Knut Hamsun online

[Digney in Burnaby]

Here's a link to some Knut Hamsun. Not sure about the copyright issues. And my eyes aren't so hot about reading pdfs off the screen these days. Or how good the translations are.

But there it is.

 

[Purple Stickpin]

Funny, I bought a used (1973, 8th printing), but fairly nice copy of Hunger a year or so ago, and it disappeared into a box and we moved last month; but lo and behold, I laid my hands on it just yesterday. So the connectivity is good. My translation is a "new" one by Robert Bly.

I think erik is from Norway; perhaps he might happen by and comment on the translations on that website. Hunger is translated by George Egerton there.

 

[roni]

[...] erik is from Norway; perhaps he might [...] comment on the translations ...

Oh, yeah.
THAT would be a very nice move, erik!



and thanks for the link, Digney!

 

[LickTheStar]

I can say that I've read the Bly translation and I liked it... until I read Sverre Lyngstad's translation of Hunger... Lyngstad's version sings in ways that Bly's doesn't. Perhaps he should stick to Homer!

Thanks for the link Digney... Most, if not all, of Hamsun's stuff should be outside copyright... and if not... I'll be sure to feel the requisite amount of guilt later.

Once mjp tells me how much to feel, of course.

 

[roni]

Any idea, which would've been the translation Bukowski has read?

(I asked myself that questions many a times for his readings of Schopenhauer, Nietzsche and Celine too. Would be pretty interesting.)

 

[Erik]

Sorry folks, havn't read "Sult" in english, but Bly's translation is frm 67 so it isn't the one Buk read. Bly has also translated Nwegian poets Olav H Hauge + Rolf Jacobsen, both fine poets. By the way, Ive been reading up on Ezra Pound & its funny how his war record resembles Hamsun's. Pound's book "the abc of reading" is pretty good. Opened my eyes to Chaucer. Wonder if Buk read it?
PS: Check out the film version of Hunger on Ytübe. GREAT FILM!

 

[roni]

[...] Opened my eyes to Chaucer. [...]

mine were opened to Chaucer by Burne-Jones.

[...] Check out the film version of Hunger on Ytübe. GREAT FILM!

What would the link be? - there are several, as I just discovered.



ps:
wandering through youtube I found some remarks about Hamsun by a fine (well knowned) German essayist named
.
I hope I don't violate this forum (much) by posting the link, since unfortunately it's in German without subtitles. But for the few here, who know the language, it might be interesting.

In the 2nd half of the 1st 3rd, he also discusses Hamsun's Nazi-thing-or-whatever - in a very decent way!

 

[Erik]

Search youtube for the Nowegian title: Sult. Its the one in 11 parts.
Cant post the link now as I am posting from my cellphone.

 

[roni]

yeah, I've seen that one.
Thanks A LOT !!!

To help the other cats:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=A87E15418C21BF1F

 

[Bukfan]

Here's the Youtube link to Sult:

[This video is unavailable.]

 

[LickTheStar]

The original English translation was by a Mary Dunne (AKA George Egerton) and was published right around the turn of the century. Chances are pretty good that this one (which loses the sex and sex related scenes, from Lyngstad's intro) was the one that Fante and Buk read...

 

[Bruno Dante]

I've read 'Hunger' but what else would people recommend?

 

[LickTheStar]

Well... the title "Ask the Dust" comes from Pan...

But I've only read Hunger myself, so I dunno.

 

[Erik]

I've read 'Hunger' but what else would people recommend?

Mysteries is good too. He wrote it two years after Hunger.
Pan is good. Its sort of "Hunger in the forest/country". ;)
Victoria is considered a good love story, by some. Not my cup of tea though.
Growth of the Soil won him the Nobel prize. Its a good read.

By the way, Paul Auster & Siri Hustvedt are planning a new translation of Hunger. Read more (in Norwegian) here.

In the interview she mentions that: "Hemingway loved Hamsun. Miller couldn't have written a word without him. Celine was strongly influence by Hamsun, and Celine influeced Kerouac.
Isaac B. Singer translated Victoria to Yiddsih!

Oh, and she mentions Bukowski's poem "how to be a great writer" as well.:D

PS: the Isreali government doesn't think Norway should commemorate Hamsun's books..;) Beware: the picture used in this article isn't Hamsun at all, its the actor Max von Sydow from the movie Hamsun, from 1996. Can't trust the media you know...

 

[Bruno Dante]

Thanks Erik. You just reminded about one time I was visiting a friend up in Edinburgh and (having read Hunger) we went to see the silent movie version of Growth of the Soil that happened to be showing up there. It was in an old-fashioned style cinema and even had guy playing the organ live as to accompany it. Pretty cool.