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The Glass Woman

£9.9£99Clearance
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KK: The synopsis was quite intriguing for sure. I don’t go out of my way to find reads about different cultures and when you mentioned this, I was convinced it was a great learning opportunity about the Icelandic people. Witches have not featured in my reading list much either though I enjoyed The Furies immensely last year. It was a spooky read.

She loved reading and writing, she loved the old sagas, but her mother had warned her that her husband would not approve of any of that, and so she wrote only a little and hid her writing very carefully. A book that is very well written throughout but with a plot that fails to truly ignite despite lots of initial promise. Intensely written and atmospheric, with an unusual setting, this is a stark evocation of a community where fear of the outsider is rife and unsettling.' - Daily Mail But such moments of savage contentment are as fleeting as the reflection of the swelling moon blinking upon the surface of the sea. Only ever minutes old, they dissolve with a passing cloud, or a gust of wind. It seems as it goes in circles and even if something new happens, it just adds to the annoying mystery and not progression the plot. There is also no character development besides the constant reminder that she must be obedient. I was hoping that her love for reading and writing would come through in this story, but that’s not the case.SD: I certainly think the dynamics of Rosa’s marriage reflects the time period in which this book is set, although the constraints are still quite extreme. I must admit that I really not sure yet about what the connection to the glass woman might be. Jon was the one who gave it to her, so perhaps there is a story associated with it? Norwegian novelist Jacobsen folds a quietly powerful coming-of-age story into a rendition of daily life on one of Norway’s rural islands a hundred years ago in a novel that was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize. Filled with Icelandic saga references and superstitions, this is a story that I found bewitching. The beginning was a bit difficult for me to adjust to with the use of old language, but I could not stop reading. This novel kept me engaged throughout. I was constantly trying to figure out how did Jon’s first wife die? How did he kill her, or did he have someone else do it? What are the mysterious noises in his croft? Will Rosa be safe, or will she run, or will the marriage grow into love? What about her and Pall? Is Petur to be trusted?

This book provided a classic example of a plot which did not quite match the quality of the writing. A highly suspenseful read that carried a haunting sense of atmosphere throughout courtesy of a unique and treacherous setting, the story initially presented a series of fascinating mysteries only to become increasingly convoluted as the end grew nearer. Furthermore, the concept of witchcraft was not explored in enough depth, although I really liked how the book used inspiration from the ancient Sagas to give it a very distinct feel. The historical context was very well realised, creating an interesting and informative portrayal of seventeenth century Iceland. Overall, this is a book that laid impressive foundations with fabulous writing and an extremely tense and claustrophobic atmosphere, as well as a succession of clues that pointed towards an intriguing mystery. However, it became weighed down by a plot that gradually became more convoluted, and as such the ending was something of a letdown. DISCUSSION The darkness is smothering, but I can hear the inhalations of the waves and smell the salt. The sea has been present all of my days, like lifeblood. (c) Weird noise keeps Rósa awake at night and she is convinced that there are dark spirits at play in the settlement. With an unsupportive husband who is very commanding and the feeling of dread hanging over her, could Rósa’s life be in danger?, and can she solve the mystery of what happened to Jón’s first wife, the wife he refuses to talk about?The Glass Woman is melancholy and heart breaking, a tale to fall into, it is unpredictable and so so good. Loved it.

Meanwhile, she also suspects Jon over the death of his first wife Anna, who was apparently buried in secret. The mystery of what happened to Anna leaves Rosa constantly perturbed by doubt, as Jon refuses to discuss the matter and gossip reigns across the village. There is also talk of witchcraft, at a time where women being able to read and write was seen as irregular. While the ending was fitting to an extent, it did not fulfil the promise of the early part of the book. It is hard to pinpoint where exactly things began to go wrong, but as the two storylines converged the story lost its fluidity, and the answers to the mysteries were not as breathtaking as I hoped or anticipated. The glass woman itself is actually fairly irrelevant to plot, instead playing more of a symbolic role. Some aspects of the plot were similar to The Miniaturist.A young woman caught in a loveless marriage faces dangers real and imagined in 17th-century Iceland…. A haunting novel delivers chills… amplifying the impact of both an alluring but hostile landscape and a closed society on a vulnerable young woman.”— Kirkus Memorable and compelling. A novel about what haunts us—and what should.”— Sarah Moss, author of Ghost Wall

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