”They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from men, and now they must steal mine.”



I seem to have a talent to choose books with interesting opening lines and this one is no exception to the rule. Regardless of the intriguing start the most important question is always the following though: Was this as “exceptional” and “brilliant” as everyone claims it to be? Well, the answer is “yes” and “no”. If you’re looking for a fast-paced historical fiction you most certainly chose the wrong

”Tóti,” she said in a panicked voice. “Tóti, I don’t think I’m ready. I don’t think they can do it. Can you make them wait? They have to wait.”

Tóti pulled Agnes closer to him and squeezed her hand.

“I won’t let go of you. God is all around us, Agnes. I won’t ever let go.”



I had a severe “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Passion of Christ” déjà vu here and it killed me!!! That ending!!! ARGH!!! Poor Agnes! The entire family and Tóti knew the truth, yet they could do nothing to save her. But they did what they could do. They dressed her properly and gave her the honour of their company, they stood by her side when she had to leave and this act of humanity ... I can’t even... T_T *sobs again* I had a severe “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Passion of Christ” déjà vu here and it killed me!!! That ending!!! ARGH!!! Poor Agnes! The entire family and Tóti knew the truth, yet they could do nothing to save her. But they did what they could do. They dressed her properly and gave her the honour of their company, they stood by her side when she had to leave and this act of humanity ... I can’t even... T_T *sobs again* (hide spoiler)

I seem to have a talent to choose books with interesting opening lines and this one is no exception to the rule. Regardless of the intriguing start the most important question is always the following though: Was this as “exceptional” and “brilliant” as everyone claims it to be? Well, the answer is “yes” and “no”. If you’re looking for a fast-paced historical fiction you most certainly chose the wrong book. Nothing aboutis even moderately suspenseful or thrilling. This book is no “whodunit” with lots of action, it’s a slow and steady story about a woman convicted for murder.In my opinion this doesn’t make it a bad book though! Quite the contrary! Agnes’s story might have started out slowly but the longer you read, the more you get captivated by it. At first I just read it and went with the flow enjoying all the details about life on Iceland in 1829. It’s obvious the people who lived there (and probably also those who still live there) had a tough life and I could feel the cold creeping up on me whenever I picked up the book in order to continue with Agnes’s story. You can say what you want but I think Hannah Kent did a great job at capturing the soul and atmosphere of Iceland.Her writing style is beautiful and it fits the pacing of the book more than just perfectly. I loved how this didn’t just give us a glimpse at life on an island like Iceland but also taught us about the culture and habits of the people who live there. About their beliefs and the gossip that spreads like the flu in winter. I suppose in some ways life on an island is similar to life in a small town. Everyone knows everybody and rumours become common knowledge before you even know they exist.It was those rumours that were Agnes’s downfall and once she had a certain reputation people didn’t bother to get to know her properly. I mean even the family that had to take care of her until her execution only saw her as a criminal they had to house. Except for Tóti, the Reverend, only Magret and Steina showed some compassion and a will to hear Agnes’s version of the story. Lauga flat out refused to even acknowledge her existence and Jon mostly saw her as a means to an end. As for everyone else: The hands at their farm didn’t want to have anything to do with her and Blöndal the person who was in charge of her life did nothing to save it.I swear, I hated him so much for treating Agnes like an animal and not even seeing her as a human being. He should have asked more questions, he should have listened to Agnes instead of brushing her off. That poor girl, no one wanted to listen to what she had to say and she was too devastated to be able to voice her story, at least at first. Chapter by chapter we find out the truth about what happened at Ilugastadir and it’s a sad truth that casts a negative light on Agnes’s former employer and the judicial system of Iceland.Natan was a very complex character and I think he kind of played every person he ever knew. He seemed to be a really egoistic person and even though I know that both, Agnes and Sigga, were sort of in love with him I still think he didn’t deserve them. He was a bad man and even though he didn’t deserve to die the way he did, there is no denying that he was partly responsible for his own end. Natan was a charming bastard, if I ever saw one and poor Anges fell into his trap.Of course this story is fictional and we’ll never know if the version Hannah Kent told us might have been the truth. The author held closely to the official documentation of the events and carefully wove them into her book though, and she did it so realistically that you have no trouble believing this could be the actual truth. ;-) The mean thing about this book is that it develops so slowly. You start to read it and continue and the more you read the more you want to know. You go with the flow and before you even know it you’re so invested in Agnes’s story that the ending destroys you. There is an entire book preparing the MC for her death and yet the reader isn’t prepared when it hits her/him like a brick! I won’t lie, I cried my eyes out because dang this hurt!!! T_T It was so heart-breaking, gut-wrenching and sickening! >_