Sjálfsát

by Helen Cova

84 pages

Published December 1, 2020

Reviews

[Ingólfur Halldórsson]

Gef hér enga einkunn enda frekar erfitt með svona skáldskap. Sannarlega enginn skemmtilestur en það er stundum hollt að borða trefjar en ekki bara troða í sig sælgæti.

[Alexandra Diljá Bjargardóttir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ótrúlega skemmtilegar, skrýtnar og óþægilegar pælingar í gangi hérna. Ég hafði gaman af og veit að markmiðið hérna er að skrifa ljóð eða örsögur en ég fann mig hugsa eftir nánast hverja einustu sögu að ég vildi óska að hún væri lengri og þessar skrýtnu hugmyndir kannaðar betur.

[Sigurdur Gretar Jokulsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the book. Dark funny and intriguing. Short stories to fill your day with wonder and wondering

[Gerður · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kannibalistískt töfraraunsæi einkennir smásögurnar þrettán í Sjálfsát. Áhugaverðar hugmyndir en ekki nógu vel unnið úr þeim og textinn er hálf klúðurslegur. Myndskreytingarnar kallast vel á við textann en minntu mig samt mest á myndskreytingarnar í Dixit-borðspilunum.

2,5/5 Góðar hugmyndir en illa unnið úr þeim

[Matt McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of art in all its forms, and this book is indeed what one would call modern art. Metaphorical and subliminal throughout, Helen Cova doesn’t so much write, she purges. There are many hidden messages in these short narratives, none less than the recurrent metaphor itself, and you wonder how much of the content in this book is therapy for its author. Indeed, Helen says as much in her book’s preface, that the somewhat bizarrely chosen title – Autosarcophagy: To Eat Oneself – refers to her self-immolation, or perhaps sharing that done to her by others. I don’t really want to know what sits between the lines in this book, firstly because it nobody’s business but Helen’s, and secondly because the ambiguity of its underlying premise is part of the book’s mystery and appeal. Like any modern art installation, using any medium, it fascinates and engrosses us because we want to study it, not because we want to know its meaning and its secrets, then move on.

The title hints at some pretty vivid imagery, and indeed the fantasies outlined in this controversially dark collection don’t stop there; the themes explored are every bit as disturbing. The author has an incredibly poetic prose – her writing is truly quite wonderful, in a manner which almost reads as parable. The visual art which accompanies each piece is also stunning and stylishly creative, bringing to mind great geometrically abstract paintings, bleak and foreboding with Kafkaesque tones; the illustrations are fantastic, and complement each narrative perfectly. The stories themselves are very bleak indeed, with a great deal of cannibalism as a metaphor for slow destruction; believe me when I say that they are much better than I may be making them sound. The illustrations wouldn’t look out of place enlarged and framed on the wall, and I like them very much. In the ARC I was sent the images were all in monochrome, and I found myself wishing that some were in colour. I don’t know if that is true of the published version, or if I was purposely sent a smaller file, though I could understand fully if Helen did opt for bleak, grey imagery; they certainly do reflect the book’s almost dystopian feel.

This is a fantastic piece of work, though don’t expect it to take up very much of your time. This is a showcase book, one which deserves to be presented in a glossy, high-quality publication and kept as a reference to the artists who created it. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to those of you who like modern art, and short, thought-provoking narratives with a dark, metaphorical undertone.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, with feelings that makes oneself to reflect and think on ones origin and experiences. Fantasy tales with a touch of reality. Ended deeply moved. Well done Helen.