Posted: 2020/01/18 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Book Reviews, E-Books, Fiction, Lust To Go | Tags: 2020, book lust iii, book review, family, january, medieval, Norway, series, Sigrid Undset |
Undset, Sigrid. The Master of Hestviken: The Son Avenger. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.
Reason read: to finish the series started in October.
Undset’s fourth and final book of the Master of Hestviken series is about finding forgiveness within one’s true identity.
Olav Audunsson now has a daughter of marrying age. He is dismayed when her first suitor is a teenage boy exiled for accidentally killing a man. History repeats itself as Aslak’s dilemma mirrors Olav’s past mistake, but Olav does not want to acknowledge this in any way. Instead of compassion for Aslak’s situation, Olav convinces his daughter to marry another. In addition, Eirik, the amoral and reckless son Olav has taken for his own has returned to Hestviken. Eirik’s life is also following the same path as Olav’s in that his relationships are troubled. His standing as a moral member of society is compromised. Olav is helpless and can only watch as Eirik struggles to make his way in the world as a decent citizen. Olav, Eirik, and Cecelia all journey towards forgiving one another as well as themselves.
Author fact: Undset also wrote the memoir, Return to the Future, which is on my Challenge list.
Book trivia: The Son Avenger is the last fiction I will read of Sigrid Undset’s.
Nancy said: Pearl called The Son Avenger part of the Master of Hestviken masterpiece.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Norway: The Land of the Midnight Sun” (p 162).
Posted: 2020/01/06 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: africa, Beijing, biography, books, china, classic, Cuba, dominican republic, Edwidge Danticat, Elvis Presley, EM Forster, haiti, ireland, Jonathan tel, Ken Bruen, Laura Kalapakian, Lee Child, lists, medieval, movie, murder, mystery, NonFiction, Norway, reading, relationships, Ronan Bennett, series, Sigrid Undset, Tom Gjelten, violence |
Believe it or not, I’m kind of happy with the way January is shaping up already, five days in. After the disappointments of December I am definitely ready for change. I’m running more these days. I convinced a friend to see sirsy with me. I’m not sure what she thought, but I am still in love with the lyrics. Anyway, enough of that. Here are the books:
Fiction:
- The Catastrophist by Ronan Bennett – in honor of Bennett’s birthday being on the 14th of January. (EB)
- Sanctuary by Ken Bruen – in honor of Bruen’s birthday also being in January. Confessional: I read this book in one day. (EB)
- The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat – in honor of Danticat’s birthday also being in January. (EB)
- Graced Land by Laura Kalapakian – in honor of Elvis’s birth month also being in January.
- Passage to India by E.M. Forster – in honor of Forster’s birth month also being in January. Yes, celebrating a lot of birthdays this month!
Nonfiction:
- Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba by Tom Gjelten – in honor of a Cuban Read Day held in January.
- Beijing of Possibilities by Jonathan Tel – in honor of China’s spring festival.
Series continuations:
- Persuader by Lee Child – the last one in the series, read in honor of New York becoming a state in July (and where Child lived at the time I made this whole thing up). (AB)
- The Master of Hestviken: the Son Avenger by Sigrid Undset – this is another series I am wrapping up. I started it in October in honor of a pen pal I used to know in Norway.
Early Review:
- I am supposed to receive an Early Review from November’s list, but it hasn’t arrived so I can’t mention it. For the first time in a long, long time (perhaps ever, I’ll have to look), I did not request a book for the month of December.
Posted: 2020/01/03 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio books, Book Reviews, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: african american, Alain de botton, berlin, Bill Bryson, books, Brazil, Connie Briscoe, Cristina Garcia, Elif Shafak, family, Fiction, germany, historical, Lee Child, lists, medieval, middle east, Moritz Thomsen, NonFiction, Otto Friedrich, Peter Irons, political, reading, series, Sigrid Undset, slavery, supreme court, travel |
December was the whirlwind it always is. Exams, hiring, and personnel evaluations at work. Christmas cards and wrapping gifts at home. Celebrations with families and friends. The bestie and I had a great time on the last weekend before Christmas shopping. Yes, you read that correctly. We braved the stores on the Sunday before Christmas and had a blast. Kisa and I traveled to South Deerfield, Peaks Island, and Rockland for the holidays. Rockland was an unexpected twist, but it gave us more time with the mom. I didn’t get to all the books on my list. I couldn’t get a hold of the Seuss book to save my life. I should have known better. And, I wasn’t in the mood for Milne. Imagine that. The November Early Review never arrived. No big surprise there. That makes three for the year that didn’t show up. Here are the other books:
Fiction:
Aguero Sisters by Cristina Garcia
Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
Long Way from Home by Connie Briscoe
Nonfiction:
Art of Travel by Alain De Botton (AB)
Before the Deluge: a portrait of Berlin in the 1920s by Otto Friedrich
People’s History of the Supreme Court by Peter Irons
Saddest Pleasure: a journey on two rivers by Moritz Thomsen
Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (AB)
Series Continuations:
The Master of Hestviken: In the Wilderness by Sigrid Undset
Without Fail by Lee Child
Posted: 2019/12/19 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Book Reviews, Fiction, Lust To Go | Tags: 2019, book lust ii, book review, december, Fiction, medieval, Norway, series, Sigrid Undset |
Undset, Sigrid. The Master of Hestviken: In the Wilderness. Alfred A. Knopf. 1962.
Reason read: So. I had this pen pal from Norway. We never met in person but became friends because of a mutual love for Natalie Merchant’s music. It was fun.
So. When we last left Olav Audunsson his wife, Ingunn, had finally died after a super long illness. Left alone with two children, a biological daughter, Cecelia, and an adopted son, Eiric, Olav struggles to rebuild his life. He is still overshadowed by immense guilt about past transgressions. Additionally, throughout The Snake Pit Olav was not well liked by his community. He didn’t make an effort to belong in any way. Now, awash in grief, Olav is drift in more ways than one, prompting him to travel to London, England for a bit. Upon his return he agrees to foster the young daughter of a dying friend. It’s this act which brings Olav back to life. This is enough to spur Olav on to fight for his homestead; to risk life and limb in a bloody battle against the Swedes. This might be somewhat of a spoiler alert, but Olav survives the bitter war but is gravely wounded in the face. His disfigurement lends Olav a somber grace he has not felt before.
Quote to quote, “He saw now it was not his suffering that destroyed the happiness of his life – a man may be happier while he suffers than when his days are good” (p 196). Amen.
Author fact: Undset was actually born in Denmark even though she is one of Norway’s best loved novelists.
Book trivia: In the Wilderness is the penultimate book in the Master of Hestviken series.
Nancy said: As with other books in the Master of Heskviken series, Pearl called In the Wilderness a masterpiece.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Norway: Land of the Midnight Sun” (p 162).
Posted: 2019/12/08 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: audio book, BookLust I, BookLust II, E-Books, Fiction, Lust To Go, NonFiction | Tags: AA Milne, african american, Alain de botton, berlin, Bill Bryson, books, Brazil, childrens book, christmas, Connie Briscoe, crime, Cristina Garcia, Cuba, Dr Seuss, Fiction, germany, historical, law, Lee Child, lists, medieval, Moritz Thomsen, mystery, NonFiction, Norway, Otto Friedrich, Peter Irons, political, science, series, Sigrid Undset, travel, woemn |
December started with an overnight to New York City. This is going to sound strange coming from a girl from a small town in Maine, but I love, love, love the Big Apple. I love the grit and congestion. I love all the food choices (pizza!). Of course I also love the fact I can leave it!
We were there to see Natalie Merchant receive the John Lennon Real Love Award at Symphony Space. A fantastic night! Since we rattled down to the city via rails I was able to get a lot of reading done. Here is the proposed plan for the rest of the month:
Fiction:
- The Aguero Sisters by Cristina Garcia (EB) – in honor of December being the best month to visit the Caribbean. I thought I had gotten rid of all the “best month to travel to. [location” books but I guess not.
- A Long Way From Home by Connie Briscoe (EB) – in honor of Briscoe’s birth month being in December.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss – for Christmas.
- Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne – in honor of the month Eeyore was born.
Nonfiction:
- A People’s History of the Supreme Court by Peter Irons (P) – in honor of the history of the Constitution. Yes, I know I read this some years ago, but I can’t find the review anywhere, so I am reading it again.
- The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton (EB) – in honor of de Botton’s birth month being in December.
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (EB) – in honor of Bryson’s borth month being in December.
- Before the Deluge by Otto Friedrich (EB)- in honor of Berlin’s Tattoo Festival which takes place in December every year.
- Saddest Pleasure by Moritz Thomsen – in honor of Brazil’s first emperor.
Series Continuations:
- Without Fail by Lee Child (EB) – started in July.
- The Master of Hestviken: In the Wilderness by Sigrid Undset (EB) – started in October.
Posted: 2019/12/01 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: E-Books, Early Review, Fiction, NonFiction | Tags: books, crime, Dervla Murphy, Early Review, Elif Shafak, Fiction, israel, Istanbul, Kira Salak, Lee Child, librarything, lists, medieval, middle east, mystery, NonFiction, Norway, Papua New guinea, Rich Cohen, series, siberia, Sigrid Undset, Suzanna Henshon, teaching, Thomas Mcguane, travel |
I wanted to rename November Nope the second I published it. I don’t know why I always have a pessimistic view of the month before it has even started. I think I need an attitude adjustment! For starters, I finished the books I set out to read for the month:
Fiction:
- The Sporting Club by Thomas McGuane.
- The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak.
Nonfiction:
- Four Corners by Kira Salak.
- Israel is Real by Rich Cohen.
- Silverland by Dervla Murphy.
Series continuations:
- Master of Hestviken: the Snake Pit by Sigrid Undset.
- Echo Burning by Lee Child.
Early Review for LibraryThing:
- Teaching Empathy by Suzanna Henshon, PhD.
Posted: 2019/11/21 | Author: gr4c5 | Filed under: Book Reviews, Fiction, Lust To Go | Tags: 2019, book lust iii, book review, Fiction, medieval, Norway, november, series, Sigrid Undset |
Undset, Sigrid. The Master of Hestviken: The Snake Pit. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.
Reason read: to continue the series started in October with The Axe.
In this installment of the Master of Hestviken series readers get to know Olav Audunsson’s past as he has returned home to Hestviken; most importantly, how his mother died when Olav was only a month old, which explains how he came to live with Ingunn’s family. Speaking of Ingunn, when we left her in The Axe she had given her illegitimate child (Eirik) away to be fostered and went with Olav to his family home. Happily ever after? Not really. Olav is tortured by the fact he cannot seek absolution for the slaying of Ingunn’s baby daddy. No one can make even the connection between Teit and Ingunn because it was Teit who disgraced Ingunn. Meanwhile, Ingunn as of late is either pregnant, miscarrying, or otherwise deathly ill. In fact, for a good portion of The Snake Pit Ingunn is very sick. Towards the end of the book after the successful birth of her daughter Cecilia (finally!) she lies bedridden for over three years, crippled by some mysterious paralysis. Yet, through it all, despite it all, deep down Olav still loves her.
As an aside, one has to forgive Undset’s language. In this current culture struggling with equality and inclusion, the reader must stoically ignore the misogynistic behavior and attitude of Olav towards his wife, the one he anticipates “will be in his power” because she is “weak.” Quite a bit of gender bashing occurs.
Author fact: Undset also published a diary called Return to the Future (also on my Challenge list).
Book trivia: Snake Pit is the shortest installment of the Master of Hestviken series. Additionally, characters from Undset’s other series make a small appearance at the end of Snake Pit. Lavransdatter’s father helps Olav get home to his wife.
Nancy said: Pearl said Snake Pit was a masterpiece.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Norway: Land of the Midnight Sun” (p 162).
