Initially rejected by the author's scandalized publisher, Constance Ring is now considered a classic of Scandinavian-and world-literature, a passionate condemnation of marriage and moral hypocrisy that has drawn comparisons to Madame Bovary and The Awakening . The story of a naive young woman who sets out to divorce her loving but adulterous husband, Constance Ring is an intimate portrayal of a vibrant woman's refusal to yield to the forces that constrict women's lives in a society that offers them few choices.
Amalie Skram (22 August 1846 – 15 March 1905) was a Norwegian author and feminist who gave voice to a woman's point of view with her naturalist writing. She moved to Denmark in 1894 where she settled in Copenhagen with her husband, the Danish writer Erik Skram. She is considered the most important female writer of the Modern Breakthrough.
This was Skram’s first novel, published in 1885. It was considered a scandalous portrayal of loveless marriage, masculine dominance over women and oppressive patriarchal religion and culture. But it had been preceded by Gustave Flaubert’s ‘Madame Bovary’ thirty years prior. There are notable plot parallels in the lives and attitudes of Emma Bovary and Constance Ring although Constance feels more duty-bound to marriage fidelity than Emma.
Most of Skram’s works focus on the plight of women in a man’s world. She felt strongly that Norwegians—and indeed Scandinavians—should be confronted with the gender imbalance and inequality to spark debate and reforms. This novel was therefore as much a sociopolitical statement as it was a fictional narrative. There are no heroes here. Most males are portrayed to be womanizers. The women are of two kinds: committed to their marriage vows at all cost, or single women (mostly young and of lower class) preyed on by opportunistic men. Constance, who in modern medical analysis would be termed as bipolar, is mentally and emotionally capricious. She chases shadows. She succumbs to a habit of analyzing her own and her husbands’ and lover’s failures. She makes no attempt to be socially involved (other than hosting frivolous parties). Some men love her but she mercurially manipulates them by successively granting and then denying them her emotional and physical affections. Consequently her husbands and lover seek sexual solace elsewhere. As she learns of these indiscretions she is devastated. Yes, Constance is victimized but tragically she fails to discern how her own failures may have contributed.
Naised paha, mehed hea. Okok... tegelikult vana hea "mis neist meestest ikka oodata, kui meeste tempe" ja samal ajal "naine, kes tahab lahutust peab olema valmis tagajärgedeks" jnejnejne. Kui on keegi, kellel on meeste tembukestest kõrini, siis see on Constance Ring. Ja me kõik.
Controversial book about marriage, moral values and religion considering the time it was written (1885). Some of the ideas are still taboos today. The book shows the other side of a marriage as institution and the moral weaknesses of the characters. Also shows the very sceptical point of view of the main character (who has idealistic and naive expectations), her inner emotions and conflicts and even her mental instability.
Amalie Skram har seriøst vunnet hjertet mitt. Religionskritikk, korrupte prester og kritikk av ekteskapsinstitusjonen. Kaller Bjørnson antikrist. Dreper menn til sjøs for gøy. Snakker om erotikk og kvinner seksualitet i en tid hvor kvinner ikke skulle ha seksuelle følelser. Og hvis det er noe jeg har lært: Menn har ikke endret seg de siste 150 årene.
Jeg har sjelden nok tålmodighet til å fullføre bøker av denne typen, hvor mye av plottet er elsker/elsker ikke. Ikke fordi jeg har noe imot det, men mer fordi jeg sliter med å engasjere meg i det. Det er mye av det i denne boka, men samtidig er det også en del annet av interesse. I en sekvens diskuterer Constance fattigdom med ei venninne, og særlig den samtalen er interessant i lys av hennes senere forfatterskap. De politiske samtalene er interessante rent historiemessig, da boka er satt til rundt riksrettsaken. Beskrivelsene av Constance sin sinnstilstand er av og til interessante, selv om det virker som om Skram har holdt litt igjen for å ikke male henne i for negativt lys.
Men firkantdramaet klarte jeg ikke å engasjere meg i.
"Og hun hadde synes hun stod mellom de andre og så på, men samtidig lå og var død, men kunne bli levende igjen, hvis hun for alvor ville, men det ville hun ikke - det var så godt å være død."
Jeg SKAMMER MEG over ikke å ha lest Amalie Skram før. Dette er en av de mest deprimerende og pessimistiske bøkene jeg har lest, perfeksjon (iallefall nesten).
it’s hard to believe this book was written 150 years ago. a difficult and unwavering look into the life of women in the restriction of the late 1800s. i found myself needing to look into my own conditioning when i began to see constance as selfish. the men in this book are so evil and disgusting and probably the exact same as now. it was interesting to read this after anna karenina as it is very similar in plot but was instead written by a woman. good book!
Det er en virkelig god roman fra kvindeemancipationen i 1880'erne og med en skarp skildring af kønsroller og ægteskab, men ved genlæsningen fremstår romanen lidt kunstnerisk ujævn - derfor får den trods sin klassikerstatus i dansk (norsk) litteraturhistorie kun fire stjerner.
Written in 1885 Norway by early feminist Amalie Skram, this is a manifesto of sorts, criticizing the patriarchy, the double standard of sexuality, and the institutions of marriage and religion. The main character, a young woman named Constance Ring, is in a man’s world and resents women’s subservient role in it. She’s also in a religious world, and resents how it makes divorce even in the case of unhappiness or adultery very hard to obtain. She openly questions whether God exists, and points out how often society men have mistresses, often with lower-class women, and just write it off as meaningless physical pleasure. Everyone in society then looks the other way, so much so that Constance exclaims “if this is true and everybody accepts it, why don’t we get rid of this hypocritical institution? Why in the world don’t we practice polygamy openly?”
There are also some political bits here, as the characters span the spectrum from deeply conservative to wildly radical, and I thought it was interesting that the polarization led to the same kind of rhetoric and demonization that we see in today’s America (“Everything the Left wants is fundamentally destructive to society. My God – if they get power…” … my God, didn’t Lindsey Graham just say that?). Skram also touches on the plight of the poor, and through Constance makes it clear that she doesn’t “believe all that rubbish about anyone being able to find work who wants it – not enough to live on, at least.”
I sympathize for Constance, and there is great power when she is repulsed by her husband, an older, boorish man, and when “she didn’t feel, would never feel, it was her duty and her calling to make this fat, self-satisfied man happy, a man who never asked about her feelings, who treated her as if she didn’t have a soul in her body…” On the other hand, she’s so ice cold emotionally, and the combination of being bored with life and disgusted with people all makes for a pretty unlikeable character as the book goes on in its second half, which is also a little melodramatic. At one point she reaches a decision point and can go off and get a job, but decides to marry instead. She soon finds herself unhappy again, and seems caught between hating the conventional order of things and not wanting to embrace free love, or maybe between detesting the hypocrisy of pervasive adultery, and not wanting to admit many men have sexual needs. Even in her reaction to an episode to visiting a slum and helping the poor, when she sees how broken things are and the hypocrisy in others who are helping, she simply withdraws in negativity.
Still, all in all, this is a remarkable work, and Skram deserves credit for how clearly and honestly she puts forth her views, which were incendiary at the time. It’s also a good book to read while touring Norway, and to hear a feminine voice amidst her contemporaries, Ibsen and Bjørnson, who we hear so much more about.
Just one more quote, on adultery: “The horror of being an unfaithful wife was so ingrained in her. Adulteress – whore. Oh, those words were unspeakable! There were better ways to describe this. ‘A woman only belongs to the man she loves,’ Mrs. Gyllembourg had written. And even if…Suppose Lorck were in love with a woman who wanted him as well. Would he think twice about it? Not for a minute. Not him, nor any of the other married men she knew. Why should women have all these scruples? Measure for measure – that was life’s only valid principle.”
Jeg skrev hele mit bachelorprojekt om "det mandlige talent" Amalie Skram, og om den kønslige dobbeltmoral i naturalismen. I Constance Ring møder vi den unge Constance, som gifter sig med den 16 år ældre grosserer Edvard Ring i et fornuftsægteskab, hvor hun frem til Rings død, aldrig er eller bliver lykkelig. Constance fanger deres tjenestepige i armene på Ring og vil søge skilsmisse, men alle omkring Constance taler hende fra det. Grundet økonomiske problemer, efter at Ring dør i en skibsulykke, har Constance ingen lyst til at leve mere, og netop som hun skal til at tage sit liv, skriver en gammel ven, medicineren Lorck, og beder hende gifte sig med ham, hvilket hun gør primært af økonomiske grunde og kun til dels af kærlighed. Ægteskabet velsigner Constance med en graviditet, og de er for en stund lykkelige, men efterhånden som Lorck skruer ned for sin charme, begynder den kærlighedskrævende Constance at kede sig, og som en konsekvens deraf mister hun barnet. Da Constance får vished om Lorcks barn fra et tidligere forhold til en tjenestepige, ser Constance nu ingen grund til ikke at indlede affæren med pianisten Meier, som i årevis har elsket hende i hemmelighed, og som hun endelig giver sit hjerte. Deres affære slutter dog brat, da hun opdager, at han har et forhold til hendes sypige, og Constance begår selvmord i sorg over, at ingen fortalte hende om denne vigtige ting i livet: seksualiteten. Amalie Skram skildrer 1880’ernes Sædelighedsfejde, den kønslige dobbeltmoral og kvinders vilkår i ægteskabet, men hun kommer ikke med nogen løsning. Constance vælger til sidst selvmordet. Uanset hvilken vinkel man anskuer feminismen og romaner som Constance Ring fra, så har litteraturen altid haft stor betydning for kvindesynet og for kvindebevægelsens udvikling. Kvinder som Amalie Skram der trodsede samfundet og fik sin roman udgivet i en tid, hvor kvinders litterære debuter var minimale. En samtidsroman som i den grad rykkede ved den nuværende patriarkalske kønsindstilling i 1880’erne, men som også har banet vejen for de efterfølgende kvindelige forfattere. Det er takket være kvindekampen for frigørelse, at min generation har fået politisk, moralsk og juridisk ret til de mest basale forhold som hører med til at være menneske. Det er muligheder som i dag ofte bliver taget for givet, men som mit BA-projekt på frustrerende, overraskende og chokerende måder har sat i perspektiv.
It tells about raltions between men and women in the 1800s. It's a very strong book, where you don't totally get sympathy for the main character, but still can see how she thinks. Although three men love her, she is never truly happy, and ends up with suicide when she finds out all of them have been unfaithful to her.
This book was way ahead of its time. It explores the effect of sexual double standards on women through the story of a woman's experience with marriage(s). I also found it much more readable than I was expecting, probably because the English translation was done in the 1980's and not the 1880's when it was originally written.
Of obvious historical interest for being quite ahead of its time and a searing feminist critique, and a fairly entertaining read. Madame Bovary it is not - actually, one might say that Constance exhibits a surprising lack of imagination? - but if you enjoy the torrid melodrama of stultifying society life, it's not a bad way to pass the hours.
A classic of Scandinavian - and world - literature. Set in 1885 CONSTANCE RING describes uncompromising views on religion, marriage, and the double standard forced on women which allow women few choices other than marriage. The moral hypocrisy and the demise of the heroine can be compared to the main characters in MADAME BOVARY, THE AWAKENING, and ANNA KARENINA.
Constance Ring is a 1885 Norwegian novel that explores the limited, powerless life of a young married woman. Constance's first marriage happens when she is still a very young woman to a husband 20 years older than her. At first things are tolerable, but she is increasingly disgusted by him and refuses any intimacy with him. She is young and beautiful and her husband tries everything to make her open to him, but in the end he turns to their also young and beautiful maid. When Constance finds out she considers divorce, to the horror of her family. They understand her situation and expect her to accept it. Constance's second marriage starts slow, but she grows to love her husband. Discovering his past lovers, though, ruins her trust and love. Her last lover also betrays her, which is the final betrayal she can handle.
I thought this was an interesting novel that explores the double standard imposed on women. Constance simply can't accept that men are allowed to indulge their sexual desires with any woman at any time and society simply accepts it or pretends not to see it. She feels badly for the women of a lower social stratus who are even more powerless than she is. She feels betrayed that men she is married to and/or loves would indulge in these sexual relationships without love, whether it occurs before her relationship with them or during. And she seems to only partially ever awaken to the joy of physical intimacy with any of her lovers because of these thoughts and feelings.
I found this book in 500 Great Books by Women that I've been exploring this year. I've read a bit of Norwegian literature, and I hadn't heard of this author. I'm glad I read it and recommend it to readers who enjoy this era and topic.
Skrami debüütromaan oli omal ajal Norras (või üldse Skandinaavias?) tõeline vaikuse murdja. Raamatu ilmumisaasta oli 1885, tütarlapsed läksid mehele eesootava suhtes pilkases pimeduses (või siis vastupidi - lemberomaanide roosaudu sees hõljudes, seda valusamini peagi kukkudes), nii mõnigi kord esivanemate "õrnalt suunaval" toel. Mis iganes juhtuma hakkas või toimus, selle eest pääsu ei olnud.
Ja kõiges, mis valesti läks, oli ikka ja alati süüdi naine. Kui mõni söakam julges emale/tädile kurta, siis kinnitasid nood, et "tuleb teha nii, nagu on õige". Õige oli vaikida, kannatada, rohkem ja paremini püüda. Kui mees ringi tõmbas, siis oli loomulikult süüdi naine - ta ei olnud piisavalt armastusväärne. Kui mees igal õhtul nospli täis tõmbas, oli süüdi naine. Mehe juurest ära ei tohtinud samuti minna - äkki ta käib siis alla (oh, kas tõesti). Kuigi see kõik muserdas noorukest Constancet, siis näib, et isiklikust tragöödiast hullem oli teadmine, et nii oli see peaaegu kõigis perekondades. Teiste naiste peamine lohutus seisneski vaid selles, et nad rääkisid enda sarnaseid läbielamisi. Nii saabus temani kibe tõdemus, et "vanad petavad noori".
Aegumatud teemad, mõttekohad. Kas armastuseta abielu on prostitutsioon? Kes on tehingu osapooled ja millised peaksid olema tingimused? Süsteem on mäda, aga kes on süüdi? Kus ja mil moel murda siis see nõiaring?
Tugevalt autobiograafiline romaan, omas ajas kindlasti sensatsiooniline. Et keegi kirjutas sel moel abielust, seksuaalsusest, topeltmoraalist... Skram rokkis üle-eelmisel sajandil ikka päris korralikult.
Åhh, denne!<3 Skram var en naturalist, og satte ALT på spissen. Selv ble hun gifta bort som veldig ung til en langt eldre mann, og det samme skjer i boken. . Vi kommer bak ekteskapets lukkede dører, og ser inn i tankene til Constance som er mørke og forvirrede.. Hun venter til mannen har lagt seg før hun selv legger seg, fordi hun grøsser når han tar på henne. Hun fantaserer om utveier, som at mannen dør i en ulykke eller at hun tar selvmord. Hun snakker med familie, venner og prest om dette, men blir fortalt at en kones plass er ved mannen. . Det er et sitat fra boken: "Det var synd for den pene, ranke syrinbusk, som nu lå nesegrus i et av sidebedene og dukket sig mot jorden med istykkerpiskede blad, mens et par lange, tynne rottrevler ennu holdt den fast". . Vi får se Constance hvor hun hele tiden følte hun seg fastlåst i en rolle, i et liv hun ikke ønsket. Boken er nydelig skrevet, og en kjenner virkelig på frustrasjonen og irritasjonen Constance opplever gjennom å ikke bli hørt i sin ulykkelighet. . . . . . . #amalieskram #constancering #klassiker #classic @aschehoug
I had to read it for a university class and it was one of the best books on the list. The criticism of the patriarchal society and religion was on point (especially with the scene when Constance visited Pastor Huhn, that was heartbreaking to even read) and the fact that she was inspired by her own experiences as a woman from that period makes us think where are we heading here in the 21st century...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Da var det på tide å ta fatt på litt klassisk litteratur nå som en har ferie og litt ekstra med tid. Har gledet meg til disse ekteskapsromanene. Denne tar særlig for seg kjønnsrollene i ett parforhold. Den tar også for seg følelsenes rolle, hvor lite en forstod og tok hensyn til disse før. Hvor langt det kunne drive psyken om en ikke tok følelsene på alvor. Vi kan takke mange for at vi i dag har en bedre forståelse og praksis rundt dette. Men enda er det en vei å gå!
This is the same historical period as Ibsen's A Doll's House, and a similar story, but with a much less satisfying ending. Constance is defeated by the inconsistency between her beliefs about how the world should be, and how it actually is. Sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Constance Ring - Amalie Skrams første roman. Skram skildrer samfunnet, maktforhold, moral, kjærlighet, lengsel, seksualitet, anger og menneskenes skjebne på en måte som gjør at romanen setter dype spor. En bok som absolutt anbefales!