Sigrid Undset, one of the authors to appear on a bank note, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928, mainly for her novel Kristin Lavransdatter. The book is a trilogy about life in Norway during the Middle Ages (its 3 books are The Wreath, The Wife and The Cross), and I’ve been re-reading it with enormous pleasure. Kristin is a heroine on the lines of Becky Sharp and Scarlett O’Hara, a feisty and wilful woman whose life is a tumultuous one.
There is an excellent translation by Tiina Nunnally. It’s not a short book, but it’s a Norwegian classic. Published in the 1920s, it was controversial because of its portrayal of female sexuality. It is a moving story.
Undset was much praised for her historical accuracy. I look forward to visiting places connected with the novel on my next Scandinavian literary tour.
Have you read this trilogy, or another of Sigrid Undset’s books? Tell me by leaving a comment.
Susannah Fullerton: Sigrid Undset is born
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
Gwen McNeill
I read the trilogy last year and loved all of it. I found it totally engrossing and a marvellous insight into the times in which she lived.It is a big and heavy volume so I downloaded it so that I could carry it about on my iPad. I really recommend it
Susannah Fullerton
It’s a powerful book, isn’t it. On my Scandinavian tour next year we will visit Sigrid Undset’s house and see where it was written.