Page 54 - Untamed Iceland

RESOURCES

Suggested Readings

Iceland

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Fiction) A novel based on the true story of a woman waiting to be
executed for murder in 1829. Previous travelers highly recommended it, but also mentioned
there are a few tough scenes.

Devil’s Island by Eniar Karason (Fiction) Small-town Iceland clashes with American culture
when a brother returns home after World War II.

1]Z^_ ZY 8d 8Z`^_LNSP ?SP ,]N_TN 0c[WZT_^ ZQ L 7Z]O LYO L 7ZLQP] by Tim Moore (Travel Narrative)
Inspired and full of dry British humor, a comic travels through Iceland and other northern
]PRTZY^ɨ^`[[Z^POWd TY [`]^`T_ ZQ _SP QLXZ`^ ATN_Z]TLY Pc[WZ]P] _SP ɭ8L]\`P^^ ZQ /`ʬP]TY
and Ava.”

?SP 3T^_Z]d ZQ 4NPWLYO by Gunnar Karlsson (History) A scholarly and comprehensive review from
the Viking era through independence and the 20th century. The book evolved from a course
that the author taught at the University of London.

4NPWLYO 7LYO ZQ _SP >LRL^ by Jon Krakauer and David Roberts (Travel Narrative) Krakauer and
Roberts hike and climb around Iceland in this travel narrative, reissued as a paperback and
featuring color photographs by Krakauer. The book interweaves natural and cultural history of
the island with the authors’ own adventures.

Independent People by Halldor Laxness (Fiction) This great mock-epic uses the saga style to
tell the tale of an independent-minded sheep farmer. The story’s rich cultural details are a
hallmark of this author, who won the Nobel Prize in 1955.

Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason (Mystery) One of several “Nordic Noir” mysteries by this well-
respected author, and his most famous work to date. Also recommended is his The Draining
Lake, which is part of the same series.

, 5Z`]YPd _Z _SP .PY_P] ZQ _SP 0L]_S Md 5`WP^ AP]YP >NTPYNP 1TN_TZY 4Y _ST^ PL]Wd ^NTPYNP ʭN_TZY
novel, the adventurers descend into the earth from Snaefellsjokull Volcano, now a part of a
national park in Iceland.

?SP >LRL^ ZQ 4NPWLYOP]^ introduced by Jane Smiley, illustrated by Robert Kellog (Cultural
Literature) A collection of nine sagas and six tales, translated in a lively, easy-to-read style
for the modern reader. At over 500 pages, this is a big and bold volume. (For a quicker read
consider 3]LQYVPWɪ^ >LRL LYO :_SP] 4NPWLYOTN >_Z]TP^ translated by Hermann Palsson.)
World Light by Halldor Laxness, translated by Magnus Magnusson (Literature) Reissued in
honor of the Icelandic Nobel laureate’s 100th birthday, this big novel is the sprawling, sad,
funny story of a would-be (but hopelessly bad) poet in rural Iceland.

54