Last Rituals - Yrsa Sigurdardottir

About the Author

Yrsa Sigurðardóttir (born 1963) is an Icelandic writer, of both crime novels and children's fiction. She has been writing since 1998. Her debut crime-novel was translated into English by Bernard Scudder. The central character in the crime novels so far is Thóra Gudmundsdóttir, a lawyer.Yrsa is married with two children, and she also has a career as a civil engineer.

The Plot

In LAST RITUALS, what could have been a straightforward strangling of a young man, is made macabre by the removal of both of his eyes, and a mysterious carving on his skin. The student, Harald, is German and had been researching into witchcraft, witches, and their capture and punishment for his MA at the University of Iceland. Unlike Germany, in Iceland most of the witches were men. However, both cultures seemed to have used the same 'reference' book 'Malleus Maleficarum' or Witches Hammer. Harald was obsessed with magic, the occult, witches and this book to the extent that he had a close group of friends that formed part of a secret society dedicated to their study. Harald's drug dealing friend is arrested for the murder , however Harald's mother believes that there is something more to this murder and that the police have the wrong suspect. She hires a lawyer Thora and her colleague Matthew to investigate. The pair present a contrasting dynamic with some subtle humour and gradually the pair lift the layers on Harald's secret life and the medieval history of Iceland adding and another level of interest.

The Review.

One member of the group thought it was a cracking good read, a comment from another member of group was that there was no product placement. A protracted discussion followed about the merits or otherwise of product placement with many members of the group stating that in many cases of contemporary literature it brought credibility and currency to the novels however it was agreed that in some cases the placement of product brands was gratuitous.

One member of the group found it mediocre, the beginning was promising and interesting when they were describing the history . One member said that they had failed to find a redeeming feature in the book. The vivid description of the torture was a bit sordid and the images it created somewhat unnecessary. One member described it as a caricature of a who-dunnit, although others felt it was interesting to see why the torture took place. One member was interested and started reading it with hope as it was written by an engineer, they enjoyed the relationship between Iceland and Denmark, however the felt it had been a waste of his time and read it two days flat! One of the members found the description of the torture too much to bear as it was too close to their life's experience whilst growing up of similar events in South Africa. For that reason they did not finish it as he felt he did not need to read about it. Some members enjoyed it others felt it contained gratuitous unpleasantness.

The books on offer were:

Room by Emma Donnaghue

In a Strange Room by Damon Galgur

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Red Plenty by Francis Spufferd

The Fear by Peter Godwin

The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson.

The chosen book is The Finkler Question.

I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallman

About the Author

Kuki Gallman was born near Venice and studied political sciences at the University of Padua. Fascinated by Africa and influenced by her much loved father, she visited Kenya for the first time in 1970 and returned to live there in 1972.

As a tribute to the memory of her husband and son she founded the Gallman Memorial Foundation with the specific mandate of creating on Ol Ari Nyiro ranch at Laikipia an example of the harmonious co-existence of man and the environment through exploring new ways of combining development and conservation. The foundation promotes and sponsors the education of Kenyans.

An active conservationist, in 1989 she was awarded the Order of the Golden Ark by HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for her major and continuing contribution to the survival of the black rhinoceros in Kenya and for promoting research work for nature conservation in general, with special attention to elephants and the use of local plants for medicinal purposes.

She lives on Ol Ari Nyiro ranch in Kenya with her daughter and eight dogs.

The Review

The book was a favourite read of the host of the evening who thought long and hard about offering the book to the group.

The authour writes with the spiritual freedom that one imagines that only living your dream would bring.

Some described Kuki as being priviledged, money appeared to be no object, and she balance unnervingly priviledge and recklessness, however it is recognised that Africa did attract this type of character.

The group however agreed that it was spiritual and beautifully wirtten. The language was expressive exquisitely descriptive even though it was her second language. It was in parts tortuously sad. Even though a couple of members had read the book previously the description of the sadness of the elephant was poignant and took the members by surprise, and had to stop reading in parts especially when on the tube!

The tragic death of Kuki's husband came as a great shock and her expressive writing described the raw emotions of her experience and the coming to terms with the loss of her husband and the birth of her daughter. The love that she describes for her husband is idealised and romanticised and together with her description of the grief and subsequent mourning that followed Paolo's death made these pages gut wrenchingly moving.

Emmanuele her son was a much adored child, although the recklessness played out in that he was allowed to play with snakes from a very young age, one member was shocked at the apparent absence of a 'snake kit' for when he went out alone in the bush to extract snake venom for anti venom serum.

Most people thought it was a very good book. The characters were strong and real and Kuki recaps as to who they were as they reappear over the years. She engages the reader in what transpires at every stage of her life a demonstration of sheer courage and determination. An unflagging spirit and genuinely inspirational personality.

Despite the criticism of the absence of a 'snake kit' all those present thought it was an excellent book well written and inspirational.

The choices for the next meeting are:

Villain by Shuichi Yoshida
The Twighlight Time by Karen Campbell
Fever in the Bone by Val McDermid
Acts of Violence by Ryan David John
Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigundardottir
The Last Child by John Hart

The group chose: Last Rituals

Update for PCRG Readers

An early meeting in 2010 we were offered A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal and Reunion by Fred Uhlman. These were offered by Rolf.

About the Authors:Thomas Beurganthal, now a Judge in the international Court of Justice in the Hague tell his astonishing expereinces as a young boy in his memoir A Lucky Child. He arrived at Auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labour camp. Separated from his mother and then his father, Thomas managed on his wits and by some amazing strokes of luck to survive on his own. Almost two years after his liberation he was miraculoulsy reunited with this mother and in 1951 he arrived in the US to start a new life. Now dedicated to helping others who have suffered tyranny, he writes his book with simple clarity that highlinghts the stark detail of an unimaginable hardship.

Fred Uhlman was a lawyer by profession and a German of Jewish origin. He was born in January 1901 in Stuttgart, Germany. 'Reunion ' his novella was published in 1977. Fred Uhlman died in London on April 11th 1985. His book 'Reunion' is about lossof innocence in pre-war Germany. It is the story of an intense and innocent devotion between two young men. The two boys share their personal thoughts, trips to the countryside of south west Germany, discuss poetry and the past and present of their country, and discuss the existence of a benevolent God. He is reunited with his friend when he sees his name in a list of dead people.

Many of the group considered the reading of the books together resulted in a much richer read as both books complemented each other. The 'Reunion' represented an infatuation crossing an ethnic divide. It was sensitively written and this is one of very few books that has been written about male adolescence. Rolf thought it very insightful in its writing. A Lucky Child was written as seen through the eyes of a child. Rob's heart sank when he saw that the two books had resonnance with his family history but he discovered that they were very well written and contained some horrific passages. Steve enjoyed both books and found The Reunion a revelation which reminded some of 'Old Filth' by Jane Gardam. Charles preferred 'Lucky Child' to Reunion and said that he felt awkward reading the Reunion. Tom thought Luck Child was enlightening and rewarding and could relate to some of the descriptions having recently been to Auschwitz. Many were a bit sceptical as the Reunion was not based on fact although was written with terrific insight. Lorraine enjoyed the Reunion and particularly liked the way the writing almost created a visualisation of the man coming out of the child. A Lucky Child was associated to the Diary of Anne Frank as similarly it was written through the eyes of the child. However the preferred book overall was the Reunion which which described the relationahip between two males from an intimate perspective which is rarely openly discussed. The Reunion was very sensitive and poignant. Two more books which the group read that generated discussion and most members were glad that they had read them as they were unlikely to have picked them up from the book shelf.

The next books on offer:

The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada

I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallman

Longitude - Dava Sobel

About the Author: Dava Sobel is an award winning writer and former New York Times science reporter who has contributed articles to Audubon, Discover, Life and The New Yorker. She has also been a contributing editor to Harvard Magazine, writing about scientific research and the history of science.

The Review: Longitude is a story about a Yorkshire carpenter John Harrison and his quest to claim the prize of £20,000 offered by Parliament in 1714 for solving the problem of calculating longitude. Determining your position at sea had long been a problem and depended much on luck as skill. It had puzzled scientists of the age and Parliament tool the unprecedented step of offering a reward for a solution. Using his knowledge of how a sailor calculated the time from a fixed position he set about creating a portable time piece which would sustain the rigours of the sea and also keep accurate enough time to calculate the ship's longitude.

All members of the group read this book and enjoyed it. Many of the group remarked about his dogged determination and his tenacity in pursuing his goal in the face of strong crticism and rivalry from the mosgt prominent and celebrated members of the scientific community. He built his prototypes in his shed with carpentry tools and his own skilled hands with no plans as such. He suffered sea sickness on his voyages after which he was accused of 'fixing' the result. He eventually after 40 years was finally awarded the prize he so richly deserved.

The story was written in a skillful way and the complexities of the story were accessible and very readable. All the members present said that they enjoyed it even those who are not necessarily scientifically inclined!

No books were offered at this session and each member selected their own Christmas read and will talk about it at the next meeting.

The members of the group retired to a local hostelry to partake of some Christmas cheer and seasonal fare!

The Outcast - Sadie Jones

The Author: Sadie Jones was born in London in 1967. Her father is Jamaican poet and screenwriter Evan Jones and her mother an actress. Her friends left to go to University and she took up a variety of jobs and then travelled. After travelling she settled down in London and spent several years as a screenwriter before writing her first novel The Outcast.

The Review: The book a reccommendation by Joan Bakewell and offered in the selection was anticipated to be good. The book was an easy read with a relaxed style of writing. It held most peoples interest with the subject matter around parental attachment, loss risk and transgression and held the promise and raised expectations that an insightful story line would be revealed. Many felt the characters were underdeveloped and unconvincing. This included Lewis the main character who stays child-like and in observer mode with no inkling of responsibility or engagement to change his life or take the risk of being different and resolving what is bothering him as he grows up. He demonstrated a general rage that festers inside him and is focused on authority and his father figures.



There is a complex theme of bereavement and guilt around the circumstances of death of his mother, the brutal approach of the police and the indifference of his father result in an inrovert and repressively angry individual. It was felt that the mother's character was fun and lively and sensitive to her child did not stretch the imagination, further than that although combined with the separation and terse reunion with the father, and claustrophobic and deadening routines of family life (meal times, please and thank you) provided a rich source for insecure attachment and psychological immobilisation.



Some members of the group were keen to place the behaviours of the families into the context of the 1950's, demonstrated by the parenting style, emotional deprivations, and class and lifestyle references. Although these were were not overplayed, the over all feel of the book was that it tried to do too many things by addressing too many issues. The step-incestuous scene showed the kind of dsiassociation of the character throughout the book and perhaps a useful literary device to show the full impact of being lonely, isolated, cut off and how a lack of fulfillment can be displaced on both parts and lead to distructive behaviours.



The group felt that it was good first novel for the author although the view was that it was a bit gimmicky, if these strong emotional topics are to covered they need much more research and simplicity in delivery.

The books put forward for selection are:

Olive Route - Carol Drinkwater

Short Stories/Licks of Love - John Updike

Longitude - Dava Sobel

The Four Loves - CS Lewis

The Man Who broke Napoleons Code - Mark Urban


The selected book is ............ Longitude by Dava Sobel

Samuel Pepys - The Unequalled Self - Claire Tomalin

Biography: Claire Tomalin won the Whitbread Book Award for Samuel Pepys. She has written biographies on literary figures before such as Wollestonecroft, Shelley and Jane Austen. Born in France to a French father and English mother in 1933 she started writing at the age of 7. She first became known for her poetry and her writing which helped her traverse difficult times in her life; during the war and the break up of her parents marriage.

She had five children by her first husband Nick Tomalin who was killed while reporting from the Golan Heights in 1973. He future husband (not known to be at the time) Micahel Frayn sent her into labour with her fifth child whils at the theatre watching one of his comic plays which caused her to laugh so much that it triggered labour. She married Frayn in 1993 and remains happily married to this day.

Review: This is the biography of the famous Diarist Samuel Pepys. First published in 2002 it is lavishly lauded both front, back and inside with plaudits from the great and the good.

For purists there is a Pepys family tree,maps of London and Huntingdon, a list of principlal figures, a prologue, thirty four pages of illustrations, seventy four pages of notes, nine pages of bibliography, and a twenty eight page index. But...........................................no one tells you that you can read the three hundred and eighty six pages of the diary without the need to read or refer to any of the above!

As a result the book can easily appear scholarly, dull and off-putting. The reading group split equally. One half of which disengaged , felt it instantly put downable, found the small print prohibitive and decided it was just not a book to pick up.

In contrast those who in the main had not laboured too long on the added extras found it intensely rewarding, intriguing , racy and exciting and an excellent read. All fet the book particulratly interesting from the perpectives of social history , political intrigue and good old fashioned nepotism. Pepys himself was a fascinating man with a far more significant life outwith the diary fame and more than many of the group realised. The extent of his involevment and influence of the Royal Navy came as a surprise to some, Thos who read to the end felt that Part 3 written after the diaries had ended was perhaps the weakest. In contract to Parts 1 and 2 it was felt to be somewhat repetitive and weaker in construction.

Summary: This was a book that clearly divided the group. However the concensuus of the members that the Book Group could not probably aim to please everyone every time. As a result of the after discussion there was a certian amount of pride in a variety of the books chosen and the fact that each member has over the period of time read more widely than their natural inclination.

Next Read:

The Outcast - Sadie Jones

Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude

Biography:Marquez grew up with his maternal grandparents in Aracataca, Colombia. His grandparents were cousins who moved to Aracataca at the end of the War of a Thousand Days (1899 - 1902). Marquez's childhood anecdotes tell of a big house full of ghosts , conversations in code, and relatives who could foretell thier own deaths. It was house full of guests and social events , shaded almond trees and bursting with flowers. When his grandfather died Marquez wet to live with this parents. Since his grandfather's absence, his grandmother, who was blind, could no longer keep the house. It fell into ruin, and red ants destroyed the trees and flowers. Also early in his childhood Marquez witnessed the massacre of striking banana workers at a a plantation called Macondo. at a train station. The governement made every attempt to block this information from the public and even succeeded in erasing this incident from the history books.

Review: These events featured strongly in the plot of this book. It had a nostalgic undertone of the happiness and liveliness of his grandparents big house filled with ghosts and laughter. On the other hand the context of the book is Marquez's political beliefs many of the readers of the group found this out in retrospect. The revelation of these facts provided a deeper level of understanding and recognition of the realistic themes that had been viewed as 'fanciful' prior to the sharing of this information. The book itself hadben described in summary as a satire which had not been identified until Marquez's biography had been shared.

The view of the Group were mixed, however overwhelmingly the members considered the book to be a heavy read. Many were determined to read it and some found it dry. The barrier was the verbose style of writing where there were seldom new paragraphs and very long chapters. The family repeated the cycle of behaviours throughout these included incest, extra marital affairs and a decent into madness, the men going to war and the pass time of making metal golden fishes.

Ursula the earthy first generation female in the book, the mainstay of the family was earthy and a homemaker, this character dmonstrated many of the qualities of Marquez's own grandmother including the disintergration of the household as result of her blindness and the madness and eath of her husband. One member was looking forward to the read, however, consdiered the fairy tale story of magic carpets etc. tested his patience. Another member was determined to read it, this appeared to be the case for most members. The read was a chore as opposed to an enjoyable realxing read. Some of the themes such as the cycle of life, decent into madness of some of the characters, tremendously sexual passages, and a roughness in some, were real and there were some humourous passages.

Nearly all members felt that they were glad to have read it, it generated condiderable discussions. Some even reflect on it with some affection!

The next choices are:

A Tale of Love and Darkness - Amos Oz

Homesick - Esthiol Nevo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Crusaders - Richard T Kelly

Samuel Pepys - The unequalled self - Clare Tomalin

The Tin Roof Blowdown - James Lee Birke

A lie about my father - Jon Burnside

And the winner is .............................Samuel Pepys - The unequalled self. - Clare Tomalin