Who Would Like This Book:
If you're fascinated by messy, realistic family sagas and psychological deep-dives, Will and Testament is right up your alley. Vigdis Hjorth expertly peels back layers of family secrets, simmering resentments, and the ways trauma echoes through generations. Her writing is introspective, raw, and impressively wise - perfect for fans of intense literary fiction, lovers of Scandinavian realism, and anyone interested in exploring hard questions about truth and healing after trauma. If you appreciate Knausgaard or Ferrante-style explorations of memory and identity, you'll find this book gripping.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers may struggle with the book's repetitive, circular narrative - it mimics the obsessive, looping thoughts of someone processing trauma, which can feel tedious or frustrating. Those craving fast-paced storytelling, clear-cut resolutions, or sympathetic characters may find it slow and emotionally draining. If you dislike family drama, ambiguity, or books that keep you deep inside a single character's troubled mind, this might not be for you. Also, the content is heavy, with themes of abuse and denial that some may find triggering.
About:
The novel 'Will and Testament' by Vigdis Hjorth delves into the theme of family betrayal and trauma, particularly focusing on the protagonist, Bergljot, who uncovers her repressed memory of sexual abuse by her father. The narrative unfolds as Bergljot, after years of estrangement, is drawn back into her dysfunctional family dynamics following her father's death and the reading of his will. The writing style of the book is characterized by repetitive phrases and a single perspective, offering a deep exploration of the toxic dynamics within the family and the lasting impact of trauma on its members.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book includes content warnings for topics such as child sexual abuse, family trauma, and mental health struggles.
From The Publisher:
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BEST TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION
"The cumulative effect is hypnotic. Hjorth works finely parsed and brilliant variations on her unrelenting theme of familial mistrust and misunderstanding." -New York Times
"A prickly, persuasive novel. Like Knausgaard, Hjorth is writing against repression, against the taboo on telling things as they really are. But he urges us to look at dead bodies; she forces us to regard bleeding souls." -New Yorker
Four siblings. Two summer houses. One terrible secret. When a dispute over her parents' will grows bitter, Bergljot is drawn back into the orbit of the family she fled twenty years before. Her mother and father have decided to leave two island summer houses to her sisters, disinheriting the two eldest siblings from the most meaningful part of the estate. To outsiders, it is a quarrel about property and favouritism. But Bergljot, who has borne a horrible secret since childhood, understands the gesture as something very different-a final attempt to suppress the truth and a cruel insult to the grievously injured.
Will and Testament is a lyrical meditation on trauma and memory, as well as a furious account of a woman's struggle to survive and be believed. Vigdis Hjorth's novel became a controversial literary sensation in Norway and has been translated into twenty languages.
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