Considered one of Hamsun's finest novels, Benoni is the first of two books in a series, Rosa is the second. Benoni is about spirited Benoni Hartvigsen, who at the beginning of the novel is a poor postman, fishing and småkarsmann with little reputation, but as a day receives a large sum of money. During the book develops Benoni to become one of the wealthiest men on Sirilund, which is the village where the bulk of the novel takes place.