Kristin Lavransdatter, I: The Wreath Paperback - 1997
by Sigrid Undset; Tiina Nunnally (Translator); Introduction by Tiina Nunnally
A magnificent new translation of the first volume of a landmark historical saga by a Nobel Prize-winning novelist. Originally published in Norway in 1920, "The Wreath" is set in the 14th century and tells the story of the courtship of a strong-willed and passionate young woman and a dangerously charming and impetuous man. Undset's lyrical prose combines the sounds and style of Nordic ballads, European courtly poetry, and religious literature.
Summary
In Kristin Lavransdatter (1920-1922), Sigrid Undset interweaves political, social, and religious history with the daily aspects of family life to create a colorful, richly detailed tapestry of Norway during the fourteenth-century. The trilogy, however, is more than a journey into the past. Undset's own life—her familiarity with Norse sagas and folklore and with a wide range of medieval literature, her experiences as a daughter, wife, and mother, and her deep religious faith—profoundly influenced her writing. Her grasp of the connections between past and present and of human nature itself, combined with the extraordinary quality of her writing, sets her works far above the genre of "historical novels." This new translation by Tina Nunnally—the first English version since Charles Archer's translation in the 1920s—captures Undset's strengths as a stylist. Nunnally, an award-winning translator, retains the natural dialog and lyrical flow of the original Norwegian, with its echoes of Old Norse legends, while deftly avoiding the stilted language and false archaisms of Archer's translation. In addition, she restores key passages left out of that edition.
Undset's ability to present a meticulously accurate historical portrait without sacrificing the poetry and narrative drive of masterful storytelling was particularly significant in her homeland. Granted independence in 1905 after five hundred years of foreign domination, Norway was eager to reclaim its national history and culture. Kristin Lavransdatter became a touchstone for Undset's contemporaries, and continues to be widely read by Norwegians today. In the more than 75 years since it was first published, it has also become a favorite throughout the world.
First line
WHEN THE EARTHLY GOODS of Ivar Gjesling the Younger of Sundbu were divided up in the year 1306, his property at Sil was given to his daughter Ragnfrid and her husband Lavrans Bjorgulfson.
From the rear cover
Originally published in Norwegian in 1920 and set in fourteenth-century Norway, The Wreath chronicles the courtship of a headstrong and passionate young woman and a dangerously charming and impetuous man. Undset re-creates the historical backdrop in vivid detail, immersing readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political undercurrents of the period. Her prose combines the sounds and style of Nordic ballads, European courtly poetry, and religious literature. But the story Undset tells is a modern one; it mirrors post-World War I political and religious anxieties, and introduces a heroine who has long captivated contemporary readers. Defying her parents and stubbornly pursuing her own happiness, Kristin emerges as a woman who not only loves with power and passion but intrepidly confronts her sexuality.
Details
- Title Kristin Lavransdatter, I: The Wreath
- Author Sigrid Undset; Tiina Nunnally (Translator); Introduction by Tiina Nunnally
- Binding Paperback
- Edition [ Edition: Repri
- Pages 336
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Penguin Group, U.S.A.
- Date 1997-12-01
- ISBN 9780141180410 / 0141180412
- Weight 0.6 lbs (0.27 kg)
- Dimensions 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.8 in (19.56 x 12.95 x 2.03 cm)
- Ages 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
-
Themes
- Chronological Period: Medieval (500-1453) Studies
- Cultural Region: Scandinavian
- Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Women - Norway
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 97018912
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
Media reviews
Citations
- Booklist, 12/15/1997, Page 684
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