Customer Reviews

Pan

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pan is a beautiful and broody narrative set in rural scandinavia in the C19th. A love story and a tragedy, and a mystery, all rolled into one. And like many of Hamsun's tales it has far more depth than it appears at first reading. Pan is dedicated to Nagel, the character of Mysteries, which should alert any reader familiar with the book. The same degree of complexity exists in Pan but its often obscured, like hidden paths in the forestland in which its based. And the narrator isn't reliable; he will lie to you as he delivers the tale; to find your way through you need to be receptive to any information. This makes the novel fascinating.

Hamsun is often reviewed through the lens of his old-aged follies, or as some kind of literary punk rocker, but try not to lose sight of the fact that he was always an outragiously talented artist. This is the writer often cited as the father of C20th literature. And this is one of his tender moments. Enjoy!