Litsy

#TomKitten and I are completely sucked into Book 3 of Kristin. Life back at Jørundgård is bittersweet, as Kristin grapples with memories of the past and the sometimes stark reality of the present. I hope I can stay fully spoiler-free as I continue to read because this is nothing less than gripping and I can't wait for all of the twists as turns as I come closer to the (sadly) inevitable end. I'm so glad I finally took the plunge on this series!

Andrea313 #KLBR #DoorstopKristin #CatsOfLitsy 2d

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 2d

30 likes2 comments

Daisey

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

I‘m behind on our readalong, only starting Part 2 of Book 2, but I‘m hoping to have more reading time this month and catch up some.

Also, I love sunset reading in the hammock.

#HammockReading #KLBR #DoorstopKristin

Tamra Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh 😍 2d

Leftcoastzen Nice ! 2d

BarbaraJean This looks delightful! So relaxing! 2d

Andrea313 This looks like a dream! 😍 2d

Daisey @Tamra @Leftcoastzen @BarbaraJean @Andrea313 It‘s one of my very favorite places to read! 1d

54 likes5 comments

Texreader

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Eight books read in July while still making my way through chunksters Kristin Lavransdatter (#KLBR) and Little Dorrit (#whattheDickens). Stats:

1 book finished for last month‘s #foodandlit #Greenland
3 books for #foodandlit #Peru
1 book for #authoramonth (Virginia Wolff)
2 books for #campLitsy, including the tagged book, best book of the year so far

53 likes

Suet624

Mistress of Husaby: Kristin Lavransdatter, Vol. 2 | Sigrid Undset

pick

Book 2 in this trilogy brings us inside Kristin and Erland‘s home life in the 14th century. Childbirth (so many children!), the death of Kristin‘s parents and the management of their property are all wearing Kristin down. And Erland isn‘t much help. In fact, he becomes involved in a political scheme that nearly does him in. Simon rises in every instance to help Kristin. Undset writes a great story. #KLBR @BarbaraJean

BarbaraBB Such a great character 💖 2d

42 likes1 comment

AnneCecilie

The Flower Farm | Rachael Lucas

#BookReport

I finished The Whalebone Theatre, Little Dorrit #WhatTheDickens and on audio The Flower Farm

I continued with my yearlong reads on the right

I‘ve started the second book in the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy, Wife #KLBR #DoorstopperKristin

61 likes

BarbaraJean

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR Discussion Questions (5/5):

Overall: what is it about these books that keeps you reading (or re-reading!)? Or, if you‘re struggling to get through them: what about the books has been an obstacle to keeping you engaged?

Are there any other themes, scenes, or characters you‘d like to discuss from The Wife?

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @Andrea313 @Daisey @quietjenn @Librarybelle @lauraisntwilder @MaureenMc @Gleefulreader @Deblovestoread @MeganAnn @AmyG @JenLovesJT47 @rubyslippersreads @bklover @Texreader @AnneCecilie @suet624 @Leniverse @CrowCAH @Caterina 6d

Ruthiella One of the things that really impresses me about the novels is how the characters are very much of their time and mores and yet so comprehensible and recognizable to the modern reader. People haven‘t changed that much, really. 6d

AmyG @Ruthiella Exactly! This could have been written today. I thought that many times. 6d

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lauraisntwilder @Ruthiella Yes, exactly. 5d

Andrea313 @Ruthiella I definitely agree with this! Human nature doesn't change and it feels so contemporary as I read througg. At the same time, I'm fascinated by the historical details and traditions, and by the descriptions of the natural landscape! Vacation to Norway when?? 5d

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG @Andrea313 YES! These characters feel so real. The palpable humanity of these characters and their very relatable emotions have me hooked. It's amazing to me how contemporary it all feels, even with so many traditions and details that seem so distant and unfamiliar. 4d

Suet624 I agree with everyone that it feels so recognizable. What I also love is how Undset puts you in the place in the story - I felt I could smell the fir trees and see the views from the manor. 4d

22 likes7 comments

BarbaraJean

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

#KLBR Discussion 4/5:

Kristin‘s faith & her feelings of guilt play a huge role in her motivations here. From the Penguin Reader‘s Guide: “Sigrid Undset said that Kristin‘s greatest sin was not indulging in sex before marriage, but the sin of pride…” Where do you see examples of Kristin‘s pride? Is there a connection between her pride and her feelings of guilt?

What impact do you think Kristin‘s faith has on her actions as a wife? As a daughter?

AmyG I read the first two books a few years ago. But I always got the feeling that the Church guided her life. 6d

lauraisntwilder I think her pride made it hard for her to accept God's forgiveness. Not that she necessarily had overwhelming guilt, but that she was somehow unreachable. It's like her status and innate beauty and value made her sins worse because she had farther to fall. 5d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder That all makes sense. There's some “what would people think/say“ there as well. That definitely comes from pride and as you said, affects her acceptance of God's forgiveness. I think her grudge-keeping as a wife may stem from her inability to forgive herself as well. And I see that playing out with her father—she can‘t accept God‘s forgiveness and so she also sees her relationship with her father as irretrievably broken. 4d

Suet624 Faith was such a large part of Kristin's life. Don't know if the 7 deadly sins were highlighted back then but lust and pride are 2 of them and it goes without saying it was a big part of Kristin's story. As she aged, Kristin was able to see just how much she had hurt Lavrans. He was such a good man/father and to hurt him may just remain as a pain for the rest of her life. 4d

17 likes5 comments

BarbaraJean

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR Discussion Questions (3/5):

There are SO many changing relationships to consider in this book, from the marriages (Erlend and Kristin, Lavrans and Ragnfried, Simon and Ramborg) to the family relationships (Erlend and Lavrans, Kristin and Lavrans, Simon and Kristin, Simon and Erlend…).

Which changing relational dynamic stood out to you the most? Which surprised you?

Ruthiella The change in passion between Kristen and Erland at the end. Apparently they can only really connect when under threat. That surprised me. What did not surprise me was Simon‘s obvious love for Kristen, even though she refused him. He‘s still carrying a torch. 6d

AmyG Yes, Simon did carry a torch. I wondered what her life would have been like if she had married him. The choices people make that lead them to their lives. 6d

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lauraisntwilder I really liked Simon in the first book, but I had a hard time imagining that character living through that first marriage. Then he marries Kristin's teenaged sister and I admit it was hard not to judge that through the lens of modern sensibilities. So, I guess I was most surprised by both of Simon's marriages. 5d

Andrea313 @lauraisntwilder I had some side-eye for that second marriage, too, but what made it worse for me was the author/the story pushing that Ramborg was the one who pursued it. Shades of "she asked for it" when this was a literal child. Weirdly, if it had been presented as normal for the time in which it was set, I may have shrugged it off as history. But instead there seemed to be this added level of desperate justification that felt off to me. 5d

Andrea313 The change-up between Kristin and Erlend at the end really surprised me, particularly when Kristin suddenly blamed herself for Erlend's actions. I'm a bit apprehensive to see where their relationship goes in Book 3! 5d

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @Andrea313 I wasn‘t that surprised by the change in passion between Kristin and Erlend at the end—I feel like it‘s a pattern for them to swing from passion and love to grudges and blame, and then back. But I was surprised by Simon! @AmyG @lauraisntwilder I didn‘t much like Simon in the first book (maybe I felt Kristin‘s ambivalence/aversion). Here he seems to have matured a lot, and I saw parallels to Lavrans in the way Simon is such ⬇ 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…a stable son-in-law/brother-in-law. I was super surprised by his marrying Ramborg and also had a hard time with her supposedly “pursuing” him at such a young age. I could see a 12-year-old getting it into her head that she wants to marry this person who‘s such a good friend of the family and acting that out inappropriately, but I can‘t stomach Simon taking it seriously. At one point we see him thinking about how he was manipulated ⬇ (edited) 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …into marrying a woman he doesn‘t really care for—but, um, he‘s the adult and he doesn‘t HAVE TO marry her! 4d

AmyG I liked Simon more, too. @BarbaraJean Wait ‘til book 3. 4d

Suet624 Kristin clinging to Erland as he is arrested was so surprising to me. @Ruthiella stating that they connect when under threat made it make sense to me. I appreciated Lavrans & Ragnfried's final days together, that they were able to express their love & appreciation. And Simon and Ramborg's marriage - I just think some crazy crap took place in the 1200's. With the book being written in the 1920's I'm not sure what Undset thought about it. 4d

16 likes11 comments

BarbaraJean

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

#DoorstopKristin #KLBR Discussion Questions (2/5):

What growth or change do you see in Kristin from The Wreath to The Wife?

Do you see any growth in Erlend? Has your opinion of him changed from The Wreath to The Wife? Why or why not?

Ruthiella She becomes much more confident in her abilities as a wife and mother, managing the estates and her children. I liked seeing her come into her own like that. Clearly her parents brought her up well in that respect because she pretty quickly learns how to manage the servants and household. 6d

AmyG Not an Erland fan. Erland was more about Erland. But Kristen had children and the land to manage. She had to support everyone. Kristen grew, Erland didn‘t. 6d

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lauraisntwilder I was surprised at how impetuous Kristin still was, as an adult, like when she reacts in anger (and I hope embarrassment?) when she hears the family talking about how her wild kids killed her sister's favorite lamb. She seems stretched thin, taking care of the land, supervising servants, constantly pregnant, and grieving her parents. Erland takes on more responsibility publicly, but he doesn't seem to have grown up. 5d

Andrea313 Kristin has grown into a capable and admirable woman, whipping a chaotic household into shape, managing the estate from top to bottom, and dealing with more children than she should have to with little support from her partner. But then seeing her boys' behavior through Lavrans' eyes made me cringe! However, I do respect how she always kept trying with Margret. That was a lose-lose situation but it seemed she always tried to be a good stepmother. 5d

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG @lauraisntwilder @Andrea313 Like you, I definitely saw growth in Kristin. She becomes so capable with the household so quickly. I loved how her relationship grew with her stepson. I do think there was some growth in Erlend, but it was more of an awareness of how his actions affect others. He doesn‘t actually change or mature. I did feel more compassion for Erlend here than I did in Book One, but I still wanted to just shake him! ⬇ 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d)…He‘s infuriatingly irresponsible, but he isn‘t cruel or malicious. He doesn‘t have the maturity to act responsibly and he deals with difficulty or hurt through avoidance, but he also didn‘t have the stable parent figures or parent/child relationships Kristin did. He doesn‘t seem to have had healthy models for how to be mature and responsible. He does seem well-intentioned and also seems to love Kristin deeply. 4d

Suet624 Not much to add to these comments. They are all spot on. Kristin is definitely a more mature woman in this book. Her care for her stepson was a lovely thing to see. When I first read this trilogy in my 20's my husband was very much like Erland and I was so impacted by Book 2 because of it. His inability to see what Kristin had to deal with - all those kids, all that property to manage - was infuriating. 4d

14 likes8 comments

BarbaraJean

Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset

Here we are at the end of #DoorstopKristin Book Two! #KLBR Discussion Questions (1/5):

Do you see Kristin and Erlend‘s relational struggles as inevitable? Are their temperaments and backgrounds just a bad fit, or could they have responded differently to each other?

What do you see as the main contributing factors to the breakdown of Kristin and Erlend‘s relationship?

What positive elements (if any!) do you see in Kristin and Erlend‘s marriage?

Ruthiella Communication is a problem but also, as Kristen points out, Erland is rarely open to criticism. But she sure can hold a grudge. In other ways, they are not so ill suited for each other. Erland needs someone who can control him without his realizing that is what they are doing and they have a strong physical bond. (edited) 6d

AmyG I always thought their bond was one of passion more than anything. I never saw them as a “team”. They grew separately, not together. And yes, there was poor communication. I don‘t blame her for having a grudge. Very human to do so with him. 6d

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lauraisntwilder The older Kristin gets, the more she sees how inappropriate Erland's behavior was before they were married. It feels like she spends years blaming herself for disappointing her father, then switches to blaming Erland for leading her into dangerous situations. I still wish she'd become a nun or run off with the elf lady! 5d

Andrea313 I do think their struggles were inevitable. They came together with tons of physical passion but I think their values were different from the start and as @AmyG pointed out, they didn't grow together. Erlend was always weak and Kristin didn't (or wouldn't) see the red flags, unfortunately. And I'm with @lauraisntwilder in wishing she'd gone down the path of religious devotion- Nun Kristin, we could have had it all! 5d

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @AmyG Yes, communication I think is key—also expectations. Erlend expected different things from marriage (rather than Kristin being pregnant all the time!) and I think Kristin expected Erlend would become steadier & more responsible. Kristin adjusts her expectations but resents it (nursing that grudge), and Erlend doesn‘t take any responsibility—for the relationship or otherwise. It‘s interesting that we see communication issues ⬇ 4d

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …with Kristin‘s parents (the reveal at the end of book one). They do communicate to work things out in book two—but they never stop being partners. Kristin and Erlend just are not partners, and I‘d blame that squarely on Erlend. I honestly think that if Erlend had worked to become an actual responsible grown up, Kristin would likely have responded to him differently and their relationship would have looked far different. 4d

BarbaraJean @lauraisntwilder @Andrea313 #TeamKristelf! I actually thought with Erlend‘s imprisonment toward the end that he might die (through starvation, torture, or execution), and then Kristin would be free to become a nun. I mean, Book Three IS titled “The Cross,” so… 4d

Andrea313 @BarbaraJean I thought the same thing and was shocked when he lived! 4d

Suet624 @AmyG You've said pretty much exactly what I would have said. 4d

Suet624 I agree that Kristin's ability to hold a grudge was an issue. I understood why she would but it kept any opportunity for partnership to take place. Erland was a playboy who tried to play the role of a husband/father. If we were looking for him to be punished for his infidelity, he sure was! :) 4d

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