Agnes - understanding the human being

If Agnes were alive today she probably would have graduated from university and be pursuing a professional and fulfilling career. Instead she had the misfortune of being born into abject poverty two centuries ago and into a community of subsistence farmers forced to scratch a meager living from one of the bleakest environments on earth. The story begins when she is made to live with a family of farmers while awaiting execution for the murder of her lover, Natan.

This is a true story and anybody who knows the history will know the outcome of the tale. This novel however, kept me on the edge of my seat because as we all know, what actually happened rarely equates with the conclusions of the court. The author spins a credible tale of a woman who falls desparately in love with a charismatic but flawed man. Natan is intelligent and gifted and capable of doing great good in his community, but he is also manipulative and fond of toying with people to ultimately dangerous levels. This all develops into a heady story of passion and greed and the inevitable ending is truly shocking.

There are some dreadful characters in this tale but there are also people capable of great understanding and humanity despite their knowledge of the murders. This meant that there were aspects of the story that were uplifting despite the tragic subject matter. I had never heard of Agnes before and so am grateful to the author for bringing her fascinating story to life. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to read an intelligent dramatisation of an important piece of Icelandic history.

Morven Christie reads this beautifully. I could listen to her rendition of Icelandic poetry in the original language for hours.

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34 people found this helpful

Holmchappell

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a superb piece of writing; a profound and intriguing story, based on truth but so well told as fiction.

What did you like best about this story?

It excels in its authenticity, carefully drawn characters and Kent's exploration of a theme with real gravitas. It's clear she immersed herself in this tale and the gorgeous richness of her writing pulls us in with her.

Which character – as performed by Morven Christie – was your favourite?

All the characters are superbly fleshed out with deep and thoughtful insight.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a book that wraps itself around you and draws you into a world imagined in minute detail. I was there, throughout.

Any additional comments?

I listen to a lot of audio-books and I would lay money on this being in the five star listens for 2014. If it isn't, it's a FIX!

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14 people found this helpful

WHAT A BREATHTAKING JOURNEY I FEEL I'VE BEEN ON.

I've had this book in my library for a while, it was a recommendation from a friend, but for some reason I have only just got around to listening to it.
I could kick myself for wasting time!
It is one of the most well written and convincing stories I've heard and I feel as if I've lived it.
Morven Christie's narration was so sympathetic and well presented, it often felt as if she were in the room and I confess I had a little cry at the end :(

This book and its story will stay with me for a long time, I can't recommend it enough.

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very good book

the book is great. the story is very engaging, you live with the characters. in the beginning it took a bit to get used to the soft narration, but then you can't imagine this story being delivered in any other way. thank you!

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Absorbing

Got very caught up in this. It's amost hypnotic at times. Praps not the best choice if you are in low mood though.

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heart breaking story, loved the narration

loved this book, so well written and narrated perfectly. Could not stop listening! Really powerful and characters so well written.

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Recommended

Thought-provoking, melancholy, beautiful, bleak, transporting, poetic, heart-rending, soul-searching, fragile, chilling, tender, touching, wondering, sensitive, sympathetic.

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Captivating and haunting

Emotionally penetrating, wonderful use of language enhanced by the beautiful narration. Utterly captivating and haunting.

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Fascinating story, beautifully narrated.

An amazing story, based strongly on fact. The narrator had excellent Icelandic pronunciation and read what was a pretty harrowing account with a calmness that was almost mesmerizing. There was a slight lull in the middle where I thought it was going to get monotonous, but it soon picked up and the second half of the story was excellent. I was moved to tears as it neared its conclusion.

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Fascinating story

At first, I thought I would struggle to remember who was who, but very quickly the characters took shape and I was engrossed.

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