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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very fun good mystery with witchy stuff. A good time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Fatphobia
Minor: Child death
While this book flowed along quite comfortably and kept up with many a Nordic noir trope, it also wasn't as dark, fast-paced or tense as some of the stories I've read in this genre, and I was surprised how the main character was very relatable and "normal". The book had a lot of historical detail (which I haven't checked if it's true or not) that was woven into the plot better than some efforts. I do have to say, however, the writing hasn't aged well with fatphobic and sexist comments so do keep it in mind that it was published before many socio-political movements that have thankfully educated (some of!) us to know and do better.
Spoiler
and a very ableist plot twist thrown in without a backward glance
Extremely dry. Falling asleep reading. Can not believe the character's reaction to body modification. Taken a month to get 1/3 of the book read.
[b:Gaudy Night|93575|Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey, #12)|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388197565s/93575.jpg|341789]
Hmm how do I put it. It was a half baked investigation done by an amateur lawyer and a family friend, the story was pretty mediocre. I mean, the subject was cool, the stuff about witchcraft and rituals, very informative and I wanted more of that than the unnecessary killing and whatever came with it. If only he was kidnapped and the story revolves around witchcraft and haunting and potions and rituals…. I would have been very very happy. But that didn’t happen and it’s not and I am really disappointed. But the writing was good and interesting enough. Hence 3,
A Scandinavian mystery-thriller that wasn’t all that great – last few chapters seemed to be all exposition. Not interested in mystery or characters.
I've been on a Scandinavian crime fiction jag, and this was the first disappointment. There's a fair amount of interesting detail about brilliantly creepy Icelandic folklore, but that doesn't make up for an unfocused narrative with a minimum of suspense. The writing is also fairly inconsistent, relying on cliches and odd little asides (Thora's opinions on global warming and politics, for example) that, while humanizing, don't add much to a murder mystery that dabbles in the occult. Since Bernard Scudder was a pretty distinguished translator of sagas and other Icelandic writing, I don't think he was to blame for the book's lacking style. Although I love the Icelandic setting and admire Sigurðardóttir's attempt to infuse the dour Scandinavian crime novel with occult overtones and a bit of humor, it doesn't quite come off. That said, I did finish it in one sitting - not a completely uninvolved reading experience.
The fat phobia is an unnecessary part of the plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
This book was okay. I read I Remember You a few years ago and really enjoyed it, so I think I set my sights a little too high for this one. The translation was really clunky and the dialogue was very awkward in a lot of places. I guessed the killer about halfway through, but the actual motive was not great. I think that with some good editing, it would have been much better.