Epeolatry Book Review: The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir

As someone who suffers from broken sleep and intermittent insomnia, I easily related to the main character, Iðunn, and her struggles: the drain on life that poor sleep causes, the well-meaning advice of others ranging from useless to useful, how sometimes a solution will work for a few days but then stops working, and the special frustration when seeking help from medical staff with a problem that doesn’t fit into a neat little textbook description. The author depicts these incidents with an accuracy that makes me wonder if she, too, suffers from poor sleep.

The effects of Iðunn’s insomnia and growing panic are well displayed through the structure of the novella. Knútsdóttir switches between longer chapters and short, quick ones that show Iðunn’s disorientation. Throughout the book, Iðunn will make little comments in brackets and snide remarks that showcase her personality while adding sarcastic flares to the book. The short chapters enhance this and add an element of humour, bringing the story to the edge of dark comedy, without fully crossing over. I enjoyed this varied structure, and it made The Night Guest a quick, sharp read.

The book falls short for me regarding the reason for Iðunn’s insomnia and the lack of a proper explanation. Horror does well when certain things are left to the imagination, such as details of a monster’s appearance or gruesome acts. This lets the reader fill in the gaps with their imagination, allowing them to scare themselves in a more personal way. However, I like to have an understanding of why the monster does what they do. I feel like this book falls short in that aspect. We do learn the identity of the titular night guest, and can guess why it chooses to visit Iðunn, but I would have liked to know more about its motivation.

There are also some areas of characterization that fell flat for me. We only get to know Iðunn, and her judgmental personality made it difficult for me to really root for her. I don’t need all my protagonists to be likeable, but with everyone else relegated to bit player, I needed something more. And it’s a good ride with strong tension that falls apart at the abrupt ending.

That said, most of the book reads well. There was enough cleverness and good writing that I would happily try another book by Hildur Knútsdóttir. 

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.