Kristín Eiríksdóttir
Autor de A Fist or a Heart
Sobre El Autor
Obras de Kristín Eiríksdóttir
Tól (Icelandic Edition) 1 copia
Kjötbærinn 1 copia
Obras relacionadas
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
Miembros
Reseñas
Premios
También Puede Gustarte
Autores relacionados
Estadísticas
- Obras
- 9
- También por
- 2
- Miembros
- 34
- Popularidad
- #413,653
- Valoración
- 3.4
- Reseñas
- 5
- ISBNs
- 11
- Idiomas
- 2
The scant plot details of A Fist or A Heart (such as they are) are revealed slowly and tantalisingly. In this respect, I found the novel gripping and atmospheric. On the other hand, I cannot say I “loved” the book. My reservations were two.
The novel is built on a premise of ambiguity. It is quite clear, that Elín and Ellen are meant to be reflections of each other. Both are lonely, both had an upbringing with an ‘absent’ father, both had problematic relationships with their respective mothers. In a way, Ellen’s mother Lilya could be read as yet another aspect of one composite character. By the end of the book, however, the ambiguity is taken to extremes. As Elín becomes more and more confused, it’s not even clear whether what we’ve learnt about the (younger) Ellen or, for that matter, Elín herself, should be taken at face value. Has Elín made up everything? Is Ellen partly or completely the product of Elín’s imagination? These questions (and other, less important ones, which also remain unanswered) kept bothering me after I finished the book. I’m sure some would hold this in the book’s favour. I’m more conservative in that respect and prefer greater “closure”.
My second reservation, although less central to the novel, I found possibly more troubling. Throughout the book there are frequent references to violence and violent acts. Elín’s props are, more often than not, meant for some Nordic crime film or shocking play: the grisly list includes severed limbs, decaying corpses, scarred bodies, a doll to represent an abused minors. In what is quite a short book, there is also a chapter about quite a stomach-churning episode of sexual violence (no further details here to avoid ‘spoilers’) and a sub-plot involving an unlikely meeting with a serial killer. I’d like to think that I’m not a squeamish reader (I’ve read my share of horror stories), but I did feel that these unsavoury details were not essential to the novel.
Reservations aside, I am still pleased at the opportunity of discovering a new author in her English language debut, and (given it’s unlikely I will ever learn Icelandic) I will seek out translations of Kristín Eiríksdóttir’s other works once they – hopefully – become available.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-fist-or-a-heart-by-kristin-eiriksdo...… (más)