Scan barcode
A review by monty_reads
Tales of Iceland: Running with the Huldufólk in the Permanent Daylight by Stephen Markley
4.0
One thing I’ve learned over and over again from reviewing nonfiction books is that, more so than fiction, if you don’t already have a built-in interest in the topic, you’re probably not going to care about the book.
So I’ll keep this short.
Have you traveled to Iceland? Do you want to travel to Iceland?
In that case, read this book tout de suite (or however you say "immediately" in Icelandic). It’s smart and funny and vulgar and details a true excursion around the island from the perspective of a smart-ass twentysomething and his two smart-ass twentysomething friends.
But here’s the thing. This is Stephen Markley, author of Ohio, my second-favorite book of 2020. So we not only get tongue-in-cheek observations about the country and its people, we get deep dives into how Iceland rebounded from the 2008 financial crisis, how its economy changed in the 20th Century, how it’s the most feminist country in the world, and how the country itself was founded.
It’s both crass and sophisticated, and it’s a lot of fun. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, and I almost never do that because I’m no fun.
But you say you have no interest in Iceland as a travel destination? As well-written as this book is, then, it’s probably not for you.
There will almost certainly be sections of it that inform and amuse you, but I think the real value will be for people who have already traveled to Iceland. Markley captures the feel of the country – especially its nearly overwhelming physical beauty and the friendliness of its people – in ways that rang true with my own (admittedly limited) experience there. It was the next best thing to making a return trip.
So did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Will you enjoy it? Probably. But your mileage will vary depending on whether you’ve traveled to Iceland yourself.
So I’ll keep this short.
Have you traveled to Iceland? Do you want to travel to Iceland?
In that case, read this book tout de suite (or however you say "immediately" in Icelandic). It’s smart and funny and vulgar and details a true excursion around the island from the perspective of a smart-ass twentysomething and his two smart-ass twentysomething friends.
But here’s the thing. This is Stephen Markley, author of Ohio, my second-favorite book of 2020. So we not only get tongue-in-cheek observations about the country and its people, we get deep dives into how Iceland rebounded from the 2008 financial crisis, how its economy changed in the 20th Century, how it’s the most feminist country in the world, and how the country itself was founded.
It’s both crass and sophisticated, and it’s a lot of fun. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, and I almost never do that because I’m no fun.
But you say you have no interest in Iceland as a travel destination? As well-written as this book is, then, it’s probably not for you.
There will almost certainly be sections of it that inform and amuse you, but I think the real value will be for people who have already traveled to Iceland. Markley captures the feel of the country – especially its nearly overwhelming physical beauty and the friendliness of its people – in ways that rang true with my own (admittedly limited) experience there. It was the next best thing to making a return trip.
So did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Will you enjoy it? Probably. But your mileage will vary depending on whether you’ve traveled to Iceland yourself.