For those who have read a few of Knut Hamsun's, you will have realized that his tales often end unhappily, often after the paranoid narrator (who is usually a writer) has taken a moody and destructive turn after a rough patch with his muse. And while some of these aspects ring true in 'Victoria' (about a self-conscious writer who, as a young boy, falls for a beautiful girl out of his class, and grows up to a renewed love), it still has a sweeter ring to it; the bitter ending that can so ofte... (show more)

For those who have read a few of Knut Hamsun's, you will have realized that his tales often end unhappily, often after the paranoid narrator (who is usually a writer) has taken a moody and destructive turn after a rough patch with his muse. And while some of these aspects ring true in 'Victoria' (about a self-conscious writer who, as a young boy, falls for a beautiful girl out of his class, and grows up to a renewed love), it still has a sweeter ring to it; the bitter ending that can so often be found at a Hamsun conclusion is not here; while it is by no means a truly happy ending, it is poignant. (show less)