The Growth of the Soil

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 "for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil a grand, sweeping saga of sacrifice and struggle. This epic tale recaptures the world of Norwegian homesteaders at the turn of the 20th century. Rich in symbolism, it continues to resonate with modern readers." He insisted that the intricacies of the human mind ought to be the main object of modern literature, to describe the "whisper of the blood, and the pleading of the bone marrow". Hamsun pursued his literary program, debuting in 1890 with the psychological novel Hunger.