Scan barcode
A review by haazex
The Wreath by Tiina Nunnally, Sigrid Undset
4.0
A Norwegian Journey
This first novel of Sigrid Undset’s famous trilogy begins at Jørundgaard and introduces us to Kristin Lavransdatter, her family, its history and the surroundings deep in the mountain valleys of northern Norway during the Middle Ages. I was in particular struck by the omnipresence of nature and the people's connection to it via stories/tales. There is an initial trek up the mountain with the young Kristin and her father that gives Undset a wonderful opportunity to immerse the reader with these themes and she does so beautifully. The surroundings are vividly depicted and one gets quickly pulled into the matters that are important to Kristin and her parents. Undset is skilled at bringing in the landscape (especially the mountains and the river) as well as the cloudscape/weather/wind into these chapters. In the early travels one feels such a juxtaposition between the north and the south of Norway. Undset also slowly turns up the age factor as the novel progresses. In the first section of the novel I really felt like one took in a child observing her world. Her growing up in harmony with the world around her was a pleasure to read.
Romsdalen, Norway
Life at the family farms seems very comfortable. Of course, we are only seeing it from the owner's perspective. Still, it seems a bit too good - almost picturesque if you know what I mean? A beautiful postcard from Medieval Norway? Undset is adding a lot of detail in terms of food and clothing which I thoroughly enjoy, but very little about possible hardship linked to the seasons, poverty, lack of food, disease and other negative issues. As I read the novel I wondered if I was just charmed by the Norwegian language? It echoed so prettily in my mind as the sentences flew by. Perhaps a story takes on a different ambience because of the language? Perhaps I would view the story differently if was reading the English translation?
The central part of the book is focused on a complex web of relationships. As Kristin Lavransdatter gets older the question about marriage starts to emerge. At this point in the story Undset is moving along rather quickly.
A Norwegian wedding crown
It is very peculiar how Undset based the novel on the dynamics of a specific relationship. Does romantic love always challenge the traditions and rituals of a specific society? Or is Undset placing an unrealistic romantic template upon the Medieval world she is depicting?
The love story is a roller coaster wrapped around the social norms of the time. I enjoyed it (probably because of the thrill of reading my first book in Norwegian), but had a little alarm bell going off in the back of my mind. Of course, the main character Erlend is depicted a black sheep that already has completely gone overboard in terms of the "rules" so it is understandable that this is the key in the romantic drama. I must admit that I was a little disappointed in the story although I hope that this changes in the next part of the trilogy. The Nobel Prize Committee's words seem to ring hollow at this point ("principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages") as I (at this point) don't really view the novel that way. Granted that the setting provided a great atmosphere (but that is Norway itself). The Medieval aspects were subtle - one senses a feudal society as well as the great emphasis on agriculture and the importance of religion. Of course, the social life of neighbors, courting, weddings etc. were present, but I expected a bit more nuances of life. It seems like an extreme romance embedded within the infrastructure of the Middle Ages. However, it is possible that things will continue to change in terms of the psychology of the characters in the remainder of the trilogy.
I strongly feel as if Undset's strength is her ability to convey the surroundings - especially the landscape with trees and flowers, the wind, clouds, rain, the flows of the river and other changes in the environment. She did so effortlessly and it sounded so GOOD in Norwegian. I kept going back and forth between the original and the Nunnally translation to check if I understood a paragraph correctly. I do have a thick dictionary as well but it is more cumbersome. Reading Undset makes me interested in reading more history - yes, the Middle Ages of Scandinavia hovers on the horizon. Ah, I love history! I also have an urge to seek out the Norwegian film from 1995 directed by Liv Ullmann. It is elusive, but an old VHS cassette will probably be the solution.
Now, as the novel is starting to slowly settle in my mind, the dynamics and details of the book's romance are starting to dissipate. They seemed a bit obsessive during the reading experience. Instead, the beautiful heroine of the novel, Kristin Lavransdatter, is starting to emerge with an almost bewitching quality. She seems to represent some type of Norwegian archetype resonating with the realm of Norway, its landscape, permeating its past and present. She is somehow shifting in my mind to represent much more than a simplistic romance.
I think my “critical thinking skills” were a bit muddled by reading this novel in a language I (yet) don’t fully master. However, it was a wonderful experience to immerse oneself in Norwegian in this fashion as it still continues to sing and ripple through my mind. Onwards to the next part of the trilogy!
4/5
This first novel of Sigrid Undset’s famous trilogy begins at Jørundgaard and introduces us to Kristin Lavransdatter, her family, its history and the surroundings deep in the mountain valleys of northern Norway during the Middle Ages. I was in particular struck by the omnipresence of nature and the people's connection to it via stories/tales. There is an initial trek up the mountain with the young Kristin and her father that gives Undset a wonderful opportunity to immerse the reader with these themes and she does so beautifully. The surroundings are vividly depicted and one gets quickly pulled into the matters that are important to Kristin and her parents. Undset is skilled at bringing in the landscape (especially the mountains and the river) as well as the cloudscape/weather/wind into these chapters. In the early travels one feels such a juxtaposition between the north and the south of Norway. Undset also slowly turns up the age factor as the novel progresses. In the first section of the novel I really felt like one took in a child observing her world. Her growing up in harmony with the world around her was a pleasure to read.
Romsdalen, Norway
Life at the family farms seems very comfortable. Of course, we are only seeing it from the owner's perspective. Still, it seems a bit too good - almost picturesque if you know what I mean? A beautiful postcard from Medieval Norway? Undset is adding a lot of detail in terms of food and clothing which I thoroughly enjoy, but very little about possible hardship linked to the seasons, poverty, lack of food, disease and other negative issues. As I read the novel I wondered if I was just charmed by the Norwegian language? It echoed so prettily in my mind as the sentences flew by. Perhaps a story takes on a different ambience because of the language? Perhaps I would view the story differently if was reading the English translation?
The central part of the book is focused on a complex web of relationships. As Kristin Lavransdatter gets older the question about marriage starts to emerge. At this point in the story Undset is moving along rather quickly.
Spoiler
I found it bizarre that Kristin falls in love so suddenly (sure - lust perhaps?) and promises herself utterly to another without really knowing anything about the man. I wish Undset took some more time to develop the relationship and the character.A Norwegian wedding crown
It is very peculiar how Undset based the novel on the dynamics of a specific relationship. Does romantic love always challenge the traditions and rituals of a specific society? Or is Undset placing an unrealistic romantic template upon the Medieval world she is depicting?
The love story is a roller coaster wrapped around the social norms of the time. I enjoyed it (probably because of the thrill of reading my first book in Norwegian), but had a little alarm bell going off in the back of my mind. Of course, the main character Erlend is depicted a black sheep that already has completely gone overboard in terms of the "rules" so it is understandable that this is the key in the romantic drama. I must admit that I was a little disappointed in the story although I hope that this changes in the next part of the trilogy. The Nobel Prize Committee's words seem to ring hollow at this point ("principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages") as I (at this point) don't really view the novel that way. Granted that the setting provided a great atmosphere (but that is Norway itself). The Medieval aspects were subtle - one senses a feudal society as well as the great emphasis on agriculture and the importance of religion. Of course, the social life of neighbors, courting, weddings etc. were present, but I expected a bit more nuances of life. It seems like an extreme romance embedded within the infrastructure of the Middle Ages. However, it is possible that things will continue to change in terms of the psychology of the characters in the remainder of the trilogy.
I strongly feel as if Undset's strength is her ability to convey the surroundings - especially the landscape with trees and flowers, the wind, clouds, rain, the flows of the river and other changes in the environment. She did so effortlessly and it sounded so GOOD in Norwegian. I kept going back and forth between the original and the Nunnally translation to check if I understood a paragraph correctly. I do have a thick dictionary as well but it is more cumbersome. Reading Undset makes me interested in reading more history - yes, the Middle Ages of Scandinavia hovers on the horizon. Ah, I love history! I also have an urge to seek out the Norwegian film from 1995 directed by Liv Ullmann. It is elusive, but an old VHS cassette will probably be the solution.
Now, as the novel is starting to slowly settle in my mind, the dynamics and details of the book's romance are starting to dissipate. They seemed a bit obsessive during the reading experience. Instead, the beautiful heroine of the novel, Kristin Lavransdatter, is starting to emerge with an almost bewitching quality. She seems to represent some type of Norwegian archetype resonating with the realm of Norway, its landscape, permeating its past and present. She is somehow shifting in my mind to represent much more than a simplistic romance.
I think my “critical thinking skills” were a bit muddled by reading this novel in a language I (yet) don’t fully master. However, it was a wonderful experience to immerse oneself in Norwegian in this fashion as it still continues to sing and ripple through my mind. Onwards to the next part of the trilogy!
4/5