14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"You don't get the woman you should have.", December 9, 2005
This review is from: Victoria (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
Written in 1898, this carefully constructed psychological study reads almost like a fable, the protagonist viewing the world through the distance of the unattainable. Johannes watches as the young people visit the local manor, which he calls the Castle, their fairy tale lives as distant as the stars, the beautiful, pampered children of wealth, frolicking on the Norway coast. At fourteen, Johannes covetously watches Victoria, in awe of her beauty, although she is only ten-years old. Son of the mill owner, he is frequently asked to row the youngsters to the Castle or on their adventures, but they treat him differently, like a servant, someone to do their bidding but not to be included. A dreamer, Johannes begins to create the poetry that will define his youth, inspired by Victoria and his secret yearning for her affection.
As the years pass and they mature, Victoria is not immune to Johannes' charms and frequently indulges in repartee, flirting with him, encouraging the love she knows is blossoming; she knows this romance can never come to fruition, given the vast differences in their backgrounds and social status. Johannes nurtures his secret love, writing to assuage the pain, soon leaving home. Abroad, he writes volumes of poetry and a number of novels of some renown, his work flowing from a broken heart. Victoria remains practical, though when she sees Johannes after he returns, she is surprised to find the attraction retains its power. Victoria struggles with family obligations, and, as time passes, becomes engaged to a man of means, although unable to resist her attachment to Johannes. Now a man of the world, Johannes is less constrained than in his youth, hoping that Victoria will at last entertain his affections. Her response is ambiguous, as she spins in and out of his reach.
In a unique "sequence of episodes", reality is followed by a replication of the same incidents in Johannes imagination, scenes repeating themselves, Victoria pushing and pulling Johannes in a private tug-of-war. Regardless of time or unfolding events, Johannes remains Victoria's prisoner, acting out their drama over and over without resolution. The erotic impulse is governed by psychological constraints, the beloved never escaping from the imagination, the wanting more powerful than the deed could ever be. To the end, Johannes' passion for Victoria gives birth to his talent, his inspiration inextricable from the source of his yearning, the unavailability of his muse a catalyst through the years, a perpetual source of unfulfilled adoration. Pure Victoriana, the idealized love of the unattainable maiden is the crux of this novel, Victoria's impulsive declarations of love quickly retracted in fear of compromise and failure to provide for her family. Johannes exists in his fantasy world, destined to dance forever on the edge of unrequited romance, the lover always out of reach, informing his prolific work. Luan Gaines/ 2005.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic and simple tale of love, August 14, 2006
This review is from: Victoria (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
This book has been one of my all time favorites that I read over and over. I'm no scholar, but the love letter Victoria writes at the end is the most inspiring I have ever read. It brings me to tears every time! It is a short easy to read book. It is so beautifully written. I recommend it to anyone who wants to really feel both heartache and true love. It will make you FEEL deeply. I love this book!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
very powerful story in spite of its length, July 8, 2008
This review is from: Victoria (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
I did not really know how Knut Hamsun was. Just for the sake of defeating the boredom, I looked over the each Nobel laureate in Literature. Surprisingly, there are many authors who are almost completely forgotten now. Where or not they deserved Nobel prize is not my concern and their falling in oblivion perhaps explains their overrated literary merit when they were bestowed the prize. I think one writer whose oblivion and dishonor was not brought by quality of his wrting but his belief is Knut Hamsun.
I first got to know him , when I was reading an auto biography of a certain waffen SS veteran who fought in Artic region. He brought his name several times and mentioned Hamsun was his favorite author. I was more than curious to know this author. Fortunately, Penguin recently published few of his works. The first one I read was "Pan" , another powerful story that shows Hamsun deserves the epithet of "Scandinavian Dostoevskii"(It is coincidence that both had strongly abohorrent character , namely Nazi sympathy for Hamsun and virlulent anti-semitism for Dostoevskii)
Then, I read "victoria". I was surprising that Hamsun can deliver this sort of love story that is so different from "Pan". If Glahn's untrammeled passion and Edvarda's unfaithfulness cause the demise of their love in Pan, Johanness and Victoria's love is predestined to doom due to their difference social standing. Hamsun's social critique is simple but powerful; "NO matter how talented and gifted you are, old class system can't be overcome"
Another thing that beckons me was lyrical descrption of town, city and surrounding Hamsun delivers in every single sentence. From begining I strongly notice that Hamsun must have influenced by Storm's "Immensee".
I can't judge whose work is superior .But after reading "Victoria" , I certainly say Hamsun not only deserved the notorious title of being norwegian "Dostoevskii", but also Norwegian "Georg Storm" who influenced so many posterity. It's simply pity that only handful of Hamsun's works have been translated in English. If his obscurity were derived from his political opinion, could we possibly seperate literary merit from politics ?
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