Reviews with content warning for Gore - Burial Rites

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

madlyreading's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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? Yes

4.5

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ecthompson's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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professoremdash's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

Rather bleak but well written story. There were some overly descriptive scenes that I could have done without, but overall an engaging read.

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kimmillington's review

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

I was compelled to get through this book but I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it.
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.

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