Books from Iceland
68 popular icelandic books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Europe Challenge" were written by authors from Iceland.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
21.
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
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23.
Hotel Silencio by Auður A. Ólafsdóttir ES
Description:
La demencia de su madre no hace ms̀ que avanzar. Acaba de descubrir que su hija no es su hija biolg̤ica. Visto que sl̤o su particular habilidad para las reparaciones y las chapuzas domšticas sigue teniendo algo de sentido, Jn̤as decide agarrar su caja de herramientas y hacer un viaje sl̤o de ida a un pas̕ extraǫ y devastado por la guerra para desaparecer y darle un fin definitivo a esta triste existencia. Pero los desperfectos en el Hotel Silencio en el que se aloja comienzan a requerir sus atenciones, y tambiň lo hacen los hušpedes, y los habitantes de la ciudad, y su plan se aplaza una y otr... continue
24.
How Iceland Changed the World : The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason EN
Description:
"[A] joyously peculiar book." -- The New York Times ‘Bjarnason’s intriguing book might be about a cold place, but it’s tailor-made to be read on the beach.’ –New Statesman The untold story of how one tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic has shaped the world for centuries. The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and fl... continue
25.
I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir EN
Description:
A terrifying ghost story from the queen of Icelandic crime writing.
26.
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
27.
Icelandic folk tales by Hjörleifur Helgi Stefánsson EN
Description:
Iceland is a country where stories are as important as history. When Vikings settled the island, they brought their tales with them. Every rock, hot spring and waterfall seems to have its own story. Cruel man-eating trolls rub shoulders with beautiful elves, whose homes are hidden from mortal view. Vengeful ghosts envy the living, seeking to drag lost loves into their graves – or they may simply demand a pinch of your snuff. Some of the stories in this collection are classic Icelandic tales, while others are completely new to English translation. Hjörleifur has always been deeply interested in... continue
28.
Illska. La maldad by Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl ES
Description:
Ómar y Agnes se conocen una madrugada en la fila del ómnibus, e inician su historia de pareja. Ómar parece ser un joven sin mucha iniciativa ni autoestima; de su historia inicialmente no sabremos mucho. Agnes, hija de lituanos que padecieron la herencia del holocausto, está haciendo su tesis sobre el nazismo y neonazismo en Europa; en una entrevista conoce a Arnór, un neonazi cultivado e inteligente, que pasa a ser el tercero en discordia.
La historia se desarrolla en torno a la vida de la pareja y sus peripecias, intercalado con flashbacks sobre la historia... continue
29.
Independent People by Halldor Laxness EN
Description:
The great Icelandic novel by the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Halldór Laxness 'There are good books and there are great books and there may be a book that is something still more: it is the book of your life' New York Review of Books First published in 1946, this is a humane, epic novel set in rural Iceland. Bjartus is a sheep farmer determined to eke a living from a blighted patch of land. Nothing, not merciless weather, nor his family, will come between him and his goal of financial independence. Only Asta Solillja, the child he brings up as his daughter, can pierce his stubborn heart. As sh... continue
30.
Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason EN
Description:
An old man is found murdered in his Reykjavik flat. A cryptic note and a photograph of a young girl's grave are left behind. DID THE DEAD MAN'S PAST COME BACK TO HAUNT HIM? Inspector Erlendur discovers that several decades ago the victim was accused, but not convicted, of an unsolved crime. As he follows a fascinating trail of strange forensic evidence, Inspector Erlendur uncovers secrets that are much larger than the murder of one man - dark secrets that have been carefully guarded for many, many years... 'A fascinating window on an unfamiliar world as well as an original and puzzling mystery... continue