This is the first comprehensive study in English of the novels of Knut Hamsun, Nobel Laureate in literature for 1920, from the radically innovative Hunger (1890) to The Ring Is Closed (1936). The texts are discussed in depth, with analysis of recurrent themes, narrative modes, and generic idiosyncrasies, and are evaluated in terms of originality and artistic integrity. Reviews and other critical opinions are cited to broaden the evaluative spectrum and throw light on the novels¿ receptions. Although the book is scholarly, its blend of commentary and summarizing description ¿ of settings, characters and story lines ¿ will also interest the general reader.

The Author: Sverre Lyngstad, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey, received his Ph.D. in English from New York University. He is the author of many books and articles in the field of Scandinavian literature and has published numerous translations of classic Norwegian fiction. Dr. Lyngstad is the recipient of several grants, prizes, and awards, and has been honored with the St. Olav Medal and the Knight¿s Cross, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by the King of Norway.