shebephoebe 's review for:

The Wreath by Sigrid Undset

4.0

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I have no justification for why this took me a full six months to finish, and that only the first book in the set.

I had originally planned to treat this as one book because that's how I had access to it, but I realized partway through that it made more sense to treat it like the LOTR trilogy. Which took some of the pressure off. Not all of it, of course; because while I enjoyed my reading when I made myself sit down and read--and I got through sections pretty quickly when I had the time--this was not a book I ever felt myself craving to return to.

The setting is splendid. It truly is a historical epic in the romantic style. The cast of characters are so rich and their lives so colorful that I loved those aspects wholly. The language is simple but evocative, and I understand this is a better and more faithful translation than previous attempts, which I appreciate.

Kristin herself is complicated. I found myself comparing her story to Gone With the Wind for some reason, even though I hate that movie and remember almost none of the details.... She frustrated me, I suppose. It's not entirely her fault: coddled and adored by her father, neglected by her mother, thrown out into the world with little guidance or protection and preyed upon by the wolves there. I wouldn't call her willfully ignorant or foolish, and yet there's something about her that irritated me. Hence the Gone With the Wind comparison.

In all, I can see why this is considered a classic, if an oft-overlooked one. I can see why the people who love it love it so fervently. And I suspect that will only become more evident in the sequels. Once I find the wherewithal to dig into those.