Jenny

While I found my beloved [b:Kristin Lavransdatter 6217 Kristin Lavransdatter (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1-3) Sigrid Undset https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388289230l/6217.SY75.jpg 1370150] highly immersive and it had me entirely absorbed by plot and heroine, my reading experience of Jenny was different in that I was constantly aware of its cultural context. At first, it's the portrayal of an independent woman living in Europe's early 1900s, and we get an interesting perspective on the freedoms and shackles that existed for women at that time. And second, Undset actually published this in 1911 which is impressive, considering that some of what the characters think/feel/do was definitely considered amoral at that time. Both those aspects raise my appreciation of the novel. It's a psychological study of a young artist, who's freespirited and adventerous while also holding on to high morals. Jenny's torn between what society tells her to want from life, and her own inability to love the right way, or find a love that's right for her. It's heartbreaking, and I really wished for her to find her fulfillment in the end. May in be in her artistic practice or in another person. I was rooting for Gunnar there, at the end. Especially considering how the two other men in her life were such wusses. But when I read about Gunnar's regrets of never having *possessed* her, I knew it was for the best. That whole coda about him romantically shaping his life around his grief for her, was incredibly poignant and definitely made fun of men, right?And how deeply distrubing and sad was that scene of Helge overwhelming her that last night? Self-absorbed and completely unaware of her state or the fact that she had refused him. Horrifying. And incredibly courageous of Undset, this harsh portrayal of misogynistic behavior by men who otherwise come of as gentle and harmless. This book leaves a lot of thoughts.