This 1909 novel is the first of Nobel Prize winning Sigrid Undset’s many historical novels. Unlike the other historical novels which were written in the 1920s, this novel is not part of a series. It is a 152-page novella with short crisp chapters, a total of 48 of them, making for a fast paced ever-changing yet still fluid reading experience. This is because, as usual, Undset's writing is clear, fluent and descriptive but without needless details.

This novel is set in the end of the 11th century Norway. As in Undset’s other historical novels, religion plays a big part in the characters’ lives as the then-current Norway ruler, King Olaf, has recently converted to Christianity and there is a nation-wide tension between worship of the traditional Norse gods and the King-sanctioned influx of Christianity. Undset's depiction of the effect of religion on the daily lives of her characters is one of the more fascinating aspects of her works to me. I find her depiction of religion to be objective and insightful.

The primary protagonist is the title character. Vigdis is the nearly 18-year-old daughter of Gunnar, a landowner at Vadim, a farm in a rural area northeast of Oslo. The secondary protagonist is Ljot, a 20-year-old Iceland man who comes with his Uncle to trade with area landowners such as Gunnar and soon becomes Vigdis’ suitor.

Most of the story centers on Vigdis and is set in the rural area near Vadim over several years. However, at times the story takes place in Iceland, with a short detour to Scotland, locales that provide pleasant diversions to the Norway locales. As I think the book is best read without knowing the plot details or spoilers contained in my back cover blurbs or GR depictions, I will refrain from describing them. I will say that the plot veers in some unexpected directions at times. I liked that it didn’t always follow the path I thought it would or wanted it to take.
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In Vigdis, Undset has created another of her strong and flawed protagonists that the reader roots for yet makes choices that have the reader wincing. Ljot is even more flawed and wince-inducing. I have always liked Undset’s complex and flawed ‘heroes.’ They are memorable and their personalities make for intense, moving and, at times, sad life stories. They also feel very real to me even though I know nothing about 11th century Norway except what I learn from Undset. Undset manages to create an atmosphere of 11th century Norway so authentic that the reader feels they get a true sense of life at that place and time.

I find the writing, storytelling and historical portrait contained in this novel to be of high quality. However, the story almost has too many dramatic events for a novella, giving it almost a Norse or Icelandic saga feel. Some of the dramatic events could have been more deftly handled, a skill Undset later sufficiently perfected to achieve the excellent Kristin Lavransdatter. While this clearly rates somewhere between 4 and 5 stars, it felt closer to a 4-star reading experience to me

Oh my. This story of pride and lust set in ancient Norway and Iceland is a classic tragedy. Sigrid Unset is a marvelous writer.

Undset killed me with Kristin Lavransdatter (widely considered the trilogy that clenched her Nobel) and I've been wanting more ever since. Unfortunately, there is no modern English translation so you'll have to put up with awkward formal hundred year old prose (or learn Norwegian) but it's absolutely worthwhile.


This rape, redemption, revenge saga takes place in the 11th c., was written in the 20th and feels totally fresh today. Undset makes you feel every character's point of view and writes about women in a way that both wrecks and inspires me. Amazing. Read everything by her including this.

I lasted about a week after finishing Kristin Lavransdatter before giving in and returning to Sigrid Undset's Norway. As with the much longer K.L. (an acronym seems necessary...), I was gripped from the first sentence: not because Undset writes in a sensational style--quite the opposite--but because yet again her medieval world feels as real as this one. Gunnar's Daughter has a plot that isn't far from melodrama in its broad strokes, but at no point (except perhaps towards the very end) does the story feel contrived: Undset sustains the masterful illusion of being a mere chronicler. It is, of course, an illusion, and subtly interwoven with the matter-of-fact "and-then-so-and-so-killed-so-and-so" is a world of profound feeling and even mysticism which rises to the surface at unexpected moments. One of my favourites of these moments is a story which a priest (who plays absolutely no role in the story, as far as I could tell) recounts: it's a bizarre and in some ways grotesque tale of a woman who encounters hosts of mourning and deformed infants who are, as it turns out, all the babies who have been left to die by exposure. The woman takes as many as she can carry, trying to bring them to the golden castle she is headed towards; and she discovers, in the end, that the child she has closest to her chest is the baby she herself left to die, many years earlier.
The thematic relevance of this tale will be clear to anyone who's reading Gunnar's Daughter, but for now I'll only say that this seems to me to be what Sigrid Undset does best: she waits until the crucial and unexpected moment to reveal that the character we had thought unimportant is the character closest to our heart--because there is no unimportant person in Undset's world. Even though characters get killed off at a truly alarming rate (this is, after all, the Viking Age), Undset creates a poignant and unshakeable sense that every life counts, no matter how brief or apparently unremarkable.
To sum up: Gunnar's Daughter is vivid; so gripping that it took all of my self-control, and then some, not to read it all in one sitting; moving--I cried at least twice, and given the brevity of the novel that's saying something; and in many ways profound. For fans of K.L., it's also interesting to see some of the proto-characters and themes emerging in this earlier novel. Now, on to The Master of Hestviken!

რატომღაც ამ წიგნს სხვადასხვა თარგმანში განსხვავებული სათაური აქვს - ხან "საგა ვიგდისსა და ვიგა-ლიოტზე" ჰქვია, ხან - "გუნარის ქალიშვილი", ხან - "ვიკინგები" და ა.შ. რეალურად კი ის ორ ქალზეა - ვიგდისსა და ლეიკნიზე. მთავარი ხიბლი ეს ორი ძლიერი ქალია, რომლებიც არაფრით ჩამოუვარდებიან (პირიქით) ჩრდილოელ ვიკინგებს და კიდევ ის სცენები, რომლითაც სიგრიდ უნსეტმა (რომელიც თავის მხრივ შესაშური სიძლიერის ქალი იყო) თვალნათლივ გადმოსცა ისლანდიისა და ნორვეგიის განუმეორებელი ატმოსფერო.

As the age of the fierce, savage, marauders, the Vikings slowly comes to an end, they become more traders than raiders, with the spread of Christianity's love they neighbor philosophy , around A.D. 1000, a small settlement, (this isn't just another Nordic saga) in what will become the great city of Oslo, Norway there lived a beautiful daughter of Gunnar's, the most powerful landowner in the area. She has many suitors naturally , but being a teenager Vigdis Gunnarsdatter, has time to choose her mate. Her father promised that, unusual for the era. But Gunnar loves his brave , intelligent daughter and only child, besides, he has nobody else in the world he cares for. Into this still pagan, uncivilized land arrives Ljot an Icelander and his uncle Veterlide, on a trading voyage from distant Iceland which had a much warmer climate back then. Immense forests covered 25% of the country, now less than 1%, these hardy, courageous people colonized that island to get away from "Civilization"in Norway. With the establishment of an unwanted monarchy there, telling them how to live and obey his laws. Icelanders founded a commonwealth (republic), with a primitive parliament, the Althing in 930, the oldest on the planet. Engaging in blood feuds, freedom for them...nobody their master, might makes right, the survival of the fittest, take what you need no authorities to pay tribute to ...paradise they believe. Ljot, at twenty has already killed many men, including the slayer of his father, he becomes enamored of Vigdis but she feels uncomfortable with his passion, though liking him, the girl is not ready for this kind of involvement, not a woman yet...A tragic event happens that will mar the lives of this unfortunate couple , all their lives, so Ljot goes back to his native land but always remembering the woman he left behind, it will be many years before they'll meet again and much blood flows in each country , before that occurs. When a disaster happens, Vigdis seeks the help from King Olav of Norway, the first Christian monarch, the king is still a man and tries to seduce her and Vigdis recently baptized into the new faith...Fascinating look at a long ago era of the human race, time marches on and these events become forgotten by most people , but books shall keep us from never entirely. That is what classics novels are about, to enjoy but also for knowledge, people get new gadgets but human feelings are the same, in any year. Sigrid Unset is a fine writer and she, a Nobel Prize winner , should be read more today...End of sermon.

For en roman, for en forfatter.

Viga-Ljot og Vigdis låner bevisst og redelig fra sagalitteraturen, men leser likevel vel så moderne som det meste skrevet på dens tid (1909). Den er episk og «evig» som en sagafortelling, spennende som en thriller og blodigere enn en Tarantino-film.

Ikke minst interessant for en Tolkien-fan som meg: begge leste norrøne sagaer på originalspråket, og brukte det til å forme sine egne romaner. Begge lånte tett og åpenlyst, uten at det svekker kvalitetene i deres egne verker (begge var forøvrig også katolikker i protestantiske samfunn, selv om det ikke kan kalles et avgjørende sentralt uten å tolke videre enn jeg har tenkt å gjøre her).

Terningkast tusen.

The only beloved Sigrid Undset that does not leave one depressed for weeks. Lovely!

Ladies, and gentlemen as it has been finished in record time the review of "The sentimental" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I am about to write another. I trust that with the help of Providence I will be able to conclude it. This has been another of my favorite summer readings, perhaps the third best book, and the second book by Sigrid Undset https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... that I liked without reservation. The other was "The Burning Bush" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... that had a different theme. The success of Undset with this book has been due to a factor from my point of view essential, and that finally Undset has offered me what I wanted to read. It turns out that the novel "The Saga of Vigdis" although it should be called better saga of Ljot-Vigdis because of the importance that Ljot has in the saga. Among the Anglophone readers this saga is known as "The daughter of Gunnar", and tells the love-hate story of the Norwegian Vigdis and the Icelandic Ljot, that if we have to pay attention to what another Nobel Prize winner Halldor K. Laxness told us https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... the Icelanders were practically despised, and treated as slaves, they were even thought to be violent people, and criminals, when the curious thing is that they were the only people who decided in their assembly the Althing to convert to Christianity at the end of the tenth century. Although it had a strong pagan component. I would like to recall the wonderful prologue that Poul Anderson wrote https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... of his novel "The Broken Sword" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... that like the Count of Olivares he was a worthy rival for Cardinal Richelieu this novel, despite the amoral tone that announced Michael Moorcock https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... With all the prologue showing us what the situation was like in the Nordic countries, and offered us a vision of Norse mythology very different from that of J.R.R. Tolkien, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... in fact this story "The Broken Sword" could be Anderson's answer to the story of Turin Turámbar, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... although I agree more with Anderson's view of the Nordic world (this made the arrival of Christianity in the Scandinavian realm so necessary) Tolkien was superior to J.R.R. Tolkien, and he proved it again. In the prologue of that novel the Icelanders were seen offering sacrifices to the elves, showing, despite Thormbrandt's attempts, the slow transition from paganism to Christianity slower than in the other corners of the Nordic world. This story that he has edited wonderfully well @edicionesencuentro even though Encuentro had written very good prologues about the work, and the life of Sigrid Undset here has written a new prologue that I think is very accurate, and tells us the fascination of Undset for the Nordic sagas, being his first works of this style, she was also greatly influenced by her father, and was not only fascinated by the Nordic world https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..., but also by the Arthurian world https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... Something that was not easy, since Encuentro had already written two good prologues in "Kristin daughter of Lavrans" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... and "The Burning Bush" (I could not read the Olav Audunson, because I have Aguilar's edition). In this novel Undset has finally shown me why she is worthy of the Nobel Prize. I have already told this anecdote, but I repeat it to Goodreads users, because it never tires to hear a story told again if it is good. In a book by the Japanese Shusaku Endo (which by the way writing it cost him the Nobel Prize) called "Scandal" a fellow writer of the protagonist named Kano, as the fighter of Mortal Kombat told him that after the last novel of the protagonist he had finally managed to understand it, and that he liked the work of the protagonist. Something like this has happened to me with this book by Sigrid Undset true, which moves away from the usual t'nica of his novels, true that although Christianity is less present (although it is) Undset triumphs for two reasons, because the novel is shorter. Generally Undset tended to fill his novels with sometimes unnecessary pages. It is the case of "Kristin daughter of Lavrans" which I thought had many pages, and that Mika Waltari https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (this is not going to please Undset fans, but I have to say, maybe it does not have the plausibility, nor the historical rigor of Sigrid Undset, but I like the Finnish writer better, and even if he is not a Catholic, he must have won the Nobel, because every page that the Finn wrote mattered, and created anxiety in the reader, and a spiritual anguish in the reader not to mention the wonderful characterizations, and descriptions he made, in addition to excelling in more genres than Undset), or "The Avalon" by Anya Seton https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... they had written better novels than the Norwegian writer (in the case of Seton, although it is true that Avalon I love if I must record one thing in favor of the Scandinavian writer, and that is that Seton's religiosity is not authentic, and that it is only a characteristic, which changes depending on the work, adapting to it, but I liked it better, and "Avalón" is without hesitation a real gem, which deserves to be rediscovered by critics). Johannes V. Jensen's slumber is not reached with "The Fall of the King". https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... , but it became very dry to read it. It is true that Undset sought to make a more realistic literature, which fled from Scottian romanticism, but by seeking that everyday realism caused the same disaster as the historians of the Annale school, and other tendencies, that nothing happened, and ended up distorting History, and in the case of Undset his work. In the case of Undset for example I remember when a Frenchman named Allard wanted to take one of Kristin's children, I was sad about me (like Alfonso XII) thinking there would be action, and adventure, and something would happen, but by not giving Erlend permission, and showing that Allard was a depraved person, and indignant deprived me of a series of adventures that could have been good for a book, that fell into quietism, sometimes shaken by catastrophes, or truculent events, but often ridiculous, and absurd, such as the death of Erlend for example.
Here Undset writes together with "The Burning Bush" his best story. A love-hate story, which takes place on horseback from Norway, and Eleventh century Iceland honor-revenge. Ljot falls in love with the Norway Vigdis, but due to jealousy he alienates the love of Vigdis, and allies with the enemies of his father's family (Gunnar), the Eylov and Kole of Gumelunde. Jealousy towards Kare, and the thought she doesn't love him. He makes him write satirical verses, and ends up forcing Vigdis (that naturalistic violence typical of Zola https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... persists in this work of Undset). That he must face the illegitimacy of a son, avenge his father, and make a pact with kings. In this case with Olaf Tryggvason first King who favors Christianity in Norway, although Undset shows us that he is not a very virtuous king. But if the story of Vigdis (who will play the role of a man), his escape is spectacular, and his revenge worthy of Mario Puzo's Godfather is https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... good. Better is the story of Ljot, who marries, kills Halstein for honor, and Odd. Despite the love of his wife he does not manage to be happy because of his love for Vigdis, he loses his children, and this makes the character better, and matures thanks to pain. Despite the contempt he feels for the character, especially at the beginning, his misfortunes make the reader empathize with him. To the point of leading us to a fatal outcome in a society that is still pagan, despite the fact that Olav favors Christianity. But a blood-stained legalism is still present in which forgiveness and piety are still absent. The priest Eirik more than a priest is almost a scheldt. I was able to empathize with the characters from Ljot that is maturing, and improving until the final outcome in which in the end he shows us that he loved Vigdis and since he lost it he could not be happy. This story felt like my own. I met in my past a person, who reminded me of Vigdis, strong, courageous, noble, independent with a strong personality. That is why this story, despite the tragic outcome, has affected me so much. I can only consider it as a masterpiece, and not only as a good cover (in fact Encuentro has made a wonderful cover of bluish features, reminiscent of the Valkyries, or Eowyn Tolkieniana of bluish features). My grade is (5/5). PS. My sympathies went with the Norwegians, because the wife of a cousin of my mother lives in Valencia, and is from Norway.
My next review will be "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... I didn't like anything, but goodreads users will already discover that.

Undset perfectly captured the place and time of her story by telling it as a saga, terse and yet supple enough to present believable, sympathetic characters. A masterpiece.

per chi è : per chi sogna di diventare un cavaliere della tavola rotonda e per chi vuole prendere un veliero per l'Islanda.

Non posso credere che questo romanzo sia stato pubblicato nel 1909 (oltre che ad essere ambientato nel Medioevo)! Che personaggi femminili, ragazzi!

solo sentí vibras de would’ve could’ve should’ve, sobre todo la parte de “give me back my girlhood, it was mine first”