A review of “Will and Testament” in 100 words by Catherine Stover
How do you write a successful novel about a traumatic childhood? Let’s raise the bar: how do you write a best-selling book about a person who remembers being raped by her father? Norwegian author Vigdis Hjorth achieves this. Reviewers call this book “precise, contemplative, and deeply moving.” Studying Hjorth’s strategy of alternating raw outbursts with quiet admissions reveals a complex skill set. In Norway, the term “reality literature” is used to describe novels that have the bite of authenticity. In other hands, this material would be unlikeable and unreadable. However, Hjorth’s skill carries this intense novel. I found it compelling.
Work cited:
Hjorth, Vigdis. Will and Testament: A Novel. Translated by Charlotte Barslund, Verso, 2019, p. 47.