Kristin Lavransdatter
by Sigrid Undset
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A trilogy-- It's one of those great portraits of humanity, like you might associate with the work of Tolstoy. It won the Nobel for literature in 1928. If you are moved at all by the idea of human nature struggling with both a physical and spiritual identity, or interested by a setting in medieval Norway, I highly recommend it.
It follows the life of one woman from childhood to her death-- there are no cliff-hangers or use of vague prose to make things sound artistic, just the dramatic tens...more
It follows the life of one woman from childhood to her death-- there are no cliff-hangers or use of vague prose to make things sound artistic, just the dramatic tens...more
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Read in March, 2008
I finally finished this fat fat trilogy. Motherhood, choices and consequences, family and parents, history, recovery, love, marriage, children, faith... this is an epic book all women should read. We walk with Kristin through an innccent childhood all the way through tumultuous teen experiences, marriage, motherhood... It's a hard book to summarize. But wow - it provokes incredible conversations in book group!
A review from Amazon:
From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauerme...more
A review from Amazon:
From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauerme...more
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Read in July, 2006
Undset's Kristen Lavransdatter is one of the best books I have ever read. And yet, two years after I have yet to recommend it to anyone. And I stand by my decision. This particular work of Nobel Prize winning Undset was originally published as four books, making the Penguin deluxe edition over 1100 very dense and pages long. It's not the type of book you casually leave behind at your friend's house saying "read this, it will only take about a month straight of reading to finish).
It's t...more
It's t...more
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Read in January, 2007
recommended to Kristina by:
Jan Painter (Tessa's mom)
Kristin Lavransdatter tells the story of a woman (shockingly named Kristin Lavransdatter) and her life in Norway in the Middle ages. Undset begins the story in Kristin's childhood, but the real juicy part starts when Kristin does the nasty with Erlend (who she is in love with) and breaks off her arranged engagement to Simon (who is a good guy but she's just not that into him). Needless to say, in the middle ages this was NOT OK.
In a world where morality is drawn in black and white, Undset'...more
In a world where morality is drawn in black and white, Undset'...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
any girl over sixteen, but married women especially
This is a story about a young girl, Kristin, living in Norway during the middle ages. As she matures into womanhood, she selfishly defies both her parents and God so she can marry the man of her choice, Erlend. The story tells of her repentance and the joys and sorrows that are the consequences of her willfulness. I love this book for several reasons. Firstly, though the style of writing is older and a bit complicated (it is translated from Swedish), the characters are very real and vibrant. Sec...more
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Read in November, 2007
This book covers the lifespan of a lass who dwelt in medieval Norway. I love the sense of place - the tools, the landscapes, the clothing. It's a very spiritual novel - though set a Christian, pre-Reformation land, pagan ways still bubble at the surface, presenting themselves as viable solutions.
I did find KL's constant ruminations on her premaritial transgressions tiresome, but there's a bigger picture: KL carries a burden that she created and nurtured. This is resolved in a way that is de...more
I did find KL's constant ruminations on her premaritial transgressions tiresome, but there's a bigger picture: KL carries a burden that she created and nurtured. This is resolved in a way that is de...more
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9 comments
Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone
Last October I saw a short animated film at the Chicago International Film Festival called "The Danish Poet." It was charming and touching, and this book played a large part in it. I was so moved by the short, whose characters were so moved by Kristin Lavransdatter, that I had to read it. While it was overall kind of a harrowing read, and I can't say I always enjoyed Kristin very much, it was ultimately satisfying and really quite worth the emotional investment. I passed it on to my bo...more
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Read in January, 1991
recommends it for:
medievalist interests
A trilogy, translated from...Norwegian, I think, unless from the Danish (Undset was born in Denmark, married a Norwegian, and this book takes place in Norway during the 13th or 14th c). At times dense but never turgid, and perhaps the fault of the translation or the writing style of the era--written in the 1920s--I can't tell.
Hard to find nowadays except in the paperback Penguin classic editions but a fascinating account of Catholicism and held-over Scandinavian "paganism", family ...more
Hard to find nowadays except in the paperback Penguin classic editions but a fascinating account of Catholicism and held-over Scandinavian "paganism", family ...more
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recommends it for:
Lovers of historical fiction
My high school English teacher recommended this book in 1967 and I have read this trilogy several time since. This is a story of a Norwegian girl in the Middle Ages and follows her to the end of her life. Sigrid Undset won the Nobel prize for Literature in the early 1920s on the strength of this series. This novel speaks to women at any age and historical era. The life of Kristin and her relationships to family and loved ones demonstrates the continuity of the human condition through history.
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I read this a few years ago on vacation. I finished the trilogy in four days, it was that good. A gripping story of a young woman torn between the charming, handsome man who sweeps her off her feet, or the chubby, ruddy-faced responsible, virtuous and honorable man. She makes her choice, and then wonders her whole life if she had made the right one. All set in medieval Scandinavia. Beautifully researched and effortless narration.
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1 comments
Wonderful depiction of a woman's life in 14th century Norway. I recently read this trilogy for the second tme (a new translation by Tiina Nunnally added masterful dimensions to the text). I was introduced to this book in 97. The insights into the maternal mind and the passions of a woman, the struggles with religious faith, the introduction into these times -- Well worth the investment of time to read it.
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I've read the first of the 3 sections. 1200+ pages is daunting, but thus far I can easily say it's one of the best books I've ever read. Not only is Undset incredibly aware of the historical and cultural context in which she placed her characters (it's a mini-history lesson), but she explores the intricacies of the human spirit and heart in a way that is so honest. Reading, thus far, has been a delight!!
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Read in January, 1973
recommended to Maura by:
my motherrecommends it for: anyone liking history
Learned so much about life in Norway in this time period. I read this book twice to really understand what was going on - the first time I read it too quickly because I was burning to find out what happened to Kristin and Erland. The second time through I could appreciate everything else in the novel; the descriptions of the scenery, the way of life then, the people that surrounded them, etc.
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Read in January, 1975
This is a book about a knight and his wife in medieval Sweden. It is a fascinating account of a knight whose peripatetic nature prevents real security for his family. What I really liked about this book was the incredible detail about daily life in that era. The household was constantly on the move and the female protagonist, was a very capable, but overworked manager of their lives.
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I've read this wonderful piece of historical fiction three times at different points in my life and, although it (the trilogy) remains a great story of a woman's life from childhood to grave, I have been amazed at how differently I have responded to it and how much I have liked it each time. Undset won the Nobel Prize in literature, so the fact that it is well written is a given.
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Read in October, 2006
Undset is a Nobel Prize winning writing; KL was written in the 1920s and is set in the 1400s in Norway. An epic romance, consisting of three complete novels, a sprawling achievement of a woman's lifetime, in which she goes through life as a rich girl, to an outcast woman, to a nun, but through it all she remains true to both her first and only love and herself.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in June, 2005
recommends it for:
women
This would be most enjoyed, I believe, by women. It is a long book, but it starts when Kristin is a child, and the story spans her lifetime. While you're reading it, you BECOME Kristin--regretting her mistakes, and feeling the chill of the Netherlands climate.
It is well-written, and a good reading project if you're looking for a few weeks of one book.
It is well-written, and a good reading project if you're looking for a few weeks of one book.
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Read in January, 1960
recommends it for:
almost anyone
I first read this when I was about eleven years old and was stuck at home with a riding injury. I was totally transported to medieval Norway. Later at about 35 years old, I found another copy in an airport bookstore. Having two preschoolers at the time, transportation was much more difficult, but it happened nevertheless. A wonderful book.
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I am at a loss after finishing this masterpiece of interiority. Things will have to mellow for a while before I pronounce the final verdict, but at this point I can't say much more than that I think it is the finest piece of literature I have ever read.
Make sure you read the Tiina Nunnally translation (that spelling is correct).
Make sure you read the Tiina Nunnally translation (that spelling is correct).
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7 comments
Read in February, 1990
If you find Kristin Lavransdatter in one volume, it's about the size of War and Peace. Don't let the size (or the Old Norwegian) put you off. It's worth reading!! Interesting fact: it was so Catholic in it's tone that the Nazi's found it subversive to the Reich and had all the copies burned. That's a sterling recommendation.
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