Reading the novel, I was deeply moved by Kristin’s struggle, and especially in her attachment to her own will. Kristin bears this sin and others with her throughout her whole life, and this struggle with sin resonates on the heart of every human being-the tension between our human desires and inclinations and our journey towards heaven through a true remorse for our sins. She conceives a child with Erlend before they are eventually wed. In her youth, she succumbs to sexual sin with Erlend, a man who is not her betrothed. However, Kristin struggles greatly with her sins.
She is a very pious woman and prays fervently throughout her life, celebrates each feast day and holy season, and constantly reflects upon her relationship with Jesus and His mother, Mary. Kristin’s difficult life is one of struggle and sin. Undset presents many different themes of family, religion, motherhood, and relationship throughout the trilogy, and her account of Kristin’s faith particularly strikes in the heart of any person striving towards holiness. Undset’s tale of life in medieval Norway chronicles the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, from her struggles in youth with love and lust, through her years of motherhood and difficult dealings with her husband and family, finally to her death from the black plague during her later life as a lay religious. After crawling through the book for several years, now I could finally devote the time it deserved in order to soak in every word and incredible historical detail that Undset, and the translator, Tiina Nunnally, set forth in the trilogy.
Review of Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid UndsetĪs a weary law student thirsting for the opportunity to read books about something other than constitutional theory or the rules of evidence, I devoted my winter break to finally reading one of the great pieces of Catholic literature of the early 20 th century- Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.
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