3.5 stars

I expected to like this volume even more than the previous one, because in general I prefer content I’ve seen less often, and the story of a woman making her way as a wife and mother is much less common in my reading than the story of her falling in love and trying to avoid arranged marriage. But I actually prefer the first volume. The Wreath has its melodramatic moments, but it definitely kept me interested, while The Wife – covering about 15 years of Kristin’s married life – slows that down. There’s a lot about death, childbirth, illness, and Kristin obsessing about her sins. I know, it’s the Middle Ages. But I wanted this book to be over more than I wanted to read it.

That isn’t to deny its many positive qualities. Undset has clearly done a thorough job of researching the time period, and brings it to life. The writing is good, with beautiful descriptions of the natural world. The characters are believable as real people and as products of their culture. Kristin and Erlend’s marriage turns out realistically, basically what you’d expect from the first book, and that depiction is a rare achievement in fiction, where protagonists’ marriages are usually either near-perfect bliss or utterly terrible (I would call this couple’s marriage a fairly bad one but am not sure they would say the same). Like the first volume, this one ends in an interesting place – it picks up with some major events in the last 75 pages or so and left me curious enough about the fallout that I may still pick up the third.

Although more dense with nordic politics and daily life than book 1, this book leaves you catching your breath as you are carried into the depths of hurting and healing souls.

"Nothing you do could ever change your father's heart toward you. This is why you must not cause him any more sorrow."

oof

This is the second book of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. In my review of the n  The Wreathn, the first book of the trilogy, I indicated I didn't feel optimistic about the marriage that took place at the end of the first book. This second book of the trilogy focuses on their married life (about 16 years covered by this book) during which they have seven children. The husband ended up not being as bad as I had feared. Based on fourteenth century expectations he could be rated as a mostly good husband, but certainly not perfect.

As a matter of fact the husband ends up taking some very reckless action near the end of the book that causes him to be placed in prison by the king. He's headed for certain execution which causes Kristin to exert her influence on an old admirer who in turn lobbies people in power to spare his life. These actions by Kristin are something of a turnaround for her because her relationship with her husband had become distant and cold. But when his life was in jeopardy her feelings of loyalty kicked in.

This book is full of many varied characters with differing strengths and weaknesses. The level of detail regarding everyday life is impressive. The description of the delivery of Kristin's first child is about as painful and drawn out as a written description can be. The same can be said for the death of Kristin's father near the end of the book. Thus I credit the author with good writing.

This book is as close one can get to a time machine for a visit to fourteenth century life in Norway. The author received the 1928 Nobel Prize for Literature based largely on Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy.

Kristin Lavransdatter is changing my life. I can't tell you the relief I felt when I finished this volume and picked up the third volume from the shelf and saw that it was satisfyingly thick.

I am already not ready to be done reading this masterpiece for the first time. It is surely one of the greatest 20th century novels, and one that continues to fly under the radar.

"Kristin," the priest said sternly. "Are you so arrogant that you think yourself capable of sinning so badly that God's mercy is not great enough?"

In the second book of the trilogy Kristin is not the reckless maiden in love with the "bad boy", nor is she the stubborn daughter insisting on having her way. Kristin is subdued, confused, ashamed, introspective. She now knows how greatly her actions have hurt her beloved father. She works to correct mismanagement of her husband's estate. Her first son is born a few months after the wedding. She can't respect the man she married.

As a new son is born yearly and political intrigues brew, Kristin and Erlend slowly migrate towards estrangement. In contrast, Kristin's parents, Lavrans and Ragnfrid, navigate through patterns of unspoken chill, and find joy, reconciliation, and a close bond in their marriage.

Lavrans, my favorite character, gets the last word: "For I've realized more and more with each year that I've lived: There is no worthier work for the person who has been graced with the ability to see even a small part of God's mercy than to serve Him and to keep vigil and to pray for those people whose sight is still clouded by the shadow of worldly matters.

Translation: I read the Charles Archer translation back in 2007; I prefer Tina Nunnally's for readability and beauty. There are many lyrical passages.

Narration: I like Nina Yndis's narration, especially the pronunciation of Norse names and words. I read along while I listened.

What a nightmare.

I totally understand showing the bad things you reap when you make awful decisions, but it's hard to read a whole book where nothing good happens.

At the point where Kristin is blaming herself for her husband's affair, I became so angry I had to skim the last 100 pages.

I have no idea why she loves Ereland at this point, and even less of a clue as to why she believes he loves her. No interest in reading the third book.....

I enjoyed this even more than The Wreath...The characters really came alive for me in their complexity, and new depths to their personalities were revealed, often as the characters were experiencing revelation themselves. It was interesting to learn so much more about Kristin's parents and their relationship, and to watch Kristin grow to understand more about them. As we mature we are increasingly (hopefully!) able to see others apart from their relationship to ourselves and their importance to ourselves. It was amazing to her to realize that her parents had such fullness to their lives, both joyful and painful, apart from her.
I also came across a passage that stunned me with its beauty, and I will recall it with pleasure: "Her heart felt as if it were breaking in her breast, bleeding and bleeding, young and fierce. From grief over the warm and ardent love which she had lost and still secretly mourned; from anguished joy over the pale, luminous love which drew her to the farthest boundaries of life on this earth. Through the great darkness that would come, she saw the gleam of another, gentler sun, and she sensed the fragrance of the herbs in the garden at world's end."
This captures so beautifully Ragnfrid's experience and inner life at this exact moment in her story. I am glad that Sigrid Undset didn't skip this moment, and that Tiina Nunnaly did such a gorgeous job on translation.
Looking forward to continuing through The Cross if I can overcome my addiction to the Sudoku app on my iPad...

The tale of "The Wife" spans fifteen years, beginning with Kristin's wedding. As she and Erland settle into domestic life blessed with many children, Kristin takes charge of his neglected property. Their lives become entangled in the political intrigue surrounding the young king. Meanwhile, the fates of Kristin's family and her former lover, Simon, intertwine as well.

Kristin carries the weight of her premarital intimacy with Erland, coupled with their differing religious beliefs. While Erland is far from perfect, he is not a villain. Their relationship, like any other, is a complex mix of highs and lows.

Undset is a master at depicting character growth. Kristin evolves from a naive young woman to a woman grappling with stubbornness and pettiness. Her relationship with Erland becomes a battlefield for past hurts. This is not a simplistic portrayal but a realistic depiction of a woman trapped in the clutches of resentment.

Erland also undergoes a transformation. The idealized hero of the previous book gives way to a more nuanced character. His flaws—cruelty, emotional volatility, and self-justification—are laid bare. Yet, beneath these shortcomings, a sense of nobility shines through. He proves to be a loyal protector of his family, demonstrating courage in the face of adversity.

Despite the excellent character development, I didn't find this sequel as interesting as the first plotwise. Perhaps it was too much of the same. Maybe part iii will be more exciting.

These men's sexual entitlement is about ready to get on my last nerve. I know it's historically realistic but it is testing me.

3.5/4 stars

Oh Erlend, you fool! How is it I can still love you so?

Book two, The Wife, is not as quick-paced or dramatic as book one, The Wreath. Book two settles into a slower pace with Kristin Lavransdatter’s marriage and her life-stage of wife and mother at Husaby, though we see less of her outer life than I would have expected. There are lovely moments here and there containing spot-on insights into those deep thoughts of motherhood, as well as palpable true-to-life details of painful, milk-engorged breasts, but this book seemed less to me about Kristin and more about getting to know the other characters, Simon, Erlend, Lavrans, Ragnfrid, Fra Gunnulf, etc. The shining moments of the book came from the interactions between these secondary characters.

I am eager to see what book three holds for Kristin. Much of what we see from her in The Wife is her inner struggle with bitterness and unforgiveness toward her husband. She carries with her constant guilt from her early relationship with him and struggles to accept God’s forgiveness in her life.

Husband/wife. Father/daughter. Mother/daughter. Brothers and kinsmen. Priest/confessor. Ex-loves and complicated pasts. The Wife is full of the deep complexities and emotion of human relationships.
Forget sex ed. I’ll probably just hand Kristin Lavransdatter to my daughter and say, “Read this”.

Now that I’ve finished this book, I would like to offer up some alternate titles for consideration:

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: If Only Divorce Had Been More of a Thing in 14th-Century Norway”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: On the Importance of Heeding Red Flags”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: If He Does Stupid Sh*t Before the Wedding, One Can Assume He Will Continue Doing Stupid Sh*t After the Wedding”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: How Many Idiotic Things Can a Man Do in the Space of 404 Pages?”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: Sometimes You’d Be Better Off Just Marrying the Guy Your Parents Chose for You”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: Wow, Kristin Has Been Through a Lot of Sh*t… But at Least She’s Still Hot! (That’s the Most Important Thing, Right?)”

“Kristin Lavransdatter, #2: Never Assume a Woman Can’t Read”