by Knut Hamsun
First published 1894
Thomas Glahn has built himself a simple life in the Norwegian wilderness. The former lieutenant shares his forest hut with only his dog Aesop, hunting and living apart from civilization. This solitude breaks when he encounters Edvarda, whose merchant father lives in the nearest town. The attraction between them ignites immediately and burns intensely on both sides. Yet something fundamental keeps them apart. Glahn cannot decode what Edvarda truly wants from him. She remains equally baffled by his feelings and intentions. Their conversations circle around meanings neither can grasp. Each misreads the other's gestures and words. What should draw them together instead creates a widening gap. Glahn finds himself caught between his desire for isolation and his need for connection. The forest that once provided peace now feels like a prison. His relationship with Edvarda becomes a puzzle he cannot solve, no matter how desperately he wants to understand her heart and make her understand his own.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Norway, Norwegian Wilderness
Period: 19th Century
181 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group