Madame Dorthea

by Sigrid Undset

In eighteenth century Norway: Thestrup, Madame Dorthea's husband, disappears--an event on which the whole novel may be said to hinge. Undset gives us a story kaleidoscopic in movement and peopled with a whole gallery of picturesque figures.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

351 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Sigrid Undset was a Norwegian novelist whose powerful, psychologically rich works made her one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Best known for her medieval sagas Kristin Lavransdatter and The Master of Hestviken, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928 for her vivid portrayals of life in the Middle Ages, written with remarkable historical detail and emotional depth.

Born in Denmark to Norwegian parents, Undset spent most of her life in Norway. After her father's early death, she had to forgo formal education and worked as a secretary while writing in her spare time. Her debut novel Fru Marta Oulie (1907) shocked readers with its opening confession of adultery and established her bold, realist style. In early works like ,i>Jenny (1911), she explored modern women's struggles with love, freedom, and morality, often critiquing romantic idealism and social expectations.

Though she gained recognition for her contemporary novels, Undset felt increasingly drawn to historical fiction. This shift led to her masterwork Kristin Lavransdatter, a trilogy published from 1920 to 1922, which follows the life of a woman in 14th-century Norway as she navigates love, faith, motherhood, and spiritual growth. With its intricate character development and deep moral themes, the trilogy brought her international acclaim and remains a cornerstone of Scandinavian literature.

In 1924, Undset converted to Roman Catholicism, a profound personal decision that shaped her later writing. Her tetralogy,i>The Master of Hestviken (1925–1927) centers on a man burdened by unconfessed guilt, offering a deeply spiritual and psychological portrait of sin and redemption. Her Catholic faith and concern with ethical questions became central to her work and public life.

A vocal critic of both communism and fascism, Undset fled Norway after the Nazi invasion in 1940. Her books were banned by the occupying regime, and she lived in exile in the United States during the war, advocating for Norway and the Allied cause. The loss of her son in the war deeply affected her, and although she returned home after the war, she published little in her final years.

Undset’s legacy rests not only on her historical novels but also on her fearless exploration of conscience, duty, and the human condition. Her characters—especially her women—are fully realized, flawed, and emotionally complex. Her writing combines psychological insight with stylistic clarity and spiritual depth, making her work enduringly relevant and widely read.

Reviews

[Terje · Rating 4 out of 5]

I 1939, da denne romanen ble gitt ut, var Sigrid Undset en rutinert og prisvinnende forfatter. Jeg hadde startvansker med "Madame Dorthea", men det tok meg ca 30 sider å overvinne disse. Derfra og ut var det en historie som grep meg. En skildring av et krevende liv på slutten av 1700-tallet, da kvinnens plass i samfunnet var utsatt. Avhengige av ekteskapet for å la seg forsørge. Når mannen døde, var vegen kort inn i et nytt ekteskap. Barnefødslene ble mange, men det var ingen selvfølge at barna fikk vokse om. Forfatteren viser en utmerket innsikt i tiden og i menneskesinnet. Språket er til tider rart og gammelmodig, men romanen foregår i en tid som gjør at språkdrakten blir kledelig og troverdig.

[Ellen Gwynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as stellar as trilogy Kristen Lavransdatter or quartet Master of Hestviken, but it was the first novel of a series, cut short by WW2. Fascinating to read about/dwell in 18th-century Norway. She always includes so much detail about the daily lives of her characters. Beautiful writing.

[Aurora Løes Tobiassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jajaja den var bra, men ikke helt min type bok - veldig gammeldags, men den var nok ganske nytenkende da den ble skrevet. Kul hovedperson;)

Review: 3,5⭐️

[Dorthe Svendsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leseutforfringen til @deichmantorshov er å lese 200 år på 12 bøker. Akkurat nå er vi i tidsrommet 1930-1939, og denne boken kommer fra 1939. Jeg bruker en del av prosjektet til å komme meg gjennom noen av hennes verk. Denne måtte jeg jo lese, for den handler om min navnesøster. Ikke den beste boka jeg har lest, og ganske tung i språket. Men flott å få innblikk i det å leve i en helt annen tid, men mange barn og en far som er borte, det var nok ikke lett.

[Adam]

Had to put this one down. The episode that begins chapter 2 is excellent. But after getting a third of the way into the book, I’ve found that so far the bulk of its pages are taken up with exposition. If I wanted to read someone’s diary or a family history, then I would do that. (Please, get me interested in each character’s who-ness before you give me a truckload of background!) Anyway, this was especially disappointing since I found Undset’s early novel Gunnar’s Daughter to be one of the best Scandinavian books around.

[Dorothea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading the English version of this old tale published in 1940 by Alfred Knopf in the USA. Reading this book so far is like looking at paintings by Pieter Brueghel.