Growth of the soil
"Growth of the Soil" by Knut Hamsun is a profound literary masterpiece that defies easy categorization, blending elements of rural realism, philosophical exploration, and social commentary. Set against the backdrop of the Norwegian wilderness, Hamsun's novel follows the life of Isak, a pioneer farmer, as he struggles to carve out a living from the untamed land. Through vivid descriptions and lyrical prose, Hamsun captures the harsh beauty of the natural landscape and the rhythms of rural life, immersing readers in a world of toil, hardship, and perseverance. As Isak contends with the challenges of farming and the complexities of human relationships, Hamsun delves into profound themes of self-sufficiency, community, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. "Growth of the Soil" is more than just a novel about farming; it is a meditation on the human condition and the enduring bond between humanity and the land. With its richly drawn characters and evocative depiction of rural Norway, Hamsun's masterpiece continues to resonate with readers, offering a timeless exploration of the universal struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.
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5recommend
8mentions
7people
2019–2026years
75% recommend25% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- There is a digression early in Knut Hamsun's novel Growth of the Soil, where for a paragraph or two he goes on about how great potatoes are and also mentions the same thing about man needing just potatoes and milk.
It's an incredible novel, and I have read it periodically since I was a teen, with so many great musings on the meaning of life but I always remember the passage on potatoes. Couldn't for the life of me tell you why that's stuck in my head so much.
EDIT
What was that about potatoes? Were they just a thing from foreign parts, like coffee; a luxury, an extra? Oh, the potato is a lordly fruit; drought or downpour, it grows and grows all the same. It laughs at the weather, and will stand anything; only deal kindly with it, and it yields fifteen-fold again. Not the blood of a grape, but the flesh of a chestnut, to be boiled or roasted, used in every way. A man may lack corn to make bread, but give him potatoes and he will not starve. Roast them in the embers, and there is supper; boil them in water, and there's a breakfast ready. As for meat, it's little is needed beside. Potatoes can be served with what you please; a dish of milk, a herring, is enough. The rich eat them with butter; poor folk manage with a tiny pinch of salt. Isak could make a feast of them on Sundays, with a mess of cream from Goldenhorns' milk. Poor despised potato — a blessed thing!
Wonderful
- Knut Hansun's Mysteries was difficult like this for me. I think I'm glad I read it but I wouldn't have made it through my reading if Growth of the Soil hadn't been so damn good.
- Someone has been reading Hamsun!
- This a very personal opinion based on some popular classic book lists like those found on 4chan /lit/ etc. (Note: All books are new and I calculated the price from Book Depository [0], you might be able to purchase more from Better World Books [1]):
- The Holy Bible - Moby Dick by Melville - The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky - The Master And Margarita by Bulgakov - Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes - The Iliad by Homer - The Odyssey by Homer - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandra Dumas - The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler - The Qur'an - The Prince by Machiavelli - The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky - The Confessions by Saint Augustine - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - We by Yevgeny Zamyatin - The Book Of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric - Bosnian Chronicle by Ivo Andric - Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun - Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger - All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque - The Divine Comedy by Dante
--- This list totals out at 311.14EUR and has 23 books. [0] - https://www.bookdepository.com/ [1] - https://www.betterworldbooks.com/
- Growth of the Soil, Knut Hamsun
- I am currently listening to Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and it is by far the most interesting book I've read/listened to. I have been moved to tears again and again by this book.
Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun (1917) just turned 100, and it is also one of my most favorite books of all time, it too was moving me to tears again and again.
