Read Runners discussion

A 'different' setting - both geographically and chronologically, rave reviews about lyrical writing, and lots of awards - looks like this book might be worthy of reading by our community.

"Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. "

Let's read and discuss our thoughts about the story, the characters, and whatever unfolds in this promising tale.

YAYYY.. :D :D

Just started reading this book. Finished the first chapter and I must say that it has a stark beginning, which is pretty interesting.

And if you thought Russian books have confusing names, do read this one.. It takes time to get the Scandinavian ones :P :P.. Although the author has very nicely given an explanation for the names in the beginning of the book.

Lots of questions rolling in my mind right now and I hope others who have voted for this as a BOTM do join me in reading it so that we can have a good discussion.

There is a variety of subjects that this book has touched upon, which will make for a good discussion, especially in terms of its relevance in our lives today.

Scandinavian names are tough indeed. In fact, I bookmarked the pronounciation guide at the beginning of the book to refer back to, because I'm going to need it!

But interestingly, the author is from Australia. (view spoiler)[And she's pretty (hide spoiler)]

Would be interesting to read through the book to see if it matches up to the few Scandinavian books I've read. :)

I agree names are very tough in this book. So far pace of the book is slow but story is interesting.

I only read a few pages so far. I'm totally sucked into another book right now but I promise to read this book. :) Will read it soon but steampunk totally takes first priority to me right now :P

Amazing beginning...intriguing central storyline...little disappointed with the end...(view spoiler)[I don't consider love triangles to be a good enough reason for murder and Why did they have to kill her so suddenly :-| :-| (hide spoiler)]

Well thought characters...*or I should say researched* And regarding the names, I kind of ignored them and adopted some similar names for my own ease...

Any thoughts??

@Luks - Am yet to finish it. Hope to finish it today and then I will view your spoiler and we can discuss it. Okay?

Just keep them in spoilers. I have yet to read it. I'm still on my steampunk book. I wasn't able to read at all today. I just arrived home and now I plan on finished the last half of the Steampunk book and some of this one. :)

Hoping I will finish today as well. Good to see such levels of participation for our BOTM. :)

Done Rachel :) Will keep them in spoilers..:)

Sharad wrote: "Amazing beginning...intriguing central storyline...little disappointed with the end...[spoilers removed]

Well thought characters...*or I should say researched* And regarding the names, I kind of i..."

about names I'm also reading only first names. Their surnames are so tough.

Agnes and Margaret are my favorite characters so far. I am very eager to know more about Agnes's past and hope it'll be very interesting considering the mystery that the author has created around her character.

as for Margaret, I am liking her role. She is putting so much effort in being habitual to Agnes's presence in her home.

What about our Reverend madam??

Sharad wrote: "What about our Reverend madam??"

he isn't saying much. He is quite type fir now. Don't know if he is going to be like this throughout the book or he'll say something. But Reverend's duty is to listen and then say the right words. Toti is still trying to know Agnes. What she is like? What happened to her? The circumstances and all?

and just like Toti I am also waiting for answers to all these questions.

Thoughts:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Page 39,
(view spoiler)["Do you know the right name for a flock of ravens?"

Toti shook his head.

"A conspriracy, Reverend. A conspiracy." (hide spoiler)]

Nice.

I finished the book. What an amazing job Kent did with the atmosphere of the book.

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "I finished the book. What an amazing job Kent did with the atmosphere of the book."

+1..Agreed to that... :P

I am finding this very grim and full of sorrow.:/

I love the book. It reminds of one of my all time favorite bands Joy Division, especially their songs 'Atmosphere' and 'Shadowplay'. They are a true punk band for those youngins out there. ;)

I had to listen to the songs right after reading the book.

Loved the book too. I like how the hostile weather reflects the hostile attitudes of the people as well.

And yes, like I've been saying, the voice of Agnes is hauntingly beautiful. And what makes it even better is the (view spoiler)[ambivalent tone of the book and how it does not really side with or against Agnes. As a reader, I was constantly torn between thinking her guilty and innocent. (hide spoiler)]

Detailed review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Just finished this.

(view spoiler)[I loved the understanding that developed between Agnes and Margaret in the later parts of the book. (hide spoiler)]

Am on page 75. It's the kind of book I live -dark, grim, with strong females and (afew) sympathetic males. I love visiting other countries (mind travel via books) and this is my first time in Iceland.

Finally finished the book.. my mind is still reeling with the after effects. Will definitely write a detailed review and add some discussion points here later.

Am at 60%.So far enjoying it immensely. Poor Agnes. Life is indeed harsh to some.

PSmith wrote: "Am at 60%.So far enjoying it immensely. Poor Agnes. Life is indeed harsh to some."

Well written, isn't it Smitha? And harsh indeed!

Yes, very well written. Enjoyed it thoroughly, though 'enjoyed' is not very apt to describe the sensation of reading a grim, harsh story, especially when it is based on true events. I really pitied Agnes, but was in awe of her too. Magret was my other favourite. Many thoughts regarding this book crowding my brain. will leisurely put those forth in a day or two.
I do want to watch this in movie form because that's the only way I will get a chance to see Iceland though I have formed a mental impression of it.

Agnes is a fighter. Major fighter but she had to be in order to survive. If she wasn't a fighter then these events wouldn't have happened. The world isn't fair, especially in patriarchal societies--women, children, and those that don't fit the standards.

Sharad wrote: "Amazing beginning...intriguing central storyline...little disappointed with the end...[spoilers removed]

Well thought characters...*or I should say researched* And regarding the names, I kind of i..."

(view spoiler)[
But why did Agnes have to finish off killing Natan? She could have distanced herself. Its not that she had the intent to murder. Her only reason was that he die without suffering too much.
And why did Fridrik and Sigga keep quiet? Admitted Fridrik was the primary killer, and did not have much in the form of morals, and he would have been glad to share the blame. But if Sigga and Agnes had united, they could have escaped scott free. They did not have a primary role in murdering of Natan and Petur. They were more like helpless bystanders. What was Daniel doing at that time? they could have called him for help when they found that Fridrik was in a lousy mood.
I feel Agnes acted stupidly in sharing the blame. She could have fought (verbally) for her rights. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Agnes would have never have lived. Not in the patriarchal society. During that time she had no rights. Even if she did say way she ended the suffering of Natan they wouldn't care, only that she did it. She did something that Fridrik that coward couldn't finish. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I believe the ending truly befitted the story and any other ending would have been a fairy tale and not the truth. As Rachel rightly said, it was a patriarchal society, one where women had no rights. I believe we still live in those times to a great extent even today. Prejudices were rampant and it could be seen throughout the narration. For instance, Agnes could read well and looked for better opportunities in life was easily translated into her being someone with loose morals and worse proud.

I guess in those days women were not allowed to rise above their position. Why then, even today we see examples of such prejudices, where a woman achiever is often thought of having used 'her charms' to get to that position. Under these circumstances, can we really find fault with Agnes for not doing anything or even crying out loud in protest? Moreover, I agree with Rachel again when she says that it wouldn't have really mattered what Agnes said, given that the prejudices were heaped against her right from the beginning. I think she was doomed right from start and when she met Natan, it just started her own personal downfall.

Sigga, according to me, was a child and therefore would not have been taken seriously. Given the enormity of prejudices against Agnes (I know I am being repetitive here, please bear with me), it is obvious that even if Sigga had tried to say something in her favour, she would have been silenced by others, who would have thought that she was under the influence of Agnes (who was accused of black magic and other such stuff already)..so I doubt Sigga could have helped. Although, I would have felt better if there was some fact or evidence that showed that Sigga had tried..but then I don't blame her, if she didn't for anyone in that position, given her age and those times, would have wanted to merely escape the penalty.

@Smitha - women had no rights at that time and therefore there was no way in which Agnes or any one else could have fought for their rights. Unfortunately, even today in certain areas it is still true. Women are being silenced, often the victims of similar prejudices, for no fault of theirs and can't do a thing against it. and if this is the case today, the book is about something that happened in the 1800s, when such a thought itself would have been blasphemous (hide spoiler)]

I know :(
Agnes is also portrayed as a brave woman. So I thought she could have done something.
Just that I wanted them to try at least. Toti, Jon etc.would have been sympathetic to their causes.

(view spoiler)[I don't think courage plays any role unfortunately. And by the time Toti or Jon or Margaret came to know the truth, it was already too late. And as I said, prejudice against Agnes was really high and also the fact that the government wanted to make her and Fridrik an example to others; under these circumstances, I doubt any pleas in Agnes' favour would have been heard or even accepted.

Also I believe more than courage, her limits of endurance were really high. I believe (and this is my personal opinion) that she never accepted the fact that she would die ultimately. Oh she did believe it when she was in prison but once with the Jonsson family and especially after she heard that Sigga had put in an appeal, she felt that truth would prevail and she would be given justice. If you remember, till the very end, she kept asking about a chance to appeal against her sentencing. Unfortunately that could not happen and the end was what it was.

It is a pity really and makes you wonder about how 'justice' oriented the law is. I kept asking myself question as I was reading and I believe that even today, we believe in simply following the law rather than providing true justice. Of course, I am not saying that justice is not delivered in every case but the odds of that happening in the favour of the under privileged are really low, even today. And these were the 1800s, where rights were available only to those with power and privilege. So, even if she had done something, I doubt the end would have been any different. Sorry for my bleak approach but I believe this is the unfortunate reality of those times and to a certain extent today as well! (hide spoiler)]

@Srividya, well summed up. What you say is relevant to all times.

Just a brief view of the Islandic beauty in the trialer of the book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e30u...

And a discussion with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wjCo...

Sri, I totally agree with you.

(view spoiler)[ Animals has more rights then women and children. Men owned the animals, women, and children. Even to this day in America animals still have more rights than children. My friend and I had this conversation a few days about this book and about special education. I told her about a book I read about, told the history of women and children's roles in our history. How abuse and poverty happened and how welfare was formed in the U.S. I know pretty bleak reading but it was totally information and worth it.

Agnes had her path of doom lined up as soon as she tried to speak up for herself, for those around her, and went against the norms of her society. During those times the further you were away from social norms the more dangerous you were. This put a target on her back. No matter what she did, they would make an example out of her or give labels like she's a crazy loon, or bad influence for girls and ladies to be around. This is why they wanted to get rid of her. It make an example. They did this to many women. The women that survived and with good prestige and respect were the women that followed the rules of the men. They played their role. (hide spoiler)]

Sharad, thanks for the book trailer. I watched it before reading the book. I normally do that to psych myself up before reading. :)

@Sharad, the trailer is good. Will watch the author interview later.

I finished reading this one and here are my list of discussion questions, if anybody's interested to discuss.

(view spoiler)[1. What did you think about the writing? Did you have any difficulty with the Icelandic names?

2. Why do you think Fridrik killed Petur?

3. What did you think of Natan's character?

4. Was the murders justified? Could there have been some other way out?

5. Did you think Agnes wanted Natan to die?

6. What do you reckon Natan asked Agnes right before she plunged the knife into his belly?

7. In the end, Lauga seemed to have a change of heart. What do you think provoked that?

8. What do you make of Agnes' conversation with Margret in the middle of the night, especially when she mentioned the 2 dying women part?

9. Do you think the entire family wanted Agnes to keep staying with them because they had all started to trust her?

10. What was your reaction when Lauga gave up her silver brooch when asked by her mother?

11. It has been mentioned that this was based on real events. Does it change what you feel about this book or Agnes' story in general?

12. Would you say Agnes was guilty or innocent?

13. Did you think Sigga deserved the pardon?

14. What did you think about Steina and Lauga and their contrasting reactions towards Agnes?

15. Do you think Reverend Toti fell in love with Agnes?

16. What did you feel about Margret and her changing demeanour towards Agnes in different stages of the book? (hide spoiler)]

Great questions, Shin! (Also, thanks for including them in the spoiler tags)

I'm trying to answer as many as I can, and would love to hear your responses too.

(view spoiler)[ 1. What did you think about the writing? Did you have any difficulty with the Icelandic names?

Not at all - but then, I watch a lot of football, and am used to Nordic names

2. Why do you think Fridrik killed Petur? jealousy?

3. What did you think of Natan's character? In one word, manipulative. I thought he was a maverick, but very self-centred and willing to use people to meet his own selfish ends

4. Was the murders justified? Could there have been some other way out?

5. Did you think Agnes wanted Natan to die? I think she did. And that's probably why she took the knife. (But, I could be wrong - this is one point I debated with myself, without reaching a reasonable answer.)

6. What do you reckon Natan asked Agnes right before she plunged the knife into his belly?

7. In the end, Lauga seemed to have a change of heart. What do you think provoked that?

8. What do you make of Agnes' conversation with Margret in the middle of the night, especially when she mentioned the 2 dying women part?

9. Do you think the entire family wanted Agnes to keep staying with them because they had all started to trust her?

10. What was your reaction when Lauga gave up her silver brooch when asked by her mother?

11. It has been mentioned that this was based on real events. Does it change what you feel about this book or Agnes' story in general? At a conscious level, probably not. But, maybe at a subconscious level. If a 'real' person gets a raw deal, I guess a reader would be much more sympathetic to him/her.

12. Would you say Agnes was guilty or innocent? I'd say she was innocent. She was persecuted only because she was a strong woman, one who was candid enough to speak her mind and ultimately, she paid the ultimate price for that misdemeanour.

13. Did you think Sigga deserved the pardon? No effing way! She got away just because she came across as a silly, simpering girl misled by the oh-so-devious Agnes

14. What did you think about Steina and Lauga and their contrasting reactions towards Agnes? Differing personalities, different attitudes, I guess

15. Do you think Reverend Toti fell in love with Agnes? Certainly. I don't think he was only doing his priestly duty. I think he certainly had more than platonic affection for Agnes.

16. What did you feel about Margret and her changing demeanour towards Agnes in different stages of the book?
That was the highlight of the book for me. I loved the way Hannah Kent shows the transition. Also, I like how Margret, despite her initial hostility to Agnes, still does some reasonably nice things for her
(hide spoiler)]

Thank you, Sumit. And thank you for answering some of the questions. I'll be posting mine soon. :)

Here are my answers.

(view spoiler)[1. What did you think about the writing? Did you have any difficulty with the Icelandic names?

The writing was lyrical. I loved how the environment was set and the narration was lucid and very easy to follow. Didn’t have much difficulty with the names. The system of naming was actually really interesting.

2. Why do you think Fridrik killed Petur?

It was probably sheer bad luck for Petur. Possibly Fridrik mistook him as Natan as he had not gone with a light that night.

3. What did you think of Natan's character?

I really despised him. He came across as a selfish, egotistical, manipulative and sadistic maniac. I hated the way he treated Agnes.

4. Was the murders justified? Could there have been some other way out?

Justified probably wasn’t the best word to use there. My bad. But I think Fridrik could very well have left with Sigga had he only wanted Sigga. But he stayed back only because not only did he want to marry Sigga but he also wanted Natan’s money. The entire episode could have been avoided had Fridrik just left with Sigga.

5. Did you think Agnes wanted Natan to die?

I don’t think she did. Despite what she went through, I think she still loved Natan and she didn’t want him dead.

6. What do you reckon Natan asked Agnes right before she plunged the knife into his belly?

Here, I thought Agnes had taken up the knife because Natan had probably asked her to rid him of the pain he was going through. Being familiar with medicine, he was sure to know that his wound was fatal and he would die a slow, painful death. That’s why he probably told Agnes to spare him the pain.

7. In the end, Lauga seemed to have a change of heart. What do you think provoked that?

She had probably started to get used to Agnes and despite the way she treated Agnes, she still had a heart and would surely have gotten a shock on hearing about the execution date.

8. What do you make of Agnes' conversation with Margret in the middle of the night, especially when she mentioned the 2 dying women part?

Probably my favourite part of the book. This was a pivotal moment for both of them. They both knew they were doomed and that sort of brought them closer.

9. Do you think the entire family wanted Agnes to keep staying with them because they had all started to trust her?

I think they did start to trust her a little. They had also gotten used to her. By that time, Agnes has proven herself useful around the house and they had started to live like a family. It was a big shock for all the family members when Toti informed them about the execution date.

10. What was your reaction when Lauga gave up her silver brooch when asked by her mother?

I was surprised and happy she did that. It was the right thing to do and Lauga proved that she wasn’t as vengeful as she came across. Good on her!

11. It has been mentioned that this was based on real events. Does it change what you feel about this book or Agnes' story in general?

It does. To know that a real person got dealt with some really bad cards that made them a victim of circumstances, does affect the reader. I felt that Agnes was wronged and it wasn’t right. In some way, she was the victim here.

12. Would you say Agnes was guilty or innocent?

Innocent. A victim of circumstance, as I said. She only got the sentence because of her intelligence and her appearance. Most people would look at an accused man and see if he came across as smart. If he doesn’t, then he was manipulated into committing the crime. If he does, then oh! He’s the devil!

13. Did you think Sigga deserved the pardon?

Oh HELL NO! I actually think she was the one who manipulated Fridrik into committing the murder. She wasn’t exactly honest about the nature of Natan and her relationship. She only got the pardon because she looked like she couldn’t harm a fly. Absolutely unfair!

14. What did you think about Steina and Lauga and their contrasting reactions towards Agnes?

Steina was like a puppy following Agnes about. Lauga was extremely mean to her. I thought both of the reactions were a tad inappropriate. An understanding person, like Margret was what Agnes needed. Goes to say that both Steina and Lauga were extremely different individuals.

15. Do you think Reverend Toti fell in love with Agnes?

I’m sure he did. But he was still unsure about Agnes’ involvement in the murder. So somewhere he was scared of her too.

16. What did you feel about Margret and her changing demeanour towards Agnes in different stages of the book?

My favourite dynamic in the book. The only person in the house who was truly understanding and helpful towards Agnes was Margret. In the beginning she was hesitant about keeping her in the house but even then, she helped her clean up and gave her a sense of purpose in her last few days. She didn’t owe Agnes that. But she did it anyway. And I’m so happy to see the way Hannah Kent handled this relationship and the book in general. And I’m really, really glad I read this. (hide spoiler)]

hi indrani... where 've u come so far ?

Hey Deeps, so sorry to go silent on this one.

I started late yesterday and am around halfway mark now. I am enjoying this so much. I started to list what I am loving, but will save that for end to make this spoiler-free.

The poverty in Iceland surprised me. It shouldn't have as it is logical for a place that high up north. It's not only the servants but also the farmers. Also their way of living was pretty unique too. I was mentally comparing it American pioneers and felt that perhaps the pioneers were a tad luckier.

yeah! but i was surprised that the farmers there have servants too.. Interested to know more about the two sisters and how they interact with agnus.. and Jon too..

Deepika wrote: "yeah! but i was surprised that the farmers there have servants too.. Interested to know more about the two sisters and how they interact with agnus.. and Jon too.."

Yes. It gets interesting.

sorry I m being so slow :( was reading the cursed child in between... Where have u reached ?

@Deeps I couldn't resist it and finished it this evening. What a book! Mindblowing!

Till where you have reached?

no problem.. :) reached 40 % just now.. now more eager than ever to complete it ! we should do another proper BR again :)

Deepika wrote: "no problem.. :) reached 40 % just now.. now more eager than ever to complete it ! we should do another proper BR again :)"

Yes please Deepika.. let's do that..

Please keep commenting here as you progress.. I will happily join the discussion.