Life Hunger
Per needs to start over. A few years later, he needs to start over again.
And then one more time.
After the dissolution of his family, 48-year-old Per becomes exceptionally adept at shedding his past. Even in his native Denmark, often hailed as the happiest country on earth, people are inspired by his extraordinary ability to find happiness through new beginnings.
But then he falls in love with an Iranian refugee who can’t and won’t let go of her traumatic past. Simin feels that if she yields to Per’s teachings, a crucial part of who she is will be lost forever.
And she may be right.
Misha Hoekstra, finalist for the International Booker Prize, has made an English translation of LIFE HUNGER.
To enquire this translation or about international rights, contact Gyldendal Group Agency.
Reviews
Jungersen tricks the reader
“A one-of-a-kind, wild reading experience that tunnels deep into the human psyche through a whirlwind series of unpredictable scenes, while notions of happiness cartwheel dizzily before our eyes. Jungersen paints an insightful and unusually dynamic portrait of today’s modern man. The novel takes the pulse of contemporary existence and deliberate life choices. The linguistic flow of Jungersen’s prose is impressive, and his descriptions are gripping
and dead on – even when, time after time, he breaks with convention and tricks the reader. The protagonist isn’t the only one who keeps trying out ways to make a new start. Jungersen leaps gracefully back and forth from crisp comedy (which he pulls off especially well) to profound psychological realism to nail-biting thriller.”
litteratursiden
Jungersen's writing is better than ever
“Jungersen’s writing is better than ever…. There is depth, beauty, and humor in his reflections on what it means to be a man and to be human. Life Hunger is remarkable, both as a novel about contemporary life and as a psychological portrait of a middle-aged man.”
Berlingske
Brilliant, effervescent and at times thigh-slappingly funny
“It’s brilliant and effervescent and at times thigh-slappingly funny. Jungersen’s new novel certainly covers a lot of ground – from the depths of the soul, through different moods and themes, to settings that range from Danish community gardens to a retreat in Bali and the Iranian Revolution. If the film rights haven’t been snapped up already, they will be soon.”
Børsen