A review by chandraisenberg
On Time and Water by Andri Snær Magnason

3.0

A mix of memoir, scientific reportage, and hagiography. It all felt very disjointed, to be honest. The memoir/family history bits were pretty dry, and I couldn’t see how they related to the rest of the text. The most interesting part was when he explored Buddhist and Icelandic mythologies, and how both traditions revere glaciers. I love an interview with the Dalai Lama, but the interviews didn’t really explore climate change, the role of life-giving glaciers in Tibet/China/India, or the wider significance of glaciers in general. They mostly discussed the Dalai Lama’s life. Again, interesting, but it seemed like a missed opportunity. Three stars because I learned a lot about glaciers and wasn’t aware of the political/economic importance of Himalayan glaciers, and what that means for stability as we enter deeper into the climate crisis.