Reviews

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

emmakmanning's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

sop17hie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

andranyat's review against another edition

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3.0

I thought the last one hundred pages were the most captivating.

sophiefinch's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

naenaeg's review against another edition

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

3.25

mellkayy's review

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- Burial Rites details the last execution in Iceland. Agnes Magnúsdóttir is accused of murder, and is sentenced to death. For the months leading up to her death she is sent to live with a farming family in Iceland.
This novel is told from both Agnes’s first person perspective, and the supporting characters third person perspective. Though this novel is based on a real life event, a lot of this story is fictionalised. Through Agnes’s perspective we learn a lot about her past, as well as first-hand accounts of the murder. It goes to show that things aren’t always what they seem.
Kent creates an amazing atmosphere in this novel. The novel is set in Iceland, where it is wet, muddy and dreary, and as I was reading this (in the middle of an Australian summer) I actually felt cold.
Aside from Agnes, I didn’t really care for any of the characters in this book. I felt quite detached from the story, which I think was the authors purpose, but it definitely hindered my enjoyment of the novel.

karie's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

ymeyc's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.25

micaela_s's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

leonidasm's review against another edition

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5.0

Μου προκαλούν θαυμασμό οι άνθρωποι που για να δημιουργήσουν κάτι, δουλεύουν πολύ. Μελετούν. Κοπιάζουν. Δεν μπορώ να δικαιολογήσω διαφορετικά την τόσο πειστική και λεπτομερή περιγραφή των συνθηκών διαβίωσης των ανθρώπων στις αρχές του 1800 στην Ισλανδία από την Αυστραλή Hannah Kent. Σε βάζει να κάτσεις μαζί τους στο δωμάτιο, με το χαμηλό φως και ακούς την ιστορία της Άγκνες. Μυρίζεις τα φύκια στις ακτές. Θερίζεις τα χωράφια και συντονιζεσαι με την κίνηση των εργατών. Κατεβαίνεις στο κελαρι και γεμίζεις μυρωδιές από ψαροκόκαλα κι αλάτι. Και συγκινεισαι. Συγκινείσαι βαθιά από την ιστορία της Άγκνες, που όσο γυρνάς τις σελίδες κορυφώνεται με μαεστρία. Θες να συμβεί κάτι και να αλλάξει η μοίρα της. Μια μοίρα που γράφτηκε από μια κοινωνία ανδροκρατούμενη και καθοδηγημενη από τους νόμους της εκκλησίας.
Μια ιστορία που δεν γίνεται να αλλάξει γιατί δεν είναι καθαρή μυθοπλασία. Βασίζεται σε πραγματικά γεγονότα και ανθρώπους που στην Ισλανδία μπορείς να επισκεφτείς ακόμα και τους τάφους τους αφού διατηρούνται ακόμα λόγω της ιστορικής τους αξίας.
Η Kent μας χαρίζει ένα βαθιά ανθρώπινο βιβλίο. Τόσο συγκινητικό και αριστοτεχνικά γραμμένο που δυσκολεύεσαι να πιστέψεις ότι το έγραψε πριν τα 28 της χρόνια.