“A novel which is light-footed, in spite of the fact that it carries weighty words, quiet, but still full of life. The sentences grip me, one by one, they both arouse and maintain my interest”
Klassekampen
«A well considered, well-composed novel about people’s complex and difficult relation to themselves and to others … The author depicts this in a captivating, low-key way”
5/6, Stavanger Aftenblad
“Beautiful prose … Depicts the fragility of life in delicate prose … Perhaps even more than a portrait gallery, this is a novel about how fragile life can be and how difficult it can be to live, whether you are young, old or somewhere in between … Hafredal describes this fragility well, through her delicate prose. She doesn’t make these mental illnesses into something special, but treats them with the gravity that people suffering them deserve … But even though Rabbit Heart is sad, it’s something more than that. The novel also radiates with hope; not strongly, just barely, but it’s still there”
5/6, Fædrelandsvennen
“Rabbit Heart is so insightful and thoughtful that it could have been a non-fiction book. The characters lift the story to a novel of pain, hope and the power of compassion … Hafredal is in full and total command of the novel’s form, both the prose and the literary composition … an intimate, powerful reminder of how difficult a young person’s life can be … Reading Rabbit Heart has been a moving experience. Ingrid Melfald Hafredal has written a young, wise novel where gravity is allowed to do its work, without disturbances”
NRK P2
“For anybody who has worked at an institution, this is highly recognizable … All the variants of human weakness and vulnerability that the author portrays, might mirror each other, but if so, the reader will have to find out on her own. Just as in real life. In this respect, Rabbit Heart is more real than a lot of non-fiction, where the author often use narrative devices to depict a phenomenon or a life story as if it has a beginning, a middle and an end … Rabbit Heart is the kind of novel you makes you see your surroundings and your life with slightly more generosity, slightly more wonder”
Dagens Næringsliv
“An important, well-written, captivating novel … an empathetic story written in realistic, almost documentary prose that also carries a subtext. Hafredal has a good ear for the movements of language, like in a weather forecast, with warm winds, dark clouds, warnings of storm and torrential rain … The interplay between the young people and the therapeuts is narrated with sharpness, insight and compassion, lifting the stories above the everyday life in a wild and dangerous world … With confidence and style, Ingrid Melfald Hafredal’s Rabbit Heart finds its place among [other high-quality Norwegian novels dealing with life in psychiatric institutions].
5/6, Adresseavisen
“A writer with a keen eye for the complex interconnections of the mind as well as between people. The best thing about the novel is still how Hafredal opens up to further reflection by weaving together the stories of people in different phases of life … Hafredal’s clear-cut prose, matter-of-factly tone and effortless but confident grip on the different life stories is convincing. Above all she seems like a writer with an ability to see other people and a will to tell important stories. That gives me great belief in her future books”
Dag og Tid
