Product Description

This beautiful and moving story of young love is a classic of European literature. Johannes, the miller s son, and Victoria, daughter of the lord of the manor, enjoy a brief moment of ecstasy that is as transitory as their dreams. They are forever separated by their class, and circumstances force them into perverse cruelty to each other. Yet, Victoria cannot live without her Johannes. 'Victoria' is the only novel Hamsun wrote that could be described as a whole-hearted love story and was written at the beginning of his own marriage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190395 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-30
• Original language: Norwegian
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
The whole modern school of fiction in the twentieth century stems from Hamsun. --Isaac Bashevis Singer

"One of the great writers." --'Sunday Times'

Nobel literature prize winner Hamsun s plot has more twists than a ball of string... a charming and attentive novel. Oliver Stallybrass s new translation will hopefully heap Hamsun a new generation of readers. --'Big Issue'

'Big Issue in the North'
"A charming and attentive novel. Oliver Stallybrass's new translation will
hopefully heap Hamsun a new generation of readers."

Isaac Bashevis Singer
"The whole modern school of fiction in the twentieth century stems from
Hamsun."

Customer Reviews

beautiful book
This was the first Hamsun book that i read and was probably a good place to start.
The story between the two lovers is at times tender, hurtful and humorous like all relationships. It is extremely well written despite the fact that (as the previous reviewer correctly stated)it is written in a simple childlike manner it doesn't take anything away from it, but only serves to enhance the relationship and add to the tragedy we see unfold.
We follow their story from their early childhood on the isalnd to the beginning of adulthood, and watch as they begin to tear each other apart, only to find that at the end they really couldn't live without each other.
It was a wonderful read and i will be sure to seek out more HAmsun in the future.

A simple, but highly emotional love story
Before I say anything else, this is my favourite of the hundreds of books that I have read.

It is a love story written in a very simple, almost child-like style. But this serves only to heighten the sensitivity of feeling between the two main characters - brief encounters between two children.

It is a sad story, but only written this way, it felt, in order to enhance the feelings. To illuminate the intensity of emotion when love and beauty is glimpsed all too briefly, only to slip away like grains of sand through your fingers.

Whilst the book is not plausible in an absolute sense, it feels sufficiently real to retain your belief in the characters.

Neither before or after have I found a book that combined this level of plausibility and feelings of love...

Simply beautiful..
This book was recommended to me by a Norwegian friend who studies literature so I thought he must know what he's talking about. Very easy to read, capturing, emotional and simply beatiful; I was not dissapointed. I have seen that loads of readers describe Hamsun's books beautiful but it really is the best word I can think of.. If that doesn't convince you, perhaps the fact that I couldn't get through the book without sobbing (esp at the end) will; and I haven't done that in a long time! Anyone even slightly emotionally charged will end up in tears..
I'm very much looking forward to reading other books of his!