Dreamers is a comic novel set in a small Norwegian community, where a mysterious engineer named Rolandsen causes trouble for the respectable and the ambitious. He is charming, impractical and fond of drink, and he falls in and out of love, debt and scandal. Around him are the local merchant, the telegraph office and a lively set of villagers. Hamsun treats his dreamers with humour and affection, producing a light but perceptive story about longing and the gap between ideals and ordinary life.