Loving Soren

by Caroline Coleman O'Neill, Caroline Coleman

Set in Copenhagen and the Danish West Indies in the mid-nineteenth century, Loving Soren is the true story of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, told from the point of view of his fiancee. It is about a woman who tries to save a man from himself, and ends up losing her self in the process. And it raises the issue: can you ever get over your first love? A historical novel of faith, love and idenity about one of the most regarded philosophers of the modern era.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Biographical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Skylar Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is based on the true story of Regine Olsen's engagement to Christian philosopher Sören Kierkegaard. However, you need not know much about Kierkegaard to appreciate the novel. Everything is told from the point of view of his fiancé, and if you are interested in Kierkegaard's philosophy, this isn't the way to delve into it. Really, if you are looking for anything very much deeper than a Christian romance novel, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a Christian romance novel that is not overbearing in its morality or utterly simplistic in its use of language, then Loving Sören is a good choice. It stands out among most novels in the genre because the religious element is somewhat more subdued (though still obvious) and the book is not written on your usual 6th grade reading level; indeed, the language is occasionally beautifully crafted. Loving Sören also dabbles with some serious themes, like what it means to be a Christian (to suffer or to embrace life?), although these themes are not as developed as I would like. The book somewhat satiates the intellect without being at all obtuse. The novel focuses on Regina's process of maturing beyond her obsession with Kierkegaard, which she never fully does by the end of the novel. She does, however, at least come to confess this obsession as a weakness, although her realization of this is rather sudden and slightly unbelievably portrayed (this is the typical "conversion scene" you often find in Christian fiction). Overall, though, I recommend the book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

O'Neill captures well the angst of Regine whose first love just happens to be Soren Kierkegaard, a wildly intelligent man who battles depression. Based on a true story, O'Neill does a stunning job of integrating a true sense of place and custom along with the tortuous, meandering thoughts of a girl in love with an impossible man. Even in that wrestling, there is hope. And another man who loves her through the pain. If you're looking for a well-written, beautifully crafted novel, this book will satisfy.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

The gist of this story is that great men are often tortured souls and women who love them are often treated poorly. Regina Olsen falls in love with brilliant, irreverent Soren Kierkegaard when she is a young impressionable teen and that love tortures her for more than 15 years, until she understands and forgives his nature. Only then can she grow and accept the love of her husband, who has stood by her.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for years to learn more about Soren Kierkegaard. Now that I've read it, I can only say that it left a lot to be desired. I learned the facts about Kierkegaard's engagement to Regine Olsen. Olsen is the point-of-view character. The book contained too much religiosity. Some of the dialogue seemed too modern for the time period. The author also packed too many facts into the dialogue. Sometimes characters' speeches sounded like laundry lists.

[Amanda Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was beautifully written and captivating. The excerpts from Soren and Regina's journals at the beginning of each chapter made this story come alive even more. The writing is fluid and transporting. I enjoyed reading every page of this book. I would love to read more from this author and will reread this book in the future.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story and very well written. I loved the bits of letters and history throughout the book and the time period is beautiful. The ending wasn't my favorite, but hey we cant get everything the way we want it right? All in all it was a very good book.

[GJ S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

I am sorry I could not connect with the characters and the story made no sense to me I couldn't complete it

[Renee Abernathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

This was an interesting book to read. It was very difficult and tiring to read. It was hard to digest and try to u dears tans. Yet it was very intriguing.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm reading a "Christian Romance" book, but it's actually good!