I just finished the Lyngstad translation of Hunger and was overcome. This is truly a must read for anyone who enjoys Kafka or Nabokov. It is timeless story, and one that hit close to home. It is a very moving exploration of human spirit and dignity in the face of extreme suffering. I just finished Laxness's Independant People and Hunger, while as different as night and day, also examines a person who refuses to let society and it's absurdities defeat them--to a moving result.