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kristinvdt's review against another edition
Denne må leses på ny, jeg var for ung da jeg leste den.
arnoldad1's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
memusings's review against another edition
3.5
I think I might have liked this book better if the reading hadn’t been dragged out so long!
ines2914's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Kolejne owocne spotkanie ze skandynawską literaturą piękną, tym razem opisującą średniowieczne realia Skandynawii i proste, pobożne życie ludzi próbujących przetrwać w tym nieprzyjaznym dla nich klimacie. Ciężko nie zgadzać się z wyborami głównej bohaterki, która choć młoda i naiwna, kieruje się przede wszystkim głosem serca, starając się przy tym nie zawieść własnych rodziców i nie naruszyć zasad kościoła. Bardzo podobały mi się opisy przyrody a także motyw wiary i modlitwy, który wprowadził mistyczna aurę z pogranicza pogaństwa i chrześcijaństwa. Po raz kolejny utwierdzam się w przekonaniu, że skandynawscy pisarze mają niesamowity kunszt.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
I found the book to be very well written and easy to read even tough it's a classic from 1920's. It's a compelling story set in 1300 and it's was quite enjoyable.
horacelamb's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit that a trilogy about a woman's life in 14th century Norway wasn't on my bingo card for 2023 reading. But a couple of authors I respect had it on their recommended reading list and I thought I'd give it a try. I liked it so much that I'm now on the second novel in the trilogy.
Kristin is uneducated (in a formal, academic sense) but she comes from a well-regarded family and she's beautiful. Her marriage is arranged but she doesn't really care for her fiancé. She wants to like him but just can't bring herself to marry him. Along the way she has various temptations and doesn't always make the best decisions. The novel is about her family and their friends and others in this small 14th century town in Norway. Although that may not sound very exciting, there's much more drama here than I expected. The characters are well-drawn and there's an appreciation for the complexity of each.
As one reviewer said: "For me the key measure of a work of historical fiction is how well does it inhabit its age. Its characters should be more than contemporary people in period dress-up, and very few historical works I've ever read puts you into the mindset and immerses you into the surroundings of another age better than the The Wreath."
Although Kristin is the star, the other characters may win you over. It will be interesting to see how Kristin matures in the next two books of the trilogy.
Kristin is uneducated (in a formal, academic sense) but she comes from a well-regarded family and she's beautiful. Her marriage is arranged but she doesn't really care for her fiancé. She wants to like him but just can't bring herself to marry him. Along the way she has various temptations and doesn't always make the best decisions. The novel is about her family and their friends and others in this small 14th century town in Norway. Although that may not sound very exciting, there's much more drama here than I expected. The characters are well-drawn and there's an appreciation for the complexity of each.
As one reviewer said: "For me the key measure of a work of historical fiction is how well does it inhabit its age. Its characters should be more than contemporary people in period dress-up, and very few historical works I've ever read puts you into the mindset and immerses you into the surroundings of another age better than the The Wreath."
Although Kristin is the star, the other characters may win you over. It will be interesting to see how Kristin matures in the next two books of the trilogy.
ichabodcrane's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book if you wanna a breathy historical fiction that gets into the details of medieval Norway while touching on themes of desire, guilt, and love. I’m sure you can do a critical reading of it concerning hierarchies and even queerness but I didn’t bc I was just trying to slog thru it.
pattydsf's review against another edition
2.0
I have read as much of this book as I am interested in. This whole book (it has three volumes) has been on my to-be-read list for more than 30 years. I can understand why it is considered a work of are and worth reading, but it is just more than I want to know about that particular world.
Unset won a Nobel Prize and the research seems outstanding. I just never got involved enough in the world that Unset creates or recreates.
I am getting old an see no reason to continue reading a book just because it is good for me.
Unset won a Nobel Prize and the research seems outstanding. I just never got involved enough in the world that Unset creates or recreates.
I am getting old an see no reason to continue reading a book just because it is good for me.
paulap's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the story of the youth of Kristin, especially when she is betrothed, falls in love to someone else and the issues that followed. I enjoyed the story more than the average victorian novel, and I think that the main difference is that even though here there are secrets, there are no misunderstandings. People are direct and the conflict is mostly focused on characters struggling with redemption. The main themes are religion, respect to the elders and how truthful the redemtion of one of the caracters is. We as the reader also do not know what to think, if forgiving the mistakes of the past is possible or not, if he has really changed. I enjoyed it.
roomforastory's review against another edition
4.0
Set in 14th-century Norway, Kristin is the daughter of sensible and caring parents Lavrans, a well-off farmer, and Ragnfrid. She rejects her arranged marriage to pursue love with Erlend, an older man with a scandalous past. Full of rich history, intriguing characters, and vulnerable human relationships that kept me turning pages. 4.5 stars.
This is a re-read for me, with my first read 7 years ago. I had always intended to finish the trilogy but never did. I may take a break for a week or two, but I intend to read the other two in the series this year.
This is a re-read for me, with my first read 7 years ago. I had always intended to finish the trilogy but never did. I may take a break for a week or two, but I intend to read the other two in the series this year.