stuff.

Great Review, Great Channel! Suggestion- Chess Story By Stefan Zweig

What's that you're drinking Cliff?

5:20 which page is that?

5:20 which page is that?? its for homework. please answer quickly!!!

So, Hitler wasn't quite as evil as we've all been told by the sounds of it. Who'd have thought.

*Solid contribution! Thanks, Merci, Kiitos, Danke, Tack. Kapp Khun Kapp. Johnnie de Bangkok straight from T H A I L A N D* ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nnwi5oxrv7w.html

This review stinks.