“Growth of the soil was something different, a thing to be procured at any cost; the only source, the origin of all. A dull and desolate existence? Nay, least of all. A man had everything; his powers above, his dreams, his loves, his wealth of superstition.”

Having spent most of a weekend driving t

3.5/5

I'd like to say the controversy of the author's political beliefs does not affect my rating in the slightest, but that is almost certainly a lie. Saddening as it is, the knowledge made me a little more mindful and a lot less forgiving of the fundamental differences of opinion between the author

Despite the fact that this book won Hamsun a Nobel Prize in Literature, it is often Hamsun's most misunderstood novel. Not much seems to happen in the 400+ pages of Isak (a mysterious, near god-like figure) building his farm. Even when things do happen, Hamsun's writing is surprisingly calm despite

Get this edition. On the front cover is a young man walking on plowed ground. Above is the book's modest title, "Growth of the Soil," and in smaller case "Knut Hamsun's Greatest Novel." Open it and you'll see the book's title again, the author's name and the information that it was translated from t

'Then comes the evening.' Those who have seen the film Hamsun, starring Max Von Sydow, will recall seeing several scenes with Marie Hamsun finishing a novel with this line at book readings. Growth of the Soil, Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun’s 1917 novel widely regarded as his masterpiece, is that novel.

3.5

The rugged man stood there with a miracle before him; a thing created first of all in a sacred mist, showing forth now in life with a little face like an allegory.

The writing style of Hamsun’s ‘epic’ is quite different from the other two (earlier period) Hamsun novels I've read, and in some ways

It started off greatly. Great setting, close to nature and a farmer as protagonist. Isaac is a tiller of soil and loves his job passionately. And continues doing it, refusing better opportunities and while a whole town develops around him, he still continues to look down upon anything industrial. Th

6 Estrelas Épicas

”Aquela vereda comprida, compridíssima que atravessa os pântanos e a floresta: quem a abriu ao percorrê-la? O homem, um ser humano, o primeiro que aqui surgiu. Antes da sua chegada, não havia caminho.” (Pág. 7) – assim começa ”Os Frutos da Terra”, esse homem, esse ser humano é Isak;

Regardless of my own views on Hamsun the man (I'm sure I'm not the only one to be bothered by his Nazi sympathies) there is no doubt Hamsun the novelist is up there with the best of them. Very rarely would I describe a novel as having a biblical power within it's pages, but Growth of the Soil carrie

As much as a reader may want to come before a book with an open mind, there are always at least three barriers to an unadulterated read. First and most obviously come the reader's circumstances, his history, his beliefs, his lack of time or his state of mind at any one point of the reading experienc