so rich... beautiful writing. another one of those books that i just feel speechless. how does a human write such in depth characters? the way sigrid undset is able to draw you in and give so many layers to her characters. wow.

what a beautiful book. even the slower parts (this one is definitely more meditative on religion than the first one) are so so beautiful and i feel like my brain is drinking shimmery gold

i feel like by reading the wreath and the wife i've taken an in depth course on 14th century norway lol

really looking forward to picking up the next book... i'm even already itching to re-read this one and annotate a bunch (i didnt rly annotate it this time but darn i rly wish i did becauae there just so many beautiful passages)

i absolutely love lavrans, kristins father, he's like what every man should strive to be lol, wise, understanding, forgiving, humble, kind wow i canreally keep going on about this book.

tender moments, achey moments, human moments

4.5

Re-read 2021: when I read it a few years ago for the first time I gave it 4 stars but I'm changing it to 5 stars after having read it again.

The second book of this medieval Norwegian trilogy hit a level of depth that the first just couldn’t (probably because it involved more death and the fruit of sin, and therefore powerful joy, hope, and love). The story was slower but more satisfying as a whole.
The heart-breaking beauty of mystery, holiness, and sacrament becomes more tangible as you experience Kristin’s trials with her. I’m now especially excited for the last book, which I’ve heard is the best.

Great, awesome, well written, profound book. Sigrid Undset is not only a unique historian, she is also able to create an interior world that seems as complicated and as beautiful as reality.
Throughout the book, Kristin is struggling for redemption of her sins, but she still needs to face her biggest enemy: her reckless pride. In a voyage for the purification of her Love I saw how she matured, specially through suffering from a young woman into a mother.
There is a great understanding of the value of suffering as a way of purifying, forgiveness as the pillar of real love, and the transition from loving the other because he or she is charming to loving him or her because is one's partner.
IT is outstanding how well described Undset the role of God in silence in the soul of those whe seek him. He is the source of peace, never abandons, but works slowly.
Purification of Love. If I had to give a summary of the book in one sentence, it is it.

Loved this and would recommend to anyone, although I still am having trouble seeing where this is all going. Excited to read the next book.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I really dont like books in series, at least not lately. I think its far better to just leave it as one book, though I guess it depends on the author. I really shouldn't be so judgemental. This is the second book in the series and it deals more with the problems of a wife, rather than a young adult as it did in the first one. This means more talk of arguing couples, politics, house making, and babies. Not very relatable to a 16 year old girl like me, but I suppose these books are supposed to be read at different points in ones life. For me I had less trouble with the language this time, but found that if I did not focus while I was reading then I understood nothing, no wondering thoughts. It really isn't a that bad book and I really enjoyed seeing the development of the main character, but if you want more positive feedback look at my review of the previous book. I wish there would have been more from her perspective though. It also lacked in some of the gorgeous descriptions of nature that there was in the other one. I feel like more stuff happened in that one as well. I guess I'm just tired of their melodrama, I mean this is a love triangle tale, doomed to inspire others like Twilight and the Hunger Games (not sure whether i should be grateful or not), so it will contain a lot of ladies flinging around the necks of men and wailing. However it was a bit too reality tv show for me, thats what happens when there's no reality tv to watch. Now I think I shall take a break by reading some very political, very dark, very English, and very sci fi novels. I need a break before the last book.

I enjoyed Book 1 so much. What went wrong with Book 2? First off, the beginning is very repetitious. People lamenting about the same few problems over and over. Book 2 also features a much more religious overtone which is not a bad thing, per se, just not what I expected. But it becomes very heavy-handed as the reader is subjected repeatedly to Kristin's self-flagellation throughout the book while no blame ever seems to fall upon Erlend. And speaking of Erlend, he turned into a real cad with few redeeming qualities. Most annoying of all is, how after he treated Kristin so shabbily throughout the marriage, he is made a "hero" at the end. The only saving grace is he was not martyred. Thank heavens! And, earlier, Orm's death is glossed over. A shame because his character had potential, but I guess he had to be got rid of since he gave Kristin a little joy.

Not only has Erlend changed, but Kristin, too. And not for the better. She seems to revel in depression. "Beware all who enter here". It should be written on the first page. The book reads like a funeral dirge. And I felt like a mourner slogging past the lych gate only to stand in an incessant downpour of grief.

I have to note that other reviews I've read have complained about this particular translation. While the different translators used for books one and two might play a part in such a disappointing outcome, it cannot bear all the blame. I'm assuming the translators stayed true to the story itself. And the storyline of Kristin's continual self-recrimination and Erlend's crowning glory at the end was the real negative here.

I gulped this book. Kristin becoming an adult is revelation. She pays her mistake (her choice of husband) with a quiet strength that's humbling.... she's far from perfect but the she tries and fights. Inspiring.
This is a portrait playing with the contrast between the strong enduring intelligent wife and the weak versatile small minded husband. It's a bit heart breaking sometimes.

Fortfarande fint skriven om Kristin och om livet i det medeltida Norge, men jag hade lite svårt att hänga med i alla maktspelssvängar. Intressantast tyckte jag det var att läsa dels om Kristins äktenskap, dels om hur dåtidens människor såg på livet och sina förpliktelser i det.

This is the kind of reading that can't get out of my mind after I have finished it.
What I found most incredible was Undset's ability to portrait human's emotions in such a deep manner. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the landscape and the social relations in Norway in the Middle Age. Sigrid Undset created a world based on factual historical moments, so we could think that she really travelled back in time and came back with Kristin's story... Both her creativity and research about history are very impressive!

Skaičiau netinkamu laiku? Galbūt. Nors atrodė, kad knyga pati mane pasirinko, pabaigoje man tai kainavo per daug mano minučių, kad aš pabaigčiau paskutinius puslapius.
Ištęsta paprasčiausiose vietose apie aplinką, o ten, kur, atrodytų, svarbu, - parašytas vos vienas sakinys: ,,Ir ji pagimdė savo antrąjį sūnų." Galbūt turėjau pati sujungti galus kai kuriose vietose, bet skaitinys pasirodė per ilgas.
On the better note, tai daug sužinojau apie Norvegijos Viduramžių laikotarpį, jų tikėjimą, sumišusį su baime ir tradicijomis.