Hunger · Chapter
Endnotes explained
The endnotes provide translator and editor annotations clarifying cultural, historical, and textual details in the novel, including barber pricing, a steam cooking-kitchen, Norwegian nobility, a theatre and garden, a governor's dwelling, sp
What happens
The endnotes provide translator and editor annotations clarifying cultural, historical, and textual details in the novel, including barber pricing, a steam cooking-kitchen, Norwegian nobility, a theatre and garden, a governor's dwelling, specific dates, and a disputed reference to Leeds.
Key passages
“Endnotes Issued by the barbers at cheaper rates, as few men in Norway shave themselves.”
Barbers offered lower prices because most Norwegian men did not shave themselves.
Clarifies a cultural practice regarding barber services in Norway.
“In the Norwegian original, the man replies that the ship is bound for Leeds, a city which cannot be reached by sea. Translator substituted “Leeds” with “Leith.” Hamsun’s “Leeds” has been restored here, as it remains disputed whether Leeds was a genuine mistake or an intentional misspelling.”
The original text said the ship was going to Leeds, which is not a seaport; the translator changed it to Leith, but the editor restored Leeds, noting the debate over whether it was an error or deliberate.
Highlights a textual controversy regarding the novel's geography.