District Governor's Daughters (Norvik Press Series B) [Paperback]

Camilla Collett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1992 | ISBN-10: 1870041178 | ISBN-13: 978-1870041171

Considered the first Norwegian feminist novel - timeless in its evocation of real human emotions and the dilemmas they present."" - Publishers Weekly. ""A historical milestone in the development of Norwegian feminism, the novel was also a significant influence on major authors such as Ibsen, who admired Collett's insights into the crippling options of women in their time - A stimulating, thought provoking work, excellently translated."" - Belles Lettres. ""A classic in Norwegian literature."" - News of Norway.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Considered the first Norwegian feminist novel, Collett's mid-19th-century work here receives its first English edition. Shifting perspective among various characters in part through correspondence and diary entries, this is an intricate tale of male/female relationships. Freudian imagery (from a pre-Freudian era) runs throughout the text. The main storyline involves Georg Kold, a young man who enters the home of the district governor as a tutor for his son, and his relationship with the governor's daughter Sofie Ramm. Though both are clearly attracted to each other, the conventions of the time rule out the question of love between them. Instead Sophie enters into a marriage acceptable to her family and her class and begins her descent to cheerless drudge. As a portrait of the rigid Scandinavian society of the period, this novel's closest corollary is the work of Ibsen, whose oeuvre Collett deeply influenced. Even in Seaver's sensitive translation, the old-fashioned and often florid prose may be off-putting to some readers. To those not so deterred, the book proves to be timeless in its evocation of real human emotions and the dilemmas they present.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Although its main plot line follows the course of a romantic entanglement, The District Governor's Daughters is characterized by the characters' many long speeches and the narrator's equally long philosophical addresses to the reader - all of which can make the book slow going. So why read it? For many reasons. This was the first book to address directly social problems in Norway (in particular marriage and the treatment of women) and was a major force in the creation of the Norwegian feminist movement. And it is the discussions, not the action, that make this a vehement, powerful book. Sometimes Camilla Collett is brutal: "weddings were invented for the happy [brides]. No doubt they serve the same function as cymbals and kettledrums during the sacrifices performed by savages: they stun the victims and drown out their screams." Sometimes she is sly and ironic, as on ballroom dancing:"None of the partners seemed to take any real pleasure in the business, and I did not know what to think. I wonder if the reason is that the ladies are not allowed to dance with whom they want?" At other moments, as when the young protagonist Sophie is writing in her diary, the novel is poignant, sad, and almost hopeful. Marriage does not fare well in this book. Should Sophie choose a life of independence, a lover she cannot completely trust, or the older man who loves and admires her? And does she really have a choice at all? -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauermeister

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Norvik Pr (December 31, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1870041178
• ISBN-13: 978-1870041171
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,699,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, January 24, 2011

By 

D. Økland "Winter" (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: District Governor's Daughters (Norvik Press Series B) (Paperback)

This is an exceptional book. Shame she didn't write more novels.
But please make this and Amalie Skram's books available for kindle!!! Please!
Pick this up everyone! This is one of the finest books written by norwegian authors! I recommend this and everything by Amalie Skram and Cora Sandel.