Burial Rites
the breathtaking historical Icelandic crime thriller
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Burial Rites
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Morven Christie
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By:
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Hannah Kent
About this listen
BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick!
Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who is charged with the brutal murder of her former master.
Inspired by a true story, Burial Rites is perfect for fans of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
- The Women's Prize for Fiction Shortlist
- The Guardian First Book Award Shortlist
- The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards Shortlist
Iceland, 1829 – Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the murder of her lover.
Agnes is sent to wait out her final months on the farm of district officer Jón Jónsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderer in their midst, the family avoid contact with Agnes. Only Tóti, the young assistant priest appointed Agnes’s spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her. As the year progresses and the hardships of rural life force the household to work side by side, Agnes’s story begins to emerge and with it the family’s terrible realization that all is not as they had assumed.
Based on actual events, Burial Rites is an astonishing and moving novel about the truths we claim to know and the ways in which we interpret what we’re told. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland’s formidable landscape, in which every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?
'Outstanding' – Madeline Miller
'Sublime' – Sunday Telegraph
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Critic reviews
If you could sum up Burial Rites in three words, what would they be?
Moving, atmospheric, haunting and beautifully readWhat other book might you compare Burial Rites to, and why?
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This had the same feel of impending doom and inevitability seen through the eyes of the subject.Have you listened to any of Morven Christie’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No, but I will look for her narrations in future, her voice perfectly captured the dark bleak Icelandic existance 200 years ago.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Definitely.Any additional comments?
The way the story and the ambiguous character of Agnes unfurled was gripping despite knowing the ultimate outcome. As the listener I was shocked and moved by the harrowing conditions both the Icelandic farmers and servants existed under.The epilogue and authors notes were useful and informative, perhaps raising more questions than answers.A stunning story beautifully read
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Any additional comments?
Burial Rites is a beautifully and sensitively written and told story based in historical fact. The author has woven a magical atmosphere that allows the listener to completely immerse themselves in the lives of the characters and the settings in which they experience their difficult lives.Agnes' character is carefully and sympathetically crafted and unfolds gradually as the story progresses, always leading the listener further and further into her tale. Alongside this, there is the simple, loyal and honest Steiner who I would like to get know better, and her sister Leica who doesn't seem to me to be the beauty that she is described as.
Morven Christie's narration is a tad too slow for my liking, but her softly spoken manner matches the nature of the narrative perfectly. This is the first of her narrations that I have had the pleasure of listening to and I found her voice to be soothing despite the sometimes difficult material - a combination of narrator and story which together create an almost daydream like experience.
A moving and well-woven story
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The details of the crime are gradually revealed: this is not a fast-paced narrative, instead it is a beautifully written book full of the atmosphere of the country and the social attitudes of the time that kept, Agnes, a woman of spirit and talent in servitude. Much research has evidently gone into the book’s creation.
At the end of the recording their is an epilogue in which the author gives details of how she researched the material for the book and some of the background to the story. I would have found this material more useful at the start of the book as it would have helped in the understanding of what followed
The narrator adds to the pleasure with her sensitive rendition of the text.
Evocative and moving story
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Despite skipping quite a few passages, in an attempt to move things on, I found it an ordeal. Morven Christie is an excellent narrator and I take my hat to her for being so fluent with all those long Icelandic names ...but, Lord it's a dreary tale.
Hard going
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Would you consider the audio edition of Burial Rites to be better than the print version?
I've never read the book but the audio version was excellent.What was one of the most memorable moments of Burial Rites?
I think the end. It was so moving and I kept saying to myself please don't behead her let her live----Have you listened to any of Morven Christie’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No but I think this one is so good I would pick a book just to listen to her voice.Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I did a lot of crying.Any additional comments?
This is a very sad book but so well written it was well worth listening to and I will keep it in my library to listen to again next year.Wow what a book and based on a true story!!
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