The Wife (Kristin Lavransdatter #2) by Sigrid Undset

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Format: Audiobook

Categories:

Classic in Translation- Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2019 (Books and Chocolate)

Three books by the same author- #mmdchallenge (Modern Mrs Darcy)

Contains Spoilers

"Are you so arrogant that you think yourself capable of sinning so badly that God’s mercy is not great enough?"

     Book 2 deals with Kristin's marriage, and as I suspected, there is trouble in paradise. Kristin is haunted by her sins, and this guilt consumes her. Even when the priests, including her brother-in-law, Gunnulf, advise her not to focus on her sins so much, but to live her life doing good. Still, Kristin struggles with trusting in God's mercy. It's heartbreaking because I'd like to see her experience the peace that the Catholic Church is offering her, but she just can't get over her guilt. She makes a pilgrimage and gives her bridal wreath as penance, and after this she is able to move on for a time. She and Erland experience many struggles in their marriage. Kristin is consumed with guilt. Erland doesn't understand this. He doesn't take his sins very seriously. Kristin is a good steward of of their household and properties. Erland is wasteful and let's his properties fall to ruin. Kristin is obsessed with her seven sons. Erland doesn't want much to do with them. These and many other differences between them cause serious rifts in their marriage as neither of them is very good at communication and compromise. Kristin's guilt festers into a hatred of Erland. She takes everything out on him, and even her father and her brother-in-law, Simon, rebuke her over this. Erland resents Kristin for her "holiness". Despite her resentment of him, he sees so much goodness in her that it pricks his conscience, and makes him feel worse about his own sinfulness. This harkens back to the first book, where Brother Edvin points out that once people sin, they have a tendency to delight in others sins, because it makes them feel better about themselves. Erland cheats on Kristin, and this exposes his plot against the king. He is convicted of treason, and sentenced to death. Only then does Kristin let go of her hatred for Erland. Simon helps them, and gets the king to pardon Erland. At the end of the book it is revealed that Simon still loves Kristin, his sister-in-law and ex-fiance. This book is more political than the first and it's a bit difficult to keep track of all the political history of Norway at that time, so it was a slower read for me than the first book, but it was still very good and worth the read. Oddly enough, I sympathized with Simon the most, and I'd like to see more of him in Book 3.

CAWPILE Rating:

C- 9 
A- 8 
W- 8 
P- 6 
I- 7 
L- 8 
E- 6 

Avg= 7.5= ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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