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fieldofhats's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
This was a very interesting and fun book, but it was very unorganized. The book is marketed as being about elves, but that’s a little misleading; Nancy Marie Brown bolts from topic to topic, some of which don’t even relate to elves much at all. She talks about science, mountains, stories, volcanoes, etc. Nearly everything she touches on is at least interesting (except for the volcanoes, I got sick of that rather quickly), but it often has little to do with elves. Some of the topics, like the discussion of Faerie stories and (to an extent) the musings about science, were good and warranted, but they seemed few and far between.
And as a fairly minor gripe, I found many passages to be a bit boring. I think it’s because I don’t care for Brown’s style of storytelling (which is why I DNF’d The Real Valkyrie). But while there are many stories, there was much more of Brown’s actual voice that shone through, which I enjoyed well enough.
I expected this going into the book since I had read some reviews before starting, but I was hoping that this book would talk enough about Iceland’s elves that I would have more insight and knowledge about them. And it did do that, but not as much as I would have liked. The history aspect of elves, for example, is severely lacking. In general, I just wish there was more about elves.
This book reads like a journal, or a travelogue. It’s well-written, but sporadic. There’s no clear thesis, nothing this book is trying to say, prove, or build up to. The lack of direction is what kills this book. If this were marketed and named differently, perhaps as just a book about Iceland, then it would have made much more sense. Overall, if you want a book on elves, this will give you a decent bit about them, but it’s not comprehensive or exhaustive. This is a book for people who want to learn more about modern Iceland more than anything.
And as a fairly minor gripe, I found many passages to be a bit boring. I think it’s because I don’t care for Brown’s style of storytelling (which is why I DNF’d The Real Valkyrie). But while there are many stories, there was much more of Brown’s actual voice that shone through, which I enjoyed well enough.
I expected this going into the book since I had read some reviews before starting, but I was hoping that this book would talk enough about Iceland’s elves that I would have more insight and knowledge about them. And it did do that, but not as much as I would have liked. The history aspect of elves, for example, is severely lacking. In general, I just wish there was more about elves.
This book reads like a journal, or a travelogue. It’s well-written, but sporadic. There’s no clear thesis, nothing this book is trying to say, prove, or build up to. The lack of direction is what kills this book. If this were marketed and named differently, perhaps as just a book about Iceland, then it would have made much more sense. Overall, if you want a book on elves, this will give you a decent bit about them, but it’s not comprehensive or exhaustive. This is a book for people who want to learn more about modern Iceland more than anything.
litwtchreads's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautifully written book and I learned a ton from this. I really enjoyed reading this.
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
szucker6's review against another edition
2.5
Interesting information but lacking organization or thesis
anndudzinski's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
The subtitle of this book is: How Iceland’s Elves Can Save the Earth. Elves? Cool. I pre-ordered the audiobook expecting something magical, something folklorish, something about elves. Silly me. This book covers a lot of ground, but most of it is not about elves.
It possibly ought to have been subtitled “Why I love Iceland,” because it was half a travel documentary, half everything but the kitchen sink that had to do with Iceland. The author jumped around from elvish seers, lava fields, quantum physics, Icelandic folklore, Icelandic sagas, witches, the act of seeing, volcanos, volcanic documentaries, magical mountains, J.R.R. Tolkein, and farmhouse construction. That’s just what I remember off the top of my head. The narrator’s voice was calm and pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, I listened to most of this book on my commute to and from work and since her tone was so soothing, I didn’t retain a lot of the information coming at me. And there was a ton of information. The author is obviously knowledgeable about her subject, having visited there 30-some times. I figure she must have been Icelandic in at least one past life.
It was an interesting listen, but not remotely what I was expecting. If I had wanted a survey on Iceland, I’d be rating it higher because there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book - except for the synopsis luring in unsuspecting listeners who want to hear about elves. In fact, the last line of the synopsis intimates that if we all believed in elves like Icelanders do, we could save the earth from climate change. While there are several studies presented that suggest a portion of Icelanders believe in elves, it’s hardly the majority of the country. In fact, elvish seers (those who can see elves) seem to be scoffed at. The author admits to rolling her eyes at one the first time she met her. Hardly a convincing argument that elves are real and should be taken seriously.
If you’re looking for a general study on Iceland, pick this up. If you want something magical about elves, you might be disappointed.