Mysteries, Knut Hamsun, 1971, Bothmer Trans., 1st Printing, Nobel Laureate, HCDJ

by Knut Hamsun

$49 · Offered by eBay

First edition

Mysteries Knut Hamsun 1971 Originally published in 1892 by the recipient of the 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature. Translated from the Norwegian by Gerry Bothmer. "Mysteries" is a novel by Knut Hamsun that introduces readers to the enigmatic character Johan Nilsen Nagel, who arrives in a small Norwegian coastal town during midsummer dressed in a flamboyant yellow suit and carrying a violin case. His peculiar appearance and erratic behavior pique the curiosity of the locals, who struggle to understand his motives and past. Throughout the narrative, Nagel forms a complex friendship with Johannes Grogaard, known as the Midget, and becomes embroiled in the personal tragedies of the townspeople, including a recent suicide linked to a young divinity student named Karlsen, and his infatuation with Dagny Kielland, the parson's daughter engaged to another man. Nagel's character is multifaceted, oscillating between self-abasement and moments of arrogance, revealing a deep psychological complexity influenced by existential themes. The novel explores the tension between societal norms and individual desires, showcasing Hamsun’s departure from traditional realism in favor of a more introspective examination of characters labeled as eccentrics and outsiders. Notably, Nagel’s interactions with other characters, including the contrasting figures of Dagny and Martha Gude, further illuminate his struggles with love and identity. Hamsun's work is significant in its prefiguration of many twentieth-

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Year: 1971
• Condition: Very Good

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