The Unknown Sigrid Undset: Jenny and Other Works by Sigrid Undset

by Sigrid Undset

Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy is an internationally best-selling classic, but her earlier work has long been out of print. In this new collection, readers finally have a window into Undset's views on women's sexuality, the relationship between motherhood and art, and the complex dynamic between women and men. The book includes two short stories, "Simonsen" and "Tjodolf", which capture the lives of people living in Christiana (now Oslo) in 1900; a novel, Jenny, which tells the story of a disenchanted painter; and an assortment of letters written between 1900 and 1922.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Literature

Unknown Binding

First published May 10, 2001

About the author

Sigrid Undset was a Norwegian novelist whose powerful, psychologically rich works made her one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. Best known for her medieval sagas Kristin Lavransdatter and The Master of Hestviken, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928 for her vivid portrayals of life in the Middle Ages, written with remarkable historical detail and emotional depth.

Born in Denmark to Norwegian parents, Undset spent most of her life in Norway. After her father's early death, she had to forgo formal education and worked as a secretary while writing in her spare time. Her debut novel Fru Marta Oulie (1907) shocked readers with its opening confession of adultery and established her bold, realist style. In early works like ,i>Jenny (1911), she explored modern women's struggles with love, freedom, and morality, often critiquing romantic idealism and social expectations.

Though she gained recognition for her contemporary novels, Undset felt increasingly drawn to historical fiction. This shift led to her masterwork Kristin Lavransdatter, a trilogy published from 1920 to 1922, which follows the life of a woman in 14th-century Norway as she navigates love, faith, motherhood, and spiritual growth. With its intricate character development and deep moral themes, the trilogy brought her international acclaim and remains a cornerstone of Scandinavian literature.

In 1924, Undset converted to Roman Catholicism, a profound personal decision that shaped her later writing. Her tetralogy,i>The Master of Hestviken (1925–1927) centers on a man burdened by unconfessed guilt, offering a deeply spiritual and psychological portrait of sin and redemption. Her Catholic faith and concern with ethical questions became central to her work and public life.

A vocal critic of both communism and fascism, Undset fled Norway after the Nazi invasion in 1940. Her books were banned by the occupying regime, and she lived in exile in the United States during the war, advocating for Norway and the Allied cause. The loss of her son in the war deeply affected her, and although she returned home after the war, she published little in her final years.

Undset’s legacy rests not only on her historical novels but also on her fearless exploration of conscience, duty, and the human condition. Her characters—especially her women—are fully realized, flawed, and emotionally complex. Her writing combines psychological insight with stylistic clarity and spiritual depth, making her work enduringly relevant and widely read.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library, fully intending not to reread Jenny, but the introduction stated this new translation is livelier (in keeping with original) and not missing anything as the earlier translation does. I agree with the former, but each time I checked my old copy nothing seemed to be missing (I realize that's not a definitive search); perhaps it was only mere phrases here and there that had been left out of the 1921 translation.

Though maybe a bit overwrought, Jenny is nevertheless psychologically astute and quite powerful (especially the ending which I had no memory of; perhaps it was too subdued in the original translation) as a portrait of a single female artist at the turn-of-the-(20th)-century, one who struggles with her own strict sense of self and the conflicting urges of love, loneliness, motherhood and her art. A few times I became impatient with dialogue that reads more like speeches or declarations, and also with the many descriptions of scenery, though I enjoyed the detailed ones of Rome: perhaps because I’ve been there or perhaps because Undset’s love of the city shines through.

The short stories --- "Thjodolf" and "Simonsen" -- from her first two collections are straightforward, bleak and sympathetic to the working poor of Norway, especially as relating to 'unconventional' pairings of parent and child.

The selection of letters, their first appearance in English, are from some of the many Undset wrote to a Swedish pen-pal who became a dear friend and confidante. The first included is written by an almost-eighteen-year-old Sigrid and the last included is from when she was thirty, immediately after the birth of her first child and the third printing of her second short-story collection. Undset is open about her literary aspirations and later her own unconventional "sweetheart."

I came to this already an Undset fan, but the letters especially -- all written before her more-famous historical epics and her conversion to Roman Catholicism -- have whetted my appetite for even more about her life.

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction:

This is a collection containing some of the writings of the Norwegian Nobel Prize Winner (1928), Sigrid Undset. To be precise, it contains a Novel (Jenny), two short stories (THIJODOLF and SIMONSEN) and some of the letters that she wrote to her Swedish pen-pal.

JENNY:

The rating for novel would be Four and Half Stars.

Undset surprised me with the development of the novel and the eponymous character. The novel is divided into three sections. The first section is set in Rome and the second is in Norway and the third is in many parts of Europe, but primarily once again in Rome. The first section is a exposition part of the character and the setting. It is relatively lengthy and nothing of very much importance happens and yet Undset holds you in the grip with her descriptive language. The second and the third part will leave the reader gaping for the breath with the intense dramas playing themselves out with some powerful philosophical and psychological insights to ponder on.

If I can compare to a simple imagery it is like taking a trip on a Roller Coaster. The trip begins slow and there is much excitement and then comes the continuous and fast paced circular movements that leave you reeling with anxiety and waiting for the finish.

Why one should read this novel?

1. The way a story is told is itself is an attestation of the greatness of the author. This is one such a good way of telling the story.

2. There are descriptive passages (Sigrid Undset wrote in one of her letters: "I want to write in a paintery way - and I'm well aware of the danger. I am afraid of borrowing, of painting with someone else's colors. Oh, if only I could master the language in such a way that I could simply and naturally, and yet using words that are new and fresh, make the reader see the springtime.") that will transport you to the setting described, and to the emotions experienced by the character.

3. The novel is about artists (mostly painters) and so there are some interesting discussions on art, the artists who had to give up their aspirations for the sake of family, women artists, etc.

4. This novel is about love - love longed for, love misunderstood, love lost, love ended up in illusion. This also speaks of love and its connection to happiness. Happiness is the result of giving one's love to the other who reciprocates it to the same measure.

5. Most important of all, it is a novel that searches for the identity/purpose of the woman. Who is a woman? What is her identity? What is her relationship with man? Wherein lies her fulfillment as a female creature? The answers are will seem to be very traditionalist and conservative. I quote from one of her letters: "Oh, if only women would be women - try to find themselves and try to live accordingly, and refuse either to compete with men or to let them decide what is eternally feminine or what they ought to do. And then, above all else not be so afraid to admit that we belong to the ranks of mammals - dear God, at least we can console ourselves that we are in the forefront." This is a quote from the novel: "For a woman, having a husband and children...At any rate, sooner or later we start yearning for that." The reason is deduced from another quote from the book: "That's the way we (women) were created - all of us....by nature women are meant for other purposes." I tell you again that this is not traditionalist even if it seems so. Read the book and decide for yourselves.

6. Who is responsible for one's own life? Each one is responsible. If a person who is full of convictions ends up just for once deciding something silly what would happen? Where will it lead? This is another interesting themes in many of Undset's books. A simple irrevocable decision and then the life unavoidably changes the track. What can one do? Accept it.

The Short Stories:

THIJODOLF: Three Stars. I found many of the themes present in the novel (JENNY) being repeated and that must be the reason for it receiving just three stars.

SIMONSEN: Three Stars. This is the first of Undset's story in which the male character is central. The central theme in this story is also the decision making and the changing of life's track. Who is responsible? Here the answer is given as the ONE who is above us all. But not in a convincing manner.

The Letters:

Five Stars. I am a dedicated fan of Sigrid Undset. And so reading her letters was something like an intimate experience. I have a strong desire to see Undset alive just once, even if it is just for a moment. And so, reading her letters was very personal. Interestingly in most of the letters given in this collection, Undset was more worried about her creative instinct that nudged her right from her teenage and kept tormenting her till she took to writing. And in these letters she gives us glimpses into what she intended to write (she discusses the project for the novels) and how she wanted to write. They were pure pleasures. At least, to me, it was.

An aside:
I have hoarded all the books by Undset available in English. I have readily available another another six books by her. I will have to begin one of the historical masterpieces next.

[Theresa~OctoberLace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Sigrid Undset is a Norwegian author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. I had added a couple of her books, Catherine of Siena and Kristin Lavransdatter to my TR list, and now knowing her style, will definitely make time to read those.

What made me decide to read The Unknown Sigrid Undset: Jenny and Other Works first was that it contained a sampling of her early work. The selections were a novel, Jenny, two short stories, and a sampling of personal letters written to her long-time pen pal. The book was wonderful in itself, and I look forward to reading many more books by this very talented author.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Kristin Lavrensdatter this is top quality writing. At times it is Tolstoyan in its psychological insight. A sad story, but a great read.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain authors you always go back to, and it was nice to see, almost ten years after I last read her, that Undset remains one of my favorites.
This book was a joy to read. A pleasure to spend time with the characters, some of whom I will now look back to as friends. I also realized I've never, so far, read a Sigrid Undset book with a happy ending. The novel "Jenny" is heartbreaking, and the shorter fiction "Thjodolf" maybe even more so. Still, it was a joy to read such beautiful prose and to immerse myself in the stories. The portrayal of Rome in the novel is one of the best setting descriptions I've read; it left me with such a vivid impression of the city and its landscape I'm sure I will never forget it.
One of the things I was most looking forward to when I started the book was its final section, the letters that Sigrid Undset wrote to her longtime pen pal, Dea Hedberg. They give a great insight into her personality, her writing methods, the opinions she held about art, women, divinity (before her conversion to Roman Catholicism).
I would warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in classic Scandinavian literature.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read.

[Sverre · Rating 5 out of 5]

=== A fine selection of the Nobel laureate’s early writings ===

Sigrid Undset was a giant among early twentieth century authors—especially women authors. Undset’s two monumental works, the trilogy ‘Kristin Lavransdatter’ and the tetralogy ‘Olav Audunssøn’ (titled The Master of Hestviken in English), both set in Medieval Norway, for which she earned her Nobel Prize in literature, greatly overshadow her earlier and later works. This book includes her first full length novel, Jenny, two short stories, and her letter to a Swedish friend from 1900-12.

Jenny is principally the story of two women and four men, all aspiring artists in Rome and in Kristiania (later renamed Oslo) in the 1910s. In turn three of the men declare their love for Jenny and their wish to have her as their own. The least likely candidate surreptitiously endears himself to her; a consensual but lopsided sexual relationship results. Perhaps the most likely candidate becomes alienated from her and in the end violates her. The third candidate only awakens to his love for Jenny after years of just being a close friend; but he is only met with reluctance and hesitancy. The fourth man marries Jenny’s flirtatious, capricious and vacillating friend Fransiska.

‘Great Expectations Unfulfilled’ would be an apt title for ‘Jenny.’ Here is a beautiful introverted woman whose young life subsists on trivial pleasures, love of nature, hopes, dreams and expectations. But in Jenny’s idealistic reveries reality never seems to bring fulfilment. Or, if fulfilment seems to have been reached, even for a fleeting moment, she frets and worries about its unavoidable pending demise. And her lack of fulfilment and success is existentially attributed by herself to the failure to follow her creative instincts and make the right choices about relationships. This is a somber and brooding tale offering deeply profound psychological and emotional struggle. It was a much criticized but significant literary achievement which tackled controversial themes of moral and gender conflicts at a time of imminent social upheaval (WW 1).

As reflected in this novel, between the lines, Undset was not a typical feminist. She favoured women’s rights to academic, artistic and financial independence but she also valued women’s traditional roles in the home as loving and devoted wives and mothers. Although ‘God’ is mentioned in this work, as having some relevance to the characters’ lives, Undset was pretty much a free thinker in her youth and early twenties. But even at that age her narratives seem to quest after answers to ‘a bigger question’ which transcend logic and crass realism. After a crisis of faith her much condemned conversion from Protestant Lutheranism to Roman Catholicism occurred in 1924 when she had for some time been writing about situations rooted in medieval pre-Reformation times that were dominated by staid traditional norms and adherence to religious orthodoxy.

Thjodolf is an extended short story. It is a tale about Helene, an uneducated, unsophisticated working class woman who toils for her livelihood. She gives birth but the child soon dies. She answers a newspaper notice about taking on a newly born infant whose mother has given him up. An amount of money is exchanged before Helene takes possession of the boy. She revels in being a mother to the child and he thrives with her care. Then a day arrives when she and her husband must part with Thjodolf. This is principally a story of a devoted mother who desires nothing more than to love and care for a child and be a good wife but is betrayed on two fronts by cruel destiny.

Simonsen is a melancholy short story about a kindly man, a widower, approaching his senior years. Not being ambitious or capable to succeed in either his working life or privately, he takes things as they come, relying on his successful son to bail him out whenever he loses his job—lately a frequent occurrence. He has lived without the benefit of marriage with an industrious seamstress, Olga, with whom he has a little daughter, Svanhild. Olga has also a son by a fiancée who deserted her. Simonsen’s daughter-in-law is his worst enemy, wishing to distance herself and the family from Simonsen, Olga and her children. This story contrasts greatly in mood and tone with the previous pages of the book. It describes the hardships of a worker down on his luck who tries to take heart from simple joys: thankful devotion to his partner Olga and a generous affection for their daughter Svanhild. When he is forced to go away from his family to work elsewhere he grieves but finds consolation in the One Above.

Undset’s letters to her Swedish friend, Dea Hedberg, provide a fine conclusion to this book, providing readers with insight into her intelligent observances about life, her opinions about the habits of women and men, her ceaseless writing pursuits and the dreariness of her office work. Her greatest difficulty was to find companionship and someone to love and admire who would be capable of intelligent conversation. Up until meeting her future husband, Anders, in Rome in 1909, her letters portray a woman who battles melancholy, depression and pessimism. The concluding letter in the book, written in Rome in 1913, soon after the birth of her son, reflects a happy woman who is in a loving relationship in surroundings that come as close to her ideals as imaginable. Her books had already been well received and she looked forward to a bright future with her husband, a successful painter. Being able to read these letters gives the reader a better understanding of Undset’s comprehensive thought process that found expression in the profound literature she produced.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written (I don't think Undset could write any other way). The writing deserves 5 stars; Undset surely is one of the best novelists of all time. Still, I gave the book 4 stars because the novel Jenny was so depressing. I have read quite a number of Undset's works; this was the first that left me with nothing less than a feeling of despair, similar to the feeling I had when I tried (and failed) to read Independent People--a peculiarly grim, Norse despair. I had to take a break after Jenny and read short stories by Penelope Fitzgerald before I could return to and finish this book. I'm glad I read this; anything by Sigrid Undset is worth reading. But, frankly, I am also glad that Undset eventually had her conversion to Christian faith in general and the Catholic faith in particular, making such books as Kristin Lavransdatter and The Master of Hestviken possible.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigrid Undset is a rare talent, a writer who wanted to write because she "had" to write. The stories just wouldn't keep trying to write themselves in her head. This volume contains not only her splendid early novel, JENNY, but two fine long stories and letters she wrote to her lifelong Swedish pen pal, which open her interior world to us. This volume, called THE UNKNOWN SIGRID UNDSET, is the work of an author primarily unknown by people who are neither Norwegian nor Roman Catholic. If she is unknown to you, I recommend you get to know her. And if you know of her, and have not read her, shame on you. She was not awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature because, Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, was Scandinavian also. She was awarded the coveted prize because her writing is good. Very, very, very good. She would be of special interest to you if you are a woman. Her writing explores the struggles of females with brains in a patriarchal world where women get pregnant and men get off scot free. This would also be of special interest to men, especially those who resemble Sigmund Freud, who, after a lifetime of studying women, confessed he didn't have a clue about them.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jenny and the letters, but not the two short stories. Although I thought Jenny was really very well written and that it grappled with important issues, I was just fatigued. Ready to move onto something more contemporary. And, yes, I agree with reviewers who saw similarities between Jenny and Sister Carrie. I thought the language in this book was very accessible, not annoyingly old-fashioned.

[Kristin Czarnecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

From this collection, I've read Undset's 1911 novel, Jenny, and one of volume's two lengthy short stories, "Thjodolf," both of which are rather strange and sad but definitely compelling and worth reading. Jenny contains some grim plot events and rather unpalatable ideas about women by today's standards, but they address urgent questions of the time vis-à-vis changing gender roles, sexual double-standards for women and men, and the opportunities or lack thereof for ambitious women. Throughout the novel, we find Jenny deeply contemplating matters relevant in any time, such as the role of art, the nature of love, wherein happiness lies, and how to know and be true to oneself. Undset imbues her characters, especially Jenny, with complex interiority and a longing for meaningful connection with others, which, sadly, often proves elusive.

[Brenda Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

She is a good writer, but different. She seems to range widely in her writing. It flows like stream of consciousness. She is very serious in her detailed and deep assessment and depiction of a chatacter.

The story is mainly about relationships, with action rather minimal. Plot turns are unexpected , but not contrived.

The main character in Jenny, I found hard to understand. She seemed almost melodramatic, but I suppose, losing a child could send one over the edge. However, I found her resistance to happiness annoying.

[Chancellor Fangirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It might have taken forever, but I'm finally done! I just could not get into this book, because Helge is such a black hole, and I didn't find him compelling as a narrator at all. When we started getting the story from Jenny's POV, it definitely picked up. Still, it was a bit too little too late to salvage the novel as a whole.

As far as the actual story, I'm left with the feeling that I wish every man in the world would have just left this poor woman alone. Lordy.

[Tina Rocchio]

Beautiful novelette and collection curated by Steerforth Press. Turn-of-the-Century Rome seen through the eyes of young Scandinavian artists. Tales of gender roles and struggles to be a fully realised artist within those roles. Beautifully crafted, painted almost, with imagery and close observation and description.

[Ranndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

He leído 'Svanhild', aunque parece que lo han titulado en esa edición 'Simonse'. Quiero llorar. Llamaré a mi hija Svanhild. Hermoso nombre. Aunque no sé si intuí su pronunciación. Espero sí. Lo pronuncio tal cual lo leo.

[Sara G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean??? As a lifelong fan of Selma Lagerlöf, I wish someone had recommended Sigrid Undset to me before. Why have you all been hiding her from me? Couldn't you tell I would love this?