Knut Hamsun Biography

Knut Hamsun, Author

Born as	Knut Pedersen
Occup.	Author
From	Norway
Born	August 4, 1859 Lom, Norway
Died	February 19, 1952 Grimstad, Norway
Aged	92 years

Early Life and Background
Knut Hamsun, born as Knut Pedersen on August 4, 1859, in Lom, Gudbrandsdal, Norway, emerged as one of Norway's many well-known and questionable literary figures. He was raised in a peasant family, and his training in a rural setting would later heavily influence his literature. At the age of 3, his family moved to Hamarøy in Nordland, where they faced monetary difficulty, an experience that likely affected his understanding portrayal of hardship and battle in his works.

Early Career and Influences
Hamsun had a varied profession before establishing himself as a writer. He worked as a laborer, instructor, and shoemaker, and traveled thoroughly in the United States, where he established a crucial viewpoint on urbanization and modernity. His experiences abroad introduced him to different cultures and ideologies, which profoundly formed his writings. He embraced a distinct literary style that combined a deep mental insight with a vivid depiction of the natural world.

Literary Success
Knut Hamsun's development book was "Hunger" ("Sult"), published in 1890. The book is often considered as a pioneering operate in mental literature, detailing the struggles of an unnamed writer driven to the brink by poverty. His narrative technique, defined by stream of consciousness and intense interior monologue, identified him from his contemporaries.

Following "Hunger", Hamsun continued to check out themes of existential battle, alienation, and man's relationship with nature in novels such as "Mysteries" ("Mysterier", 1892), "Pan" (1894), and "Victoria" (1898). His works are noted for their expedition of the human psyche and a strong sense of place and nature.

Nobel Prize and Later Works
In 1920, Hamsun was granted the Nobel Prize in Literature for his unique "Growth of the Soil" ("Markens Grøde"). This legendary book, which proclaimed the virtues of rural life and guy's connection to the land, solidified his track record as a major literary figure. Over the occurring years, Hamsun released several more works, further exploring his recurring themes of nature, isolation, and the human condition.

Controversy and Personal Life
Hamsun's later life was spoiled by controversy due to his political compassions. He openly supported Nazi Germany throughout World War II, a choice that significantly tainted his legacy. After the war, he dealt with public backlash and was quickly apprehended as a traitor. In spite of being stated psychologically unfit for trial at 86 years of age, he was fined for his assistance of the Nazi regime.

Hamsun was wed twice, initially to Bergljot Göpfert in 1898 and after that to Marie Andersen in 1909. Marie was an actress and author, and the couple had 4 kids together. She waited Hamsun throughout his legal difficulties and was an essential support in his life.

Death and Legacy
Knut Hamsun died on February 19, 1952, in Grimstad, Norway. Despite the political controversies, his literary contributions stay prominent. He is thought about a precursor to modern-day mental literature and his works have motivated various authors, consisting of Franz Kafka and Ernest Hemingway. Argument continues over the separation of his literary prowess from his political views, however Hamsun's ingenious narrative style and exploration of the human psyche guarantee his location in the canon of world literature.

Our collection contains 15 quotes who is written / told by Knut, under the main topic Age.

Related authors: Ernest Hemingway (Novelist), Franz Kafka (Novelist), Ice T (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Hunger Knut Hamsun best translation
A: Sverre Lyngstad's translation is highly acclaimed for capturing the novel's nuances.
Q: Knut Hamsun Siste kapittel
A: Siste kapittel (The Last Chapter) is an autobiographical work reflecting on his later years.
Q: Pan Knut Hamsun analysis
A: Pan explores themes of nature, love, and existentialism through the experiences of the protagonist, Lieutenant Glahn.
Q: Knut Hamsun short stories
A: His short stories are less known, but include works like 'The Bridal Procession' and 'The Cloak'.'
Q: Knut Hamsun nobelpris
A: 1920, for Growth of the Soil
Q: Knut Hamsun Nobel Prize book
A: Growth of the Soil
Q: How old was Knut Hamsun?
A: He became 92 years old

Knut Hamsun Famous Works:

1890 Hunger (Novel)
1892 Mysteries (Novel)
1894 Pan (Novel)
1898 Victoria (Novel)
1917 The Growth of the Soil (Novel)

Source / external links:

15 Famous quotes by Knut Hamsun

"No worse fate can befall a young man or woman than becoming prematurely entrenched in prudence and negation"

"When good befalls a man he calls it Providence, when evil fate"

"I have gone to the forest"

"Today riches and honours have been lavished on me, but one gift has been lacking, the most important one of all, the only one that matters, the gift of youth"

"You are welcome to your intellectual pastimes and books and art and newspapers; welcome, too, to your bars and your whisky that only makes me ill. Here am I in the forest, quite content"

"Heaven knows that there are plenty of opportunities in later life, too, for being carried away. What of it? We remain what we are and, no doubt, it is all very good for us!"

"In old age we are like a batch of letters that someone has sent. We are no longer in the past, we have arrived"

"There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods. To boil one's coffee and fill one's pipe, and to think idly and slowly as one does it"

"No, what I should really like to do right now, in the full blaze of lights, before this illustrious assembly, is to shower every one of you with gifts, with flowers, with offerings of poetry - to be young once more, to ride on the crest of the wave"

"It is as well perhaps that this is not the first time I have been swept off my feet. In the days of my blessed youth there were such occasions; in what young person's life do they not occur?"

"For I mean to roam and think and make great irons red-hot"

"Were I more conversant with literature and its great names, I could go on quoting them ad infinitum and acknowledge my debt for the merit you have been generous enough to find in my work"

"In my solitude, many miles from men and houses, I am in a childishly happy and carefree state of mind, which you are incapable of understanding unless someone explains it to you"

"I have had much to learn from Sweden's poetry and, more especially, from her lyrics of the last generation"

"However, I must not indulge in homespun wisdom here before so distinguished an assembly, especially as I am to be followed by a representative of science"