Sigrid undset reader of hearts7/2/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() I imagine I shall finish reading it this week and will report my complete impressions next time. But I digress!Īltogether, I am fully invested in finding out what Kristin will do next, what social mores and expectations she will confront and perhaps defeat for her own best interests, and where the author is going with this tale. ![]() I think the way we phrase our thoughts reflects our culture in subtle ways, which can be revealing in and of itself. Much like when I visit other countries with a strong lilt to their speech, it’s nice to experience the different emphasis and musicality of the language even if merely on the page. I enjoy “hearing” the cadence of the language from a Norwegian influence. The “inverted syntax” I referenced also comes from the differences in language used. While it took a moment to adjust, I soon fell into the pattern of the naming conventions. Other Norwegian terms are explained in context if not defined outright in the dialogue. “Lavransdatter” translates to daughter of Lavrans, for instance. The proper names, such as that used in the trilogy title, are of course reflective of the country’s language. My brain had to make an adjustment to both the proper names used throughout and to the rather inverted syntax the author employs. Undset weaves a compelling tale and paints a beautiful and vivid landscape for her story. I’m about a third of the way through the story, and am enjoying it now that I’m acclimated to the language and the narrative style. ![]()
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