The Story of Gösta Berling


Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)

(4.5 stars; 10 reviews)

"The Story of Gösta Berling" was published in Sweden in 1894 and immediately brought its author into prominence.

The tales are founded on actual occurrences and depict the life in the province of Värmland at the beginning of the 19th Century century. Värmland is a lonely tract in the southern part of Sweden, and has retained many of its old customs, while mining is the principal industry of its sparse population. It consists of great stretches of forest, sloping down to long, narrow lakes, connected by rivers.

Miss Lagerlöf has grown up in the midst of the wild legends of her country, and, deeply imbued with their spirit, interprets them with a living force all her own.
(Summary from the foreword by Pauline Bancroft Flach) (15 hr 50 min)

Chapters

01 – Introduction I - The Priest 21:15 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
02 – Introduction II - The Beggar 30:46 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
03 - Part I Chapter I -The Landscape 10:32 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
04 - Part I Chapter II - Christmas Eve 31:45 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
05 - Part I Chapter III - Christmas Day 28:07 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
06 - Part I Chapter IV - Gösta Berling, Poet 30:44 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
07 - Part I Chapter V - La Cachucha 10:25 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
08 - Part I Chapter VI - The Ball at Ekeby 45:32 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
09 - Part I Chapter VII - The Old Vehicles 31:06 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
10 - Part I Chapter VIII - The Great Bear in Gurlitta Cliff 34:37 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
11 - Part I Chapter IX - The Auction at Björne 1:06:50 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
12 - Part I Chapter X - The Young Countess 57:08 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
13 - Part I Chapter XI - Ghost-Stories 31:30 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
14 - Part I Chapter XII -Ebba Dohna's Story 45:44 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
15 - Part I Chapter XIII - Mamselle Marie 22:41 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
16 - Part II Chapter I -Cousin Christopher 13:25 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
17 - Part II Chapter II -The Paths of Life 30:16 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
18 - Part II Chapter III - Penitence 24:50 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
19 - Part II Chapter IV - The Iron from Ekeby 22:39 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
20 - Part II Chapter V -Lilliecrona's Home 13:49 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
21 - Part II Chapter VI - The Witch of Dovre 11:53 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
22 - Part II Chapter VII - Midsummer 9:40 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
23 - Part II Chapter VIII - Madame Musica 13:23 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
24 - Part II Chapter IX - The Broby Clergyman 13:13 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
25 - Part II Chapter X - Patron Julius 18:04 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
26 - Part II Chapter XI - The Plaster Saints 15:43 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
27 - Part II Chapter XII - God's Wayfarer 24:48 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
28 - Part II Chapter XIII - The Churchyard 9:15 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
29 - Part II Chapter XIV - Old Songs 23:17 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
30 - Part II Chapter XV - Death, the Deliverer 14:32 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
31 - Part II Chapter XVI - The Drought 24:18 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
32 - Part II Chapter XVII - The Child's Mother 18:48 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
33 - Part II Chapter XVIII - Amor vincit Omnia 14:06 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
34 - Part II Chapter XIX - The Broom-Girl 27:02 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
35 - Part II Chapter XX - Kevenhüller 22:27 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
36 - Part II Chapter XXI - The Broby Fair 16:48 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
37 - Part II Chapter XXII - The Forest Cottage 34:30 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)
38 - Part II Chapter XXIII - Margareta Celsing 34:32 Read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)

Reviews

Enjoyable and fascinating saga


(5 stars)

I read this months ago and felt it should be rated. Lars Rolander is one of my favorite readers. His Swedish pronunciation of Y's and J's sometimes gives me a chuckle, but other than that he is usually easy to understand for this American ear. I was tempted to give up after a few chapters because this well-written saga required a bit more attention than my brain wanted to give, but I stuck with it and was not disappointed. (Oh, and Wikipedia's cheat-sheet list of characters helped!)

The Story of Gösta Berling


(5 stars)

How to describe The Story of Gösta Berling... It's long, rich, and highly textured. Lagerlöf's prose is spare to the point of bleakness. Rather like the Swedish landscape in winter. Gösta is an enigmatic character. Flawed, inconsistent, irresponsible, but strangely magnetic. I could go on but am starting to sound like a thesaurus. This is a great work of literature read in English by a Swede whose pronunciation adds to the charm. Tak så mycket Lars! TheBookworm (Manchester, UK, and briefly Uppsala universitet)


(3.5 stars)

Great story. Great narration. Only downside was the layer of noise in the background. Definitely still listenable and enjoyable though.

recommended by my better half. it's a nice story.


(5 stars)

Magestic


(5 stars)

A really great novel and excellent reading.