Olav Audunsson: IV. Winter

Olav Audunssøn is the fourth and final volume in Sigrid Undset's Nobel Prize-winning epic of one man's life in medieval Norway. It follows Olav Audunssøn's fortunes to the final, dramatic chapter of his life as it unfolds in Winter. The consequences of their marriage fracture and threaten the lineage for generations. Undset wrote Olav Audunssøn after immersive research in the legal, religious, and historical writings of the time to create an authentic and compelling portrait of Norwegian life in the Middle Ages.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2023
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

The fourth and final volume in the Nobel Prize-winning writer's epic of one man's fateful life in medieval Norway is set in thirteenth-century Norway, a land racked by political turmoil, bloody family vendettas, and rising tensions between secular powers and an ascendant church. Sigrid Undset's spellbinding masterpiece now follows the fortunes of Olav Audunssøn to the final, dramatic chapter of his life as it unfolds in Winter, the last volume of the tetralogy. When the orphaned Olav and his foster sister Ingunn became betrothed in their youth, a chain of events was set in motion that eventually led to violence, banishment, and a family separation lasting years. The consequences fracture their marriage and threaten the lineage for generations. Now, at the end of his life, Olav continues to grapple with the guilt of his sins as he watches his children, especially Eirik, make disastrous choices and struggle to find their rightful place in a family haunted by the past.

With its precise details and sweeping vision, Olav Audunssøn summons a powerful picture of Northern life in medieval times, as noted by the Swedish Academy in awarding Undset the Nobel Prize in 1928. Conveying both the intimate drama and the epic proportions of Olav's story at its conclusion, Winter is a moving and masterly recreation of a vanished world tainted by bloodshed and haunted by sin and retribution—yet one that might still offer a chance for redemption.

As with Kristin Lavransdatter, her earlier medieval epic, Sigrid Undset wrote Olav Audunssøn after immersive research in the legal, religious, and historical writings of the time to create an astoundingly authentic and compelling portrait of Norwegian life in the Middle Ages. And as in her translation of Kristin Lavransdatter, Undset's translation of Olav Audunssøn is masterful, capturing the beauty and complexity of the original Norwegian while also conveying the emotional depth and power of the story.

Olav Audunssøn is a testament to Undset's talent as a writer and her commitment to exploring the complexities of human nature and the historical forces that shape our lives. It is a must-read for anyone interested in medieval history, literature, or the human experience.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 140 x 209 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517915414