Burial Rites cover art

Burial Rites

the breathtaking historical Icelandic crime thriller

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Burial Rites

By: Hannah Kent
Narrated by: Morven Christie
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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

 Biographical Fiction Crime Thrillers Genre Fiction Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction Murder Crime Polar Region Emotionally Gripping Exciting Heartfelt Tear-jerking

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Critic reviews

'A story of swirling sagas, poetry, bitterness, claustrophobia . . . through the long countdown towards Agnes's fate, it is Kent's heart-racing imagery that lingers . . . even the bleakness of Agnes's end, its gut-churning fear, holds an exhilaration that borders on the sublime.' Sunday Telegraph
‘A remarkable achievement . . . Burial Rites will stand comparison with Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace and Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang.’
One of the most gripping, intriguing and unique books I’ve read this year . . . A novel that bristles with beautiful description, that lays bare the harshness of women’s lives of the period and considers the nature of justice (Kate Mosse)
'So gripping I wanted to rush through the pages, but so beautifully written I wanted to linger over every sentence. Outstanding.' Madeline Miller, Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles
‘Gorgeous and haunting, Burial Rites will touch your heart.’ Charlotte Rogan, author of The Lifeboat
'The debut that everyone's talking about' Guardian
‘A debut of rare sophistication and beauty – a simple but moving story, meticulously researched and hauntingly told.’ Observer
'Startlingly vivid . . . This is a tormented tale of love and betrayal and divided loyalties recounted with heartfelt honesty . . . An exceptional debut.' Sunday Express
‘Hannah's rendering of Agnes Magnúsdóttir is as vivid and authentic as Mailer's Gary Gilmore . . . She has resurrected her heroine with grace and skill; her writing style is innately lyrical . . . An amazing book. I was completely engrossed all the way through, and heartbroken at its end.’ Donal Ryan, Man Booker longlisted author of The Spinning Heart
‘Haunting . . . startlingly vivid . . . This is a tormented tale of love and betrayal and divided loyalties recounted with heartfelt honesty . . . An exceptional debut.’ Eithne Farry, Sunday Express
'Remarkable . . . extraordinary . . . Burial Rites is thought-provoking and often deeply moving . . . Beautifully written, this is a novel that will draw you in and touch your heart. Agnes will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.' Daily Express
'This dark thriller from Hannah Kent is a must-read . . . Gripping.' Grazia
'Haunting and beautiful' Independent: 50 Best Beach Reads
'An intriguing scenario' Mail on Sunday
'A beautifully written and haunting story.' Kate Mosse, Mail on Sunday Event magazine
‘Burial Rites is beautiful and compelling . . . it's the announcement of a writer to watch.’ Guardian
'Kent is an Australian, but her beautiful first novel has the extraordinary setting of Iceland in the 1820s . . . a wonderfully strange and haunting story.' The Times
All stars
Most relevant

Would you consider the audio edition of Burial Rites to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but it made a good listen. The only drawback was trying to imagine how the Icelandic names and place-names look in print.

What other book might you compare Burial Rites to, and why?

Oddly, it's a bit like Wolf Hall. Shorter, less literary perhaps, but with the same strong characterisation based firmly in the historical context.

Any additional comments?

This is a terrific story, and the setting offers so many insights into the way that hard lives were lived in a frequently hostile environment. The tension builds slowly, until the final acts are almost unbearably sad. The development of the relationships between the convicted murderess and her 'hosts' is beautifully drawn. And the reading is great. Thanks.

A slow burner, but all the better for it

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Beautifully written book, which transports the reader into Iceland in 1830. The haunting description of the Icelandic lifestyle and the atmospheric writing weaves an intricate net around the reader. The enchanting half-darkness of the long winter fills you with the sense of impending doom and dread of what is to happen. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys beautiful language and a well written book.

Atmospheric and haunting

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I visited Iceland in September this year. I found this book captivating. The story, although historical fiction, was beautifully written and narrated. Having visited Iceland in the autumn it was fascinating to be taken through the workings and living conditions of the farms as they were then, and through all the seasons. I could relate to every word pertaining to the geology, the mountains, the valleys, the seas and the weather. This is a brilliant glimpse of Iceland in the nineteen hundreds, and indeed now.

Compelling

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Being honest, it took me a couple of false starts to get into this book but I am very, very glad I went back to it as I found it touching, insightful and incredibly well narrated.

The combination of authentic translated documents and first person narration alongside beautiful prose provided a unique sense of hearing the complete story.

Brilliant, though deeply melancholy.

A heartbreaking insight into this true story

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Beautifully written, rich in words, very sad and moving story. Very sad, but definitely worth reading. Highly recommended

Very moving and extremely nicely written

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