I visited my great grandmother years ago in a small fishing village on the southern coast of Iceland. She lived in the same little wooden house her entire adult life. Bedrooms just big enough to hold a small bed. I love being Icelandic and never fail to be awed every time I visit.
Hah! Thank you very much for watching. I'm glad the context/history was useful - I always go back and forth on whether to just dive into the book or begin with the larger context.
I picked this up a few weeks ago based on the fact that Laxness is so well regarded, and the amazing job that Archipelago has done with so many of their other titles. Now I can’t wait to read it!
Great discussion. This is really interesting to me as someone from a country that was colonised by the British (initially with the East India Company). Equally, I prefer novels that focus on the daily lives of 'ordinary' people - to me that is the best way to experience a different culture and time. Female-centric narratives are another big plus for me - the last extract you read in particular was so hard-hitting. Thanks for discussing this translated work. (I would have probably looked it up based on the awesome quote in your thumbnail haha) Happy reading!
All my homies hate Steinþór. "Ís there anything less like sleep than death?" Reminded me of Great Expectations. Most well written book I've read in years. Love the conclusions.
Brilliant discussion, Sean! I love Laxness. I have fond memories of reading World Light, in Spanish, many years ago. The Fish Can Sing has been next on my list by him for a very long time now. I'm so happy to see Salka Valka is in print again! Right after reading World Light, I found a copy of the 1936 Houghton Mifflin edition, but I may check out this new translation. The old one was not even based on the original novel, but on the Danish edition. Thank you for this great video!
Thank you, Jorge! I'm glad I'm not alone in my adoration of Laxness. It's always really interesting when a translation is based on another translation...I'd be interested to check out the earlier edition and compare them.
@@travelthroughstories I just realized that earlier translation is available at the Internet Archive. The one you can find there was published in England in 1923, and does not include a note about the source, but it's the exact same translation I have. It was done by F. H. Lyon.
Great stuff, as usual. Had never even heard of the author before. Got it wishlisted now. Can always hope! I tend to like ideologues being pit against one another. Sounds totally up my alley. Though satire is always a roll of the dice… seems serious enough.
Thanks Fraser! Laxness really is wonderful if you're into social realism. Regarding the satire: I may have misspoken. There isn't so much "satire" as characters occasionally embodying their ideologies so fervently that it comes across as a bit ridiculous. That is, Laxness is clearly poking fun at what happens when you take these ideologies to their natural ends (eg, a Marxist with complete disregard for the individual in favor of the community), but overall, this is a pretty serious work with plenty of Laxness' quirky humor thrown in.
@@travelthroughstories ohh okay that sounds even more appealing then! I attempted Glory recently and another book and really, satire just seems to have such a low hit rate for me. I am too much the curmudgeon I guess
Like the review,very much. Im also a medievalist stuck in this modern world. Im American in Russia. Eleven years now. A friend was visiting Iceland and I begged him to get SV. Ive read everything else by Laxness except this, some of the reciews pf it, feminist novel, feminist this or that had me wary...it is feminist ,but more than that is what you said, I agree, it is a coming of age novel AND a coming of age novel of Iceland. I was a Communist in PNW from 86-98, we grew up 3 rd world in America , a few times starving,literally. Dirt poor, no clothes except what we had on,so to read SV, when she gets the new dresss and is aware of her poverty, her place in the world, that she is made fun of--- so was I, so mich so I hid it and only remembered as I read of the towns children making fun of her, a group of boys, asked if I needed money, I said no, they placed me against a wall and began pitching pennies at my bare chest. They began throwing them. I was red welted and crying. There were many more instances that were worse--- so, as an american,expat in Russia, I resd this and it hits home, like IP, in both books, I sense a taste of not social realism but magical realism, even a hint at it...the boy in SV describing his mothers disappearance, how it probably was trolls and ogres, the mythmaking of prepubescent children, how they see the world--- a magical place , of saints and of demons--- in IP the ghost of the witch, his floating down the river after his sheep, many instances of magical realism, of this unbelieavbke realism taking the story along the horse of social realism, Ill watch the rest of your video later...after I finish SV. Where are you located? Do you read Russian literature? BTW, while looking for SV here I saw dozens of copies...in Russian. He was immensely popular here during CCCP.
I visited my great grandmother years ago in a small fishing village on the southern coast of Iceland. She lived in the same little wooden house her entire adult life. Bedrooms just big enough to hold a small bed. I love being Icelandic and never fail to be awed every time I visit.
The knowledge is never ending, my man. I'm over here taking notes on sharpening up my reviews and I love the context and history you give here.
Hah! Thank you very much for watching. I'm glad the context/history was useful - I always go back and forth on whether to just dive into the book or begin with the larger context.
I've read all of Laxness' books on your shelf, except this one. I'm about to read 'World Light' again, in my opinion, the greatest novel ever.
I picked this up a few weeks ago based on the fact that Laxness is so well regarded, and the amazing job that Archipelago has done with so many of their other titles. Now I can’t wait to read it!
You can't go wrong with Archipelago publications! I hope you enjoy Salka Valka as much as I did.
Great discussion.
This is really interesting to me as someone from a country that was colonised by the British (initially with the East India Company). Equally, I prefer novels that focus on the daily lives of 'ordinary' people - to me that is the best way to experience a different culture and time. Female-centric narratives are another big plus for me - the last extract you read in particular was so hard-hitting.
Thanks for discussing this translated work.
(I would have probably looked it up based on the awesome quote in your thumbnail haha)
Happy reading!
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to check it out - Laxness is an exceptional writer!
Thanks for reviewing Salka Valka!
All my homies hate Steinþór. "Ís there anything less like sleep than death?" Reminded me of Great Expectations. Most well written book I've read in years. Love the conclusions.
Brilliant discussion, Sean! I love Laxness. I have fond memories of reading World Light, in Spanish, many years ago. The Fish Can Sing has been next on my list by him for a very long time now. I'm so happy to see Salka Valka is in print again! Right after reading World Light, I found a copy of the 1936 Houghton Mifflin edition, but I may check out this new translation. The old one was not even based on the original novel, but on the Danish edition. Thank you for this great video!
Thank you, Jorge! I'm glad I'm not alone in my adoration of Laxness. It's always really interesting when a translation is based on another translation...I'd be interested to check out the earlier edition and compare them.
@@travelthroughstories I just realized that earlier translation is available at the Internet Archive. The one you can find there was published in England in 1923, and does not include a note about the source, but it's the exact same translation I have. It was done by F. H. Lyon.
@@JorgesCorner perfect! Thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out.
Thanks for this!!
Takk fyrir mjög áhugaverða umræðu.
Totally cool, you and your recommendations are a find
Thank you!!
Great stuff, as usual. Had never even heard of the author before. Got it wishlisted now. Can always hope!
I tend to like ideologues being pit against one another. Sounds totally up my alley. Though satire is always a roll of the dice… seems serious enough.
Thanks Fraser! Laxness really is wonderful if you're into social realism. Regarding the satire: I may have misspoken. There isn't so much "satire" as characters occasionally embodying their ideologies so fervently that it comes across as a bit ridiculous. That is, Laxness is clearly poking fun at what happens when you take these ideologies to their natural ends (eg, a Marxist with complete disregard for the individual in favor of the community), but overall, this is a pretty serious work with plenty of Laxness' quirky humor thrown in.
@@travelthroughstories ohh okay that sounds even more appealing then! I attempted Glory recently and another book and really, satire just seems to have such a low hit rate for me. I am too much the curmudgeon I guess
@@SpringboardThought haha, I get that! Satire can go wrong so easily... It rarely works for me as well.
Like the review,very much. Im also a medievalist stuck in this modern world. Im American in Russia. Eleven years now. A friend was visiting Iceland and I begged him to get SV. Ive read everything else by Laxness except this, some of the reciews pf it, feminist novel, feminist this or that had me wary...it is feminist ,but more than that is what you said, I agree, it is a coming of age novel AND a coming of age novel of Iceland.
I was a Communist in PNW from 86-98, we grew up 3 rd world in America , a few times starving,literally. Dirt poor, no clothes except what we had on,so to read SV, when she gets the new dresss and is aware of her poverty, her place in the world, that she is made fun of--- so was I, so mich so I hid it and only remembered as I read of the towns children making fun of her, a group of boys, asked if I needed money, I said no, they placed me against a wall and began pitching pennies at my bare chest. They began throwing them. I was red welted and crying. There were many more instances that were worse--- so, as an american,expat in Russia, I resd this and it hits home, like IP, in both books, I sense a taste of not social realism but magical realism, even a hint at it...the boy in SV describing his mothers disappearance, how it probably was trolls and ogres, the mythmaking of prepubescent children, how they see the world--- a magical place , of saints and of demons--- in IP the ghost of the witch, his floating down the river after his sheep, many instances of magical realism, of this unbelieavbke realism taking the story along the horse of social realism, Ill watch the rest of your video later...after I finish SV. Where are you located? Do you read Russian literature? BTW, while looking for SV here I saw dozens of copies...in Russian. He was immensely popular here during CCCP.