Reviews

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

bookwormandtheatremouse's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

bexhobson's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

4.0

timtamsin's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

soiwritejollytales's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

stormhawk's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • 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

4.0

Audiobook - one of the best performed I've ever listened to. I was going to give it a lower rating due to a "flat" plot that had no real twists and turns. Then I realized based on the author's end notes that this was based on a true story. The book is a fictional tale but follows the actual story closely. For this reason, the author was limited in plot choices. The ending brought it up to 4 stars for me. Very emotional. Not sure if that was the writing or the performance.

efimerabonhomia's review against another edition

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4.0

RITOS FUNERARIOS

(australia) Hannah Kent

Alba Editorial


Contar historias es una manera de mantener viva la esencia de la memoria pasada. Ritos Funerarios es en sí un recordatorio de la semblanza de la última mujer en ser decapitada en Islandia. A través de una narración directa pero poética, Hannah Kent nos acerca al personaje transmitiendo el poder de la parábola. Al principio la historia parece simple, como si quisiera acercarnos de una manera periodística a los hechos, lentamente se va tornando en una composición lírica de sentimientos.


Nos situamos en el norte de Islandia, donde Agnes Magnúsdóttir, en pleno 1829, es acusada de asesinato y trasladada a un nuevo hogar a la espera de que su condena llegue. En la granja que le es asignada, Agnes tratará con una familia que horrorizados por su llegada intentan evitar el contacto que no sea cuasi obligatorio. Como en la vida misma, no todo es como empieza y la relación mínima se va transformando en una acto de comprensión mútuo.


Lo más resaltable del libro es esa ambientación que Kent logra poniendo la sociedad como base. En pleno 1829 los viajes largos no se conciben y las distancias eran más pequeñas que las de la actualidad, eso hace que los personajes se vean encerrados en la granja y un mundo que no cambia de ideas porque no tiene nuevos horizontes hacia los que dirigirse. Esto lleva a que los personajes, atrapados en los deseos y miedos internos, lleguen a conocerse y profundizar en sus carácteres. Agnes, nuestra protagonista, se ve esquiva e intenta ocultar de todas las maneras posibles sus sentimientos, hasta que su dolor le impide seguir siendo presa del silencio.


La historia, que no deja de ser una interpretación de la autora de un suceso real, es sin duda una alabanza de respeto hacia el personaje y su vida. Hannah Kent consigue dar voz a Agnes incluso ofreciendo una versión más poética cada vez que aparece el personaje. El peso de la historia no está en el basado en hechos reales, es el mensaje de liberación y amor cultural que transporta la autora.


Un libro que puede recordarte que en el frío de los acontecimientos se puede generar calor de emociones.

theogb451's review against another edition

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3.0

Good but not amazing

Somehow this didn't quite click for me. I think it improves a lot as it goes on, both the prose and the characters, who begin the story feeling more stereotype than anything.

If we're being accurate I'd call this a 3.5 but I think what let it down for me was how unsurprising this tale was Characters all do exactly as you expect from them, they match every cliché you have in your head of closed-minded 19th C religious conservatives.

Meanwhile Agnes's sad tale hits every beat you expect and dread. This novel is not without emotional heart for sure. By the end I was drained from what happened but equally I didn't feel I learnt much outside of a sense of how bleak Icelandic living seemed for people generally.

The nature of a fictional narrative laid on some bare facts also left me a bit unsure about what I could take from it as historical fact. I used to enjoy books like this a lot more so I'm unsure why I'm not as into it now, which is a shame.

ploopl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

emfed's review against another edition

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5.0

yeowch !! 

cct80's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

3.75