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A review by cristi_ivan
Femeia la 1000°C by Hallgrímur Helgason, Ioana Miruna Voiculescu
5.0
” Nici macar o papadie nu crede in Dumnezeu, iar papadia e cea mai proasta dintre plante.”
A strange mix of drama and black comedy, The Woman at 1,000 Degrees tells the story of Herbjörg María Björnsson, an octogenarian woman, living her last days in a converted garage, in Reykjavík, with only two things keeping her company - a hand grenade, given to her by her Nazi father during WWII, and a laptop, which she uses to wreak havoc on her family, avidly following their digital lives.
Feeling her nearing death, Herra starts to recollect her tumultuous life, carrying us from the rocky shores of Breiðafjörður, through a war-torn Europe, and then a short detour in Argentine’s pampas, before circling back to Iceland. But before she starts her life story, she calls at a funeral home and schedules her cremation – if she was always powerlessly moved around by life and men, at least she could have a choice when it comes to her own death.
What is interesting about this novel is that although it depicts extremely dramatic events, the narrator always succeeds to insert some funny comments regarding those situations and for the most part of the novel, this strange blend is working. The novel also has some passages that really have a cinematic feeling to them – I would really like to see a movie based on this book.
**** stars
A strange mix of drama and black comedy, The Woman at 1,000 Degrees tells the story of Herbjörg María Björnsson, an octogenarian woman, living her last days in a converted garage, in Reykjavík, with only two things keeping her company - a hand grenade, given to her by her Nazi father during WWII, and a laptop, which she uses to wreak havoc on her family, avidly following their digital lives.
Feeling her nearing death, Herra starts to recollect her tumultuous life, carrying us from the rocky shores of Breiðafjörður, through a war-torn Europe, and then a short detour in Argentine’s pampas, before circling back to Iceland. But before she starts her life story, she calls at a funeral home and schedules her cremation – if she was always powerlessly moved around by life and men, at least she could have a choice when it comes to her own death.
What is interesting about this novel is that although it depicts extremely dramatic events, the narrator always succeeds to insert some funny comments regarding those situations and for the most part of the novel, this strange blend is working. The novel also has some passages that really have a cinematic feeling to them – I would really like to see a movie based on this book.
**** stars