A review by larabavery
The Fish Can Sing by Halldór Laxness

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Super lovely and interesting to glimpse inside the setting (the up-and-coming Iceland of Laxness’s childhood), but the events of the novel only seemed loosely connected to one another, and often circled around the same ideas or desires through multiple scenes. A few strong characters emerge, but their motivations are often obscured by the narrator’s lack of definition and emotional range. If you don’t mind being a bit confused at times while you read, you’ll enjoy these charming tales of a (at the time) provincial country trying to make a name for itself on the world stage through the eyes of a young musician and the con man who captures his imagination.