Burial Rites
Kent, HannahIn the harsh and unforgiving landscape of Iceland, Agnes Magnusdottir faces a harsh and unforgiving future: In 1829 she is condemned to death for murder. Awaiting her execution day in the care of the District Officer and his family and with the spiritual counsel of a young assistant priest, Agnes' story of love and betrayal is revealed.
Based on actual events, this is a gripping suspenseful novel capturing the way of life in an unfamiliar society, well supported by material from the trial itself and delivered in a beautifully crafted story.
Comments from Groups
We all loved this book without exception. Although the story is depressing and dark, the writing is amazing, clever and lyrical. No surprise it has won so many awards. Napier 011 Compelling reading, very atmospheric and the fine detail gave such strong images of 1820s Iceland. Rotorua 002 It was a moving experience to read of these peoples' struggle for survival in such a harsh, bleak climate and time. At least there was a thread of human kindness and compassion running through it to save it from despair, and the story was beautifully wrought. Coromandel 002 Beautifully written but grim story. We loved the language Hannah Kent used, it was so original and fresh. Dunedin 005 Really interesting subject and setting. We had a great discussion. Highly recommended. New Plymouth 004 Very moving well written book. Ohope 002 Evocative and beautifully written. We suspect we will remember this book for a long time. Wanaka 013 An extraordinary first book for a young writer. We all thought Agnes such a strong and 'beautiful' woman. A tragic story. Wellington 041 Fabulous book - all members loved it- even though the story was bleak. The writing was superb and the setting intriguing. One of the best books we have read in BDS. Gisborne 005 Very cleverly written to depict the bleak people, scenery, living and weather, as well as the story the book was based on. Putaruru 001 Everyone enjoyed this book; we felt the author gave a fascinating and compelling insight into a harsh environment and way of llfe. We were amazed at the youth and nationality of the author, and that she could get so deeply into the lives of characters from a vastly different era and country. Highly recommended. Nelson 014 The group appreciated the descriptive writing; it evoked the atmospheric conditions to a point that we felt as if we were experiencing the harsh landscape. Powerful writing, and although a dark and disturbing subject, everyone was engaged with the story. Thames 005 This was a grim read - but brilliant! Some of the group could not face the inevitable conclusion. The descriptions of Icelandic life were fascinating and delightfully detailed. For a first book by such a young woman, this was outstanding. Recommended highly but best read in chunks, and not bedtime reading. Auckland 105 First rate read - all elements of story and description fitted superbly together - strong sense of place and people. Palmerston North 008 We found the book quite fearsomely bleak at the beginning, but the interaction of the characters overcame our feelings of revulsion at the discomfort and agony of Agnes. The depiction of the landscape, the way of life of the time, and the mores and political machinations were so well done, that we could easily visualise the life that people lived. Although so different a life from our own, the emotions and actions of the characters were quite consistent with those encountered today. Auckland 088
Pages
335
335
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
20-04-2023
Great book. A good story and a pleasure to read.
17-09-2021
Great book. Enjoyed by everyone. Prompting great discussions around the history of that time and how people lived, and how they ended up living in such a desolate harsh environment. Saw a great interview with Hannah Kent and were all surprised how young she was. Highly recommend!
12-03-2021
Some members wanted to rate this 5 stars. An interesting narrative about a country we knew little about. Quite a "dark" place and time in history but also very informative. Very well-written story for the author's first novel.
30-09-2020
Somber and overcast setting that draws the reader into the shadows of another time and place, complete with smells and habits which are both foreign and familiar. Discussion focused on death, mercy and love, and the majority gave it a solid 4 stars.
09-06-2020
Masterly, evocative writing. We loved the way she used words to bring things alive, and to show compassion and empathy in her characters. This somewhat redeemed the bleakness of the story.
26-03-2020
A real page turner with terrific writing and research but some found it a bit dark and grim.
08-10-2019
This story was grim and bleak and very detailed and well written. Humanity and human redemption figures in it strongly. It is very well written. Some found it hard that it was a true story yet fiction. So interesting to see how people survived in those hard times. The limited role for poor women was very chilling.
28-03-2019
Everyone enjoyed the writing and felt it drew the reader into the story, although some found it was a bit "dark". We recognized that a huge amount of research had been done to enable the story to be told and it certainly improved everyone's understanding of Icelandic history to a degree. A very good discussion followed.
20-03-2019
We all rated this book highly and thought it was beautifully written. The back story and interpretation of Agnes' life stimulated much discussion. Highly recommend.
28-01-2019
We were in total agreement about the merits of this amazing first novel by Hannah Kent! We appreciated the writing, the account of Agnes's tragic life, and the enduring image we gained of life in Iceland at that time.
28-01-2019
An excellent read. Moody and atmospheric. Great character development.
28-01-2019
This book was enjoyed by 6 of us, one member found the emphasis on death disturbing (even though that was the focus of the book) another found it depressing due to the lack of love and affection. Great discussion!
28-01-2019
We all enjoyed this well-written book. Some found it gloomy in parts, but given the storyline, to be expected.
28-01-2019
We loved 'Burial Rites'. The writing is superb; the research seamlessly underpinning the story, unbelievable that this is the work of (then) such a young writer. The landscape becomes a strong force, even a character; the gradual thawing of the ice and the attitudes toward Agnes mirror each other. Hannah Kent's 2nd book recommended also - 'The Good People'.
28-01-2019
Generally well received by our group with the Icelandic location being a strong point of interest. Some of the action a little over played in relation to the grim climate and living conditions.
28-01-2019
Although not an "easy" read the book was tightly written, very informative, well edited and very unusual. Recommended.
28-01-2019
A book that generated great discussion and most of the group finished it! Quite difficult content but beautifully written.
17-07-2018
A few people couldn't get past the dreariness of the beginning of the book, but those of us who persevered were glad we did. It was intriguing to learn about Iceland in the 1800s and it seemed like a very realistic re-imagining of a true story.