The Saga of Gösta Berling is a story set in the 1820s about Gösta Berling, a religious priest who is cast out by the church for his drinking problem and poor conduct as a man of the cloth. On the day of his judgment, believers gather at the church determined to bring him down. Everyone including the Bishop are however not quick to air their concerns. Gösta is eventually kicked out of the church after Bergh tries to pressure the Bishop into acquitting Gösta of his wrongdoings.
All alone, he wanderers around barefoot and homeless. He swindles a young girl of her meals and almost freezes to death in the winter. He is rescued by the Mistress of Ekeby who reignites his purpose and will to live. The Mistress of Ekeby also known as Margarita is the wife of the Major. She is extremely wealthy and powerful. Gösta devotes his service to the Mistress of Ekeby until he leads an uprising against the Mistress.
Gösta ultimately seizes control of the Manor of Ekeby together with the band of Knights that had previously been serving the Mistress. Gösta’s plans to seize power are disastrous, to say the least. The Mistress flees and everything crumbles with her departure. She later returns and peacefully departs to the afterlife.
The Saga of Gösta Berling is a favorite work of literature among scholars who have curated dozens of articles about it's narrative and structure. The story spans a lifetime as it has years in between each chapter. Lagerlöf decides to highlight specific moments in time and leaves the others to muddle around. Through these highlighted moments, we get to experience these characters as they evolve into different people altogether throughout the different chapters and experiences.
