Classics Club #17: Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

So a man must learn to accept, when he produces offspring from his own body, that his heart will burn if he loses them or if the world goes against them. God, who gave them souls, is the one who owns them—not I.

Kristin Lavrandsatter by Sigrid Undset is a book that everyone should read, for a multitude of reasons. First, it is a beautiful work of historical fiction set in medieval Norway, a time of political unrest, plague, and physical struggle. Next, it is the story of every family, with all the joys, disappointments, tragedies and love that come with family life. Finally, it is a work of deep spiritual maturity that reveals faith being lived out in the midst of the daily trials of life. There are precious few books that reveal the beauty of ordinary life in such a compelling and interesting way as Kristin Lavransdatter.

At the center of the novel is Kristin Lavransdatter herself who begins life as an innocent young girl with loving, devout parents living in relative comfort in Norway. Yes, life is hard, but Kristin’s father Lavrans is well-respected for his religious faith, his work ethic, and his leadership. Her mother is a devout, if hard, woman, who works tirelessly to raise Kristin properly. The novel, which is actually a one-volume trilogy, tells Kristin’s entire life story along with the lives of her family and friends.

To my mind, the greatest strength of the novel is its sheer believability. The historical setting and the complex characters create a sense that these people are living out their lives in front of you–real people living real lives in a real period of history. I was utterly amazed by the details of medieval Norwegian life. I also came to love the characters, with all their flaws and foibles, especially Kristin, Erland, Simon, and Gunnulf.

The book doesn’t have one overarching conflict, which made reading it difficult for me. But my plan to read a chapter a day really helped me stay with the book, and each morning I woke up eager to see my fictional friends again and find out what new trouble they had gotten themselves into.

Kristin Lavransdatter is world literature at its highest level, and I can easily see why Sigrid Undset was awarded the 1928 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, translated by Tiina Nunnally
First edition Oslo, Norway: Aschehoug, 1920, 1921, 1922
Kindle edition New York: Penguin Classics
Printed length: 1168 pages