Read Around Europe Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Europe.
Best books from Europe (2605)
1021.
Njal's Saga by Unknown EN
IcelandDescription:
Written in the thirteenth century, Njal's Saga is a story that explores perennial human problems-from failed marriages to divided loyalties, from the law's inability to curb human passions to the terrible consequences when decent men and women are swept up in a tide of violence beyond their control. It is populated by memorable and complex characters like Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a powerful warrior with an aversion to killing, and the not-so-villainous Mord Valgardsson. Full of dreams, strange prophecies, violent power struggles, and fragile peace agreements, Njal's Saga tells the compelling stor... continue
1022.
Silence of the Grave : An Inspector Erlendur Novel by Arnaldur Indridason EN
Description:
“Now Iceland has its own Mankell.” ---Holger Kreitling, Die Welt (Germany) Last year Jar City introduced international crime-writing sensation Arnaldur Indridason to rave reviews and a rousing welcome from American thriller fans. And now, Silence of the Grave, the next in this stunning series has won the coveted Golden Dagger Award. Presented by the British Crime Writers' Association, previous winners of this award include John Le Carre, Minette Walters, Henning Mankell, and James Lee Burke. In Silence of the Grave, a corpse is found on a hill outside the city of Reykjavík, and Detective Inspe... continue
1023.
Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness EN
Description:
From the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner: At the close of the 17th century, Iceland is an oppressed Danish colony, suffering under extreme poverty, famine, and plague. A farmer and accused cord-thief named Jon Hreggvidsson makes a bawdy joke about the Danish king and soon after finds himself a fugitive charged with the murder of the king’s hangman. In the years that follow, the hapless but resilient rogue Hreggvidsson becomes a pawn entangled in political and personal conflicts playing out on a far grander scale. Chief among these is the star-crossed love affair between Snaefridur, known as “Icel... continue
1024.
Am Gletscher by Halldór Laxness DE
Description:
Ein Pfarrhaus in nordischer Gletschereinsamkeit ist der Schauplatz dieses ironisch-weisen Romans des isländischen Nobelpreisträgers Halldor Laxness. Ein junger Theologe, vom Bischof zur Aufklärung mysteriöser Vorfälle dorthin entsandt, sieht sich mit Reden und Taten konfrontiert, die er nicht versteht. Die bodenständige Esoterik der Einheimischen lässt sich mit seinem Tonbandgerät nicht einfangen, und die frappierende, humane Logik des Lebens am Gletscher ist so offenbar, dass sie leicht übersehen werden kann. Es ist dieselbe Logik, die auch die Sag... continue
1025.
The Legacy : A Thriller by Yrsa Sigurdardottir EN
Description:
Required to both question and protect a traumatized seven-year-old girl who is the only witness to a murder, rookie detective Huldar and psychologist Freyja navigate elusive clues left behind by an unusually slippery killer.
1026.
1027.
Under the Glacier by Halldor Laxness EN
Description:
Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness’s Under the Glacier is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, a wryly provocative novel at once earthy and otherworldly. At its outset, the Bishop of Iceland dispatches a young emissary to investigate certain charges against the pastor at Snæfells Glacier, who, among other things, appears to have given up burying the dead. But once he arrives, the emissary finds that this dereliction counts only as a mild eccentricity in a community that regards itself as the center of the world and where Creation itself is a work in progress. What is the emissary to make, for example, of ... continue
1028.
Heaven and Hell by Jón Kalman Stefánsson EN
Description:
In a remote part of Iceland, a boy and his friend Barður join a boat to fish for cod. A winter storm surprises them out at sea and Barður, who has forgotten his waterproof as he was too absorbed in 'Paradise Lost', succumbs to the ferocious cold and dies. Appalled by the death and by the fishermen's callous ability to set about gutting the fatal catch, the boy leaves the village, intending to return the book to its owner. The extreme hardship and danger of the journey is of little consequence to him - he has already resolved to join his friend in death. But once in the town he immerses himself... continue
1029.
Miss Iceland by Audur Ava Olafsdottir EN
Description:
The extraordinary new novel from Nordic Council Literature Prize-winning Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, Miss Iceland tells the incisive story of Hekla, a brilliant young woman named after an active volcano who longs to make it as a writer in 1960s Iceland
1030.
Gnarr : How I Became the Mayor of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World by Jón Gnarr EN
Description:
Following the collapse of the Icelandic banking system in 2008, comedian Jn Gnarr was inspired to invent a political party and run for mayor of Reykjavik. He decided to satirise the current political parties and instead promised voters that he wanted to make their lives more fun. In this entertaining memoir Gnarr recounts his experiences with admirable candour, describing his career, his visions and the mistakes he made, while also sharing some lessons from his campaign and his time in office.