The Kristin Lavransdatter Trilogy has been on my 'to read' list for a long time, and I finally pitched in with some trepidation. A multi-volume Nobel-winning 13C historical epic sounds like it might be a slog, but this was remarkably flowing and effortless. So engaging that I read the trilogy back-to-back. As with Austen entire tranches of society (barely) exist as furniture - this is very much an accounting of a life in a very particular strata of society and that lack of background colour and depth does diminish it a tad. Still, it is a thoroughly transporting and engrossing journey through the life of the muchly tried but indomitable Kristin.

" كل النيران تخبو في النهاية "
ربما خبت نيران رحلتي مع ثلاثية كريستين واقعيًا لكن انا على ثقة بأن هذه النيران لن تخبو في ذاكرتي

Loved the idea of this book but didn’t necessarily love reading it. I had such a hard time wanting to pick it up.

Levde med Kristin Lavransdotter ganska länge – i synnerhet denna tredje del. Fint skriven bok även den här, intressant karaktärsutveckling och detaljerad beskrivning av Norges medeltid. Fast ibland har jag känt att jag inte riktigt orkat fokusera på alla personer och olika intriger.

I'll be processing this for a very long time, there is just so much here. I'm very glad I pushed through at the beginning of the series. The shift that Kristin has with mothering older sons was very poignant.

ثلاثية أخرى
وقصة اخرى تدمجك مع أبطالها وانك تعيش بينهم لا قارئ حدث و تتركك بذاك الشعور الحزين المثقل على صدرك و الذي يتكرر مرات عدة على طول نسج الرواية
أجمل ما في الثلاثيات وقصص الأجيال المتلاحقة هو أسوء ما فيها أيضا ذلك أنها تقرع الجرس و تنبهك مرارًا بسفه كل الغايات الدنيوية وان سنة الحياة لا بد جارية فكل النيران تخبو في النهاية كما قال سايمون
أحببتها على الرغم من كل ذلك وبكل شخصياتها البشرية الفريدة المتباينة العطب وبما استطاعت اوندست ان تخلق من حبكة و صراع فريدَين و توظفهما جيدًا في المسارات التي اتخذتها الرواية فتنقل الحوار بين أبطالها دون ان تشتتنا لكنها تحتفظ لكرستين بطلتنا بمركزية الحدث

This trilogy does take some time to get through; I took breaks in between and during the three books. The time is worth it, if for anything else other than to realize how life revolved around the church, the liturgy, the feast days.
Kristin's earthly journey feels laborious, as life in the shadow of the cross is. Kristin, her parents, her siblings, her spouse, her children, her neighbors, are not predictable or tidy characters. The exquisite language describing the setting and scenery made me want to travel not only to Norway, but also to a century long gone. Traditions and respect are heroes then as they still could be now. So even when asked if I liked this book and I replied, "It was OK"---deep down it was probably a lot more than that.

The third and end of Kristin’s story makes the others more worth it and the end is very touching. That said, she’s an idiot and while I can identify with her in some ways and we are all sinners I am not sure I have the patience to reread KL again. Maybe the second time around it would be better because I know what to expect. If it weren’t for book club I would have given up a little way into the 2nd book!

I don’t know if anybody should ever read this book but in any case the third volume redeems a lot of it.

I'm giving identical reviews to all three books of the trilogy.

This is a good book with characters that I cared for and those that I didn't. It was published as a trilogy, but I didn't even realize when a new book started. Audible should really renumber the chapters to reflect book sections and books. But then just listen to all three in a row. There is an older translation from the 1920s which uses more archaic language. I'm happy that I didn't read that version.

I enjoy historical fiction, although not a steady diet of it. I spent the summer and into the fall listening to Novels in Translation. This particular book helped Sigrid Undset a Nobel Prize for Literature. Her details seem authentic. I felt as if Kristin Lavransdatter was ahead of her time which made for a good story. The author was ahead of her time as well with writing such a strong female character.

I had no idea what was going to happen from the beginning to the end. There was a lot going on and many characters, but I didn't have too much trouble following the plot. That is a contrast to some Russian novels where the characters might have several different names depending on their relationship to others. It is long, but it is not daunting. For some it might be a tearjerker, but it just came close for me.

I'm giving this a strong four stars, but five for the narration which was excellent.

Well, I think I’ll start by saying that overall I’m glad I read through these three books. But I’ll follow that up by saying - I’m really glad I’m done.

This is the third book of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. Here are links to my reviews of the previous two books, n  The Wreathn and n  The Wifen. This book covers the final third of Kristin's life (circa 1299-1350).

The final years of anyone's life is full of endings, separations and goodbyes. The same was true for Kristin. First she is separated from her younger sister due to an insult given between their husbands. Then when her brother-in-law dies her sister quickly remarries and moves to a distant estate. Then a disagreement with her husband caused him to live separately from her. He is killed when he returns to respond to a rumored scandal. Then her seven sons disperse, get married, or join a monastery. In the end she feels unwanted at her home estate and joins a convent.

The story ends with her showing bravery and strong Christian faith in the face of The Black Plague. In the end she clearly deserves to be honored as a saint—if she weren't a fictional character.

Sigrid Undset won the 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature largely because of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. The trilogy provides a well written portrayal of 14th century Norway.

The following is a quotation from this book that demonstrates the ability of Undset (the author) to describe internal human thoughts and emotion. It is Kristin anticipating the fact that her sons are approaching adulthood and will soon be leaving her care. These are feelings with which most parents can identify.

Was this how she would see her struggle end? Had she conceived in her womb a flock of restless fledgling hawks that simply lay in her nest, waiting impatiently for the hour when their wings were strong enough to carry them beyond the most distant blue peaks? And their father would clap his hands and laugh: Fly, fly, my young birds.

They would take with them bloody threads from the roots of her heart when they flew off, and they wouldn't even know it. She would be left behind alone, and all the heartstrings, which had once bound her to this old home of hers, she had already sundered. That was how it would end, and she would be neither alive nor dead.