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A review by quicksilvermoon
The Book of Reykjavik by Kristín Eiríksdóttir, Andri Snær Magnason, Þórarinn Eldjárn, Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson, Friðgeir Einarsson, Fríða Ísberg, Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir, Einar Már Guðmundsson, Auður Jónsdóttir, Björn Halldórsson
5.0
One of the things I love, love, loved about Reykjavik was the sheer number and variety of bookstores packed into the tiny city. Picked this one up at the Salka sale happening at the hotel we were staying at, because I’ve seen something similar for Dhaka.
It is always interesting to view a city from the perspective of its natives, particularly when they’re not very fond of it. Orhan Pamuk made a whole book bitching about Istanbul, and this little collection here is a lovely sampler of shorts from various Icelandic writers through the decades. We practically get to chart its growth from a small port into the bustling capital, through the grumblings of citizens so accustomed to their country’s stunning natural vistas as to no longer be dazzled, and a sort of urbane melancholy seeps into their thoughts. There’s the insomniac pondering the slow decline of his marital bliss, who meets a fox and realises life is beautiful. There are three displaced farmers who find a new life as city gardeners. There is a newly divorced woman slowly wading back into the dating pool. The stories are pithy, poetic and introspective; testament to the skills of this storytelling nation, and while I liked some more than others, as a collection they whetted my appetite for essays so I am happy with this collection
It is always interesting to view a city from the perspective of its natives, particularly when they’re not very fond of it. Orhan Pamuk made a whole book bitching about Istanbul, and this little collection here is a lovely sampler of shorts from various Icelandic writers through the decades. We practically get to chart its growth from a small port into the bustling capital, through the grumblings of citizens so accustomed to their country’s stunning natural vistas as to no longer be dazzled, and a sort of urbane melancholy seeps into their thoughts. There’s the insomniac pondering the slow decline of his marital bliss, who meets a fox and realises life is beautiful. There are three displaced farmers who find a new life as city gardeners. There is a newly divorced woman slowly wading back into the dating pool. The stories are pithy, poetic and introspective; testament to the skills of this storytelling nation, and while I liked some more than others, as a collection they whetted my appetite for essays so I am happy with this collection