Review | The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn

Allis Hagtorn left her old life after a scandal and takes up a job as a housekeeper and gardener in an isolated house on a fjord somewhere in Norway. Her boss, Sigurd Bragge, is moody and secretive yet he intrigues her. As months go on, their relationship changes, becoming unpredictable and obsessive. They both have secrets but can they trust each other?

He was standing at the bottom of the garden by a few slender trees, a long back in a dark blue woollen jumper. He jumped when I called out to greet him, then turned around, lifted a hand and trudged in a pair of heavy boots across the yellow-grey ground towards me. I took a deep breath. 

The Bird Tribunal is less than 200 pages but packs a lot of atmosphere! It’s mainly set in a remote house in the middle of a fjord away from everyone else and only two characters occupy the majority of the story. You can feel how secluded the characters are. It actually reminds me a lot of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca but luckily has its own uniqueness. There are strange scenes about Norse mythology and chilling, unexplainable dreams which added to the tension. It’s a story of guilt, betrayal and the dark side of marriage.

Allis is on the run, and the way her back story is revealed bit by bit is intriguing. She is enamoured by Bagge’s silence and mysterious circumstances. He said his wife is away and will be coming back but the house and garden are neglected, as if left forgotten for years. The dialogue is ripe with hidden meaning, and you’re often left guessing their intentions. At core, they are both messed up people that have no business being around each other. Their relationship slowly grows dangerous, obsessive and co-dependent.  You know something awful is going to happen. But you cannot look away.

I would have loved this book more but it has no quotation marks which makes the conversations confusing at times. I’m generally not a fan of books without quotation marks, though I know many readers will have no problem with that. Plot-wise, a thread involving a shopkeeper is left dangling and I wish there’s a resolution to that. The abrupt ending leaves some questions as well but I was satisfied enough. I devoured this book in a day, and it was hard to leave the story when it’s over.

If you’re into psychological, claustrophobic Nordic noir, The Bird Tribunal would be a good read!

About the author: Agnes Ravatn

About the translator: Rosie Hedger

Photo by Peter Lloyd