Animal Life by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is a contemplative and atmospheric novel set in Iceland. The story follows Dómhildur, a midwife who, while navigating her daily life, delves into the manuscripts and letters of her late grandaunt. This reflective journey intertwines personal experiences with philosophical musings on life, death, and nature.

Ólafsdóttir's prose is lyrical and evocative, capturing both the stark beauty of Iceland's winter landscape and the introspective nature of Dómhildur’s life. The novel focuses more on creating a meditative experience rather than following a traditional plot. Themes of light and darkness, both literal and metaphorical, are woven throughout, offering a thoughtful exploration of the cyclical nature of existence.

The narrative structure is non-linear, combining present-day events with past reflections. This approach enhances the novel's introspective quality but may challenge readers seeking a more conventional story arc. The pacing is deliberate and slow, emphasizing philosophical reflection over plot development.

Animal Life offers a rich, introspective experience for those who appreciate literary fiction and are open to its unconventional style. It’s a beautifully written exploration of life's deeper questions, set against the evocative backdrop of Icelandic culture and landscape.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for review.

This was a short quick read, which is why the lower rating. I enjoy longer novels that allow the characters to really grow or share their story. This one was lots of themes with wonderful writing that just didn't translate for me. Many will love seeing into the life of a midwife, other will enjoy the slice of life in Iceland. Great choice for those also wanting to try a translated work. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC to review.

DNF @ 44%

While I'm sure this book would suit some readers' intellectual standards, unfortunately, I am not one of them. This book is described as "a family of midwives set in the run-up to Christmas in Iceland.. beginnings and endings of [the FMC] family's trade... discovers decades worth of letters and manuscripts hidden amongst [the FMC] grandaunt's clutter... reflections of birth, death, and human nature." This book has a staccato pacing to the writing and seems to jump from present (talking to the FMC's sister about the upcoming snowstorm and electrical issues in the FMC's grandaunt's townhouse) to the past (reminiscing about the FMC's grandaunt's adventures of being a midwife) without any continuity or flow to the story. It was very slow moving and didn't seem to move forward at all. This just isn't the book for me, regardless of how many awards it won.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Someone else called this a quiet book and I think that’s an apt description. The prose is beautiful. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are mine.

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is currently swiping up awards for Eden (where is the translation???), but the predecessor of her latest Icelandic bestseller is also pretty captivating: The hazy text feels like it's set in a dreamscape, as we accompany our narrator Dýja, a woman who follows in the footsteps of her ancestors by working as a midwife. She had a particularly close relationship to her recently deceased grandaunt Fifa (also a midwife, of course), who left behind three unpublished manuscripts which Dýia works through to better understand Fifa, herself and the world. The manuscripts revolve around the relationship between animals and humans, coincidence and light - not only is the Icelandic word for midwife "mother of light", we also experience the short winter daylight period on the island as well as a brewing storm enhanced by climate change that haunts the whole text.

Dýja, who lost her own child in a stillbirth, gave up theology for midwifery, but with the help of Fifa's manuscripts, she still puzzles over the role of humans on earth and the purpose of our existence - so regarding plot, there is not much action here, the star is the crystalline writing and the quiet existential circle of life and death that Dýja is closely connected to due to her profession. Living on a (beautiful!) rock in the Atlantic where generations have survived under hardest conditions, Icelanders are not prone to sentimental ruminations, and Dýia also tries to approach difficult, fundamental question with clear sight - but underneath, strong emotions like grief and compassion are moving her (the volcano is a recurring motif in Ólafsdóttir's texts). Hers is a journey of searching and transformation, as she aims to renovate the house she is living in while dealing with the grief of losing Fifa. Both Dyía and Fifa are nicknames - both are actually named Dómhildur.

This is a quiet book that still packs a punch due to the intense, haunting atmosphere and its - typically Ólafsdóttir - strong female characters. The literature Iceland produces is enviable.

There's just something cozy and comforting about Icelandic fiction for me, particularly in the wintertime, that I enjoy so much! Animal Life is not a book for someone looking for fast-paced adventure, or a lot of action. It's mostly animal facts mixed with lore and some religious history, which was quite interesting. I love that the main character's family was split down the middle with one half responsible for "life" by delivering the babies, and the other for "death" by running a funeral home. It was a pretty fast read as well, which I liked. All of this author's other books sound great, and I will be checking out more. Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

Dómhildur is a midwife who lives alone in her deceased grand aunt’s apartment. On the eve of a very large Christmas storm delivers her 1922nd baby.
There’s not much more to the plot as it meanders through her musings on life, birth and animals. Perhaps some things were lost in translation, but I found this mostly a flat book without a lot going for it other than an interesting setting. Perhaps best suited for those who enjoy literary fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Animal Life is about a midwife in Iceland and musings on life, motherhood, death, and the general cycle of nature. I thought the premise sounded interesting and was excited to read it!

This was a quick book that I finished in one sitting. It is very much a philosophical and vibe-y book rather than being focused on the plot in any significant way. Saying that there is a plot at all is stretching it. I liked the setting and some of the thoughts, but I didn't come away from this book with any strong feelings.

If you are a midwife yourself or are super into thinking about birth and life, I'd give this book a try. 2.55 stars rounded up to 3 for me. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

*3,75 stars*

What a peculiar but lovely little book this was. It was one of the first books I requested on NetGalley and yet it took me until now (months later) to actually finish reading it. I guess I was looking for the right headspace to start this story, but turns out every time is the right time to read this.

The book is set in Iceland and is told from the perspective of Dómhildur or Dýja (as her grandaunt called her and the woman she was named after). I originally went into this book thinking I’d learn a lot about midwifery as our main character is a midwife, and so was her grandaunt, but that wasn’t the case. Although one can say it was about that all along seeing as the Icelandic word for midwife is “jósmóðir”; a combination of the words for light and mother, or combined as “mother of light”. Light is one of the running themes throughout the novel; what with it being scarce in winter in Iceland with barely 3 hours of sunlight a day.

To me the story felt like a warm and intriguing way to talk about life and death, nature, humans and animals, and so many more themes. It tells us about environmental issues that man has caused and how man might even end up wiping itself out with its actions. It talked about the darkness a person can feel after giving birth and how it affects all those around them. It talked about family and how odd it actually is to know your forefather or -mother, as that’s not the case in many other species.

It’s almost like Dýja’s life is told to us combined with snippets of her grandaunts mind and musings. Like little vignettes about life combined with poetry and philosophy. I jotted down two sentences while reading that stuck with me. The first is “Man is born and dies” and the second is “Welcome, little child. You are the first and last you in the world.”

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs something intriguing, thought provoking and wants to think about light and dark, birth an death, or simply loves the descriptions of the landscapes and customs of Iceland. I do want to warn them that the storyline isn’t linear. Once you’re reading the book you’ll understand what I mean when I say it’s quite a good representation of the grandaunts thoughts. Like an old lady who digresses when telling a story, but in a good way.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and Grove Atlantic, Grove Press, Black Cat for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of "Animal Life" in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Okay, now on to the good stuff. I really, really enjoyed this book-- but this comes with the understanding that this book isn't your average book. It's meditative, meandering, but purposeful. My favorite part was relaxing at the end of the day and reading several chapters at a time. There aren't high stakes, no end of the world scenarios, not really, but just... Life. It's philosophical, thought-provoking, and just a nice book to read.

If you're like me, then you will need to be in the right headspace to be receptive to this book, especially if you aren't familiar with these types of structures/ styles/ etc. It's a cozy, atmospheric read, one well worth your time. Make a cup of tea, sit in your favorite comfy chair in the early evening, and open this book up for a couple chapters!

4/5

A meditative little book set in Iceland and told from the perspective of a midwife. It’s about life and death and nature and humans and animals. There is little or no plot, but rather little vignettes or musings that I enjoyed listening too well enough, but that, I fear, will ultimately prove to be quite forgettable. Reminded me a bit of Jackie Polzin or Jenny Offill.

I really liked this book. I loved the connection felt between the main character and her grandaunt. It was a very short slice of her life - about 3 days - but it jumped through time with all the writings and letters she had in her apartment.

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this book. It had so many elements I should have liked, which is why I wanted to read it, but it was ultimately quite frustrating. It seemed to spend too much time on uninteresting tangents and only talked around the things that were happening. I think that was an intentional choice, and maybe it works for others, but it missed the mark for me. There is some lovely writing, but the focus felt off.

2.5 stars
I'm really sorry but this got boring pretty quickly to me. There were a lot of insightful thoughts but it felt shoe-horned into the story instead of letting it flow naturally, which made it feel more like a non-fiction book than having an actual narrative. The storm also felt a little anticlimactic having been mentioned throughout the whole story then not much happening.

ANIMAL LIFE by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (translated by Brian FitzGibbon) is set in Iceland and relates the story of Domhildur, a fourth-generation midwife (literally "mother of light"), and the people (new parents, an Australian tourist) she meets. Domhildur is named for a great aunt from whom she has inherited an apartment and copious writings. The novel reflects on their relationship and her aunt's observations such as: "'You realize, Dyja dear,' my great aunt once said to me, 'that what doesn't happen is no less important than what does happen.'" There is actually relatively little active dialogue in the text (the great aunt's voice is heard through her writings or, like the grandmother's, through reminiscences; a sister's voice appears often in the recounting of past phone conversations) and that adds to the uniqueness of this somewhat meandering, but very appealing, text. The Economist concluded its recent review of ANIMAL LIFE by describing this novel as "a tranquil yet compelling meditation on life and death, darkness and light, from a reliably thought-provoking novelist." Yes, indeed: Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is a winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize and the Icelandic Literary Prize.

Audur Ava Olafsdottir bring us into the world of midwifery, babies and nature in her short novel, Animal Life. The book is comprised of Domhildur reading through her great-aunt's journal entries on life, birthing babies, light, darkness and animals. There is no specific plot to the overall book. This took me a while to get used to and I wasn't sure if I liked the overall format.

The book is more commentary about the above referenced topics. I did find it to be cozy and interesting. Due to the December publishing date and the plot synopsis I expected more descriptions of Christmas and the impending storm. Christmas and the storm were briefly mentioned but readers should not pick this up based on mood reading or for the specific time of year.

Olafsdottir has a very light writing style that I enjoyed. I listened to the audio book and at times also read from the NetGalley ARC that I received. I enjoyed both formats. The audio book provided accurate pronunciations of Icelandic names and words.

I’ve had to think long and hard about this review because the book is so unusual and it took me a little while after I’d finished it to just mull on it and put the big picture together.

There didn’t seem to be a story, as such, as I was reading. Dómhildur seems to be relating her life throughout the book and there is no clear direction. She is the latest in a line of midwives in her family, doing what she has always done, which is what her grandaunt always did, and probably all the other midwives before them. She’s living in her grandaunt’s dark flat, among her grandaunt’s abundant belongings, and seems to have very little personality or life of her own.

During the course of the book we can see that Dómhildur has always lived in the shadow of the legend that was her grandaunt, and has either lacked the confidence or desire to step out and be her own person. Dómhildur begins trying to collate her grandaunt’s life work – a book consisting of decades worth of observations during her long midwifery career and applying her scientific knowledge and personal philosophising to them all. In essence, her own search for the Meaning of Life.

A few random happenings mean that Dómhildur suddenly has time on her hands and brings her into the orbit of new people who unexpectedly introduce small changes to her life which then begin to open her eyes to new possibilities.

It’s not a page turner in the sense of there being action on every page, but for me it was a page turner because of the beautiful language on each page which described the very ordinary life of an Icelandic midwife. The writing is lovely and drew me on. This is not a book for the impatient, but I think it is a book for those with a love of the written word and for those who don’t mind sitting and thinking about the book they have read in order to find the meaning that wasn’t so clear during the reading of it.

In the run up to Christmas, a midwife contemplates life, death and human nature as she goes through her late grandaunts papers and letters. As a terrible storm nears the city, Domhildur dives into the past, all the while helping the tourist staying upstairs, chatting to her meteorologist sister on the phone, helping a woman with post natal depression, renovating her flat bad delivering her 1922nd baby.

This is such an atmospheric tale of a few days in Domhildur's life. I loved that she has lots of midwives on her mother's side of the family, and undertakers on her father's side, it's such a neat way to situate her in life. The real heart of the story are the things her grandaunt left her, and her thoughts on human and animal life. There a lots of great little thoughts and quotes, but I'm not really a fan of the stream of consciousness way of writing, just because I like stories to have some kind of momentum.

Mild spoiler after this point!
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I'm a little sad that, after all the talk of midwifery and how it is such a big part of her identity, she gets sent home for Christmas and we don't actually spend much time on the ward. I thought that was a bit of an odd choice.

Being a midwife runs in Dómhildur’s family. Having recently delivered her 1,922nd baby in the profession, Animal Life, is the story of Dómhildur’s current life intertwined with her memories of her greataunt with who she shared a name and livelihood. Through reading her greataunt’s manuscripts she learns about animals, mankind, light and coincidence.

Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir beautifully wrote this book and it reads like the true stream of consciousness of her main character, but also with poetic elements. There is as much said as there is left unsaid leaving you to try and fill in the blanks yourself, as well as leave you wanting more of Ólafsdóttir’s writing.

Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, Grove Press, and Black Cat for access to an advance copy to review.

This book was super interesting and I loved the concept. I wish I could have connected to it on a deeper level, but overall I really enjoyed it.