Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife

And so we come to part two of the read-along.

Sponsored by Emily, I was very excited to find this group. I read the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy many years ago in college, not for a class, but with another like-minded, literature-loving friend. As Flannery O'Connor once said, "I have been blessed with the gift of non-retention"; I remember reading the books and loving them, finding them romantic and exotic. Beyond that, I remember very little--the only plot points I retained were the tumultuous love affair Kristin has and how it leads to a complicated marriage. Heck, if the book wasn't named after her, I couldn't have told you her name all these years later.

Book 1, The Wreath, read well for me. A bit soap-opera-ish, but with points of beautiful writing, and reading it at a different stage of life, I found the story of Kristin's parents, Ragnfrid and Lavrans, to be compelling and fascinating. So I approached book 2, The Wife, with high hopes.

Well.

I have very mixed feelings about book 2. Again, there are spots of beautiful writing: "All around lay the summer-green land, bearing venerable manors on its hills. In the distance the fjord opened out, shining  and wide, with drifting shadows from the large summer clouds that billowed up over the glittering blue mountains on the other side. The cloister island looked like a green wreath with flowers of stone-white buildings, softly lapped by the sea."

And interesting religious debates, as Kristin struggles with the weight of the sins committed in book 1: "'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?'"

And political intrigue, and treachery, and superstitions and whispers of magical powers.

But mostly, it seemed, book 2 was about Kristin crying. She cried, and cried, and sobbed, and whimpered. Not just at the logical moments, such as when giving birth (which she does multiple times), but nearly constantly. She cries for her sins. She cries for her love for her husband, or for her anger at him. She cries for her parents. For her children. For her loneliness. For the kindness of a neighbor.

Cry, cry, cry.

This reader's sympathy disappeared early on, and I found myself getting more and more impatient. C'mon, Kristin, get over yourself!

In spite of her endless supply of tears, Kristin does start to grow up a bit in this book, taking over her husband's estate and bringing it back to a reputable state. But she does this while acting as a terrible martyr and nag towards her husband, so that even when his behavior leaves a lot to be desired, I felt sorry for him, burdened with such a shrew. I find it hard to believe that their love is still intact, which appears to be the case at the end of the book (not really a spoiler--I'm leaving out the major plot point that closes the volume).

So, disappointed. And yet, still interested enough to pursue the third and final volume, The Cross, in December. Even if the title makes me apprehensive.

Comments

[Richard Lopez]

Amy, I too lost patience with Kristin--and by extension, Undset--over all the crying. Too much soap opera for me! And while I hope that Lavrans and Ragnfrid will appear in flashback in part three, I'm afraid I'll be praying for "the gift of non-retention" of my own as far as most of parts one and two of Kristin Lavransdatter are concerned. Thanks for joining us in the readalong, though!

[Sarah]

I definitely felt more sympathetic toward Erland this time around too. Compared to Kristin he was a pill more easily swallowed.

[Emily]

TOO MUCH CRYING. I agree.

I think the political intrigue subplot was my favorite part of the second book - involving as it did more time with Simon, and fewer tears.

[lena]

Why couldn't it be Simon Darre: The Husband - a much more interesting book with a lot fewer pity-parties.

[EL Fay]

I rather liked Kristin. Not because she was such an awesome person but because she felt real. But I agree with everyone else that Ereland suddenly seemed much more sane and reasonable and that's definitely a problem. . .

[Valerie]

I felt much as you did, while reading Part II. While I can understand Kristin's guilt feelings, especially in the context of the times, it went on and on too much for me. It got to where getting into the mind of Erlend (whose behaivor at times was appaling) and of Simon was way more interesting than Kristin's mind.