Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath (Penguin Classics)
by Sigrid Undset
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sigrid UndsetEditor: Tiina Nunnally
Translator: Tiina Nunnally
Introduction: Tiina Nunnally
Edition: Paperback
Audio: Norwegian (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1997-12-01
ISBN: 0141180412
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780141180410
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
The Wreath is the first book in a trilogy focusing on the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, a fictional woman living in early 14th century Norway. The trilogy covers her life from early childhood until death; and in one volume, is about 1000 pages (I'm reading the trilogy in the individual volumes published by Penguin classics, so that all of this doesn't become too overwhelming). The Wreath covers Kristin's childhood and teenage years, as she falls in love, and has an illicit relationship, with Erlend Nikulausson, an older man with a shadowy past.
The three volumes of Kristin Lavransdatter (The Wreath, The Wife, and The Cross) were originally published in the early 1920s. Apparently, Sigrid Undset's writing was largely informed by her Catholic religious beliefs, and I do believe that this is very much in evidence in The Wreath--starting with Kristin's trip to the church at Hamar and the author's descriptions of the church, the influence of religion is very strong in our heroine's life. And yet, this is not a particularly religious book. Sigrid Undset merely emphasizes the importance of Kristin's faith, in a time when the church more or less informed and defined people's lives.
The characters in the novel are particularly strong and well-depicted. Kristin, normally a quiet and obedient girl, is nonetheless courageous enough to defy the wishes of her parents, and the bonds of her engagement to Simon, to fall in love with a man that the other characters in the novel, and the reader, really have no cause to trust. As Erlend declares his undying love for Kristin, I kept wondering, how serious his he? Even after finishing the first volume of this trilogy, I still don't know what's going on with him. Only time, and further reading, will tell.
As for the translation, I read Tina Nunnally's version; I've heard that Archer's is a bit archaic. I recently read an interview with Nunnally, in which she discusses Archer's nearly leaving out the sex scenes in the book--they're actually rather tame and muted in comparison with what you find in novels published today. I obviously don't know Norwegian, and can't compare this translation to the original book, but I've found Nunnally's version to be extremely readable.
Summary of Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath (Penguin Classics)
In Kristin Lavransdatter (1920-1922), Sigrid Undset interweaves political, social, and religious history with the daily aspects of family life to create a colorful, richly detailed tapestry of Norway during the fourteenth-century. The trilogy, however, is more than a journey into the past. Undset's own life-her familiarity with Norse sagas and folklore and with a wide range of medieval literature, her experiences as a daughter, wife, and mother, and her deep religious faith-profoundly influenced her writing. Her grasp of the connections between past and present and of human nature itself, combined with the extraordinary quality of her writing, sets her works far above the genre of "historical novels." This new translation by Tina Nunnally-the first English version since Charles Archer's translation in the 1920s-captures Undset's strengths as a stylist. Nunnally, an award-winning translator, retains the natural dialog and lyrical flow of the original Norwegian, with its echoes of Old Norse legends, while deftly avoiding the stilted language and false archaisms of Archer's translation. In addition, she restores key passages left out of that edition.Undset's ability to present a meticulously accurate historical portrait without sacrificing the poetry and narrative drive of masterful storytelling was particularly significant in her homeland. Granted independence in 1905 after five hundred years of foreign domination, Norway was eager to reclaim its national history and culture. Kristin Lavransdatter became a touchstone for Undset's contemporaries, and continues to be widely read by Norwegians today. In the more than 75 years since it was first published, it has also become a favorite throughout the world.
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