Halldór Laxness is Iceland's only Nobel laureate. He won the prize in 1955.
Under the Glacier is a modernist novel with a satirical tone and Beckett-esque dialog. A young unnamed narrator travels to a town at the base of Snæfellsjökull on behalf of the bishop to investigate rumors of odd behavior from the local pastor. He meets a collection of odd and unlikely characters, with whom he speaks at cross purposes about their religious practices. The town practices a faith that is an amalgam of Christianity, paganism, and pretty much every world religion, and they may be preparing for a resurrection.
Many years ago I read and really enjoyed Laxness' early masterpiece Independent People (from 1934). I've tackled other Laxness books since then, but none have come close to Independent People, or even been similar in style or tone. To be fair, the other books are from much later in his career (The Fish Can Sing from 1957, Under the Glacier from 1968), and they seem to have more insider Icelandic references. Maybe I should try Salka Valka from 1932?
Many years ago I read and really enjoyed Laxness' early masterpiece Independent People (from 1934). I've tackled other Laxness books since then, but none have come close to Independent People, or even been similar in style or tone. To be fair, the other books are from much later in his career (The Fish Can Sing from 1957, Under the Glacier from 1968), and they seem to have more insider Icelandic references. Maybe I should try Salka Valka from 1932?
Salka Valka is great, although the translation is a little creaky.
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