Hunger for More - Knut Hamsen's most Disturbing Psychological Novel

"A true classic of modern literature-and a forerunner of the psychologically driven fiction..." is just the Paul Auster would describe the disturbing mind bending novel that is Hunger. Written by Knut Hamsun, a Norwegian novelist, poet and playright comes this psychologically perplexing story driven by a struggling middle aged writer whose name is never revealed. Living on the border line of poverty in Christiana, Norway, the avid writer becomes perturbed with his inability to sell his works to a local newspaper. He wanders the streets in dire need of money, encouraging every bystander to purchase one of his whimsically dark tales. However, his proclivity to starve his mind and body hinders his ability to produce a remotely attractive fiction. The artists begins to digress into a realm of starvation and paranoia which fittingly allow him to create epics of madness, that revolve heavily around desparity and melancholic antithesis of the self. He seems to lose touch with reality altogether in this tale, enabling him to discover new ways of thinking and interpreting the world around him. The passerby's on the streets are stricken with either fear or confusion at the unnamed narrator who, upon this, subsequently realizes that he has in fact lost any sense of logical reasoning.

As his body and his mind transcend into sheer madness and dilusion, the writer's life becomes almost like that of a movie in that it begins to work in sequences. He finds himself constantly panhandling for bread and butter and lives with a pregnant, employed woman who is discontented with his behavior as well as his inability to present her with any form of currency in order to pay off his rent for the month. He is exiled to the streets after pure dissatisfaction and anger from the woman where he takes to writing once more. His distorted reality persists as he then begins to notice a woman who appears at a street light night after night. He disregards this strange figure who seems to stand completely unmoving dressed in a melancholic color of black each night until he musters up the courage to approach her. From there he learns that this woman has been watching him night after night observing his somewhat bipolar tendencies. As the narrator progresses with this woman, it appears obvious that this woman possessed an alterior motive. He realizes that she does not love him for who he actually is and that his grubby appearance has prohibited him any chance of gaining an actual relationship with this woman. After assessing his options, he decides that he wants nothing to do with her and rids immediately. He returns to his writing where his deepest discrepancies lies. He seems unable to fixate on one singular topic and finds himself cursing in the cool night air at his stupidity.

The interesting concept, is that this novel includes both sides of this man's personality that intertwine with his adventures in Christiana. The reader observes both the tangible propensities of the wayward artist as well as the disturbing behavior and treatment he bestows upon certain people. It is both melancholic and joyous to read as his perception of reality becomes an experience that takes hold of his own life. He continues to write stories and even conjures up a uni-character play in which he indulges in for days on end. His goal becomes his life as he beomces enveloped in this grueling race, with hunger inexorably prevailing. Knut Hamsun has written a novel in which the character finds himself in a constant battle not only with hunger, but with his own reality. It is strange that the character would have the desire to continue this starvation after he experiences the mental effects and the drastic mood swings it bodes upon him however, he is fiercely persistent in his efforts to complete the anecdote of perfection.

Towards the end of the story,the character decides to get on board a ship and sail to the city of Cadiz for reasons that are still unknown. It shows the desire to part from Christiana and to learn something new about himself as well as the world around him. This is an excellent take on the psychological paranoia that hunger can cause. One may lose complete touch with reality, but there is an underlying tone of amusement and curiosity behind the dilusionment. Knut Hamsun did a wonderful job in intricately constructing a storyline through which the reader asks for more on each page. He leaves us with nothing to trust but our own ethical judgment on whether or not this character is madly insane or a veiled literary genius. In order to decide for yourself, I recommend that you read this psychologically cryptic tale.