Burial Rites - Hannah Kent Q&A

A wonderful gripping, enthralling and mesmerising read with the descriptions of rural living in those days in Iceland forcing me to turn up the heating. As others have mentioned the way Agnes' last few days are portrayed is a very moving piece of writing.
Do you think a man in the same circumstances that befell Agnes - abandonment, poverty and perceived loose morals - would have suffered the same fate as she did.
Has there ever been a move in Iceland to have Agnes pardoned posthumously or at least have the circumstances surrounding the killings looked at again?
Many thanks for my copy of the book. I will certainly look out for your next.

Thank you so much for the book...for a debut novel it's been a tremendous success. I will certainly recommend it.
Looking at the passages where Agnes is telling Margret about Nathan's murder ( Pages 294 - 303 )....my question is :-
Did you find any evidence to suggest that this is how Agnes was involved ?
Or was it just pure speculation...or wishful thinking on your part ?

Thank you for my book I am just over half way now and really enjoying it

In my local area the author Hannah Kent is coming to give a presentation of her book and I have booked a ticket to go and see her (cant wait), and I think my book club will take the book for one of our discussions sometime during the summer

So once again thank you

I'm a bit late starting to read this book and must admit it has taken me two attempts to get going! however from previous comments it sounds like i should perservere with it.
It's not quite what i expected - not helped by me misreading that it was set in Northen Ireland not Iceland!

What an interesting and challenging book! I knew little of Iceland except for looking at people's holiday photos, and thought I wouldn't be grabbed by the story as it was turning out to be so dismal - how wrong could I be? I read it in three evenings and was gripped by Agnes' story. The level of deprivation the families endured was harrowing, yet they were expected to bring a convicted murderess into their home for all those months. What a strange idea!

I'd like to ask Hannah - how did you build Natan's character? I felt myself ranging between feeling sorry for him and disliking him for how he treated others. The way he met his end was horrific, but I got the impression Agnes was trying to 'help' him. What a complex story, but it did bring out the twists and turns that can result in a violent offence as those involved feel increasingly emotional and aggrieved. Is there another novel in the pipeline?

Thanks so much for the book. As others have said, it took a bit of getting into, but ultimately was a most rewarding read. We cannot imagine living such basic lives as these crofters lived - everyone sleeping together in the same room. The severely cold weather comes across very well too. A very uncomfortable read but well done Hannah, particularly for all the research you did on these characters to ensure your story was as accurate as possible.

Thank you for sending me a copy of Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.
I found the story riveting, and an unusual story that I have not seen told before. It must have taken a lot of research to produce such a brilliant novel, and I hope she continues to impress.
The book tells much of the story through Agnes, and those around her, initially alienated from her, but slowly warming to her and her story.
So is she killed in the end, I couldn't possibly say!

I would like to ask how Hannah decided on the title for the book?
The title rather put me off the book, but I am so glad I read it, although not my usual genre. The story was absorbing, & I found myself transported there, almost feeling the cold. I grew to like Agnes, and could feel the turmoil she suffered as her story unfolded. My hope was for a happy ending, but it certainly was a dramatic one that kept me engrossed. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the book.

Thank you for my copy. I took it to read on holiday and found it a very interesting and thoughtful book.

Gosh - I struggled at the beginning and didn't think I was going to get on with this book at all. I perservered, got hooked and finished it this afternoon, struggling to read the last pages through my tears. A brilliant read - different! I read a lot of Nordic crime (girl with tattoo hooked me) but this was a real departure from the norm. Brilliantly researched and splendid portrayal of the characters and landscape. I shall pass it on to my book hungry friend to enjoy too.

This book has gone down very well, hasn`t it?

I've only just started it, but it looks very promising so far! Thank you for it.

My questions for Hannah

Hi Hannah, thanks for qgreeing to do this for Gransnet and thankd for writing such a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it, especially your thoughts on the writing process at the end of my copy.

I have two questions

How did a student in Austrailia end up on an exchange in Iceland?

I found the latter part of the book after Agnes has learned that she has six days left to live up to the very end at the excecution very harrowing reading, I had to keep stopping to gather myself together. It is a very good piece of writing indeed and I wondered if it was as difficult to write as it was to read or were you able to distance yourself from what was happening to her whilst you got on with the job of finishing the book?

Many thanks

Jennifer Lawrence has been cast as Agnes in the film.

I have just finished this book...it was certainly an experience..so powerful,intriguing and haunting..I can see why it won a prize..it was so very well written I didn't want to put it down. Also liked the chapters after the end of the story it gave an insight to the story and writer. I would never have bought this book as it wsn't the sort of theme I read but I am certainly richer for the experience many thanks.
I would like to thank the author too and ask if she thinks it would ever be made into a film or a tv programe? Also does she know how the 2 females Agnus and Sigga didn't get pregnant did they use some sort of herbs in those days?

It was exciting to receive the book, thank you, and even more to read it!
I am half way through it and will send questions in a few days time. I would like to see what these croft farms looked like inside...

Thank you for the book, have just finished it.

Not my usual genre, I read mostly crime thrillers and biographies but do have an interest in 19th century history.

I found I could picture the people and the landscape well through Hannah's writing and could see similarities in the lifestyle to crofters in the Highlands of Scotland at the same time although having a condemned criminal boarded with a family seemed odd!

I liked the way the story unfolded and was empathetic to Agnes in the end.

Very well written and researched.

Thank you for my copy Gransnet - I am 2/3 through so far. This is very much my sort of book - one that weaves the story through the social history of an area or country. Really well written - the past ( in Agnes story) and the present ( as written) aren't confusing as sometimes happens.
I was interested in the herbal cures that Natan made - are these recipes ones you researched and were used at the time, and do you know if any of the same cures are used now?

This is a totally different style of reading that I would choose to buy but what a story I would have missed,I felt as though I was there myself with the fabulous discrirtions of Iceland.I too hope the story stays true if a film is made and my question would be who would you wish to play Agnes would it be an actress who we are familar with, and how long before your next novel is released and do you have an idea for it already.

I have got about half way through book but find that i feel to much
detail of state of agnes feelings and perhaps not enough of how
others felt on the whole about murders after all she did commit a
serious crime unless all is to be revealed later if thats the case
then maybe its just bogged down and needs lightening,could have been happier.

Initially I found this book hard to get into, but I'm so glad I persevered. The developing relationships between characters are beautifully crafted. Are you planning any more books based on historical characters?
Having visited Norway many times I've completely fallen for the country; do you feel the same way about Iceland?

Thank you for the book. It is a thrilling read . I am halfway through and cannot put it down......I will comment more on completion

I really enjoyed this book and Hannah Kent's style of writing. The strong images of Icelandic culture, it's seasons and the sheer grind of day to day life for the poorer folk really set the scene for the unfolding story of Agnes and the search for the truth about the murders. My question is how much did reading the sagas influence your writing style?

Thank you for my copy. I have to say the blurb is really intriguing. I'm afraid I was in the middle of a book but am looking forward to starting it shortly. It sounds like the sort of book that would make a good choice for the book club that I belong to.

CariGransnet said the author questions session would be in the last two weeks of March, merlotgran, so we've a little while yet, thank goodness. Like some others, I've found that this book has come as a real surprise - I very nearly didn't apply for the free copy, as it didn't really appeal to me, but I'm enjoying it very much.