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bookpanther 's review for:
The Ice Palace
by Tarjei Vesaas
Rating: 3.5/5
In a rural Norwegian town, two 11 year old girls, Siss and Unn, spark up an intense connection. At their school, Siss is the most popular kid, while Unn actively keeps to herself in the shadows. Though the two rarely speak to each other at school, they become increasingly drawn to each other and one day decide to meet after school at Unn's house. There, they hang out for the first time ever and open up to each other in their own pure and awkward way. The next day, Unn, both excited and embarrassed about the previous day, skips school and takes refuge in "the Ice Palace," an enormous frozen waterfall, only to never be found again. The rest of the novel follows Siss and her journey through grief, loss, and acceptance. Like Unn, Siss holes herself up in an "Ice Palace" of her own making and we get to see if she can dismantle the walls or remain trapped.
The Ice Palace was such a perfectly atmospheric read and densely packed with metaphors (I ended up revisiting certain parts after my first read-through). I can't say it resonated with me on a personal level, but I could definitely appreciate it as its own form of art.
In a rural Norwegian town, two 11 year old girls, Siss and Unn, spark up an intense connection. At their school, Siss is the most popular kid, while Unn actively keeps to herself in the shadows. Though the two rarely speak to each other at school, they become increasingly drawn to each other and one day decide to meet after school at Unn's house. There, they hang out for the first time ever and open up to each other in their own pure and awkward way. The next day, Unn, both excited and embarrassed about the previous day, skips school and takes refuge in "the Ice Palace," an enormous frozen waterfall, only to never be found again. The rest of the novel follows Siss and her journey through grief, loss, and acceptance. Like Unn, Siss holes herself up in an "Ice Palace" of her own making and we get to see if she can dismantle the walls or remain trapped.
The Ice Palace was such a perfectly atmospheric read and densely packed with metaphors (I ended up revisiting certain parts after my first read-through). I can't say it resonated with me on a personal level, but I could definitely appreciate it as its own form of art.