Hunger

Hunger is a psychological novel written by Knut Hamsun and originally published in 1890. It is considered the first modern Scandinavian novel.

It narrates the hardships a writer goes through, including hunger or poverty, in his self-discovery in search of his highest artistic expression.

The artist, literally starving, endures all hardships for the simple fact of being able to put pen to paper. Through an unnamed narrator, we enter the life of the writer in search of a little inspiration, even if he then sells the work for very little money to be able to continue. The lack of stable work and the social situation in the city of Christiania will lead him to a really painful life.

His moods swing back and forth and his mind is constantly wandering, in a state of emotional instability. This is quite reminiscent of Kafka's characters.

The book deals with very deep themes such as self-destruction or obsession and shows a man who is totally pushed to the precipice by forces beyond his control.