Knut Hamsun

Wanderers Knut Hamsun

Knut Hamsun was a major Norwegian author who received the Noble Prize for Literature for his novel Growth of the Soil in 1920. Hamsun's writing makes excellent use of symbolism. Hamsun saw man and nature united in a strong bond that could almost be considered mystical. The Wanderers consists of two novels published together which both have an autobiographical element. The Sequel entitled The Last Joy is the third book in this autobiographical group. The central figure of Knut Pedersen lives in the Northlands and through his vision the fates of Captain Falkenberg and his wife are gradually unfolded. The scenes in these works parallel events in Hamsun's life and more importantly they give an in depth look into the psychological aspects of Hamsum's mind.