One week down. 130+ pages read. I have a feeling that it might not take three months to read Kristin Lavransdatter--all three books. I'm not sure if it is Tiina Nunnally's excellent translation, but I have found it quite easy to lose myself in Kristin's story. Rather than stopping at my one chapter a day, I am finding myself wanting to continue on and read more.
The first book of the novel (there are three: The Wreath, The Wife and The Cross) is made up of three sections. I am now working on the second section of the first book. The story of Kristin Lavransdatter is played out against the rich tapestry of 14th century Norway. According to the reader's guide:
"The trilogy 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'."
The story begins with a 7-year old Kristin traveling with her father to their mountain pastures where she will encounter the "elf maiden". This is a frightening experience for her and her father. Although Christianity is already emerging, pagan/Norse myths must also have still been rampant. I get the feeling that Christianity is going to be an underlying theme throughout the novel. Undset herself was a convert to Catholicism. Kristin seems to have a particularly strong bond with and respect for her father. As always, I hate to give away too many details of the story. I will say Kristin is about 15 when she meets the man she will fall in love with, despite the fact that she is already betrothed. You can already see trouble ahead, which will no doubt play out in the next two novels. This is where I am at in my reading.
Undset wrote these novels in the early 1920s--the modernist era of literature. I thought it was interesting when I read (also in the reader's guide) that Undset's approach was that of realism rather than romanticism.
"In depicting her country's vanished culture, Undset, like others in the Modernist era, rejected the romantic view of the past prevalent in mid-nineteenth century literature, music, and art—from Tennyson's fanciful retelling of the Arthurian legends, Idylls of the King to Wagner's musical interpretations of Germanic myths to the dreamy paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite artists. Her realistic, unvarnished approach, as A.H. Winsnes notes in his biography, Sigrid Undset: A Study in Christian Realism, has led many scholars to call her 'The Zola of Middle Ages'. 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."
For those who are also reading, how is it going? Are you finding the writing easy and accessible? Are you enjoying the story? I will post the questions from the reader's guide for The Wreath below, as they might come in handy to think about while we read. I actually have only read some of the questions as I'm not sure if there are any spoilers.
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The Wreath
- The Wreath is set at a time of transition in Norway: Christianity, which had been introduced in the late tenth century, was spreading, but the older pagan forms of worship and belief lingered. How does Undset's description of Kristin's encounter with the elf maiden [p. 19]—and Lavrans' reaction to it—epitomize the collision of the old and new belief systems? What other examples are there of the family's inability to abandon age-old traditions and superstitions despite their devout Christianity? For instance, what is the significance of Fru Aashild's attempt to cure Ulvhild when the prayers of the parish priest fail to work the miracle Rangfrid longs for?
- Does Kristin acquiesce too readily to her father's selection of Simon as her future husband? Does she agree to the betrothal because she feels genuine affection for Simon or is she primarily motivated by her love and respect for her father? How does Kristin's relationship with Arne deepen your understanding of the social attitudes and assumptions she lives by? Why does Simon's sympathetic and compassionate reaction when her reputation is questioned increase Kristin's ambivalence toward him?
- Discuss Undset's use of elements drawn from medieval ballads, chivalric legends, fairy tales, and other traditional stories in her depiction of Kristin and Erlend's meeting and courtship. What particular motifs do you recognize? What themes, events, or characters represent Christian beliefs? How do these "archetypal scripts" enrich the story for readers? In what ways do Undset's narrative style, her depiction of the natural world, and her language create further links to the past and its storytelling traditions?
- Which one of Kristin's two suitors appeals to you more and why? How do their attitudes about Kristin—and about love and marriage—differ? In what ways are they similar? Are there contradictions between traditional standards of morality and those imposed by the Church? Does Erlend take advantage of Kristin's innocence and inexperience or does she share equal responsibility for initiating their love affair? To what extent does the very secrecy of their relationship strengthen the tie between Kristin and Erlend? Why does Lavrans finally to consent to the marriage? What impact do the pleas—as well as the suggestive comments—of Erlend's noble kinsmen [p. 250] have on his decision? Why does Kristin begin to have doubts after her betrothal to Erlend is announced?
- Kristin, Aashild, and Eline all sacrifice their reputations and moral integrity when they give into their sexual longings. Were their transgressions justified in the light of subsequent events? Do their lovers suffer to the same extent from the condemnation of society and the pangs of conscience? Does Undset's depiction of the consequences of adultery reflect the moral conventions of the time or does it represent a more universal truth?