Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dead Weight follows Unnur, who lives a rather solitary life until the day the black cat shows up at her door. Not wanting to let the poor little thing wander the streets alone, and possibly come to harm, Unnur takes in the cat and begins a desperate search for it’s owner.
As luck would have it, the owner’s identity is discovered and Unnur thinks this will be the end of it. Boy, was she wrong. Ásta, the cat’s owner, is a force unto herself. Unnur is oddly charmed by this mysterious young woman with such a vibrant energy.
When Ásta explains her situation to Unnur and asks if the cat can stay with her on a more permanent basis, until Ásta can properly take her back again, Unnur ultimately agrees. This agreement comes with regular contact with Ásta, as she comes for visits and to bring supplies.
The two women open up to one another over the course of these visits, learning more and more about each other’s lives. It seems to be a bit of a balm for them both.
Unnur comes to understand that Ásta’s life may not be as perfect as it first appears. In fact, she has a dangerous problem on her hands, and Unnur ends up being the only one there when Ásta’s life takes a violent turn. Unnur will do anything to help her friend, and the day she does is the day that both women’s lives change.
Dead Weight is a great novella; solid start to finish. I liked the writing a lot and the way the story unfolded kept me intrigued. It’s quiet in it’s delivery, but I found many ways to connect to Unnur’s perspective. She felt so very real to me.
I loved the fated-feel for the relationship between these two women, brought together by a cat of all things, and I appreciated the depth explored in such a short number of pages. I feel like this is a story that could be even more appreciated upon reread, and I wouldn’t be against it.
It reminded me of a German novella from the late-1950s that I read earlier this year, Killing Stella. That was a very subtle Domestic Horror story, following a housewife who is deeply impacted by a young woman’s presence in her life. The general vibes of that novella were the same ones that I felt here and I’m not mad about it.
I would recommend this to any Reader who enjoys Domestic or Psychological Horror that is more subdued in it’s approach, but ultimately packs a punch.
Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The narration by Mary Robinette Kowal was an excellent match for Unnur’s character and had me hooked!
