Starts slowly and for the usual reader, there are a lot of characters. About 2/3 of the way through, I couldn't put it down.
It's the story of a couple, betrothed as young children in a questionable agreement by their fathers. It's 13th century Norway, and the society is torn between pagan retribution codes and Christian piety. Olav, the foster child of his bethrothed's father, takes Ingunn, the father's daughter before marriage, and sets off a series of events.
I was most moved by the treatment of the young woman, Ingunn. The book was written in 1925, so a woman's position was still controlled by men. Yet the book makes no judgments, which keeps the story current.
If you like historical fiction, this would be an excellent choice. It's the first of four volumes.

I choose to read a wide variety of books: different genres, and written in different time periods. I want to read books written long ago, but, as happens so often nowadays, I found the way women are talked about disturbing. Olav clearly loves Ingunn deeply, so some of the things he says about her are disquieting. I force myself to put that aside though. While I wasn't drawn in too deeply, I am intrigued enough to want to read the next in the series. I also want to give the Kristin Lavransdatter series a go.

n  n


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Olav Audunssøn I. Vows in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

Olav Audunssøn I. Vows by Sigrid Undset is a masterful historical novel that transports readers to medieval Norway, where love, honor, and ambition collide in a world of political intrigue and religious upheaval. Undset, a Nobel Prize-winning author, demonstrates her unparalleled skill in crafting richly detailed narratives and complex characters that resonate with depth and authenticity.

The Details

At the heart of the story is Olav Audunsson, a young nobleman torn between his duties to his family and his passionate love for Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter, the daughter of a powerful chieftain. As Olav navigates the treacherous waters of medieval society, he grapples with questions of loyalty, honor, and the pursuit of personal happiness in a world defined by rigid social hierarchies and strict moral codes.

Undset's prose is lyrical and evocative, transporting readers to a distant time and place with vivid descriptions and rich historical detail. From the rugged landscapes of Norway to the opulent halls of medieval courts, she captures the sights, sounds, and smells of a bygone era with remarkable authenticity.

Olav Audunssøn I. Vows is a nuanced portrayal of its characters, particularly Olav himself. Undset presents him as a deeply flawed yet ultimately sympathetic protagonist, whose struggles and triumphs resonate on a deeply human level. As Olav grapples with the consequences of his choices and the complexities of his relationships, he emerges as a compelling and relatable figure whose journey captivates from beginning to end.

Olav Audunssøn I. Vows is more than just a love story; it is also a profound exploration of faith, identity, and the clash of cultures. Undset deftly weaves together themes of religious conflict, political intrigue, and personal redemption, offering readers a rich tapestry of historical fiction that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant.

The Verdict

Overall, Olav Audunssøn I. Vows is a timeless masterpiece that showcases Sigrid Undset's remarkable talent as a storyteller and her deep understanding of the human condition. With its richly drawn characters, lush prose, and thought-provoking themes, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers long after they've turned the final page.

Hooray! More Norwegian epic stortelling by the illuminating Sigrid Undeset. I am so excited to start this.

Who is Sigrid Undset? Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTef0H...

Undset has been on my radar for quite some time, and this is the first of her works I’ve made the time to read. It will not be the last. Not only am I eager to continue this series (in the Tiina Nunnally translation, please!), but I am even more interested than before in getting to Kristin Lavransdatter.

Olav Audunsson is a classic character at once recognizable and still rounded and empathetic. This coming of age introduction to his personality and his trials serve only to whet the appetite for the rest of his story. There were moments where I gasped aloud at the turns of events as our young hero (?) finds his footing in love and life. Highly, highly recommend.

Thank you to University of Minnesota Press and NetGalley for the Advance Release Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sigrid Undset is known for her brilliant, deeply subtle and intricate potrayals of life in medieval Norway, with characters who often find themselves caught between the old Norse codes of honor and shame, and the new piety and rigors of Christianity. Like her Nobel prize winning epic Kristin Lavransdatter, The Master of Hestviken tells a story of a struggle for love; this time it is treacherous kinsmen who intervene, rather than the will of the heoine's well-meaning father. Olav Audunsson and Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter have been betrothed by their fathers since childhood, and have grown up with the expectation that they will be married to each other. Ingunn's father has fostered Olav himself, as Olav's father had died when he was young. When Steinfinn himself dies, Ingunn's closest kin decide to treat their betrothal as if it were a mere game between the two men, and not in earnest. Faced with this tragedy, Olav and Ingunn takes matters into their own hands, bringing their case to the bishop in Hamar. From there one thing after another veers out of control, and the two young lovers are forced to endure many hardships — often consequences of their own behavior — before they can be reunited again. Sigrid Undset has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and as always her writing here is rich, detailed, evocative and nuanced, and her characters are complex and deeply sympathetic. Reading Undset is a great pleasure, and if I had one complaint it is that Arthur Chater's translation here uses deliberate medievalisms ("Methinks," "I trow," "fain," etc.), which are not in themselves unpleasant at all, but do not feel as immediate and vital as the cleaner and clearer translation of Tiina Nunnally, who worked on Kristin Even so, this is a very minor flaw, and I look forward with great anticipation to reading the rest of this series.

Book One was terrific. I didn’t find it as slow as others. I may forgo everything else and just finish off the tetralogy!

This sprawling medieval Norwegian epic was written by a Nobel prize winner about 100 years ago. I enjoyed reading about the people I could keep track of, and Undset's generalizations about characters based on their nationality, the Germans and the Danes etc were fascinating. The complex maze of stories about Olav Audunssøn and all the people in all the generations of his family was a lot to contend with; and within the very first few pages I got confused between Olav Audunssøn's grandfather who was named Olav Ribbung, Olav Ribbung's twin brother's son Ingolf Olavssøn who became a priest, and Olav Audunssøn's old kinsman Olav Ingolfssøn (also known as Olav Half-Priest) who was invited over to Olav Audunssøn's Hestviken estate.

Olav Audunssøn's tortuous relationship with his wife Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter is the heart of this mysterious saga, and much as I sympathized with the star-crossed lovers and wanted to figure them out, I really struggled with all the twists, extraneous characters, repetition and melodrama.

Be still my beating heart!
This is the first of four books that make up The Master of Hestviken, the story of Olav Andusson and Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter, set in medieval Norway.
I loved Kristen Lavransdatter. Sigrid Undset writes so much emotion into her stories that is intense and honest and complex:

"The boundless pain and distress in her poor eyes - it was that which drew his soul naked up into the light. Away went all that he had thought and determined - he knew right well that they were great and important things that now dropped from his mind, but he had not the power to hold them fast. He was left with the last, the inmost cruel certainty - that she was flesh of his flesh and life of his life, and this could never be otherwise, were she never so shamefully maltreated and broken. The roots of their lives had been intertwined as long as he could remember - and when he saw that death had had hold of her with both hands, he felt as though he himself had barely escaped from being torn to pieces. And a longing came over him, so intense that it shook him through and through - to take her in his arms and crush her to him, to hide himself with her."

Whew!!

შუა საუკუნეების ნორვეგია, თითქოს საგის სტილში მოთხრობილი სიყვარულის, იმედგაცრუების, თავდადების, რწმენის, ცოდვის და დიდსულოვნების ამბავი. ნამდვილი წიგნი, ნამდვილ ცხოვრებაზე. ნორვეგიის ულამაზესი ბუნების და ძველი ადათ-წესების სამყაროში დატრიალებული ორი ადამიანის დიდი, ტკივილიანი და უბედური სიყვარულის ისტორია.

Incomparable Sigrid Undset! But, the translation has problems. The title of the older translation, The Axe, is much more gripping and appropriate than Vows. There are also some awkward contemporary phrases that cannot have been in the Norwegian original, such as a reference to an unborn child as a fetus.

3 - 3.5 stars

Wow, these two characters, just…wow. I’m not sure if circumstances, their personal character, or the machine of societal mores are most to blame, but Olav and Ingunn go through the proverbial wringer and their story is only beginning!

Seemingly equal parts medieval saga, soap opera, historical fiction, and character study this book follows the lives of two 13th century Norwegians betrothed as children who grow up as foster-siblings and ultimately find themselves tragic lovers who seem destined by fate, and their own poor judgement, to suffer pretty much all the slings and arrows outrageous fortune has in his quiver. Olav, our hero, is forthright, brave, and steadfast. Unfortunately he’s also proud, pig-headed, and heedless in his actions. Ingunn, our heroine, is sweet, patient, and stronger than she first appears. Unfortunately she’s also lazy, flighty, and heedless in her actions. It’s a match made in medieval Norway.

I think the strongest aspect of the book, in which Undset shows a masterful hand, lies in the characterization of both Olav and Ingunn who prove to be compelling and complex characters. We may sometimes (often?) question the wisdom of their actions and decisions, but I don’t think any of them ring otherwise than true. We may struggle to understand the harsh strictures that inform their perception of themselves and the world and bemoan the seemingly self-imposed tortures to which they subject themselves as a result, but there is a stark reality to them that can’t be denied. Even secondary characters are well-drawn and fill out Undset’s depiction of a medieval world with living and breathing reality.

The book starts off emulating the style of the medieval sagas, but soon shifts closer to the modern novel in form, though that really isn’t such a far move all things considered. Both Olav and Ingunn share equal parts of the book as we observe their story first from one of their points of view then the other’s. To say I enjoyed this book might be overstating it given the deluge of misfortune that informs nearly every part of the lovers’ story, but I was certainly compelled by it and found myself carried on by the inevitable onrush of events. Ironic perhaps given that so much of the story revolves around them waiting for each other. I‘d definitely recommend it, especially if you find the sagas compelling and aren’t turned off by bad things happening to your protagonists, but don’t expect too many rays of sunshine on the fjord here.