2021 September: Sigrid Undset & Thomas Wolfe

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

Thomas Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century.

Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing. His books, written and published from the 1920s to the 1940s, vividly reflect on American culture and the mores of that period, filtered through Wolfe's sensitive, sophisticated, and hyper-analytical perspective.

Some of his Works
Look Homeward, Angel (1929)
Of Time and the River (1935)
The Lost Boy (1937)
The Web and the Rock (1939; published posthumously)
You Can't Go Home Again (1940; published posthumously)
The Hills Beyond (1941; published posthumously)

Sigrid Undset (20 May 1882 – 10 June 1949) was a Norwegian-Danish novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928.

Undset was born in Kalundborg, Denmark, but her family moved to Norway when she was two years old. In 1924, she converted to Catholicism. She fled Norway for the United States in 1940 because of her opposition to Nazi Germany and the German invasion and occupation of Norway, but returned after World War II ended in 1945.

Some of her Works
Gunnar's Daughter - novel
Jenny - novel
Ida Elisabeth, novel
Catherine of Siena, novel
The Wild Orchid is a novel

The Master of Hestviken series is of four volumes
The Axe: The Master of Hestviken
The Snake Pit: The Master of Hestviken
In the Wilderness: The Master of Hestviken
The Son Avenger: The Master of Hestviken

Kristin Lavransdatter is a trilogy of three volumes
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross

Thinking about a Classic from either of these Authors this month?

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

I read The Lost Boy by Thomas Wolfe
I can remember parts of it pretty clearly still.

I found Wolfe's way of presenting it very interesting. A short read of just 95 pages.
My review if interested:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kathy]

I am currently listening to the 2nd book in the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy, in preparation for the last book, Kristin Lavransdatter 3: The Cross. I read the first 2 books, The Bridal Wreath and The Mistress of Husaby, but realized it's been too long since I read them, hence the audiobook. I love the books even more than I did the last time I read them. Undset brings the 14th century in Norway alive.

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

That sounds wonderful Kathy. I have not read her books as of yet.

[Gilbert]

Thomas Wolfe's novels are simply beautifully written. I found in them an almost lyrical quality I have not seen in too many other authors. I read these back in the 1980s and had some fun trying to get ahold of them.
Sigrid Undset's "Kristin Lavransdatter" and "The Master of Hestviken" are certainly two of the great sagas of Scandanavian life in the middle ages. Both most enjoyable.

[Brian E]

Like Gilbert, I have read both the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy and The Master of Hestviken tetralogy. I really liked both but preferred "Kristin" which I read in a Reading the Chunksters group read. It has an excellent current day translation by Tiina Nunnally.
Because it had an older translation, I did not think I'd like "Master" that much. However, I got quickly absorbed in the first book and ended up reading all four novels.
My only regret is that if I knew that Tiina Nunnally was in the midst of translating the Master series I might have waited. She has just finished the second novel of the tetralogy, so I'll just use her translation when I reread it in 15 years :)
I enjoyed both series because I really felt like I became thoroughly immersed into the world of 13th century Norway (Master) and 14th Century Norway (Kristin). This immersive experience was useful yo me for two reasons: 1) the education from learning the details of how humans lived in that time and place, and 2) the escapism experienced when feeling like you are in a different time and place.

I do have a copy of Jenny, also translated by Ms. Nunnally, on order and will read it either late this month or early October. It will be interesting to read an Undset about her own times.

[Brian E]

I have read the following by Thomas Wolfe:
Look Homeward, Angel
Of Time and the River and
O Lost: A Story of the Buried Life

I believe he is an important American writer who writes long, poetic epics. They are, as Gilbert points out, beautiful and lyrical but also very wordy and can digress or get overly rhapsodic at times. Because of this, although I've read his two Eugene Gant novels, I doubt if I'll ever get around to the two George Webber novels.

However, I may get around to reading The Lost Boy that Lesle has reviewed. I thought I knew Wolfe, but I had never heard of the novella until Lesle read it 4 years ago. It is short, looks interesting and seems like a good and relatively painless way for readers to get a taste of Wolfe. If you don't like his style, well it's only 95 pages.
It may not be this month for me, though, as I just started The Forsyte Saga Vol 2: The White Monkey, The Silver Spoon, Swan Song and want to finish it and some others i started first.

[Brian E]

Brian wrote: ".I may get around to reading The Lost Boy that Lesle has reviewed. I thought I knew Wolfe, but I had never heard of the novella until Lesle read it 4 years ago. It .."

Well. I did get around to reading The Lost Boy and, just as I thought, it "is short, looks interesting and seems like a good and relatively painless way for readers to get a taste of Wolfe." Thanks, Leslie, for finding the book.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

Really good review Brian.

I found the layout different at the time I read it and my first endeavor into Wolfe.

I hope others put this one on their TBR pile.

[Brian E]

I have just started Jenny by Sigrid Undset. The beginning is an interesting set-up as it starts as a third person narrative from the point of view from a Norwegian young man visiting 1900s Rome and his encounter with young artists, including two female Norwegians, one of which is Jenny. The fourth chapter point of view is from Jenny. It will be interesting to see if the story continues from Jenny's view and also just what the story will be. I've tried not to read much about the book.
As of now, while the book is different in setting and character from Undset's historical works, I find the writing style to be similarly clear and flowing.

[Brian E]

I did finish Jenny by Sigrid Undset and did not enjoy it as much as her historical novels. It was more of a realistic book than i expected, more in the style of a Sister Carrie. After finishing the book, I read Wikipedia which said this about that Undset's novels before she turned to historical themes:

"Her contemporary novels of the period 1907–1918 are about the city and its inhabitants. They are stories of working people, of trivial family destinies, of the relationship between parents and children. Her main subjects are women and their love. Or, as she herself put it—in her typically curt and ironic manner—"the immoral kind" (of love).
This realistic period culminated in the novels Jenny (1911) and Vaaren (Spring) (1914)."

While I enjoyed Undset's writing in Jenny, I was lukewarm about the characters and plot. Here's my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kathy]

Good review, Brian. I loved Kristin Lavransdatter - I listened to the first two books which I'd read before, and finally got to The Cross.

I've added The Axe to my TBR. This time I hope to read all 4 books within a shorter period of time than I did Kristin's stories.

[Brian E]

Kathy, before you start the Master series you might want to consider reading Tiina Nunnally's new translations which result in a change of title for the books. The second volume will be published October 5th. The series new titles are:

Olav Audunssøn: I. Vows
Olav Audunssøn: II. Providence

There is the problem that the third and fourth volumes will likely not be released until 2022 and 2023, though. The first volume was published on 11/10/20 and the second on 10/5/21, completing one per year. That pace makes it difficult to accomplish your goal "to read all 4 books within a shorter period of time than I did Kristin's stories."

[Kathy]

Thanks for the info, Brian. Sounds like it’d be good to start in early 2023!

[Karen]

I listened to Kristin Lavransdatter back in 2019 and I loved all 45 hours of it! Unfortunately I can't fit either Wolfe or Undset into my life right now but wanted to chime in on Kristin. Five stars.

[Brian E]

Why that's less than 2 days of one's life - a mere pittance of time compared to the immense pleasure in experiencing the drama of Kristin s saga :)

My pleasure was stretched over a 3 month GR group read in 2017. I had never heard of the books until joining Goodreads in 2014, but I could say that about so many books.

I am very glad you enjoyed the Kristin Saga too.

[Karen]

I listen to audio books in the car - at the time I was still working - and my commute was about 10 minutes each way so needless to say, even with local errands, the experience did drag on! I started it June 16th and finished it August 19th!

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

Karen this is one series I myself would like to dedicate myself to but seem to really have a hardtime doing it. My books for Kristin are 7x5 but the print is tiny. I open it and turn around and close it. lol

I am glad you could fit a little in everyday to enjoy.