Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

The last quarter read for this year is
Giants in the Earth by O.E. Rolvaag a novel by Norwegian-American author Ole Edvart Rølvaag. First published in Norwegian as two volumes in 1924 and 1925, it was published in English in 1927

The novel follows a pioneer Norwegian immigrant family's struggles with the land and the elements of the Dakota Territory as they try to make a new life in America. In 1873, Per Hansa, his wife Beret, their children settle in the Dakota Territory. They are joined by three other Norwegian immigrant families—Tonseten and his wife Kjersti, Hans Olsa and his wife Sorine, and the Solum brothers.

Sorry for the delay in posting this. Totally forgot.

Anyone reading this one??

Based in part on Ole Edvart Rølvaag’s own recollections as well of those of his wife’s family who were immigrant homesteaders, Giants in the Earth is the riveting story of a Norwegian family forging a new life amid the harsh, desolate climate of the Dakota Territory. Rølvaag recounts the hardships they endured on the high prairie—blizzards, locust storms, poverty, hunger, loneliness, homesickness, and culture shock—as well as their simple joys, culminating in a magnificent epic that bridges Norwegian culture and the history of the American dream.

"A moving narrative of pioneer hardship and heroism. . . . The background of the boundless Dakota prairie, with its mysterious distances and its capacity for evil, is painted with alternating beauty and grimness." —The Atlantic

Lesle, I plan to read it! I just checked it out on Hoopla. I remember reading it in high school and it was one of the few required reads that I liked! I’m wondering how much I will remember or if it will feel like a new book.

I might get to Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later the next in the short series.
I read Giants in the Earth twice and empathized with different characters each time. I'm interested to read the discussions.

Blueberry wrote: "I might get to Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later the next in the short series.
I read Giants in the Earth twice and empathized with different ch..."

It will be good to here about the next one in the series. I think there is three?

Pam wrote: "Lesle, I plan to read it! I just checked it out on Hoopla. I remember reading it in high school and it was one of the few required reads that I liked! I’m wondering how much I will remember or if i..."

Great Pam! I am about finished up with my current read and hopefully mid-week I can start.

I just started it tonight. I’ve been reading a lot of speculative fiction lately and this is a nice change of pace. If I like it enough then I will plan to read the rest of the trilogy.

Lesle wrote: "Blueberry wrote: "I might get to Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later the next in the short series.Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later
I read Giants in the Earth twice and empathized..."

Yes there is a third and I might have seen it once on the Guttenberg site.? I could never find Peder Victorious though until I went into a used book while visiting my daughter in Maryland and there it was. 😄

I’m 30% into the book and really enjoying it! I love the psychological aspect, especially relating to the mother Beret. I relate to her the best and am in agreement with her emotions. I’m sure I would’ve felt the same way (terrified, apprehensive, and hoping to return to civilization) as a settler! It seems that the women never had a say in these, what some might call hare-brained, decisions to venture out into the wilderness and settle in the middle of nowhere!

In the opening section about the author, there is a story about the author’s mother asking him, when he was a child in Norway, what he wanted to do with his life. He responded that he wanted to be a poet! That didn’t seem very likely, in a remote fishing community, but somehow he managed to become a writer. I think the poet in him absolutely comes through in this book! The writing is really beautiful.

I just finished the book and I loved it! It’s such a powerful story about the early settlers’ lives and the psychological effect of living on the prairie with all of its hardships, especially the relentless winters. I’m always amazed at the fortitude of the early settlers. I found it interesting how they would optimistically explain away a bad natural event and remain hopeful for the next year. (E.g. Bad things come in 3s so the 4th year will be different.) I will definitely look for the 2nd book. I’m wondering how it compares to Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!! I feel like I might want to read it later this year.

You know Pam I would be Beret as well. Do not understand the husband wanting this unknown life, when you know all these wives are just gritting their teeth.

I just want to say this is not your typical Little House on the Prairie book. This is hard felt, mentally effecting on all of them but mostly in the story of Beret. The end is sad but realistic.
The words flow so well and just the beginning gives it away how good it will be.

Is anyone thinking about reading the other two books in the series?
Thanks to Brian I realized there was. I just thought they were books about the Authors immigration to America. Which is how he based this one.

Gaint in the Earth is book I and II
The other two parts of a trilogy:
Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later1928
Their Fathers' God 1931

I would like to read Peder Victorious but I can’t find a copy through my library systems. I might try an ILL request later next year. I’ll see what progress I’m making on reading books I own first!

I just realized that I have this book in the condensed Readers Digest format, along with several other westerns. I’m glad I didn’t go the condensed route but the book has one interesting thing - old photos of early settlers during this time frame in Nebraska. I was wondering what a sod house looks like and there were pics of them. I am tempted to read the other stories or look for them in their original format.

Pam wrote: "I just realized that I have this book in the condensed Readers Digest format, along with several other westerns. I’m glad I didn’t go the condensed route but the book has one interesting thing - ol..."

I remember that series of books that they put out. I think I might have one somewhere. They are condensed quite a bit. If I remember right the books would contain around three or more stories in them.

Lesle wrote: "...I remember that series of books that they put out. I think I might have one somewhere"

Lesle - I think you are thinking of the same book. The title is The Best of the West: A Treasury of Western Adventure. The other books included are: The Long Rifle by Stewart Edward White, The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr., Ordeal by Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party by George R. Stewart. I found it at Goodwill last year and bought it because of the illustrations and photos.

This was a interesting book, it looks more at the mental aspects of pioneer life than most books of this genre, and was a much faster read than I expected.

Here's my review, for anyone interested in my thoughts:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I am loving your reviews!

Lesle wrote: "I am loving your reviews!"

Wow, thank you!

Sure! Others should check them out.