Well this was a joy to watch! Twenty so or years ago I lived in Iceland for a few years on and off and have had a fondness for it ever since - if that hasn’t been reflected in my reading as much as I would like. I’ve read a couple of Halldor Laxness and On Time and Water, Angels of the Universe by Einar Már Gudmundsson and Justice Undone by Thor Vilhjálmsson but that’s it. I probably have another eight or nine on my shelf including some of the ones you mentioned that I am going to gradually get to and am actually currently reading a short story collection by Gyrdir Elíasson at the moment which I’m quite enjoying. Looking forward to more Icelandic content on your channel Sean!
Oh wow, I'm really jealous that you got to live in Iceland. Both Einar Már Gudmundsson and Thor Vilhjálmsson are great - I really enjoyed Angels of the Universe. There will definitely be more Icelandic literature content on the channel soon! Thanks, Jo!
Thank you... 📚💕📚💕📚 My TBR pile already reached moon... But I will keep all these authors in the back of my mind... surely read if it's available in my place...📚💕📚💕📚💕📚 So many books, very little time...📚💕📚💕📚💕📚💕📚
Can you please give name of the authors of crime fiction... I had difficulty following the names... 🙏🏾 Detective novel recommendations are welcomed... 🙏🏾💕📚
@@pandittroublejr Haha - same! TBR pile is ever-growing... Thank you! And yes - sorry about that. The ones I mentioned and the ones I recommend are: Ragnar Jónsson Arnaldur Indriðason Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Lilja Sigurðardóttir All are fantastic and widely translated, but I'm particularly fond of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's "I Remember You." For detective novels, you can't go wrong with Arnaldur Indriðason's Detective Erlendur series!
Thank you so much for this video! I just read Miss Iceland by Audur Ava. I loved it! I ignore so much about Iceland and its literature. I want to know more. Its been such a long time since I want to read the sagas but didn't know how to start. So thanks a lot. I just subscribed
Wow, I’ve had Laxness’ Salka Valka already in my TBR, and from this video I added several other books too. Seeing a booktube video like this one is very refreshing. New subscriber here.
Thanks for the list, i had read first 3 authors before (and a big fan of all 3), and had "The Wasteland" in my TBR for quite some time now, i am planning to buy Miss Iceland, Hotel Silence, One time and Water too.
This was so great, I've added so many books to my list to read! :DD Do you know Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir? I am not sure if any of her books have been translated into English, I've read one of her books in Polish and I quite liked it.
Thank you! I remember hearing about Sigríđur Hagalín Björnsdóttir's Eyland, but none of her books have been translated to English yet, unfortunately. Hopefully that'll change soon, as I've only heard good things!
Hi Sean, Have you come across any English translation of Gudmundur Kamban's works? I'm interested in Kvalitetsmennesket (collection of his essays), Ragnar Finnsson (1922) and Ur dularhetmum (1906). So far, I have only read two translated plays(Hadda Padda and We Murderers), an English article he wrote (while in NY), and a silent movie (Hadda Padda) he directed. I have some knowledge of the pre-World War II history of Iceland but not much after that. Recently, I read an article about Iceland's Gender Autonomy Act (relating to Surname laws) and sort of recalled Kamban's Surname controversy (even though the two are very different). The one involving Kamban had more to do with Language and Literature.
Hi Jacques - I haven't even heard of him until now! I've just done some research and he sounds like a really interesting character. From what I can find, it seems like you've found the only two translations into English of his works: Hadda Padda and We Murderers. You've piqued my interest though - I'll do some more research when I get a minute and I'll get back to you if I find anything!
Most of these books are pretty accessible, at least here in the States - I usually order from used bookstores on abebooks.com, or directly from the publishers. If, for some reason, you ever wanted them in Icelandic, most are available on forlagid.is!
It's called Úrvalsbók - it's basically a "Reader" or a "Selection" of his works. It includes the opening chapters of most of his books, all of Brekkukotsannáll, and some miscellaneous writings. It's all in Icelandic though!
@@travelthroughstories oh... thank you for clarifying... 💕✌🏾 I am happy that I ask that question... I literally thought, the detective kills somebody and a criminal solves the case...😁😆😆
Before I knew names, I read the blue Monsen & Smith Heimskringla, and not the red Hollander Heimskringla. And when anyone says they prefer Snorri's Heimskringla to Saxo's Gesta Danorum, I tend to want to holmgang them right there & then, because I love Saxo despite his running snide comments, which I think really only now plays against themselves in favour of the Gods & Arch-Heathens, and his variant tales of the Gods make his history much more interesting. I noticed you own both Heimskringla, so I fearfully have to ask: If you've read both, is the Hollander so much significantly better than the Monsen & Smith translation? Even if you say yes, I probably won't do a re-read of the win-allies, win-land, win-kingship, die, lather-rinse-repeat power wash cycles of most of it, but something inside compels me to ask someone who knows. 📘⚔🟥❓
I too began with the Monsen & Smith, but I was gifted the Hollander translation a couple of years ago. I've only read a could of notable sagas from the latter (Ynglinga saga and Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar), but I read the full Monsen & Smith (quite a few years ago, to be fair). I didn't find Holllander's translation significantly better, though I do think that most people prefer it. Snorri has a really straightforward prose for the most part, so the translations don't differ *too* much if I recall correctly.
@@travelthroughstories Thanks for the reply, and I feel relieved by your answer. And I've now realized I left this initial comment on a completely different video of yours than I thought I was in a late night browser multi-tab fit of misposting (sorry!). But I actually do have a question about this video: Does Laxness' "Iceland's Bell" focus mainly on the Arnas Arnaeus (Árni Magnússon analog) character with his collecting of manuscripts and cultural revelations of those discoveries? Or do I get a larger percentage of the other two characters instead? And are those other two perhaps analogs for Grettir and Guðrún, maybe? The latter I'm just guessing from what few synopses I can find.
![Icelandic Update #2 - My first conversation in Icelandic! [SUBTITLED]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5FnXmUFoXkE/mqdefault.jpg)
I am so glad I found this channel while searching for Icelandic books, it is a gem 💎
You're too kind! Thank you!!
Me too. I've been very interested in Icelandic literature and didn't know what I should put time into or where to start
Well this was a joy to watch! Twenty so or years ago I lived in Iceland for a few years on and off and have had a fondness for it ever since - if that hasn’t been reflected in my reading as much as I would like. I’ve read a couple of Halldor Laxness and On Time and Water, Angels of the Universe by Einar Már Gudmundsson and Justice Undone by Thor Vilhjálmsson but that’s it. I probably have another eight or nine on my shelf including some of the ones you mentioned that I am going to gradually get to and am actually currently reading a short story collection by Gyrdir Elíasson at the moment which I’m quite enjoying. Looking forward to more Icelandic content on your channel Sean!
Oh wow, I'm really jealous that you got to live in Iceland. Both Einar Már Gudmundsson and Thor Vilhjálmsson are great - I really enjoyed Angels of the Universe. There will definitely be more Icelandic literature content on the channel soon! Thanks, Jo!
Thank you... 📚💕📚💕📚
My TBR pile already reached moon... But I will keep all these authors in the back of my mind... surely read if it's available in my place...📚💕📚💕📚💕📚
So many books, very little time...📚💕📚💕📚💕📚💕📚
Can you please give name of the authors of crime fiction... I had difficulty following the names... 🙏🏾
Detective novel recommendations are welcomed... 🙏🏾💕📚
@@pandittroublejr Haha - same! TBR pile is ever-growing... Thank you!
And yes - sorry about that. The ones I mentioned and the ones I recommend are:
Ragnar Jónsson
Arnaldur Indriðason
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Lilja Sigurðardóttir
All are fantastic and widely translated, but I'm particularly fond of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir's "I Remember You." For detective novels, you can't go wrong with Arnaldur Indriðason's Detective Erlendur series!
@@travelthroughstories thank you...💕💕💕
Thank you...💕💕💕
Thank you...💕💕💕
Thank you so much for this video! I just read Miss Iceland by Audur Ava. I loved it! I ignore so much about Iceland and its literature. I want to know more. Its been such a long time since I want to read the sagas but didn't know how to start. So thanks a lot. I just subscribed
Thank you for watching! Auður Ava is really brilliant - I still need to get to Miss Iceland.
Wow, I’ve had Laxness’ Salka Valka already in my TBR, and from this video I added several other books too. Seeing a booktube video like this one is very refreshing. New subscriber here.
Thank you very much, Laura! I should have a review of Salka Valka coming out sometime in the next week or so, actually. It's a wonderful book.
Thanks for the list, i had read first 3 authors before (and a big fan of all 3), and had "The Wasteland" in my TBR for quite some time now, i am planning to buy Miss Iceland, Hotel Silence, One time and Water too.
Great choices! I'd be interested to hear what you and others think of Wasteland and Auđur Ava Ólafsdóttir's works. I think they're wonderful!
Thanks for these lists and reviews. You're introducing me to authors I'm unfamiliar with!
What a great channel!
What a kind comment! Thank you!!
Thanks so much for this informative and useful video. I've already ordered a couple of titles and have made a lengthy list of must-reads. Great stuff!
Thank you for watching! I hope you find some books in here that you really enjoy!
This was so great, I've added so many books to my list to read! :DD Do you know Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir? I am not sure if any of her books have been translated into English, I've read one of her books in Polish and I quite liked it.
Thank you! I remember hearing about Sigríđur Hagalín Björnsdóttir's Eyland, but none of her books have been translated to English yet, unfortunately. Hopefully that'll change soon, as I've only heard good things!
Hi Sean,
Have you come across any English translation of Gudmundur Kamban's works?
I'm interested in Kvalitetsmennesket (collection of his essays), Ragnar Finnsson (1922) and Ur dularhetmum (1906).
So far, I have only read two translated plays(Hadda Padda and We Murderers), an English article he wrote (while in NY), and a silent movie (Hadda Padda) he directed.
I have some knowledge of the pre-World War II history of Iceland but not much after that. Recently, I read an article about Iceland's Gender Autonomy Act (relating to Surname laws) and sort of recalled Kamban's Surname controversy (even though the two are very different). The one involving Kamban had more to do with Language and Literature.
Hi Jacques - I haven't even heard of him until now! I've just done some research and he sounds like a really interesting character. From what I can find, it seems like you've found the only two translations into English of his works: Hadda Padda and We Murderers. You've piqued my interest though - I'll do some more research when I get a minute and I'll get back to you if I find anything!
Any recommendations on best websites to buy some of the mentioned books?
Most of these books are pretty accessible, at least here in the States - I usually order from used bookstores on abebooks.com, or directly from the publishers. If, for some reason, you ever wanted them in Icelandic, most are available on forlagid.is!
Taste is obviously subjective but not to have Gunnar Gunnarsson in top 10 is not right. I'm pretty sure Halldór Laxness would put him at nr.1.
Hi Sean ( _Shawn?_ ) what is the Halldor Laxness book @ 6:39 with the author's name written in uppercase letters?
It's called Úrvalsbók - it's basically a "Reader" or a "Selection" of his works. It includes the opening chapters of most of his books, all of Brekkukotsannáll, and some miscellaneous writings. It's all in Icelandic though!
23:29 What is the meaning of 'Murder Mystery Inversed' ?
I meant to say "murder mystery in verse," that is, a murder mystery, but in the form of a poem rather than in the form of a novel!
@@travelthroughstories oh... thank you for clarifying... 💕✌🏾
I am happy that I ask that question... I literally thought, the detective kills somebody and a criminal solves the case...😁😆😆
@@pandittroublejr Haha! Now that's a novel I'd like to read!
@@travelthroughstories ✌🏾✌🏾 all the best wishes...✒👍🏾
You look like Scandinavian
I have no Scandinavian ancestry that I know of!
Before I knew names, I read the blue Monsen & Smith Heimskringla, and not the red Hollander Heimskringla. And when anyone says they prefer Snorri's Heimskringla to Saxo's Gesta Danorum, I tend to want to holmgang them right there & then, because I love Saxo despite his running snide comments, which I think really only now plays against themselves in favour of the Gods & Arch-Heathens, and his variant tales of the Gods make his history much more interesting. I noticed you own both Heimskringla, so I fearfully have to ask: If you've read both, is the Hollander so much significantly better than the Monsen & Smith translation? Even if you say yes, I probably won't do a re-read of the win-allies, win-land, win-kingship, die, lather-rinse-repeat power wash cycles of most of it, but something inside compels me to ask someone who knows. 📘⚔🟥❓
I too began with the Monsen & Smith, but I was gifted the Hollander translation a couple of years ago. I've only read a could of notable sagas from the latter (Ynglinga saga and Haralds saga Sigurðarsonar), but I read the full Monsen & Smith (quite a few years ago, to be fair). I didn't find Holllander's translation significantly better, though I do think that most people prefer it. Snorri has a really straightforward prose for the most part, so the translations don't differ *too* much if I recall correctly.
@@travelthroughstories Thanks for the reply, and I feel relieved by your answer. And I've now realized I left this initial comment on a completely different video of yours than I thought I was in a late night browser multi-tab fit of misposting (sorry!).
But I actually do have a question about this video: Does Laxness' "Iceland's Bell" focus mainly on the Arnas Arnaeus (Árni Magnússon analog) character with his collecting of manuscripts and cultural revelations of those discoveries? Or do I get a larger percentage of the other two characters instead? And are those other two perhaps analogs for Grettir and Guðrún, maybe? The latter I'm just guessing from what few synopses I can find.