Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Title: Burial Rites
Author: Hannah Kent
Type: Novel
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: No
Pages: 322
Copyright: 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 
Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary: from Good Reads
A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829.

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

Riveting and rich with lyricism, BURIAL RITES evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Feelings: 
I thought This was an excellent debut novel by Hannah Kent. This is the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir who was accused of being a accessory to the murder of two men. It is a historical novel that draws on real events from 1829 rural Iceland. I enjoyed the historical setting of this novel. It is not an easy read as you know from the first what the inevitable ending will be. Knowing from the start made the conclusion no less devastating that it would have been going into it  not knowing. 

Kent uses interesting point of view switches. Agnes is in first person however the story is told, also, from the point of view of the family she is staying with and Reverend Tóti. I did find the switches a little bit hard to follow sometimes for the first sentence or so. The switches changed in the middle of chapters with only paragraph hard breaks. I was a little bit bothered by the changes at times but it did work.

Sometimes I think I see it again, the farm, burning in the dark. Sometimes I can feel the ache of winter in my lungs, and I think I see the flames mirrored in the ocean, the water so strange, so flickered with light. There was a moment during that night when I looked back. I looked back to watch the fire, and if I licked my skin I can still taste the salt. The smoke. (p. 3)

This from the prologue shows the quality of the writing and the haunting quality of the narration from Agnes's point of view. It also begins to give a feeling for the landscape and the cold. In opposition to this is the third person narrative that also reflects the desolation of the landscape and characters.

It had been a particularly vivid bruise upon her chin that had disturbed him the most. A ripe, yellow color, like dried egg yolk. ... There are so many ways a person might take harm, Tóti thought. (p. 49)

This after Tóti sees Agnes arrive at Kornsá and he talks to her briefly as her spiritual adviser.

Kornsá were most of the novel takes place, a farmstead that has seen better days. Agnes lived on the same farm as child and coming back is hard for her. Viewed as a murderess by everyone it is hard to have compassion for Agnes but I think this book portrays her in a way allows the reader to feel for her. Did the actual events follow exactly the book, who is to really say, but this is a possible interpretation of events that lead up to the last execution in Iceland.

The character growth and development made the book enjoyable. Even though it is a devastating ending I really enjoyed the book. The setting is a huge part of what makes the characters and I thought that reading a book set in Iceland gave me a bit of a glimpse into what life is like there. Hard and cold.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. The setting is outside of your typical European or American setting but I think that made the book better. This is an amazing first novel by Hannah Kent.