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lavendar_fr0g's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
2.5
The writing is slightly off, stilled- likely due to translation. It’s an okay look at an abusive relationship, the slow degradation of boundaries and slow acceptance. The guy was bad news off the bat and Lilja is a bit of a jerk (doesn’t mean she deserves it obviously). Ending was a bit abrupt, didn’t resolve anything but it’s meant to make reader decide what happened for themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Blood, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Vomit, Body shaming, and Sexism
definebookish's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Magma is a slip of a book – 200 pages and almost as much white space as text – but an intense one. It’s the story of twenty year old student Lilja, who finds herself in a controlling relationship with an older man.
Icelandic author Thora Hjörleifsdóttir has previously published three poetry collections, and this shows in Magma, translated into English by Meg Matich. Lilja’s narrative is presented as a series of diary-like vignettes, each a chapter with its own title, ranging in length from a single sentence to a few pages.
The writing is sparse, often visceral, as Lilja loses herself to please her partner. I didn’t find the language as poetic as other reviewers. I’m torn on this; I don’t speak or read Icelandic, so I’ll never know how it feels to read the original text. There are some striking turns of phrase (“The pills flatten me, make me into a thin scum on the surface of still water.”) At times, though, it feels a little on the nose, like dialogue from an educational film about emotional abuse.
That’s not to say that Lilja’s plight doesn’t feel true, or urgent. It would be hard to read Magma without feeling empathy for her – or fury towards the man so carelessly destroying her. However, it’s a big ask for a book you can read in an hour to convey the insidiousness of coercive control. For me, the immediate emotional impact is there, but beyond that it didn’t have the weight I’d hoped for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Self harm, and Rape
Minor: Abortion and Homophobia
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