Mysteries

Mysteries, published in 1892, is one of the most enigmatic and intriguing works by Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun. Centred on the figure of the eccentric Johan Nilsen Nagel, the book presents us with a profound psychological narrative that challenges the literary conventions of the time.

Nagel arrives in a small coastal town in Norway and, from the outset, causes unease among the inhabitants. With his erratic behaviour, unpredictable interventions and disconcerting philosophical speeches, he becomes a presence that is both fascinating and uncomfortable.

Nagel is simultaneously altruistic and cruel, sensitive and manipulative, lucid and delusional (like normal people, I would say...). The town and its inhabitants serve as a mirror of Nagel's inner emotions and conflicts, becoming setting and metaphor at the same time.

Hamsun's style in Mysteries is marked by introspective and fragmented prose that anticipates the developments of literary modernism in the 20th century. The influence of this work is evident in writers such as Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann and even Ernest Hemingway. 

Knut Hamsun was born in Norway in 1859 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920, mainly for his work Growth of the Soil (Markens Grøde). His writing is known for its exploration of human psychology and its portrayal of his characters' inner lives.

Hamsun's figure (as well as Céline's and that of some, not so few, Others) was marked by public support for Nazi Germany during the Second World War. From a literary point of view, he is an unavoidable reference figure.

A damned man by right. Will that be enough?