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abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Really enjoyed this chilling (literally), isolated tale of a woman’s escape from an abusive marriage into her work, a research trip by herself on a remote Norwegian peninsula, which sees her become entangled in the lives of the ghosts of the folks living there in the 19th century. I’ve also read The Looking Glass Sisters by Gabrielsen, which was equally good at using isolation and remote settings to create a fierce sense of unease.
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Tracking the migratory patterns of seabirds only consumes part of the narrator’s thoughts. In the Arctic, there are huge swathes of time to fill, plenty of time for less-than-welcome thoughts to ruminate. The narrator’s lover has promised to come out and spend time with her, but frustratingly keeps delaying their plans. This sends the narrator further into the arms of the ruthless atmosphere, the ghosts that reside there.
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Ankomst also provides a feminist perspective of a woman choosing her career over stay-at-home motherhood, a decision which receives a fair amount of backlash from the men in the book. She’s self-sufficient and pragmatic in the face of things (ex husbands, ghosts, ship captains with designs) that could threaten her.
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A good one for a winter’s night, translated seamlessly by Deborah Dawkin.
catlady_69's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
dialhforhgai's review against another edition
4.0
“There are so many answers. And so many questions that are never asked.”
srishtigupta's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This is a great read, quite skilfully navigates themes of isolation, loneliness, human vs nature, human vs self. The open ending at once frustrates you and makes you acknowledge its brilliance. And the ending is a perfect balance between leaving hints for the reader to take a guess at what happens and withholding what the author might have actually intended (if at all she intended anything concrete).
This is a great read, quite skilfully navigates themes of isolation, loneliness, human vs nature, human vs self. The open ending at once frustrates you and makes you acknowledge its brilliance. And the ending is a perfect balance between leaving hints for the reader to take a guess at what happens and withholding what the author might have actually intended (if at all she intended anything concrete).
ale_ire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carlaben's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
sokrates's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
spiritoflibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mikkareads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not much happens in this novel.
In the middle of the polar winter, a scientist moves into a barren hut in the Arctic to spend a few months observing the effects of climate change on migratory bird populations. Her lover is to come soon and spend this time with her.
A lot happens in this novel.
The author effectively describes how a woman finds herself in solitude and loses herself at the same time. Freedom becomes loneliness, air to breathe becomes claustrophobic madness. An intimate insight into an isolated living environment.
We watch the protagonist lose herself in her relationships. Marriage, motherhood, new love: she is looking for freedom, she is looking for fulfillment, but in the end she just trades one cage for the next. Where does she begin and end, what are her very own wishes and dreams, her self-sufficient personality?
In the Arctic, she is thrown back on herself. She waits and hopes, waits and doubts, waits and loses her footing. Reality is an increasingly unreal concept. She's a woman who finds it difficult to deal with loss of control - paranoia scratches at the doors, desperation and fear creep in.
Gøhril Gabrielsen writes in words as clear and cold as the arctic ice; one searches in vain for emotional exuberance or genuine warmth. But there is no lack of atmosphere, the style fits seamlessly into the setting - you can almost hear the ice cracking when the protagonist breaks apart piece by piece. It is impressive how the author uses the setting to depict contradictory themes and impressions: endless vastness and desperate loneliness, longed-for security and claustrophobic feelings of being locked in.
In the middle of the polar winter, a scientist moves into a barren hut in the Arctic to spend a few months observing the effects of climate change on migratory bird populations. Her lover is to come soon and spend this time with her.
A lot happens in this novel.
The author effectively describes how a woman finds herself in solitude and loses herself at the same time. Freedom becomes loneliness, air to breathe becomes claustrophobic madness. An intimate insight into an isolated living environment.
We watch the protagonist lose herself in her relationships. Marriage, motherhood, new love: she is looking for freedom, she is looking for fulfillment, but in the end she just trades one cage for the next. Where does she begin and end, what are her very own wishes and dreams, her self-sufficient personality?
In the Arctic, she is thrown back on herself. She waits and hopes, waits and doubts, waits and loses her footing. Reality is an increasingly unreal concept. She's a woman who finds it difficult to deal with loss of control - paranoia scratches at the doors, desperation and fear creep in.
Gøhril Gabrielsen writes in words as clear and cold as the arctic ice; one searches in vain for emotional exuberance or genuine warmth. But there is no lack of atmosphere, the style fits seamlessly into the setting - you can almost hear the ice cracking when the protagonist breaks apart piece by piece. It is impressive how the author uses the setting to depict contradictory themes and impressions: endless vastness and desperate loneliness, longed-for security and claustrophobic feelings of being locked in.