The narrative weaves together these contemporary lives with a historical account of the in Jurbarkas, Lithuania. In 1941, half the town's population was murdered; Agnes's ancestors were involved on both sides—one of her great-grandfathers was a victim, while another was a perpetrator. Key Themes and Motifs
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: Norðdahl seeks to integrate Iceland into broader world history, challenging the national self-image of "innocence" by highlighting the country's history of racism and nationalism. Illska La Maldad Eirikur Orn Norddahl mobi
: The novel argues that evil is not a "monotonous being" but exists in various formats—actions, language, and thoughts—across all ages.
: A sophisticated neo-Nazi PhD student whom Agnes becomes "archaeologically" attracted to while researching her thesis. The narrative weaves together these contemporary lives with
Set around 2010 in the wake of the Icelandic financial crisis, the story follows three central figures whose lives collide in Reykjavík:
: A second-generation Jewish-Lithuanian immigrant and historian researching far-right populism for her MA thesis. : The novel argues that evil is not
: It won the 2012 Icelandic Literary Prize for fiction and the Transfuge Award for best Scandinavian fiction in France.