Kristin Lavransdatter (The Wreath, The Wife, The Cross)
Sigrid Undset
Translated by Tiina Nunnally
first published 1920-1922
1168 pages
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I bought this book awhile ago. Probably before the FTC needs to know about it. But I’m all about covering my butt.
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For my thoughts on the first two parts of this book, check out The Wreath and The Wife.
At the risk of sounding like a horrible awful person, I’ll admit that I was looking forward to The Cross. Going into Kristin Lavransdatter you know that it is Kristin’s life story and that she dies at the end. And her death means the end of the book. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to that. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so happy that a fictional character died. See, I told you that I’m a horrible awful person.
So what happened to make me anticipate Kristin’s death? I started out enjoying Kristin Lavransdatter. Why did I want so badly for her to die? Well, 1100 plus pages of angst and whining happened. This book could have EASILY been 500 pages (and 5 kids) shorter. Trust me, nothing would have been lost.
Oh wait. The Cross. Book 3. I forgot to tell you what happens. Except it’s been awhile, so I’ve kinda forgotten the details. I do remember that Kristin got herself to a nunnery. The plague hit. Kristin had a heroic moment. The end.
Back to my overall impressions.
While certainly not the worst book I’ve ever read (Too Much Tuscan Sun and Foolhold that honor), I stand by my earlier statement that this book needed some brutal editing. Undset liked sweeping sagas, but this one lacked continuous originality (to totally make up a phrase). Instead, you get lather, rinse, repeat. Kristin has a son, she gets all moody and pissy at Erlend, it happens all over again. I swear that felt like 500 pages of filler.
If you are thinking about reading this (although we’ve probably scared you off), I highly recommend a read-along (and many thanks to Richard of Caravana de Recuerdos and Emily of Evening All Afternoon for organizing this one!). It helps to have the emotional support, and it’s nice to have fellow readers to pick up the slack and write reviews that actual contain thought and content. 
Lather, rinse, repeat is the perfect summary! I’m afraid I take much longer to say it! My post is up today too!
rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Review of Kristin Lavransdatter, Volume III: The Cross, by Sigrid Undset and translated by Tiina Nunnally
Haha! Great review, Jill. I hadn’t even heard about this book before your read-along.
Literary Feline´s last blog ..Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I’m listening to an audio of a biography of Isak Dineson (author of OUT OF AFRICA) right now, and in it Dineson has complained several times about this book. She basically says that Undset is too depressing. Guess she’s right!
Heather J.´s last blog ..Books & Movies: Moll Flanders
Wow, I’m glad that is over! Thanks for your always humorous comments and for sticking with it. Knowing others were struggling with KL helped me get through it.
gavin´s last blog ..Moby Dick Monday
I so agree that this trilogy desperately needed a stern editor. I kind of feel like Undset had in mind that she wanted to write an Epic Trilogy, but she only had the material for one decent novel, so the just stretched it out excruciatingly.
I didn’t so much mind the descriptions of the cows, landscapes, etc., but I was very bothered by the incessant weeping and the religious guilt. Anyway, thanks for sticking this out! Your humor made it much more enjoyable for me!
Emily´s last blog ..Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross
Perfectly and utterly succinct, as usual. You hated this book so much you wanted the protagonist to die and STILL you finished it. Don’t worry: you’re a better person than I am.
EL Fay´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday
Well, nothing I’ve read about this series made me want to read it and now you’ve just put the final nail in the coffin.
And are you talking about Christopher Moore’s Fool???????
Jenners´s last blog ..10 Best Books I Read This Year
Hehe, yes it’s been great to leave the more thoughtful posts up to others. I definitely felt like my final post was a whole lot of blah, blah, blah, gag… Yours have been thoroughly enjoyable!
Thanks for participating in the readalong, Softdrink, and sorry the trilogy turned out to be such a bummer (I’m more disappointed than you, believe me). Anyway, you know you’re in a trouble with a writer when you realize you’re rooting for plague-carrying vermin to seal the deal on that final chapter of hers! Happy New Year to you!
Richard´s last blog ..The Buenos Aires Affair
Jill — you are absolutely right — if anyone is considering reading this, they should do it with at least one other person! This trilogy may have been considered awesome back in the 1920′s, but doesn’t seem to stand the test of time. Seems like editing wasn’t as critical back in those pre-TV, pre-computer days….also today we are exposed to a lot more books that have much better writing/plot.
Valerie´s last blog ..Read-Along: “Kristin Lavransdatter, Part III: The Cross”