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A review by lattelibrarian
Woman at 1,000 Degrees by HallgrÃmur Helgason
5.0
Very rarely do I enjoy a man writing about a women's experiences (especially those involving rape), but Helgason does quite a formidable job. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't live through World War II, or that I'm not an Icelandic woman, but his voice was certainly refreshing. I mean, first of all, I can't remember the last time that I read a book about an elderly person. Maybe never? Second of all, Herra is blunt and brunt and rude. And that's something women rarely get to be, even in literature.
And, something I don't see as often is women living to their greatest potential. Herra did so much--and was forced to do so much--so it's completely understandable why she takes upon such a harsh tone through Helgason's writing. She falls in love multiple times, gets pregnant multiple times, is forced to flee multiple times--all while being accompanied by her father's hand grenade.
There's also some great passages about being a woman within this book that I so wish I had underlined. Like I said before, I was a little wary about this being written by a man, but wow. I think he understands how much and how often women sacrifice themselves in order to appease men (whether on a personal level or a political, global level).
Overall, this book was so incredibly enjoyable and interesting that I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend this to those who like fiction, biographies, and WWII literature.
Review cross-listed here!
And, something I don't see as often is women living to their greatest potential. Herra did so much--and was forced to do so much--so it's completely understandable why she takes upon such a harsh tone through Helgason's writing. She falls in love multiple times, gets pregnant multiple times, is forced to flee multiple times--all while being accompanied by her father's hand grenade.
There's also some great passages about being a woman within this book that I so wish I had underlined. Like I said before, I was a little wary about this being written by a man, but wow. I think he understands how much and how often women sacrifice themselves in order to appease men (whether on a personal level or a political, global level).
Overall, this book was so incredibly enjoyable and interesting that I had a hard time putting it down. I definitely recommend this to those who like fiction, biographies, and WWII literature.
Review cross-listed here!