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Customer Reviews of Kristin Lavransdatter

Before I commit to read a book, I have to want to read it. For many years, my younger brother told me I should read Kristin Lavransdatter. My reaction: What is so great about some lady living in the middle of nowhere in the 1400s? Maybe later...on to the bestseller list.

Oops! I had to eat my words and credit little brother with a great pick! Not to mention a total surprise!

This is probably the best set of books I have ever read in a lifelong love affair with the written word. The story chronicles the life of a woman from youth to death. In essence, however, the author touches on the lives of all women who have loved a man or men, borne and reared children, and faced the lighthearted concerns of youth, the cares of everyday adult existence, and, finally, the contemplations of elderly wives, widows, and grandmothers. Kristin's joys and trials are familiar...universal. First, she defies her parents. (Sound familiar?) She makes choices, then lives with the consequences of her choices.

Sometimes the names and terms are confusing; but, ultimately, the story is well worth the effort. Try it! And remember, men, my brother, whose reading tastes revolve around Asimov, engineering, and the Civil War, pushed these volumes rather forcefully into my purview.

Addicted but puzzled
I now find myself re-reading the trilogy by Undset and am now reading the final book, The Cross. I have several questions, though, that even in this, probably my third reading, still persist. Does anyone know if there is a Kristin Lavransdatter message board where people can discuss this complex work? Despite some puzzlement, though, I must say the three books are riveting to me, just as they were when I first read them as a teenager, then again as a young wife and mother, and now as a grandmother. The richness of the plot, the superb characterization, the unfolding of a passionate but doomed and troubled relationship, the profound evocation of another time and place--one can understand why Undset won a Nobel Prize. I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys rich, beautifully written and complex books, even if certain events and references remain a puzzle to you, as they do to me!

Complex, wide ranging and worth perservering with
I picked this trilogy up because (a) I had never heard of it and (b) I was astonished to note that it had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. It had to be worth a try. And what a gem it is - a detailed and historically accurate picture of life in 14th Century Norway, complete with a fesity herione, hulking men and the entire range of human emotions in all their glory.

The novel begins with our hero Kristin bathing in the love of her parents in living in the comfort of a wealthy home. As she grows, she finds herself completely in love, and against the wishes of her parents and her betrothed (another far more suitable man) pursues and secures the man of her dreams. But of course we must be careful what we wish for, and the novels take us through the trials and tribulations of life with someone you love, but are not necessarily suited to.

This is a rich and detailed novel, that is not always to read, but at time it was so powerful that it reduced me to tears. You become completely involved in the character's lives, and in the end this gives you a real sense of satisfaction in your reading.

It certtainly is a different book, and one which is well worth your time.