Jenny (1911) is a novel by Norwegian writer Sigrid Undset. Published
during the author's social realist phase, a period in which her writing
focused on the lives of everyday Norwegians, Jenny is a moving
portrait of idealism and ambition and a tragic tale of talent gone to
seed. Although Undset's later fiction--inspired by her conversion to
Catholicism--won her the 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature, her earlier
work has remained essential to her legacy.
Finding herself uninspired in her native Norway, Jenny Winge, an
idealistic and talented painter, moves to Rome in order to further her
artistic career. There, she finds not only success, but a fiancé with
whom she envisions sharing a life and family. Moved by hidden desires,
however, Jenny strikes up an affair with the man's father that leaves
her pregnant, disgraced, and alone. Determined as ever despite being
shaken from her path as an artist, Jenny determines to raise the child
by herself, forsaking convention while simultaneously risking her life
and the life of her baby. From artistic achievement to mere
independence, Jenny is forced to drastically shift her ambitions, to
remain unbroken in a world that seems intent on breaking every hope she
holds. Jenny is a realist novel that takes an unsparing look at the
role of women in society while illuminating the struggles a young artist
faces on the path to success and independence.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Sigrid Undset's Jenny is a classic of Norwegian
literature reimagined for modern readers.
