Quake

by Auður Jónsdóttir, Meg Matich (Translation)

**SELECTED AS ASYMPTOTE 'S FEBRUARY BOOK CLUB PICK**

Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize, Quake: A Novel is a haunting novel-in-translation about Saga, a woman who comes to after an epileptic seizure on a sidewalk along busy Miklabraut Street. Her three-year-old son is gone. The last thing she remembers is a double-decker bus that no one else can confirm seeing. Over the following days, Saga's mind is beset by memories and doubts. What happened before her seizure? Who can she trust? And how can she make any sense of her emotions when her memory is so fragmented?

Hailed as Auður Jónsdóttir's "best-written novel so far," Quake is a shocking and revelatory exploration of the blurred lines between fact and fiction, reality and imagination, and where mother ends and child begins.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Novels, International

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Auður Jónsdóttir was born on March 30, 1973. She is a writer and freelance journalist and has published articles, essays and interviews in various journals and newspapers.

Her first published work of fiction is the short story "Gifting" (Marriage), published in the literary magazine Andblær in 1997. Other short stories have appeared in magazines and collections since then. Auður's first novel, Stjórnlaus lukka (Uncontrollable Luck, 1998), was nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize in the same year. Since then, she has published other novels as well as books for children and teenagers, among them a book about her grandfather, Halldór Laxness. Her novel Fólkið í kjallaranum (The People in the Basement), received the Icelandic Literature Prize in 2004 and the novel, Tryggðarpantur (Deposit), was nominated to the same award in 2006. Auður's latest novel is Vetrarsól (Winter-Sun) from 2008. She is now working on a play, as she was chosen Reykjavík City Theatre's Playwrite-in-Residence for 2009.

Reviews

[Loreta Griciutė · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Pati tikrovė sudūžta nuo amžinos transformuojančios jėgos, todėl tiesa tampa melu, o melas - tiesa. Aš nežinau, kas yra tiesa. Baimė yra tiesa Vienintelis išsigelbėjimas yra prisiminti gerus dalykus - ir tik gerus dalykus, - nes visi šie trikdantys vaizdiniai sukelia tiek skausmo, kad kūnas priverstas juos atmesti".
Turėjau daug lūkesčių šiai knygai, deja... Versdama puslapius vis tikėjausi, kad pagaliau būsiu sukrėsta ar kaip nors kitaip įtraukta, bet deja to neįvyko. Man asmeniškai - vidutiniška.

[Cherise Wolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Saga regains consciousness, on a snow-covered Icelandic street, after a series of epileptic seizures, her young son is missing, as is much of her memory. The child is found, but her memories remain elusive, and those that do return don't answer the questions - how old is her toddler son; are she and her husband no longer together; what she does for a living; why does she have a bouquet of white roses in her apartment, and more. A novel about memory, identity, and the legacy of familial violence, Saga's lost memories - she's not sure what is fact or fiction, reality or imagination, and there are many she can't even try to access without suffering extraordinary physical pain. When Saga's mother goes missing, Saga, along with her older sister and younger brother, face truths they have avoided thinking about since they were children. An effective and interesting novel.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating exploration of the fragility of memory and how people can manipulate each other using misinformation to alter memory. Some of the neuroscience was inaccurate but the author got most of it right. Family dynamics were based on repressed and reconstructed memories. These were used to both boost and destroy family members. I’ll be thinking about this for a while.

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Andy Weston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather somber and philosophical novel about a woman, Saga, a single parent of a three year old, dealing with a recurrence of epilepsy.
The summary used by the publisher and some media reviews indicate that this is some sort of thriller, or kidnapping. Instead, Jónsdóttir describes Saga in a time of rediscovery. Having suffered several episodes in a short time, she has also The lost some of her memory.
The novel opens with Saga recovering from a fit on the street, helped by a young guy. Her 3 year old is nowhere to be seen. He has wandered to find her medical attention.
Her son comes to the hospital to hug her, but in the following chapter, Saga’s mother has to remind her not only that he has visited, but that he has been found at all.
It is not an easy read, but a very interesting one. As Saga gradually recovers it a rumination on trauma, how an injured mind might grasp reality. The interesting thing about it, is that as readers we will probably all know someone who has been through something similar.

[Vaida · Rating 1 out of 5]

„Pati tikrovė sudūžta nuo amžinos transformuojančios jėgos, todėl tiesa tampa melu, o melas - tiesa. Prisiminti nėra tas pats. kas žinoti. aš tai žinau, žinau kažką panašaus. Aš neatsimenu, o atsimenu kažką, ko nežinau. Aš nežinau, kas yra tiesa. Baimė yra tiesa.“

Perskaičiusi knygos nugarėlę, tikėjausi tikrai įdomaus, paslaptingo, tamsaus romano, tačiau ar teksto vertimas prastas, ar knygos aprašymas išpūstas, bet knyga man liko kažkoks nesusipratimas.
Pati knygos idėja ir mintis - įdomi ir traukianti dėmesį, tačiau pats tekstas nesugebėjo atitikti pagrindinės minties. Įtariu, kad didžiausias minusas - vertimas. Knyga, pakliuvusi į talentingo vertėjo rankas, tikrai būtų sužydėjusi.

[Wendy Greenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing glance into the head of an Icelandic woman on the edge. Losing her memory after suffering a seizure, this mother talks us through her reality. Such a great topic so that novel is both small in timescale but vast in scope of where we fit in the world.

This is a woman in limbo literally and metaphorically and despite being simply written covers a panoply of issues from mental health to child rearing, alcoholism, unspoken family trauma...and everything in between. This first hand narrative has an intense immediacy in untangling why she isn't living with her husband and what has happened to her son, visceral rising panic rising from the page as she tries to remember and piece together her own story

I found it encompassed so many issues about how we live internally as compared to externally (which others can tell us) the secrets we keep and how that may play out when memory is gone and then begins to recover. Your own life bursting out of a Pandora (like) box!

What food for thought

[Arndis · Rating 3 out of 5]

mjög áhugaverð

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Quake" is the story of Saga, a woman who has epilepsy and has just had multiple seizures in a very short period of time. Now, Saga is left with little memory of her life... Why is she divorced? Who sent those white roses in her house? What's her job? Plus many many others. Saga is trying to piece everything together while trying to not panic about the fact that she can't trust her body and she cannot trust herself to be alone with her three-year-old son.

This novel was fast paced, full of mystery, and overall quite unsettling. Saga's journey in filling in the gaps in her memory made me think about how our memories shape our actions. When we have certain experiences we are either drawn to or deterred by specific things. We might choose one career over another, create a different relationship with people depending on what we remember about them, etc. What would my life be if I remembered or didn't remember certain things from my childhood?

I absolutely loved the translation of the book. The original text is in Icelandic and this translation did not feel like a translation, it felt like a very cohesive and beautifully written book. I leave this quote here as a taste of what this book is all about:

"She was my world. Now a grown woman, I lean into her chest, surrendering to memories tucked away long ago. I feel a sort of stinging joy when I think of the girl who was once me, who now dances awkwardly in my head"

I highly recommend this book if you're interested in memories, Icelandic literature, definitions of self, and overall a beautifully crafted novel.

[Thorunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Þessi saga hélt mér frá byrjun, leit Sögu að sjálfri sér var eins og spennandi glæpasaga - en auki vel skrifuð með miklar pælingar um samband foreldra, maka, systkina og barna. Frábær.

[Adrienne Blaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to get lost in. The way the book unfolds is engrossing. It’s a mystery and a thriller but not in the way I would expect (as someone pretty unfamiliar with the genre). It was suspenseful and psychological without being too scary for me. I also enjoyed the references to Reykjavík and Icelandic culture as someone with family there.

Trigger warnings: domestic abuse, sexual assault, alcoholism, death in the family, medical emergencies involving children and adults, epilepsy, divorce, memory loss

[Jane Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book group book. An interesting choice from our lovely Icelandic member, this was a translation from Icelandic to English. It was about Saga who had several epileptic fits one day in the street and her little boy disappeared. It sounded a bit upsetting from the blurb and although it wasn’t upsetting for the reasons you would think, it certainly wasn’t an easy read. I found it quite hard to read - maybe the way I was feeling as I was struggling with a health issue. Saga had lost some memories and kept thinking dire things about herself, and the story seemed to get worse and worse as more secrets were revealed. All in all I found it quite depressing and the ending was quite strange too. It was well written and well translated but for me that was the only good points.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh! Not a great start to the New Year for reading, however it does get the letter Q out of the way.
The story revolves around Saga, who while waiting for the bus has a seizure, followed by two more. She loses her memory and tries to piece things back together with what seems to be a generally untrusting family and some random students that have turned into home help.
It is incredibly well written and I enjoyed it until near the end, and what could have potentially been a four star read to start the year became a juggling decision in my mind between one and two stars.

[Unnur María Sólmundsdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bókin Stóri skjálfti kom út 2015 og varð fyrir valinu sem páskalestrarbókin enda verið að sýna kvikmyndina í bíóhúsunum í skrifuðum orðum (apríl 2022). Hér er mikið tímaflakk í gangi, og svo margar svipmyndir, sviptingar og myndmál að ég þurfti að hafa mig alla við að fylgja söguþræðinum. Mér leið á köflum sem ég væri jafn illa áttuð og aðalpersónan sem glímir við minnisleysi eftir slæm flogaveikisköst. Ég týndist oft og iðulega, þurfti að staldra við, fletta til baka og lesa aftur yfir til að skilja. Það var skemmtileg áskorun og kannski eitt af leyndum markmiðum höfundar að grilla svolítið í lesandanum? Heilt yfir var ég ótrúlega hrifin af þessari bók þótt viðfangsefnið væri nokkuð dimmt og þrungið allt til enda. Þetta er fyrsta bókin sem ég les eftir Auði Jónsdóttur og á klárlega eftir að skoða þann höfund meira. Hlakka jafnframt til að sjá kvikmyndina og bera saman bók og bíó með leshringnum mínum. Það verður áhugavert að sjá hvernig óminnisreiðinni verður gerð skil á hvíta tjaldinu!

[Jeanette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waarschijnlijk wel vreemd, maar dat boek heeft tot nu toe 3,55 ster uit 623 beoordelingen, maar ik geef 1 ster. Het begin is knap geschreven en dat belooft veel. Ik heb mijn best gedaan en 200 bladzijden van de 263 gelezen (e-book), maar ben toch afgehaakt. De hoofdpersoon heeft na een aantal epileptische aanvallen last van geheugenverlies. Praten met haar zus maakt dat veel herinneringen boven komen. Ik vind het boek beklemmend en de herinneringen en dromen van de hoofdpersoon heel naar.

[Laura (thenerdygnomelife) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise and I loved stepping into another culture with this translated work. I loved the first half and felt a little less invested in the second, when it ventured into more of family trauma than personal drama. 3.5 stars rounded down.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting read that explores memory and repressed trauma.

[Bohdana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Це було... дивно.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling consideration of the (I imagine) terrifying feeling of being a mother who can't trust her own mind to do what it needs to do to provide and protect her kid. The family trauma subplot wasn't my favorite and I kinda wish that it hadn't been so interwoven.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virkilega skemmtileg bók. Sagan byrjar á ruglaðri vitund aðalpersónunnar, Sögu, þegar hún kemur til meðvitundar eftir stórt krampaflog við Miklubraut og þriggja ára sonur hennar sem hún var með er horfinn.
Í kjölfarið tekst hún á við endurtekin flog þrátt fyrir langt hlé frá flogaköstum síðustu árin og afleiðing af þeim er minnisbrestur sem háir hennir mikið. Hún man ekki atburði síðustu daga og mikilvæg atriði og samskipti, t.d. nánast ekkert síðasta daginn fyrir flogið.
Auður setur saman skemmtilega lýsingu af því hvernig persónunni er púslað saman með hjálp minninga vina og aðstandenda sem reynast síðan aðrar og "sannari" en hún sjálf hafði fyrir stóra skjálftann.

[Kristín Jónsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mjög áhrifamikil, ég næ varla úr mér kaflanum þar sem systurnar reyna að tala saman án árangurs, báðar gersamlega blokkeraðar. Sem reynist aðeins upptaktur að kaflanum síðar þar sem þeim tekst að fara saman í gegnum hörmulega minninguna sem blokkeraði allt. Auður Jóns hlýtur að teljast afar tækur samtalahöfundur og kvikmynda- og sjónvarpsgerðarfólk ætti að leita til hennar.

[Guðrún Jóhannsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ég mæli með þessari, hún er mjög góð

[Margrét Tryggvadóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Æði!

[Heidrun Hauksdottir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margslungin, íhugul, spennandi, óvænt. Dass af misgáfulegum „predikunun” sögupersóna. Góð flètta, áhugaverð framvinda.

[Valkyrja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stórkostlega fögur!

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the description, I guess I expected more of a mystery connected with a missing child or a family secret. But it is more of a literary exploration of identity and memory and relationships, for example:

- What if your memory sorts out the bad stuff, and functions like "a video store that only carries rom-coms"?

- What if you don't remember what kind of work you do or other key aspects of your identity, and can only try to understand who you are through the perspective of your loved one - "my closest friends remind me of a hall of mirrors : their eyes show me some of who I am, but my reflection is distorted. They don't all see the same person."

- What if subconscious generational trauma kicks in when a child comes along, changing how your spouse experiences you and souring the relationship. "I feel nostalgic for our sense of the future."

This novel also has some other interesting themes - living with a disability, being a disabled parent, etc.

At its core, I'd say it is a novel with an unreliable narrator, and I personally prefer a little less ambiguity about what "really" happened. The movie version might have a clearer answer, but I haven't seen it.

The translator used quite a few Icelandic words, and I didn't discover until the end that there is a glossary. Some words weren't actually in the glossary, and it occurred to me that it might not have been an oversight but rather a tool for conjuring more of the writer's voice, which is described as "floating, feral Icelandic." The translation also confused me once because I wasn't expecting the less widespread British word "milky teeth" (instead of "milk teeth" or what are called "baby teeth" in America).

[Gail (Neuroknitter) · Rating 4 out of 5]

e-📖 This was an interesting little book. It was described to me as an Icelandic mystery/thriller book, but it wasn't. Not even a little. That was ok. This was a beautifully written book and translated by a poet, and I think that worked well as the writing (IMO) really drove this book. We are mostly inside the mind of a young woman/mother/newly divorced who had a series of seizures after many years without any. After these seizures, she finds herself in the hospital with a significant loss of memory, interestingly, a loss of memories of the more stressful things in her life - recent and from childhood. During the course of her journey to reclaim her memories, and in turn her identity, we learn of childhood traumas, family dysfunctions and dissolutions, alcohol abuse, and disabling anxiety. TBH, I'm not sure I understand the ending, but I'll revisit it at some point. Despite its title, this is a quiet book from the standpoint of plot and propulsiveness. But very "loud" re: the impact of memory loss has on the MC. Characterization was pretty good, I liked the variety of people, but worried about some of their individual agendas and felt we were left hanging a little with some of the characters. Anyway, if you want an exploration into memory, its loss, and how it may or may not impact one's sense of identity, this may be a book you would enjoy.

[John Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2019, we flew IcelandAir to Ireland but on the way back we missed our onward flight to Minneapolis and the airline put us up in one of their hotels by the Reykjavik Airport for 24 hours. I ended up exploring most of the area where this story takes place in that time. This book by Audur Jonsdottir tells the story of Saga, a young mother who has an epileptic grand mal seizure when she is out walking with her 3-year old son. The book recreates how much she can remember about her life but also all the areas of her own history that are now very foggy and that she doesn't understand. With the help of family, neighbors, and the computer, she tries to recreate who she was and to try and understand her life. The English title of this book highlights the connections between epileptic seizures and earthquakes in this very seismically volatile country. This is an excellent novel by the granddaughter of the only Icelandic Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Halldor Laxness. His novel, INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, is also one of my favorite books.

[Salty Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saga is an Icelandic woman in her thirties who has been suffering from frequent seizures since she was a kid. When she wakes up from a recent seizure, her three year old son is mysteriously gone. Her panic grows as she has difficulties in recalling anything of substance. The book takes us on an unsettling ride with a woman who is literally dying to find her way out of an impossible scenario. Can she trust her parents, close friend or her former partner to help her with raising her son, while she's unable to look after herself? Why is she suppressing ancient memories from her childhood? Why did her relationship with her son's father fall apart? This is one harrowing novel that leaves the reader with undying empathy for Saga and the unbearable pain her daily life throws her way.

[Elín Lóa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Í Stóra skjálfta tekst Auði Jónsdóttur enn og aftur að lýsa samskiptum og tilfinningum hversdagsleikans á einlægan og auðtengjanlegan hátt. Manni þykir strax vænt um persónur sögunnar og upplifir með þeim hvort sem er gleði í góðu stundunum eða breyskleika á þeim erfiðu.

Eitt af stóru þemunum í bókinni er sjálfsmyndin. Hvað gerist þegar eitthvað eins alvarlegt og flog eyðir hluta minninga okkar? Erum við það sem aðrir sjá? Eða erum við tilfinningar okkar? Hver erum við þegar allt kemur til alls og skipta minningarnar sem okkur vantar virkilega máli?

Ég mæli því eindregið með Stóra skjálfta.