Hunger
by Knut Hamsun · first published 1920
10mentions
8recommended by
10HN commenters
2010–2022first – last mentioned
80% recommend20% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Dry-humored, psychologically sharp portrait of a starving writer's shifting moods, from creative bursts to despair; praised as an early modern psychological novel, best for readers who enjoy introspective fiction.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2010–2026Post office
Charles Bukowski
Recommended by 13 · mentioned by 2113 recommend · 21 mention13 recommend · 2113 recommend
2007–2026Crime and punishment
Recommended by 113 · mentioned by 276113 recommend · 276 mention113 recommend · 276113 recommend
2007–2026Snow Crash
Neal Stephenson
Recommended by 364 · mentioned by 977364 recommend · 977 mention364 recommend · 977364 recommend
Hunger by Knut Hamsun, Wait Until Spring by John Fante, Post Office by Charles Bukowski, The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary, The Outsider by Colin Wilson, The Price of Greatness by Arnold M. Ludwig, Touched…
on “Ask HN: Books That Should Be Read” ↗Hunger by Knut Hamsun, 1890. I consider it the first psychological novel. "The novel has been hailed as the literary opening of the 20th century[1] and an outstanding example of modern, psychology-driven literature.[2]…
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite book written before 1900?” ↗Hunger, by Knut Hamsun, is an excellent read, it describes with dry humor what starvation does to the author's psyche and creativity. He goes from creative bursts of enthusiasm to the darkest moments of depression,…
on “The boss who put everyone on 70K” ↗History: * Russia Leaves the War by George Kennan * The Battle Cry of Freedom by James MacPherson Fiction: * Hunger by Knut Hamsun * White Teeth by Zadie Smith Philosophy: * Philosophy of Logic by W.V.O. Quine * Modes of Being by Paul Weiss * Phenomenology, Its Genesis and Prospect by Quentin Lauer * Philosophy of…
on “Ask HN: What book(s) did you love reading this year?” ↗Knut Hamsun's "Hunger" is also excellent (better even than Kafka, but less well-known): http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8hngr10h.htm
on “A Hunger Artist, by Franz Kafka (brought to mind by "How to be a loser")” ↗Somewhat related recommended read: Hunger (Knut Hamsun) [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32585.Hunger
on “Hunger Is a Gatekeeper of Pain in the Brain” ↗“Hunger” by Knut Hamsun
on “Brutality of Life Reading List” ↗“Hunger” by Knut Hamsun is another one.
on “On Being Broke” ↗…that I'd be embarrassed to let anyone read it even if it had been any good. I grew up in Norway; incidentally, one of the most famous Norwegian novels is the semi-autobiographical "Sult" (literally "Hunger") by Knut Hamsun, describing a young writers descent into madness as the hunger grips him as he wanders around in what is now Oslo. But I've also seen the flip side, where you spend so much time worrying…
on “The boss who put everyone on 70K” ↗Same period as "Hunger" by Knut Hamsun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_(Hamsun_novel)
on “Student photographs people with hidden spy cam in the 1890s (2018)” ↗