Sigrid Undset is one of the 20th century’s great writers. In 1901 the Nobel Prize for Literature was established and 108 winners have been named through 2011. Sigrid Undset was awarded the medal in 1928, one of only 12 women to have ever won this famous prize. These accomplishments make her something of a literary pioneer.
Yet today her powerful voice is too little heard. Why is this? The answer is very simple to this writer; Sigrid Undset was a devout Catholic and believed that ultimate truth can be found in a life surrendered to Jesus Christ. This puts her in opposition to secular humanism with its emphasis on man being the measure of all things. Her books are filled with women struggling with life issues such as a desperate need for love, abandonment, adultery and brokenness. Her literary characters eventually find the answers to their problems in the loving and forgiving heart of Our Lord. Though many of her characters are set in medieval Norway, their lives are timeless and their problems are modern.
All of these qualities are seen in the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, the main character in Undset’s three volume masterpiece "Kristen Lavransdatter 1: The Wreath"; "2: The Wife"; "3: The Cross."
Kristin is a young girl growing up under the loving guidance of her parents Lavrans and Ragnfrid. Both parents are pious and Lavrans is particularly virtuous. When Kristin is 17, as was the custom, the family betroths Kristen to a fine young man named Simon Darre. When the maid and the youth meet, Kristin cannot find anything lacking in the young man, but continues to feel unease in her heart. Simon seems too predictable and provincial. Kristin wants a great and consuming love that will soar upwards. She wants a dramatic man to help her unlock her heart.
The meetings with Simon become lukewarm and all agree it would be best for Kristin to go to a cloister for rich young women preparing for marriage. There she can learn humility and tame her pride. Kristin tries to fit into convent life, but her heart continues to be restless. One day she visits a nearby town with another girl and is accidentally engulfed in a melee that causes both girls to be carried into the countryside. They hire two local men to take them back to the convent, but the men begin assaulting the young women on the edge of a forest. Just before they will be raped, a knight and three men ride down the road and attack the assailants. After thoroughly beating the brutes, the knight releases the pair at Kristin’s request. She looks at her savior and sees an exceedingly handsome man named Erlend Nikulausson.
Instantly smitten with overpowering passion, Erlend and Kristin begin plotting a love affair. Several problems arise: first, Kristin is already betrothed, and second, Erlend has a blighted past of adultery and financial ruin. However, when she thinks of the virtuous but uninspiring man her father has chosen for her, she decides to risk her soul and her family’s reputation on the dashing knight on a horse. She chooses against the Church, the Commandments and the loving heart of her father. She decides that nothing will stand in the way of her will.
How does all of this turn out for Kristin? Why does she feel so empty? What does she find out about Erlend? What are the wages of sin? Finally, where does Kristin begin to find the answer for the turmoil she has brought upon every one? To learn the answers to these questions, check out this masterpiece by Sigrid Undset.
While this great trilogy has been published in English several times, the 1997 translation by Tiina Nunnally is by far the best. The English translations in some earlier editions are stilted and hard to understand. Nunnally’s award winning translation is outstanding and the best choice for readers.
