Pan

by Knut Pedersen

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Pan is one of Knut Pedersen's most famous works, written and published in Norway in 1894. It is set in the remote woods near the Norwegian coastal town Sirilund. Lieutenant Thomas Glahn is the primary narrator, an ex-military man who lives with only the company of Aesop, his faithful hound. He becomes enamored of Edvarda, the attractive daughter of the merchant Herr Mack. Herr Mack is having an affair with Eva, the wife of the town blacksmith. Both women in Herr Mack's life become very interested in Glahn, triggering resentment on Herr Mack's part that his lover and his daughter prefer this outsider to him. The affections of Edvarda are in high demand—the unnamed doctor and baron are also vying for her attention. After a traumatic event, Glahn leaves Norway for India. Here, the reader encounters the second narrator, Maggie, and Cora. The second narrator, whose role is fairly self-explanatory, takes over the narration of the story from Glahn after he leaves Norway. Maggie is a woman who transfers her affections from the second narrator to Glahn, and Cora is the dog Glahn adopts to replace the dead Aesop when he arrives in India.

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