This is the first comprehensive study in English of the novels of Knut Hamsun, Nobel Laureate in literature for 1920, from the radically innovative "Hunger" (1890) to "The Ring Is Closed" (1936). The texts are discussed in depth, with analysis of recurrent themes, narrative modes, and generic idiosyncrasies, and are evaluated in terms of originality and artistic integrity. Reviews and other critical opinions are cited to broaden the evaluative spectrum and throw light on the novels' receptions. Although the book is scholarly, its blend of commentary and summarizing description - of settings, characters and story lines - will also interest the general reader.