FROM THE SPIRIT OF MODERN AMERICA

"The first thing that strikes a travel-weary stranger and makes him dizzy in America is, of course, the great noise, the restlessness, the bustling life in the streets, the restless, daring haste with which everything is carried on. If he lands in New York in the summer, he will also be a little surprised to see gentlemen without coats, without waistcoats, with only their suspenders over their shirts, taking a stroll through the streets with their silk-clad lady under their arm. It immediately makes a strange impression, a free impression; there is speed in the black etiquette."

1889

From the Spiritual Life of Modern America (1889) was a commissioned work by Hamsun's publisher Philipsen. After hearing Hamsun lecture on his view of America, which differed greatly from the prevailing view of America as the society of the future, the publisher saw the seeds of a controversial and easy-to-sell work.

Hamsun wrote the book in a few months. This was possible because it was based on previous lectures and was also free of source references. In the book, Hamsun expresses himself critically and polemically about politics, language, women's issues, and American cultural life in general.

Hamsun later spoke disparagingly of the work, calling it "childish".