We had fun this month with Burial Rites, the debut novel from Australian writer, Hannah Kent, about a woman, Agnes Magnusdottir, who was beheaded for murder in Iceland in 1830.
The lively discussion at our meeting on 3 August included mention of our admiration for Kent's clear lyrical prose and the way the author has blended historical documents from the period in the narrative as well as some of the 19th century style of speech. We talked about our fascination with the descriptions of the bleakness of the Icelandic landscape and the details of the harsh life there in the 19th century, particularly for those on the lowest rungs of society.
The descriptions which impressed us are weaved throughout the story: the fact that the poorer people’s houses were little more than mud and daub which did little to keep out the weather (a sheep’s bladder stretched across a window opening did for a window); the fact that a person who died couldn’t be buried for months because of the frozen ground and that at the point of starvation people could be forced to eat tallow candles or boil up the leather of their shoes. While the book is fiction it struck members these details were well researched and convincing.
Members were sympathetic with the main character and her story from the margins of history, although one member queried its veracity since the narrative could not be confirmed by other witnesses. The claustrophobia of the social life - people crowded into living spaces and knowing everyone else’s business - and the fact that as a landless, illegitimate and penniless servant you had to gain permission from a series of masters for any decision was also mentioned. A few times the novel did slip into gothic romance with plenty of ravens, signs and portents, and brooding, taciturn male characters, which was satisfying for those of us who are fans of novels like Wuthering Heights. Cold Comfort Farm also sprang to mind for one member.
For those who are now inspired to read the Icelandic Sagas there is an online resource dedicated to their digital publication: sagadb.org.
Hannah Kent was the subject of an Australian Story episode (No More than a Ghost) in 2013 for those who want to know more about her. The program and a transcript are on the ABC website. She is also appearing at Lourdes Hill College on Monday 17 October for Riverbend Books to publicise her new book, The Good People.
Happy reading!
Are you already in a bookclub?
You may feel that you cannot commit to another bookclub because you are already a member of one (or two!)
We’d still love you to join us just as a Newsletter subscriber. We’d love to hear what other bookclubs are reading and what you think are the pick of the titles that we must read!
In the same way, we hope you will take away from our reviews some pearlers to share with your regular club.
