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Individually and even more so when taken as a whole, the Kristen Lavransdatter novels are breathtaking. The scope of the novels is unreal; by the end, I felt like I knew this woman inside and out even though she never stopped being a mystery to me. The author follows her life from late childhood to death in sometimes overwhelming detail. The writing is weighty and challenging; Undset dives into her time period flawlessly and doesn't wait for the reader to catch up. It's hugely rewarding in a way that beach lit can't even touch.

Through 1000+ pages I never really understood Kristen's devotion to Erlend, but I believed it completely. She hated him only a fraction less than she loved him, and it was a fascinating, if painful, thing to experience. I constantly ached for the ability to shake him until his head rattled; he poisoned everything and everyone around him.

Kristen's sons in turns left me cold and broke my heart. I loved Naakve for his name and poor Orm, the stepson, best of all. But I felt like there were so many children, it was hard to feel for them all; interestingly, I think this may have been on purpose since the author implies Kristen lost track of a few of them as well.

The most sympathetic character of the novels is undoubtedly Simon Darre. I was wrecked by Simon and he really develops into something wonderful in the final book. Of course you know that he's always loved Kristen, but the admitting of it is so horrible to watch. And Ramborg's quiet, seething envy and bitterness toward Kristen is heartbreaking. The Simon/Kristen/Ramborg triangle was definitely my favorite of the many, many story arcs.

Finally, I have to mention the religious thing. I was in awe of the way Undset captures the aura of Catholicism of the 13th century. It's on nearly every page, but it's seamless and fascinating; this aspect of the story alone is enough to distance it from modern life in a very fundamental way. It was so interesting to see the play between strict, practically-felt medieval Christian ideals expressed in the novels and the actual lives of the people she portrays.

So, if you didn't get it yet, I'm highly recommending this series. It's well worth the extra effort and time. Also, I understand that this translation by Tina Nunnally is much better and smoother than some previous efforts, so I am also recommending this edition in particular. Plus I think the covers are very pretty. Read these books!!