The Bridal Wreath: Kristin Lavransdatter, Vol.1 (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sigrid Undset's trilogy embodies more of life, seen understanding and seriously…than any novel since Dostoievsky's Brothers Karamazov.”
—Commonweal

“No other novelist has bodied forth the medieval world with such richness and fullness.”
—New York Herald Tribune

Product Description

Volume one of the trilogy; Kristin's girlhood.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st Vintage Books edition (May 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394752996
• ISBN-13: 978-0394752990
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #418,485 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not to be missed, December 14, 1998

By A Customer

My father and sister have been after me for years to read this trilogy and I am so glad I finally did. I have been an avid reader all my life and have read many different types of books, but I have always wondered how I would answer the question "what is your all-time favorite book?" Now I know. You care about all the characters, you feel their emotions and I for one am grateful to be living in the 20th century, not 14th century Norway after the incredibly vivid descriptions bring the period to life in an unforgettable way. So much more than a love story, it is the saga of the age old struggle to survive, emotionally and physically. A wonderful book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest novels in Western Literature, September 28, 1997

By A Customer

I think the three volumes that make up Kristin Lavransdatter rank with the world's greatest novels--including Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The depth of the characterizations, the completeness with which the author captures life in medieval Norway, and the universal emotions and spiritual and temporal struggles which drive Kristin and those around her are unmatched. I have read these three volumes three times (at about decade long intervals) and each time have found new reasons to love and appreciate them. This is a book against which one can mark one's own life.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable epic, January 14, 1999

By A Customer

Kristin's story is universal and timeless. This incredibly rich saga is relevant to twentieth century society and touches on so many of the life experiences we all go through. I read this book when I was sixteen and never forgot it- my oldest daughter is named Kristin.