![]() ![]() There is also a fine introduction to the traditions and themes of the literature of the era, which is most helpful for appreciating Undset's genius. ![]() It is short-150 pages-and the terse prose and tightly woven plot make it hard to put down. So I would recommend one of the author's earliest works, Gunnar's Daughter, as a more accessible introduction and masterful tale in its own right. However, the length and the language of Kristin Lavransdatter may be obstacles for some-I admit it was hard for me to get into at first. I especially loved the scenes of interaction with the Church, its priests and its saints. The characters do change and find redemption over the course of this epic, and their medieval, Scandinavian Christianity is a powerful influence. Her husband and sons, strong characters in the book, also allow their passions to rule them, with resulting consequences. Though the protagonist is a woman, her struggles with her will are universal. I'd add that my husband and several of his friends read this and loved it-it's not just a woman's book. I can't help but add a few comments and also recommend another fine, but much shorter, book by this little-known Christian author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Earlier this week, Semicolon reviewed one of the world's greatest pieces of literature-Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter. ![]()
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