Hunger is Hamsun's first major novel, published in Norwegian in 1890. An unnamed young writer wanders Kristiania, now Oslo, trying to sell his work while he slowly runs out of money, food and a place to live. Told in his own voice, the story follows his shifting moods, proud refusals, sudden fantasies and odd encounters with strangers. Rather than plot, it offers a vivid study of a mind under strain. It is widely seen as a landmark of modern psychological fiction.