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The Master of Hestviken #3-4
Olav Audunssøn og hans barn
"Olav Audunssøn og hans barn" er andre boken i tobindsverket om Olav, og her fortsetter han sin kamp for å forstå livet og de sterke kreftene som driver menneskene. Selv om Olav ønsker å leve et godt og riktig liv, floker det seg til for ham, og kampen mellom egen vilje og Guds lov blir sterk og farlig. Først bortforklarer Olav sin egen skyld og klandrer Gud og omgivelsene for de ulykker som skjer, og for at hans gjerninger gjenspeiles i barnas skjebner. Men til slutt innser han eget behov for tilgivelse, skrifte og botsgang. Handlingen foregår rundt Oslofjorden på slutten av 1200-tallet og begynnelsen av 1300-tallet. "Olav Audunssøn og han barn" utkom første gang i 1927.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
582 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Sigrid Undset
274 books882 followersSigrid 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 28, 2021
What an amazing novel!
I never would have thought that this, at first glance, heavy and staid novel would turn out to be such a juicy page turner. I read the last 300 pages in a frenzy, and was so happy to be alone in my cabin without any interruptions. This novel displays Undset's talent for characterisation, realism, psychological depth and existential perspective and how she is able to combine this with an incredibly acute and detailed knowledge of medieval literature and Scandinavian society.
Why isn't everyone reading and discussing this work? It should be at the centre of the Norwegian canon.
I never would have thought that this, at first glance, heavy and staid novel would turn out to be such a juicy page turner. I read the last 300 pages in a frenzy, and was so happy to be alone in my cabin without any interruptions. This novel displays Undset's talent for characterisation, realism, psychological depth and existential perspective and how she is able to combine this with an incredibly acute and detailed knowledge of medieval literature and Scandinavian society.
Why isn't everyone reading and discussing this work? It should be at the centre of the Norwegian canon.
October 5, 2020
Olav Aundunsson je zatiaľ najlepšia kniha, akú som tento rok čítal. Viac ako tisíc strán (I. a II. kniha) rozjímania o Bohu, pravde a hriechu. Úžasný príbeh z konca 13. storočia z prostredia, ktoré v našich končinách nie je známe. Odkedy som začal čítať túto knihu, viedol som už nejeden rozhovor o povahe severskej literatúry (a umenia vôbec) a príbeh človeka, ktorý je poznačený svojim hriechom, podľa čoho následne koná a nabaľuje ďalšie a ďalšie ťažkosti, ale zároveň koná aj veľké skutky, je v niečom veľmi severský. Nemusí to byť hneď späté s náboženstvom. Severská literatúra je však zrejme veľmi duchovná. Minimálne Olav taký je. A na svoju dobu je to kniha veľmi moderná, plná zvratov, žiadne trápne happy endingy, žiadne šťastné lovestory, všetko je tu také ozajstné. Človek je poznačený hriechom a to niečo znamená. Napríklad aj to, že je to na vždy. Aj tí najväčší svätci mali chyby. Aj tí najhorší sú schopní konať veľké dobro.
Trochu sa nechávam uniesť, ale toto je kniha, ktorú odporúčam každému prečítať. Ba obzvlášť neveriacim ľuďom, pretože ja som tam videl mnoho podobného s mojim životom, hlavne čo sa týka výčitiek svedomia a boja s hriechom, ale čo na to povie neveriaci, ktorý tieto kategórie minimálne nerieši kresťansky, prípadne ani neverí v hriešnosť človeka a vôbec, hriech pre neho neexistuje. Uverí tomu, že zbožný človek dokáže takýmto spôsobom prežívať svoje zlyhania? Verím, že áno, lebo Undsetová písala o hriechu nie ako o náboženskej kategórii, ale ako o súčasti života každého z nás, ako o niečom prirodzenom, čo nemožno poprieť. Rád by som poznal názor neveriaceho na túto knihu.
Trochu sa nechávam uniesť, ale toto je kniha, ktorú odporúčam každému prečítať. Ba obzvlášť neveriacim ľuďom, pretože ja som tam videl mnoho podobného s mojim životom, hlavne čo sa týka výčitiek svedomia a boja s hriechom, ale čo na to povie neveriaci, ktorý tieto kategórie minimálne nerieši kresťansky, prípadne ani neverí v hriešnosť človeka a vôbec, hriech pre neho neexistuje. Uverí tomu, že zbožný človek dokáže takýmto spôsobom prežívať svoje zlyhania? Verím, že áno, lebo Undsetová písala o hriechu nie ako o náboženskej kategórii, ale ako o súčasti života každého z nás, ako o niečom prirodzenom, čo nemožno poprieť. Rád by som poznal názor neveriaceho na túto knihu.
February 27, 2020
Knihu som čítal už dávnejšie a až dnes, po niekoľkých mesiacoch sa dostávam k tomu, aby som to tu dal. Preto si pamätám už len zopár vecí, hlavnou je, že tá kniha bola vynikajúca.
Platí všetko to, čo som písal pri prvej časti. Okrem toho si z tejto, druhej časti pamätám najmä na obdobie keď bol Olav v Anglicku, na to, ako sa tam trápil a na silný vnútorný monológ, ktorý sa v ňom udial.
Pamätám si na to, ako sa ďalej kazilo takmer všetko na čo siahol, ako pokazil život svojej dcére a na to, ako záhadne sa skončil osud jeho nevlastného syna Eirika. No najmä si pamätám na ten prekvapivý záver. Na to, ako sa už konečne Olav v starobe odhodlal vyznať svoj hriech mladosti, ktorý ho celý život prenasledoval, no napokon sa m to aj tak nepodarilo a on ako starý, škaredý a chorý skončil svoj život pri tom, ktorý mu bol celý život znamením jeho hriechu.
Pre mňa osobne jedna z najlepších kníh aké som kedy čítal.
Platí všetko to, čo som písal pri prvej časti. Okrem toho si z tejto, druhej časti pamätám najmä na obdobie keď bol Olav v Anglicku, na to, ako sa tam trápil a na silný vnútorný monológ, ktorý sa v ňom udial.
Pamätám si na to, ako sa ďalej kazilo takmer všetko na čo siahol, ako pokazil život svojej dcére a na to, ako záhadne sa skončil osud jeho nevlastného syna Eirika. No najmä si pamätám na ten prekvapivý záver. Na to, ako sa už konečne Olav v starobe odhodlal vyznať svoj hriech mladosti, ktorý ho celý život prenasledoval, no napokon sa m to aj tak nepodarilo a on ako starý, škaredý a chorý skončil svoj život pri tom, ktorý mu bol celý život znamením jeho hriechu.
Pre mňa osobne jedna z najlepších kníh aké som kedy čítal.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews