The Cross: Kristin Lavransdatter, Vol. 3

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Historical Fiction Literary Fiction. About The Cross The acknowledged masterpiece of the Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian novelist Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter has never been out of print in this country since its first publication in Also in The Kristin Lavransdatter Trilogy.

Kristin Lavransdatter Vol. 3: The Cross

Also by Sigrid Undset. About Sigrid Undset Sigrid Undset is a major figure in early-twentieth-century literature.

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There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle edition is feature-free. This is a wonderful classic book. I will let other reviews speak to that. First, I began this book once in an older translation. In the older translation, it is a tough slog with arcane English usage. This translation is glorious and readable.

You absolutely want this translation. Second, the printed book feels good in your hands and is well printed. Third, the Kindle edition does not have chapter marks, or search properly. It is usable, but is missing many features that make the Kindle book desirable for such a big book. This pulled me into Kristin's life. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Probably my all-time favorite book!

Sigrid Undset is a brilliant writer and it's a tragic crime against literature that she did not leave us more of her writing. There are many descriptions in this book which had the effect of making many things, especially nature, really come to life. She uses using words I was not familiar with, so I learned too.

If you do not like reading detailed artistic descriptive writing, you may not enjoy this book. But I cannot think of a complaint about this wonderful story of a life. It was a magical read. I felt physically taken to the places she described. While reading this book during my long daily commute on the train, I almost missed my stop several times, that's how absorbed I was, she really took me there; I FELT like I was Kristin.

For the faithful Christian Catholic, there is a lot to love in these books. Undset's understanding of God's redemptive plan of salvation embodied in His Son and the Church He founded is apparent and especially accurate; her writing at brief times is theologically inspiring. For anyone who has not read this book, I am officially jealous, you are in for a real treat! This novel blew me away.

I read this because it was recommended for people going to Norway, and I was expecting something dull. I found myself in a page-turner. Admittedly, it starts off a bit slow while you adjust to the world of medieval Norway and meet all the characters, but then you're hooked with the richness and complexity of this love story. It's not easy for 21st century people to understand the overwhelming part that religion plays in these long-ago lives, but you need to put yourself in their homespun garments to understand.

Worth the price of adding the Audible file. One becomes immersed in this tale, the history, the characters, their language and customs, the beautiful architecture and clothing, even the smells of the barn and the wildflower meadows come alive to the listener. Are you a lover of travel? You may believe that you have gone back in time to the land of glacial fjords and primeval forests.

If you are not descended from Norwegians, you may find yourself wishing that you were. I bought this book in preparation for a trip to Norway. I didn't love it, but I finished it.

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The character of Kristin fell flat for me - she was a tool Undset used to communicate her message about sin and redemption. There were moments when the plot pulled me in, but the characters never became to real to me. It all depends on what the plot needs her to be in order to move forward.

She has moments of self-awareness, but these rarely result in any change in behavior.

On more than one occasion she realizes that she has "trampled" over others and Undset waxes poetic on the scales falling from Kristin's eyes as she becomes aware of her sin The thrust of this novel is not Kristin's life or development as a person, it is the religious themes Undset develops. As someone who was not raised within the Catholic tradition, this emphasis on sin and guilt felt quite heavy-handed at times. The book is well-written and I finished it in about a week teacher on vacation , but it just wasn't what I was looking for. Kristin spends pages as a fair young maiden, the apple of every man's eye.

She may or may not be as innocent as she appears, but she mostly enjoys the first pages of her life - at times a bit too much. She then spends pages feeling guilty and angry.

In the last 20 pages she learns to sacrifice herself. This is NOT a fast read, at least not for me. There is a lot going on and it's historically significant. Sigrid Undset earned a Nobel Prize in Literature in for this book. This book takes place in 14th century Norway and is told from a woman's point of view. It's entertaining and educational at the same time.

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