This novel is tiny, only 115 pages. But it packs in a lot of story. Sjón has written a modern day fable about revenge.
It’s winter in Iceland, and a hunter is out in a storm, searching for a rare blue fox. He has seen her, and she sees him. They are waiting each other out. Although the hunter has found his quarry, he gets himself into trouble in the process. He finds himself losing his mind, or so he thinks when the fox begins to talk to him.
Meanwhile, Fridrik is laying his friend and house servant, Abba, to rest. He rescued her years before, from the cruel fate she was dealt– as a “simple minded” girl, her family did not want her and sold her off, leaving her to be treated as a dog. Fridrik shared his home with her, and came to care for her at the same time.
The hunter and Fridrik are connected in a way that surprised me. The plot has elements of revenge in it, and makes for an interesting read. Even though Sjón doesn’t have a written moral of the story, there certainly is one or two to be found.
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