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sanjastajdohar's review against another edition
3.0
This is a weird book. Even for Sjon. But it has his unmistakable mark. After reading The Blue Fox, I must say I liked that one much better, this one seemed a bit unfinished at parts. But the theme and the style were enough to keep me going. Love the ending.
aleffert's review against another edition
4.0
Really more of a novella, but wonderfully atmospheric story of a gay teenager in Iceland in 1918 as influenza blows through
hellosagar's review against another edition
3.0
Sjón writes so eloquently, so effortlessly, that you can't help but be carried away. But I'm afraid that this story just didn't do it as much for me. It is a lovely encapsulation of a period of time in Icelandic history, but seems like it would be more interesting for the personal connection of the author or for people interested in modern Icelandic history than it is just for the story itself. Still, it's nevertheless quite compelling and would still make for a worthwhile read.
ilnadurn's review against another edition
4.0
Conflicted on this one - I loved the last two pages more than I did the rest of the book, but I enjoyed the poetic writing style.
texbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
half_book_and_co's review against another edition
4.0
Each time I travel I try to read some local authors who write stories set in the specific locations. So I enjoyed wandering through Reykjavik in 2018 and at the same time taking a stroll through 1918 Reykjavik in Sjón's beautiful brief novel Moonstone. Through the eyes of a 16-year-old gay boy, we experience the Spanish flu taking over the city and fast-changing its rhythm. Part queer coming-of-age, part fever dream, this is a stunning book.
pearloz's review against another edition
Breezier and more memorable than the last Sjon I read. This one had a surprising amount of sex in it despite its short length. A strange book about film and about the Spanish Flu.
magnuscumlaude's review against another edition
4.0
Another short read to help me reach my target for the year. I wanted to read Sjon because I saw he has co-written the new Robert Eggers movie “The Northman” and I’ve had this sitting on my shelf for a few years.
Moonstone is about a young man, almost illiterate but loves movies, growing up in Iceland when the Spanish flu hits. The prose is bare, which I think does justice to the Icelandic landscape and the desperate times of the pandemic when the novel is set. I loved hearing about the movies the main character watches, from the very first decades of cinema.
Despite the short length, Sjon delivers a lot of closure in the final pages, and especially that last paragraph. This is the type of book you could read in a day and think about for much longer - simple but beautiful, surreal and stylized yet grounded and moving. This makes me even more excited for ‘The Northman’.
Moonstone is about a young man, almost illiterate but loves movies, growing up in Iceland when the Spanish flu hits. The prose is bare, which I think does justice to the Icelandic landscape and the desperate times of the pandemic when the novel is set. I loved hearing about the movies the main character watches, from the very first decades of cinema.
Despite the short length, Sjon delivers a lot of closure in the final pages, and especially that last paragraph. This is the type of book you could read in a day and think about for much longer - simple but beautiful, surreal and stylized yet grounded and moving. This makes me even more excited for ‘The Northman’.
alfheidur's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5