The story in one page
An unnamed, starving writer stalks the streets of Christiania, nursing both a crumbling manuscript and an absurdly inflated sense of self. He avoids charity with manic pride, preferring to hallucinate and collapse in graveyards rather than admit he is broke. When his landlord finally evicts him, he spends his nights walking in circles, arguing with himself, and occasionally lashing out at passersby. His brain turns against him, serving up feverish visions and strange impulses. Ultimately, he stops trying to force his way into the literary elite and signs onto a ship bound for Leith, fleeing the city that refused to feed him.
Who's who
- The Narrator
A destitute writer struggling to maintain his intellectual vanity.
- Christiania
The uncaring city where the protagonist slowly disintegrates.
- The Captain
The man who unwittingly provides the protagonist's final exit.
What it's really about
- Intellectual Pride
- Refusing help while physically wasting away.
- Subjective Reality
- Hunger distorting the narrator's perception of sanity.
Why it's memorable
- Chewing on a small pebble just to have something in his mouth.
- Insulting a stranger while his own cheeks are sunken like hollowed bowls.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Finding himself utterly hollowed out, he joins a ship heading to Leith and watches the city lights fade from the deck. He leaves Christiania behind, finally abandoning his post as a starving man of letters.
For your book club
- Why does he prefer hunger to the simplicity of asking for help?
- At what point does the narrator's narration become unreliable?