Spiros's review
Last Rituals: An Icelandic Novel of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft, and Modern Murder
by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Spiros's review
Last Rituals: An Icelandic Novel of Secret Symbols, Medieval Witchcraft, and Modern Murder by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Spiros's review
rating:
bookshelves:
arc
recommended for: People who fetishize Icelandic names
Anybody who knows me will realize that there is one rather shameful reason that I would choose this book off of the advance readers copy shelf at work: ever since seeing Lyle Lovett attacking the name "June Gudmundsdottir" in THE PLAYER, I have found Icelandic names to be utterly irresistible (and, embarrassingly, downright risible).
That being said, Icelandic names are pretty much all this book has going for it; while I was snoozing through the plot developments, and the lack of character development, I was able to give my mind over to such enthralling questions as what, exactly, determines whether a child is named, say, Jurgensson or Ylfredasson, Hrothgarsdottir or Florardottir? Do the parents take turns bestowing patro/matro-nymics on their offspring? Also, I feel a little bit sheepish about the fact that when hamsters were introduced into the narrative, shortly after "erotic asphyxiation" was adduced, my mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion...more
That being said, Icelandic names are pretty much all this book has going for it; while I was snoozing through the plot developments, and the lack of character development, I was able to give my mind over to such enthralling questions as what, exactly, determines whether a child is named, say, Jurgensson or Ylfredasson, Hrothgarsdottir or Florardottir? Do the parents take turns bestowing patro/matro-nymics on their offspring? Also, I feel a little bit sheepish about the fact that when hamsters were introduced into the narrative, shortly after "erotic asphyxiation" was adduced, my mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion...more
