Well this was a devastating read!!
Telling the tale, as it does of Agnes Magnúsdóttir:
‘Agnes Magnúsdóttir was the last person to be executed in Iceland, convicted for her role in the murders of Natan Ketilsson and Pétur Jónsson on the night between the 13th and 14th of March 1828, at Illugastadir, on the Vatnsnes Peninsula, North Iceland.’
There were no surprises as to the ending, but the further I read through, right up until the last page I was willing history to be changed, for Agnes to pardoned and her life to be saved. Why was I rooting so hard for a murderess? Well Hannah Kent has in her words to:
‘This novel has been written to supply a more ambiguous portrayal of this woman’
She does this by recounting the run-up to the murders, partly in the first person narrative that Agnes gives to her chosen priest, Assistant Reverand Tóti Jónsson who is to prepare her spiritually for her death and later to Magrét Jónsson whose farm she was sent to while awaiting her execution. We also have an omnipresent third person narrator who lends a wider view of the crime committed, and of Agnes herself. From this we get an alternative view of how and why Natan Ketilsson and Pétur Jónsson came to be slayed with a knife and a hammer one night. It would take the hardest of hearts not to feel some sympathy for Agnes, not because the author tells us so, oh no, far cleverer than that Hannah Kent paints a captivating picture of the coldness, darkness and sheer bleakness of life in nineteenth century Iceland alongside the more common tale of a woman deceived by her lover. For Natan and Agnes were lovers; it was for Natan she’d left the comparatively well-populated life in the valley farms as a workmaid to follow him to more or less entire seclusion in Illugastadir.
‘All my life people have thought I was too clever. Too clever by half, they’d say. And you know what Reverend? That’s exactly why they don’t pity me. Because they think I’m too smart, too knowing to get caught up in this by accident.’
Hannah Kent has used the Icelandic sagas as a base to weave the story around, many of the characters we meet prefer these sagas to the Christian teaching of the church. Through this we have the subtle yet powerful lyrical narrative that had me drawn into Agnes’s tale.
‘My tongue feels so tired; it slumps in my mouth like a dead bird, all damp feathers, in between the stones of my teeth.’
With its references to the superstitions of the day frequently referencing the ravens I came to dread their appearance fearing what horrors they may be about to foretell despite being in a nice warm cosy home not a home where the boards hiding the dung used to build the walls had been sold to enable the family of Jón Jónsson to eat. The feelings of the household to the newly billeted prisoner are also deftly drawn with a light touch. It is a supposed honour which comes with compensation but one that can’t be refused despite the concerns of both Jón and Magrét about the spiritual and moral welfare of both their daughter.
I can’t praise the author for the haunting simplicity of the writing in this book, although as the story worked its way towards its tragic ending, I was heartbroken.
‘They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from men and now they must steal mine.’
If you, like me, didn’t get around to reading this when it was first published, I urge you to, this book which does not flinch from the realities of Agnes’s life and death should not be missed.
I read this a while ago & you’ve really brought it back to me – it is a haunting tale.
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So haunting and incredibly moving!
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A lovely review!
I hesitated to read this, wondering if it would be strong enough to hold my interest when I already knew the end of the story, but of course it did.
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Thank you! I think it was partly that which caused this one to keep slipping down the TBR but as you say apart from desperately wanting to change history it became irrelevant.
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I have never read a book based in Iceland, this will have to be my first!
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You couldn’t chose a better one to start with Nish 🙂
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I loved this book, and I can tell that you did too. I was also willing for a different ending. Great review 🙂
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Thank you Lindsay – I’m so glad I finally got around to reading this one.
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I liked the book but found it heavy. I had never read a book where the climate effected the atmosphere of the story as much as this one did.
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As you say the climate has a huge impact on this book and you couldn’t for a minute forget how much it affected the lives of the characters.
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Great review! I have this but haven’t read it yet. I will do soon
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Thank you! Oh you must read it soon and let me know what you think.
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Still haven’t read this, but must do soon. My first book of the year was written by an Icelandic author, Sjon’s The Whispering Muse, which reminded me I have meaning to read Hannah Kent’s book. Great setting. Thanks for a fabulous review and reminder Cleo.
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Thank you Claire – I do hope you read this soon!
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I’m hoping to exchange My Whispering Muse for this very soon 🙂
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Fine review, Cleo, as ever. I really like it when a book gives you an insight into a character like that, so that you really feel for that person. And the mix of history and atmosphere are really effective backdrops for the actual story.
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As you say Margot it was all the elements together that raised this book from a good read, to an excellent one.
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I’ve been meaning to read this for ages. I even have a kindle edition ready to go. Every review I see of this convinces me I’d like it.
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I’m certain you’d love it! I was expecting to enjoy it but I didn’t realise quite how much.
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Great review, Cleo. I’m glad you felt that it lived up to expectations. It’s some time since I read it now but I still remember how Kent captured that frigid Icelandic weather and Agnes’ desperate situation. One of the few books that was hyped to the skies but actually lived up to it.
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The research was amazing, wasn’t it, the climate and also the history. It was also much less depressing than I feared, despite its sad content, it had some very positive and uplifting elements which I thought did justice to its tragic protagonist.
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I think she drew on the research for her PhD, didn’t she? I’m sure I read that somewhere.
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I think that sounds like an amazing opportunity – writing a novel for your PhD and being able to get all the facts and the atmosphere for it just right.
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Thank you! It is a haunting read in part because without bludgeoning us the author managed to weave the tale through weather, circumstance and characters to perfection.
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I had this from the library but never got to it, you’ve now made me determined to get it back on the list. Great review.
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Thank you Amanda – I suggest you go and get it again, I’m sure you won’t regret it.
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Great review, Cleo, and so glad you enjoyed this one as much as I did! Your quotes reminded me of her beautiful writing style – one of those books you could open at almost any page and find something worth quoting… 🙂
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Thank you – it was an amazing read, so lyrical, atmospheric and still character driven. As you know I don’t routinely quote in my review but in this instance I could have chosen from so many and I had to restrain myself…
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OMG, I am sure I would also be one of those rooting for Agnes. When a story is presented with these kinds of narratives, it is possible to truly empathize and understand the worst deeds. Thanks for sharing…and now I must read this one.
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I think you’d really enjoy this Laurel, it is so good but I found myself so entangled with the story I just can’t get it out of my mind.
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I always love to read your reviews because your enthusiasm comes across. I wouldn’t read this but I can tell you loved it.
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Thank you Guy – I did!
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Loved this book ….bleak but so atmospheric . Hard to believe the writer is Australian and not Icelandic !
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I know – and so young – this really was a stunning read, one where all the elements really worked together to make something outstanding.
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Thank you for the addition of the quotes. It shows what I’d so special about the writing
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I don’t often include quotes but it was the only way to convey how outstanding the writing was in this book
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First of all, what a wonderful review. The quotes were really lovely. I remember reading so many positive thoughts about this book a few years ago and I did purchase it and still it sits on my Kindle. It’s patiently waiting. I have enjoyed several books set in Iceland and I suspect this one will be another. Thanks for a big nudge to pick it up!!
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Thank you Kay! I don’t often include quotes but it was essential to get the quality of the writing across in this book, plus there were so many to chose from. Do pick it up, you won’t regret it.
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Great review, this book is absolutely amazing!
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Thank you Suze! I loved it and can’t believe it took me so long to get around to reading it.
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I’m so happy you enjoyed this Cleo! It is such a good story, although it reminded me so much of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace that I could not but be a bit nasty and think there was something going on with Kent’s book. Anyway, if you liked the introspection and the psychological thriller-ish tone, I highly recommend you Alias Grace, if you haven’t read it yet – can’t remember if you’re an Atwood fan or not.
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I haven’t read Alias Grace although I have read some of Atwood’s books – this is why I love blogging, I’ve checked it out and it is added to my wishlist because it sounds perfect for me. Thank you!
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That’s great. Please do let me know when you read it, because it’s a book I love to talk about 😀
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Will do – it’s earmarked as a holiday read but I don’t have a holiday booked yet!!
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I have not read this yet, so I’m glad you reminded me!
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I thought I was the only one who hadn’t got around to it for so long – do enjoy it when you get to it!
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I read and reviewed this a while ago too. It’s a pretty impressive debut, I wonder what she’ll do next since this story has been with her for many years before the novel was published.
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