Reviews

A dispute over the allocation of two summer houses in their parents’ will draws Bergljot back into the family she has had minimal contact with over the past twenty years - but under the squabble about favouritism lies a deep, dark secret that had been eating away at Bergljot since childhood.

I was keen to pick this one up after enjoying Hjorth’s Is Mother Dead last year, and I was not disappointed. Knowing that Hjorth’s family publicly opposed Will and Testament, prompting quite the literary controversy in Norway, does add an extra dimension to reading the novel - Hjorth has repeatedly said it’s a work of fiction, and yet her family’s vehement reaction feels…suggestive.

At its heart it’s a dark family drama with secrets and resurfacing allegations of sexual abuse. The atmosphere is oppressive and the tension between Bergljot and her mother and siblings is palpable. We spend the story in Bergljot’s head, trapped with her swirling thoughts. She is not the most reliable of narrators, but through various non-linear flashbacks we piece things together and understand Bergljot’s absolute (and reasonable) need to be listened to and how much her family’s reaction haunts her.

Hjorth writes the steady entrenchment of positions very well - the miscommunications, how easy it is to over-think and misinterpret, plus the impossibility of admitting that perhaps one was wrong or made a mistake. It’s a dark but utterly believable portrayal of human nature. It’s not a perfect book - the writing lacks polish at times and is slightly rough-around-the-edges but it suits the story - there’s something about inheritance that can trigger the worst within families.

A raw, dark family drama centred around an inheritance dispute, allegations of sexual abuse, the need for accusers to be taken seriously and the toll it takes to not be listened to.

thebobsphere's review against another edition

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5.0

In Thomas Vinterberg’s 1998 film Festen, a family is gathered round a dinner table celebrating the father’s 60th birthday. As the night progresses the family start revealing secrets which pertain to parental abuse, ultimately all demons are faced and the parents confess.

The film is referenced in Vigdis Hjorth;s Will and testament and, in fact, it does follow a similar path.

The narrator, Bergljot, discovers her father has died and remembers an argument she had with him and the rest of her family over some summer residences which were given to two of her three siblings. The first half of the book consists of the arguments and complications which arise when children are not treated equally.

Although hinted at in the first half of the novel, at the midway way point things take a darker turn and darker secrets emerge which Bergljot decides to face during the reading of her father’s will. From there it’s best to let the reader discover Bergljot’s future.

Will and Testament is about family dynamics – what are the consequences when you cut yourself from your family, is a family a tight unit? do all families harbour deep secrets? Like the previous Hjorth novel I read Is Mother Dead themes of parental relationships and their outcomes feature although Will and Testament is more disturbing.

I enjoyed it – I like Vigdis Hjorth’s twisty prose which has a way of lulling you then delivers a shock punch plus with her use of short chapters and quotable passages make Will and Testament a compelling read. albeit one guaranteed to make one squirm.

emmaahlerup's review against another edition

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1.0

Var på väg att ge upp efter några kapitel, men fortsatte. Kom halvvägs och gav upp ändå. Nästan ingenting händer, mycket upprepningar. Fattar att det är ett grepp men har väldigt svårt för stilen den är skriven i. Boken är långdragen och tråkig. Den hade vunnit på att vara hälften så lång och då kanske jag klarat av att läsa ut den.

Huvudpersonen är svår att relatera till eller känna sympati för och samtliga karaktärer är för tillspetsade för att kännas trovärdiga. Jag hade stora förhoppningar - den titeln skapar förväntningar! Och visst finns en och annan träffande formulering, men överlag var det en stor besvikelse. Riktigt seg och tråkig.

ajith's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.25

In the midst of an inheritance feud in a family of four siblings with octogenarian parents,Bergljot, the elder daughter in her fifties, battles her own emotions and delves into her estrangement from her family for more than two decades.After the passing away of her father, the meeting her family sets up to discuss the will proceedings provides Bergljot an opportunity to open up about the skeletons in her family's closet that,for many decades until that point,have been swept under the rug.

The psychological warfare that the family members wage against each other and to themselves, the strained relationships, the emotional toll it takes on Bergljot, her insomnia, her alcoholism, and the interpretations that she deduces from her dreams all renders a corrosive effect on her,which kind of fluctuates as we progress along in this intense family drama.

Right from the start the reader is conditioned to a revelation that is imminent, but it doesn't happen until more than half of the book is over. Was there an opportunity to trim down the narrative than letting it sound like a broken record on a few occasions? Perhaps yes,but I can also appreciate that the subject matter could have demanded that kind of writing style.Anyhow, any of that didn't dampen the overall readability of the book.

If I were an enterprising polyglot I would have also read the original Norwegian novel,which by the way is not an insinuation that this translated version is inferior by any means. Imagine this - despite being not a whodunit or not a thriller, if this english version can package emotions so very well and keep me engrossed throughout, how good would the original be ? Along with Vigdis Hjorth, the translator Charlotte Barslund also deserves a huge shout out.

hlinsaga's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

rebwin's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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