**"[Sigrid Undset] should be the next Elena Ferrante." --Slate
**
The turbulent historical masterpiece of Norway's literary master
A Penguin Classic
In her great historical epic Kristin Lavransdatter, set in
fourteenth-century Norway, Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset tells the life
story of one passionate and headstrong woman. Painting a richly detailed
backdrop, Undset immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social
conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period.
Now in one volume, Tiina Nunnally's award-winning definitive translation
brings this remarkable work to life with clarity and lyrical beauty.
As a young girl, Kristin is deeply devoted to her father, a kind and
courageous man. But when as a student in a convent school she meets the
charming and impetuous Erlend Nikulaussøn, she defies her parents in
pursuit of her own desires. Her saga continues through her marriage to
Erlend, their tumultuous life together raising seven sons as Erlend
seeks to strengthen his political influence, and finally their
estrangement as the world around them tumbles into uncertainty.
With its captivating heroine and emotional potency, Kristin
Lavransdatter is the masterwork of Norway's most beloved author--one of
the twentieth century's most prodigious and engaged literary minds--and,
in Nunnally's exquisite translation, a story that continues to enthrall.
This Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition includes an introduction by Brad
Leithauser and features French flaps and deckle-edged paper.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of
classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700
titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works
throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the
series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and
notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
