The Son Avenger: Volume IV of The Master of Hestviken [Paperback]

Sigrid Undset (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 24, 1995

Powerfully written and filled with magnificent vignettes of the daily life of a medieval estate, 'The Son Avenger' suggests a Greek tragedy whose vision of fate coexists with a Christian sense of suffering and forgiveness. And in the somber, twilight figure of 'Olav the Bad, ' Undset has created an antihero as moving as Oedipus or Lear.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Norwegian

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (June 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679755527
• ISBN-13: 978-0679755524
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The conclusion of a truly magnificent tale, June 22, 2001

By 

silke cormican (ccormican.aol.com) (München) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Son Avenger: Volume IV of The Master of Hestviken (Paperback)

Following "The Axe", "The Snake Pit" and "In the Wilderness", this is the concluding volume of Sigrid Undset's great novel "The Master of Hestviken". Since the story is so intricate and full of detail, I would strongly advise not to read this book by its own since the reader might become confused and would not truly appreciate this magnificent tale. Although, unfortunately, the story is not available in one volume, all four books are certainly worth the money they cost. Moreover, each volume has a beautiful cover depicting scenes from the novel.

The story takes place in medieval Norway, a land torn by unremitting warfare and not yet fully converted to Christianity. The first three books tell the story of Olav Audunsson, who, after killing a man at a very young age, becomes an outlaw. As a consequence, he has to endure a long and bitter separation from Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter, his childhood sweetheart, before they are finally able to marry. However, their new life is tainted by Olav's past and by the fact that Ingunn has brought shame upon herself. Although Olav once again becomes a man of wealth and stature, he is haunted by his past deeds and cannot find true happiness. Having lost his wife and being estranged from his son, Olaf leaves Hestviken and embarks on a journey of adventure and remorse which will finally lead him to a bloody reckoning.

In this concluding volume, Olav is no longer a young man. He has outlived his enemies and the woman he once loved so deeply. Now, in his twilight years and foreseeing the fearful consequences of their action, Olav is forced to watch his children, and especially his rebellious oldest son Eirik, reenact the sins for which he himself suffered so greatly as a youth.

The author's prose is so incredibly beautiful and the story is so rich in historical detail that it reminds one of the great Norwegian Sagas. It takes the reader back to a time when violence and bloody vendettas racked a land not yet fully touched by Christianity. The author depicts strong characters driven by passion and a desire for revenge who seldom find true peace and happiness. Written between 1925 and 1927 by a woman, this novel was truly ahead of its time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking., February 26, 2008

By 

Rose - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Son Avenger: Volume IV of The Master of Hestviken (Paperback)

Sigrid Undset's writing has an incredible gift for transporting her readers back to Medieval Norway; at times I felt as if I was a daughter of Vikings, gazing over the fjords and breathing the salty sea-air.

Parts of this concluding book to the saga-like Tetralogy make me laugh, and other parts brought tears to my eyes. One of my very favorite scenes, when Eirik says his vows before entering the monastery, was deeply moving to me. The imagery is remarkable, as is the revealed inner thoughts of the incredibly well-developed characters.

I have read only eight of Undset's books, but I believe that every page that I've read has touched my heart. Her ability to see the "big picture" is truly remarkable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life goes on, June 21, 2002

By 

Gail Moore "avid reader" (vancouver canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Son Avenger: Volume IV of The Master of Hestviken (Paperback)

Olav is old now, and the focus in this last volume of the "Master of Hestvicken" is on the lives of his children. The characters in Sigrid Undset's books come through as very real, long as this whole series was, I wished it would keep on going so I could see what happens to Cecilia & Aslak.

Really great historical fiction.