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peachiepeachie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
notlikethebeer's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Whilst I enjoyed the first section of Isdal ("Podcast"), and it had it's moments of searing brilliance, I will admit that it left me somewhat cold. Definitely, I found myself wondering what had caused so many confident reviews of the work's power. However, the second section ("Narrative") was really a tour de force. Dickey so cleverly unpicked so many threads relevant to 'true crime', and left me with so much to think about. My copy is already dog-eared with folded pages and underlinings, littered with sections I'm eager to come back to. I especially appreciated the ways she considered the victimhood of the Isdal Woman, and am excited so excited to explore this further in my own writings and reflections. I have more mixed feelings about the last section ("Composite") - I thought the premise was absolutely incredible, but was maybe made deliberately obtuse a little too heavily. However, despite the parts that I didn't value as much, the parts that shone to me REALLY shone. (Also, massive props for all of the Maggie Nelson references!!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Death
pegasusgm's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Part poetry, part essay. It blew my mind a bit both how clever and how delicately written this was. An exploration of the true crime genre based on the real case of the “Isdal woman”. Brave, observant, and thoughtful. Referencing so many other brilliant female essayists/poets whose work I now feel a deep need to explore. Loved.