Reviews

Bel racconto ma niente di più. Non sono riuscita a trovare una connessione con i personaggi e mi è dispiaciuto perché credo che in questo tipo di storia sia fondamentale. Mi è sembrato tutto molto superficiale e abbozzato, compresa la fine.
La struttura del libro è un po' strana e non nmi è piaciuta molto. Ogni capitolo comprende una o più narrazioni in terza persona e un punto di vista in prima persona di Agnes. Questa suddivisione rende la storia molto spezzata.

novabird's review against another edition

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4.0

"even: my dreams (are) taken with my belongings to pay for my custody."

As a first time novelist, Kent has appeared on the literary landscape, as rare flora in the artic north, although she hails from Down Under. Her ability to transpose her firsthand experience of living in the desolate landscape of Iceland for one-year into what appears to be an authentic account of living in a polar region is remarkable. Kent describes the vast isolation in contrast to the stifling close quarters by rendering vivid natural landscapes and counter-balancing this with plenty of dialogue.

Kent stays as true to the actual based on true-events of the story as possible and imbues Agnes with as much realism as she is able, however Kent does not completely manage to avoid some literary pitfalls. Some of her stylistics conventions are somewhat worn from overuse – not quite cliques, but just enough of a semblance to be counted amongst them;

“my heart throbbed,”
“she said breathlessly,”
“overcome with relief”
And an outright clique; “bright, bright blue, so bright you could weep.”

Yet this hardly matters when another feature of Kent’s writing style of lyricism is recognized;

“Where did time go? It left with summer. I am beyond time.”

The realism is found in found in the soiling, sloughing, parasitical environment where there is a lot of evidence for human viscosity.

Agnes as an atheist thinks of her ending, not in terms of conventional, ‘Burial Rites,’ or its accoutrements, but in naturalistic, dark majestic sweeps of broad strokes of sky and water and fine, dense touches of earth. Kent’s vision is both austere and mystical. I think of a blue/black raven feathering across a horizon divided between grays and whites of a long almost sunless winter.

Kent’s meticulously well-researched detail and narrative structure are very good. Yet the narrative form is somewhat forced in Agnes’ telling to Margret of her ‘real,’ story with added in brief interruptions of Margret’s, “Go, on,” tell me more encouragements.

All–in—all, a very good first offering. So good in fact, that I forgot that this was a true story and hoped that Agnes would somehow have a last-minute reprieve from her death penalty. Kent’s portrayal of Agnes’ state of mind is quite profound and leaves a lasting impact of the inherent value of life that carries on through the ages like an echo. A haunting tribute – that is well actualized. Strongly recommended.

cazxxx's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

4.25

goneabroad71's review

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition

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4.0

They will see the whore, the madwoman, the murderess, the female dripping blood into the grass and laughing with her mouth choked with dirt. They will say “Agnes” and see the spider, the witch caught in the webbing of her own fateful weaving. They might see the lamb circled by ravens, bleating for a lost mother. But they will not see me. I will not be there.

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did.
It centers around Agnes Magnúsdottír who spends her last months before her execution in the home of an Icelandic family. Every other day a priest comes over to get the truth out of her and see if he can save her, if she only confesses. Agnes's story slowly unravels and the family can't help but become fascinated by her.

I wouldn't call this a mystery, it's much more of a character-driven story about life, if that makes sense.
It truly did feel as if it was written by someone who had lived through this.
This is now one of my favorite adult books because the characters felt like real people and were so three-dimensional. Most of them are morally ambitious, which made me like them even more.
The writing is beautiful and perfectly captures the setting; Iceland in the 1800's, which is a cold, brutal and very lonely place.
Also, this was incredibly refreshing to read something set somewhat close to me.

Burial Rites is based on actual events and had me so interested that I immediately want to read up on it.
It reminded me a bit of Gillian Flynn's books, who also writes murderous women and still manages to breathe life into them.
The plot had me so interested that I want to read up on the topic now. Truly unique and captivating.
________
P.S: In case you didn't know, this is being made into a movie! Jennifer Lawrence is playing the lead role, and I'm sure she'll do an amazing job and even more people will realize that she can take on almost any role. I'll watch it as soon as it comes out, and hope that it's just as moving as this book.

gatesygirl's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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