Giants of the Earth Doppelganger
Every once in awhile I come across a book that just begs to be read. Imagine a fellow who decides to homestead in the backcountry of Norway at a time his relatives were moving to America?. Growth of the Soil was published in Norway in 1917 and the U.S. in 1920. It is considered to be author Knut Hamsun's greatest work. He won the 1920 Nobel Prize for Literature for this book. It is available in a new print translation or online in an ebook that is free
The premise of the book follows Issak as he moves to the wilds of inner Norway and starts a farm, a family and a life. It is compelling enough to urge the reader through. Although, if I wasn't interested in agriculture and my heritage wasn't Norwegian, it probably wouldn't be as interesting.
The long lived Hamsun went from being celebrity to pariah during World War Two. Hamsum championed the cause of Germany while his fellow countryman were suffering under German occupation. As a result, this once prominent author has fallen into obscurity.
Hamsun is indicitive of many prominent people from the past who accomplished great acheivements. Through the lens of history, these acheivements have become tinged with the supreme folly of other aspects of their life. If we look hard enough, I think, almost everyone falls into this category.
The premise of the book follows Issak as he moves to the wilds of inner Norway and starts a farm, a family and a life. It is compelling enough to urge the reader through. Although, if I wasn't interested in agriculture and my heritage wasn't Norwegian, it probably wouldn't be as interesting.
The long lived Hamsun went from being celebrity to pariah during World War Two. Hamsum championed the cause of Germany while his fellow countryman were suffering under German occupation. As a result, this once prominent author has fallen into obscurity.
Hamsun is indicitive of many prominent people from the past who accomplished great acheivements. Through the lens of history, these acheivements have become tinged with the supreme folly of other aspects of their life. If we look hard enough, I think, almost everyone falls into this category.
Comments