A review by emlo
Is Mother Dead by Vigdis Hjorth

challenging 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

3.0

I liked the way the prose was set out, as a stream of consciousness, sometimes with only a line or short paragraph on each page. I found the novel quite a claustrophobic read and very sad. It is naturally very one-sided as you stay in Johanna's head as she tries to build a picture of who her Mum really is, patching together fragments from the past and impressions from the present. There is a line from the book "but what if the challenge is to reconcile yourself with the unresolved?" - it's beautifully observed.