- Paperback: 161 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (30 April 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 014118020X
- ISBN-13: 978-0141180205
- Product Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.9 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 458,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
More than a decade before writing Kristin Lavransdatter, the trilogy about fourteenth-century Norway that won her the Nobel Prize, Sigrid Undset published Gunnar's Daughter, a brief, swiftly moving tale about a more violent period of her country's history, the Saga Age. Set in Norway and Iceland at the beginning of the eleventh century, Gunnar's Daughter is the story of the beautiful, spoiled Vigdis Gunnarsdatter, who is casually raped by the man she had wanted to love. A woman of courage and intelligence, Vigdis is toughened by adversity. Alone she raises the child conceived in violence, repeatedly defending her autonomy in a world governed by men. Alone she rebuilds her life and restores her family's honor -- until an unremitting social code propels her to take the action that again destroys her happiness.
First published in 1909, Gunnar's Daughter was in part a response to the rise of nationalism and Norway's search for a national identity in its Viking past. But unlike most of the Viking-inspired art of its period, Gunnar's Daughter is not a historical romance. It is a skillful conversation between two historical moments about questions as troublesome in Undset's own time -- and in ours -- as they were in the Saga Age: rape and revenge, civil and domestic violence, a troubled marriages, and children made victims of their parents' problems.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I won't try to give a plot breakdown as the synopsis covers it. This book is a real gem, I really couldn't put it down. Don't be put off by the fact that it's based on the Icelandic saga form, because this writing has a beautiful flow and it's a quick read. It is, however, a difficult story which has been handled beautifully.
One of the best books I've read in a long time.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Sigrid Undset's Gunnar's Daughter weaves Scandinavian folklore, mythology and violence to ensnare the reader into the period of the Saga Age. In this book, we meet Vigdis Gunnarsdatter -- a survivor in many different levels who is raped and delivers an illegitimate child. As it is said that time heals old wounds, that is not the case with Vigdis. Even with her eventual redemption, peace of mind still eludes her until she takes her very last breath. The scope of history and folklore in Gunnar's Daughter makes this an interesting and quick read. However, it is highly recommended that the reader marks the introduction and notes by Sherrill Harbison -- as they provide much information that makes the book more insightful and pleasurable to read.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This new volume of a truly gripping story is made more enjoyable by the all emcompassing introduction of Undset biographer, Sherrill Harbison. She points out all the important considerations a reader needs to think about to fully understand this saga of Norway and Iceland.
Any secondary school trying to include books from other cultures in the curriculum should add Gunnar's Daughter to its list. The story is timeless, and young people would find great discussion material on such topics as romantic attraction, family loyalty, reputation and honor, women's (girl's) options and power compared to men's power in different cultures in history, and the power of societal laws over people's lives.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Fine Tale in the Saga Tradition
In this case of medieval date rape and the grim consequences which follow hard upon it, Sigrid Undset created a wonderfully literate experience using the saga "voice". Read more
Published 18 months ago by Stuart W. Mirsky
Somewhere between a saga and a novel
Sigrid Undset has written a story in the style of a medieval saga, but with its edges softened to make it palatable to a 20th century readership. Read more
Published on 28 Jun 2008 by John Williams
This powerful, disturbing tale deserves a new audience.
Gunnar's Daughter is a tale of passion and revenge, a work of historical fiction which will be appreciated by readers of Kristen Lavrensdatter and of women's fiction in general. Read more
Published on 10 July 1998
A fast-paced novel by a great Norwegian writer
Gunnar's Daughter is a surprisingly fresh tale of love in medieval Scandanavia, written by the Nobel Prize winning Norwegian author, Sigrid Undset. Read more
Published on 15 May 1998
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