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atalea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
confused_cat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
It felt like I was there in person. In the gritty, cold, hard Iceland in 19th century. I thought I could smell the icy wind, the dried fish, the pungent, smelly and hot suffocating air of a closed room.
It really makes me appreciate my rather easy life, warm house and all its modern comfort.
This book also made me think of life, death, and what is just. Fate has been cruel and unfair to Agnes since the beginning. Yet, Agnes strived to live.. till the end.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
mackli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
veliana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Abandonment
amyteurhour's review against another edition
3.75
Definitely make sure to look through the content warnings (I'm sure I've missed some). Kent's writing was very atmospheric and painted a bleak picture of Agnes's last days. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as Morven Christie gives an amazing performance to really bring Kent's words to life. If you usually speed up the audio, I wouldn't go any further than 1.5x; let yourself sink into the story. It's really slow, but just be patient with it
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
leoniefnk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Murder
professoremdash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
kimmillington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Much of the landscape and the plot is bleak, foreboding and inescapable so there is a dull misery and inevitability to the course of the story. There are no surprising twists and when Agnes finally tells her tale, it is much as the reader would anticipate.
This book therefore has very little in terms of plot development and is all about reflecting on the thoughts and actions of the characters.
There are a diverse range of complex characters which adds interest and the reader does become particularly sympathetic to Agnes. She is a well rounded character, illiciting a feeling of sympathy but also dread when she makes decisions and takes action to do things that are as damaging to herself as the actions and decisions of others.
I am unsure about why Tóti’s story includes some level of desire and romantic feeling for Agnes as this element didn’t have legs and didn’t develop into anything. Is this perhaps a spiritual aside- the difficulty for those that give their life to God to walk the line between feeling a higher spiritual purpose whilst experiencing carnal desires.
I am also unsure why Margrét laid out her clothes near to the end of the book. Obviously Lauga relinquishing her brooch was relevant to her realising all was not as it first seemed, but I don’t understand the relevance of Margrét’s actions.
I also don’t understand why Tóti suffered a long and debilitating illness- Agnes could have told her story through Tóti as easily as she did through Margrét so I’m unsure why the author chose to cut Tóti from the narrative for several months.
I did not like the historical letters included. I found them dull and two dimensional and did not really add anything to the story. I understand it was important to the author to include them to nail the narrative to the true story but I felt they were unnecessary.
A dark and mostly depressing read- well written but uneventful and unsurprising.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
friends2lovers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
"We'll remember you, Agnes." She presses my fingers more tightly, until I almost cry out from the pain, and then I am crying. I don't want to be remembered, I want to be here!
This is a very slow, melancholy read with a bleak setting and a tragic ending. I thought the historical details were interesting, but I never became very invested in the story. While it's not a long book, it took me a long time to read because other books I was reading were far more engaging and less somber. I've owned a paperback copy of this for years, but will probably put it in a box to donate or sell as I don't see myself ever rereading it.
In the author's note at the end, Kent says some other books written about the Illugastaðir murders "hold a common view of Agnes as 'an inhumane witch stirring up murder'. This novel has been written to supply a more ambiguous portrayal of this woman." Unfortunately, I think by making Agnes an ambiguous and mysterious character, Kent inadvertently made her a bit flat and uninteresting.
The multiple points-of-view and tense in the first chapter made for a rough start to the novel. Agnes' perspective is in 1st person, present tense. Tóti's perspective is in 3rd person limited, past-tense. And the Jónsdóttir family is introduced in what I think is supposed to be 3rd person omniscient, but came across more like 3rd person limited with head-hopping between each member of the family. Luckily, after the first chapter, Kent mostly sticks to the perspective of one family member, Margrét, in 3rd person limited, past tense, like Tóti.
Other than those POV issues, the writing was decent, so I might try another of Kent's books in the future. Especially considering that Burial Rites was Kent's debut novel, so presumably her writing will have improved with later books.
If you're looking for another literary novel about a woman murderess in the 19th century I recommend Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, which I remember liking a lot more than this.
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment