AZ[i/ 9ZhXZci id i]Z eaVcZi CVoVg ^cI]Z ?djgcZn d[ C^ah @a^b id i]Z LdgaY JcYZg\gdjcY! &-)* ZY^i^dc# =Zcg^` >WhZc ¼8dchiVcXZ G^c\½ Wn 6bVa^Z H`gVb Cdgi]lZhiZgc Jc^kZgh^in EgZhh! EVeZgWVX`! '%%' Skram's 1885 novel shows the diffi cult situation of women in late 19th-century Norway through the portrayal of Constance's life. The novel attacks societal norms and the religious institutions that maintain the double standard for men and women. Constance equates marrying for G:69>C< G:HDJG8: ;dg Wdd`h AZVgc bdgZ VWdji CdglZ\^Vc a^iZgVijgZ! [gdb XaVhh^X id bdYZgc! l^i] Hdch d[ CdglVn¿h 8jaijgVa H`^aah Egd\gVb# I]Z hZa[ " \j^YZY egd\gVb ^h Veegdeg^ViZ [dg ^cY^k^YjVah VcY Wdd` XajWh Va^`Z# Ad\ ^c id hdchd[cdglVn#Xdb id VXXZhh i]Z a^iZgVijgZ jc^i! dg XVaa Hdch d[ CdglVn =ZVYfjVgiZgh Vi -%% " .)* " --*&# 14 K>@>C< ?JAN '%&' [dg ndjc\ gZVYZgh! ijgc id eV\Z &,# money with prostitution after discovering her husband's adulterous betrayal. She seems destined for heartbreak after her second husband has an illegitimate child, and her musician lover has had an affair with her maid. Although each relationship is progressively better, the disappointment also becomes progressively greater. Does society offer women a respectable choice other than marriage? @g^hi^c AVkgVchYViiZg Wn H^\g^Y JcYhZi EZc\j^c 8aVhh^Xh 9ZajmZ :Y^i^dc! EVeZgWVX`! '%%* Sigrid Undset was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1928 for her detailed description of life in fourteenth-century Norway in her trilogy " Kristin Lavransdatter " (1920-1922). This trilogy wonderfully depicts the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period through the life of this passionate and headstrong woman from her childhood to marriage and fi nal years. This trilogy includes the books of " The Wreath, " " The Wife " and " The Cross. " All are wonderfully translated by Tiina Nunnally in this deluxe edition. hdchd[cdglVn#Xdb AjYk^\ =daWZg\