The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1) in Read a book from each country

Mar 20, 2016 Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-translation, 4-stars, historical-fiction, classics, literary-fiction, norway

This trilogy has been on my to-read list for years, but motivating myself to read a 1100-page classic novel isn’t easy. Finally I decided to simply read the first book, which is just under 300 pages long. It worked, and got me interested enough that I’m now halfway through the second. Turns out this really is more a three-volume novel than a trilogy; while the first has a complete plot arc and can be read alone, they must be read in order because there’s no filling in new readers later on.

Kristi This trilogy has been on my to-read list for years, but motivating myself to read a 1100-page classic novel isn’t easy. Finally I decided to simply read the first book, which is just under 300 pages long. It worked, and got me interested enough that I’m now halfway through the second. Turns out this really is more a three-volume novel than a trilogy; while the first has a complete plot arc and can be read alone, they must be read in order because there’s no filling in new readers later on.

Kristin Lavransdatter tells the life story of a woman in 14th century Norway. The books were published in the 1920s, and the early English translation is full of archaic language that makes difficult reading, but the newer Nunnally translation is excellent, fluid and accessible. This first book relates Kristin’s life as a child and a young woman, falling in love with the wrong man while engaged to someone her family chose for her. Nowadays this a well-worn plotline in historical fiction, but Kristin Lavransdatter predates those tropes, and the strong character development keeps it from ever feeling cliché. It’s apparently been said that Kristin was the first real woman in literature, and while I wouldn’t discount all 19th-century heroines so quickly, she’s certainly a realistic and nuanced character, nothing like the insipid protagonists that define so much of today’s historical fiction.

Meanwhile, the book has an engaging plot, with more drama than I expected, and its medieval world is detailed and three-dimensional, incorporating a great deal of information about the lifestyle, religion and history of the times. I can see that Undset thoroughly researched the time and place, without compromising the storytelling, and the characters all feel like real products of their times. All-around, this is a good book, and much more enjoyable that I expected upon sampling the first paragraph (like many classics, it begins with a brief history of a family and their lands, before getting to the good stuff). Recommended. ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Ghadah K rated it really liked it

The good: The story is well told. The writing, or at least the translation is very good. The description of the Norwegian landscape is vivid and transporting. I am planning on reading the other two books in the trilogy because I got invested enough in the characters to want to totally throttle some sense in Kristin.

The bad: KRISTIN!! This girl has a father who dotes on her, is seemingly the sweetheart of the entire village, and betrothed Simon, to a fine young man of good standing. So, of cours The good: The story is well told. The writing, or at least the translation is very good. The description of the Norwegian landscape is vivid and transporting. I am planning on reading the other two books in the trilogy because I got invested enough in the characters to want to totally throttle some sense in Kristin.

The bad: KRISTIN!! This girl has a father who dotes on her, is seemingly the sweetheart of the entire village, and betrothed Simon, to a fine young man of good standing. So, of course (!) she has to go fall in love with a rake - the human kind, not the garden implement.

I haven't read this kind of story since I was about 18. I might have thought K & E were so romantic if I read this as a teenager, but I doubt even then I would have overlooked all the many red flags.

I started to write a synopsis, but that would make this review even longer than it is...so, the main points: handsome genial father, morose melancholy mother (several miscarriages made her afraid to get attached to her children), beautiful little sister that gets crushed by a log and becomes sickly, the foster brother who wanted to be more, several monks, Fru Aashild (older woman who lived on her own terms, paid the social price, and also happens to be the rake's aunt), Erlend (rake), Simon (betrothed), Erlend's mistress, and the church.

Erlend is pretty much a worthless good-for-nothing, who at 30+ years old has nothing better to do than to go gallivanting after 16 year old betrothed girls. And Kristin is a flighty young thing who could see his faults (he is a cad with two illegitimate children by his married-to-another-man mistress, he has squandered away much of his money, he is irresponsible, etc, etc...in short, everything a father does not want for his daughter) but willingly ignores them ("I mean, he's so cuuuuute!", or however they used to say it in 14th century Norway. Plus, she promised to never love another, ever.).

Contrast this with her fiance, responsible, good family, in good repute, and so very patient with her (even when rumors were flowing and when she admitted being in love with someone else).

So, her father naturally tells her to Erlend out of her mind and accept the arrangement made for her.

Does she? If I say more, I'll give the ending away. ...more

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May 17, 2008 Smarti rated it it was amazing

Shelves: klassiker, literatur-nobelpreis, 1001-books

surprisingly fresh! I enjoyed it very much and found it through the dutch edition of the 1001 books. Very odd that it isn't included in the "international" edition! ...more

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Apr 20, 2009 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I've read this twice: once about 15 years ago & more recently for my book club. I love the history in this series, even at times when I have no sympathy for Kristen ...more

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