Book Review : Hunger by Knut Hamson

Title:Hunger
Author:Knut Hamson
Pages:250
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Online

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Summary(from flipkart)
A true classic of modern literature that has been described as ?one of the most disturbing novels in existence” (Time Out), Hunger is the story of a Norwegian artist who wanders the streets, struggling on the edge of starvation. As hunger overtakes him, he slides inexorably into paranoia and despair. The descent into madness is recounted by the unnamed narrator in increasingly urgent and disjointed prose, as he loses his grip on reality.

Review
A quick note before I get to the book..I wanted to read "Growth of the soil" by Knut that earned him Nobel Prize in 1920, but since I found Hunger before finding the other one I gave in to it..

Hunger is about an unsuccessful anonymous writer (lets call him hero) who is trying hard to meet his end meet through his writing skill..He goes around without food for days together, yet he is too proud to ask for help..He is a contrasting figure of psychological pride and survival...One day we find him annoyed by an old lady begging for food and soon we see him going to the extend of selling his vest in exchange of money giving away more than half of the share to her, while keeping smaller portions for himself when he himself hadn't had food...Next instant he thinks that the supreme power is against him and life very harsh and the very next moment we see him switch back to high spirits..

Our hero is quite strange in his own terms, he is impoverished yet has no complains, he wanders through the streets, has no money for food and  carries a clear conscience.. In an exceptional circumstance he steals food which leaves him deeply hurt so the next time when he has money he gives away all the vendor just to free himself from guilt..Above all he is too proud of himself, he doesn't ask for a ticket even when he has been with no food three or four days in  row..He is seen through starving most of his days worse unemployed too...He amuses himself by various tales around and keeps on going planning his work in the coming days...Finally he decides to leave all this sufferings for good and start a new life.. Does he succeed?? Read it to find out..

I took  my own time to get a hang about the story and when I got it I got my pace quite well..The novel is simple, easy to follow and a good read...The hero loves the things around him,the way they are he doesn't feel low about himself or the situations yet he is not sure about that many times..

I was so surprised to hear his name as a link between Dostoevsky and Kafka, even with a Nobel prize to his credit he seemed largely invisible among readers... in short this book would be a different read, as there are no plot to take the novel forward but only events that makes our hero's day and night...There is nothing remarkable about our hero yet his goodness stays throughout untouched by harsh situations of life...