How to know be sure if a book is in the "public domain?"

[amymlett]

THanks.
Amy

[KiltedDragon]

From Wikipedia: Kristin Lavransdatter is the common name for a trilogy of historical novels written by Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset. The individual novels are Kransen (The Wreath), first published in 1920, Husfrue (The Wife), published in 1921, and Korset (The Cross), published in 1922. Kransen and Husfrue have also been published in English translation under the titles The Bridal Wreath and The Mistress of Husaby.

It depends on when the translated version was published (assuming that is what you are reading from).

[KiltedDragon]

I also found this at http://www.norway.org:

A new translation of Sigrid Undset's trilogy about Kristin Lavransdatter is now being published in the U.S., to rave reviews from literature critics.

It took 80 years, but now the English translation of Kristin Lavransdatter finally got a face lift. Tiina Nunnally has translated Sigrid Undset’s trilogy about Kristin Lavransdatter, which was recently published in a Penguin Classics Deluxe edition, with all three books in one.

“The English translation I read as a child was from the 1920s,” said Nunnally. “It was really bad: Unlike in Undset’s original, the language was appallingly bad and archaic; there were serious mistakes, and parts of the book were mysteriously just left out.”

These translated editions were published in 2005 so are not PD.

[Cori]

There was a 1920s translation by Charles Archer -- in the US, copyright was renewed on The mistress of Husaby 15May25 and The cross 18Feb27. The first book might have been published before 1923, and therefore wasn't renewed ... but we'd need a copy to be sure. I've found conflicting dates online, from 1920 to 1925. It's also possible the books were published somewhere else before going to the US.

[RuthieG]

According to the British Library:

I. Kransen. The bridal wreath was translated from the Norwegian by C. Archer and J. S. Scott and published in New York by Grosset & Dunlap in 1923.

According to Stanford Renewal Database:
Registration Date 20Feb23
Renewal Date 10Jul50
Registration Number A704403
Renewal Id R64218
Renewing Entity Alfred A. Knopf, inc. (PWH)

III. Korset. The Cross was translated by Charles Archer and published in by A. A. Knopf in New York & London in 1927.

According to Stanford Renewal Database:
Registration Date 18Feb27
Renewal Date 26Feb54
Registration Number A963768
Renewal Id R126383
Renewing Entity Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (PWH)

No mention of a single volume of II. The Wife/The Mistress of Husaby in a single volume, though the trilogy is said to have been published by Knopf in London in 1930.

According to Stanford Renewal Database:
Registration Date 15May25
Renewal Date 20May52
Registration Number A829385
Renewal Id R95003
Renewing Entity Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (PWH)

So no, to all, unfortunately. Nor is it PD in Europe as Undset only died in 1949.


Ruth