Tales of Iceland or "Running with the Huldufólk in the Permanent Daylight"

by Stephen Markley

When American author Stephen Markley was a fresh-faced, impressionable university student in Ohio, he saw Quentin Tarantino describe a trip he’d taken to Iceland.

“Supermodels working at McDonald’s,” said Tarantino of the Icelandic.

Markley never forgot those words.

Seven years later, Markley set out with two friends for Iceland, and adventure would ensue. The three young men found a country straddling Europe and North America, recovering from its 2008 economic crisis, struggling to regain its national identity, influenced by the entire globe yet trafficking in its singular Icelandic sagas and legends.

With Tales of Iceland, Markley delivers the fastest, funniest memoir and travelogue of an American experience in Iceland.

Beware: You will NOT learn how to say "Which way to the potato farm" in the Icelandic language. Nor will you learn how to locate the finest dining options in Reykjavik, or the best opera house. This is not that kind of travel book. Markley and his two irrepressible twenty-something American pals do not like opera, had no money to eat much besides eggs and skyr, and learned only how to say “Skál!” “Takk,” and “Skyr.”

The author of the growing cult classic Publish This Book, Markley dives headfirst into Icelandic history and culture while not ignoring all those weird stories found in the best travel writing: a road trip around the golden circle; partying in Reykjavík on National Day; drinking late into the night with gorgeous Icelandic women; hiking over pristine white glaciers featured in Game of Thrones; encountering a drunk, raging Kiefer Sutherland; crashing in the band Of Monsters and Men’s old apartment; getting hit on by a Wiccan in the famed Blue Lagoon; searching for signs of Icelandic “hidden people;” interviewing Jón Gnarr, the actor-comedian who accidentally became the funniest mayor in the world (by vowing not to form a coalition government with anyone who hadn’t watched all five seasons of The Wire); and countless other travel tales of youthful irreverence.

If you’re about to pick up this book about Iceland, just know that it will be a little foul. Markley also brings his twisted sense of humor and combative social conscience to bear on why there are no prostitutes in Iceland, how fishing quotas planted the seeds of an economic doomsday, and why one should never invite Icelanders over for an after-party.

Tales of Iceland is the indispensable travelogue and required reading for anyone wishing to visit this strange, beautiful, and remarkable country.

As Markley reflects: “All I can say with full credibility is that I went to Iceland and kind of fell in love with the place.”

Tales of Iceland tells how it happened.


A Note from the Publisher, GiveLiveExplore:

Travel guides are becoming static and stale. Savvy travelers in today’s connected world are better served using free, curated websites like TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet, and personalized travel tips are better garnered by polling friends, meeting fellow travelers abroad, or talking to locals on the street.

While travel information has become a commodity, we believe good, honest tales are in short supply.

Tales of Iceland is our answer. It’s the anti-guidebook -- a fun, engaging story with useful cultural context to compliment your own travel experiences.

Our hope is not only that this travelogue becomes the book travelers read before or during a trip to Iceland, but also that it inspires more to explore and live out his or her own tales of Iceland.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor

219 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2013

About the author

Stephen Markley's debut novel "Ohio" will be published in August of 2018 by Simon and Schuster.

Markley is the author of the memoir "Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book" (2010) and the travelogue "Tales of Iceland."

His work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Slate.com, The Iowa Review, Chicago's RedEye, The Week, The Chicago Tribune, The Rumpus, Weber: A Study of the Contemporary West, and the Chicago Reader. He’s also the author of the e-reader short "The Great Dysmorphia: An Epistemological View of Ingesting Hallucinogenic Mushrooms at a 2012 Republican Presidential Debate."

Reviews

[Hilary Kissinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh god the writing. It is so bad. I learned one or two things about Iceland so it wasn't a total wash, but it's hard to stomach the continued descriptions of inside jokes you "had to be there for." If you like books that read like extended Facebook statuses (and even quotes some throughout its pages), you'll love this book.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a caution: if you’re going to Iceland and want a book that will give you recommendations for Reykjavik fine dining or suggestions on phrases lie, “Which way is the potato farm?”, this is NOT the book. And if you are easily bruised by cuss words and examination of the enhanced libidos of 20-somethings, you better avoid this book as well.

If, however, you’re looking for a really imaginative and – dare I say FUN -- anti-travel guide – a guide that touches on everything from a very drunk and out-of-control Kiefer Sutherland, a real-life comedian mayor named Jon Gnarr who ran on a platform of not letting anyone in his cabinet who hadn’t seen all episodes of The Wire, and an explanation of why so many Icelandic women become Miss Universe – well, here’s your book.

Stephen Markley and his two friends visit Iceland a little while after the country’s highly publicized economic crash, touring massive craters where massive blobs of magma crashed into the earth, exploring glaciers that are rapidly disappearing due to climate change, and in the process, recognizing the heart of Iceland” “the embodiment of those ever-warring human impulses, the ongoing spar between independence and community, freedom and collaboration, the Viking yearning clashing with the undeniable democratic power of the Althing, the bipolar nature of humankind somehow captured by these seasons of ultimate dark and ultimate light in the Cove of Smoke.”

The book is funny and irreverent and breezily written but – and Stephen Markley may hate this – it’s also highly informative and educational. He shines a spotlight on why Iceland was the only country to bounce back after the economic crash by going through a process of personal reflection and readjusting its expectations rather than “partying on.” He gives a sobering look at what the glaciers mean to the world’s water supply and why ours might be the last generation to explore them. And he provides a very candid look at Reykjavik’s charismatic and surprisingly down-to-earth mayor, the “hidden people” (trolls and elves), and why Iceland’s lure continues to entice.

Within this framework, there’s a “buddy bonding” story – three young guys who traveled there after buying into the fantasy that “supermodels work at McDonald’s”, along with a fair amount of male libido jokes and bodily function remarks (hey, they’re in their 20s, so you can just imagine!) Whether you’re preparing for a trip to Iceland or simply dreaming of visiting one day, this is an entertaining and educational book – and it’s great to hear that 5% of all profits go to SEEDS, an Icelandic non-governmental non-profit volunteer organization designed to promote environmental protection.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat entertaining; not as smart as I'd hoped.

[Eric Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A self-indulgent but highly entertaining account of one late 20-something's travels through Iceland with two of his friends. Along the way, they hit the major tourist sites, discover some idyllic places in the absolute middle of nowhere, and attempt to sleep with gorgeous Icelandic women. It's not a travel book for everyone but the author does a great job of steeping himself in many of the larger themes of Iceland - the economic collapse of 2008, the comedian tapped as the mayor of Reyjkavik, global warming, natural resource depletion, and more - all while keeping it fast-paced and lively.

I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys the spirit of travel and who can tolerate the mind-set of several young guys getting drunk and looking for love in all the wrong (right?) places.

[Sam H · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this zero stars, I would. I had no idea this was the immature ramblings of an ignorant college boy! I'm sure the people of Iceland were not sad to see the back of these three boys. Their moms must be so proud! The worst part is, I actually spent money on this and helped support his drunken stupor.

[Sonja Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A terrible book written by a terrible, creep of a human being. If you follow my ratings then you know I usually very generous with them. However, once in awhile I read a book that makes me feel worse for having done so. Tales of Iceland was one of those books.

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely, I bought this book in the departure lounge when leaving Iceland. So glad I did though, this book had me skip all in-flight entertainment options on my trip home to South Africa.

It's certainly required reading for anyone of the fact that it is not a travel guide (probably because of that, actually).

The author is smart, and properly funny. Looking forward to reading more of his stuff.

Oh, and a warning. if you read this book, Iceland will rocket up to the top of your bucket list, and it's fucking expensive there, so start saving.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. This guy was trying way too hard to try to be funny. If I was 13, I may have thought some of it was funny..maybe. Other than that, there were specks of Iceland facts, like he had a few lucid moments or something.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining, and at times (gasp!) educational read about 3 young guys' travels throughout Iceland. I'm visiting Iceland for the first time next month, and this book gave me an idea of what to expect from an American tourist's perspective. It seems Markley was able to strike a balance between utmost respect and admiration for the country and its people and cataloguing American debauchery and youthful, goofy libido in a foreign land filled with natural wonders and beautiful women. Quick, entertaining and informative travel lit at its best.

[Jessica Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there was a travel book like this for every country! Amusing, witty and fun. Suddenly Iceland seems an incredibly familiar place. I'm very excited about upcoming travel there and have a long list of suggested places I'm looking forward to visiting now. There's a certain genius in this books approach and I'll be watching curiously to see what's next for this author.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

My coworker gave me this to read since I'll be headed to Iceland. I skimmed it and read certain sections. It was cute, had some interesting insights about Iceland (as experienced by a 20-something year old American), and was a totally inappropriate recommendation from a coworker! haha.

[Belinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a clever book. It is written by a simple frat boy, and is a little embarrassing to read. Pass.

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do have some opinions on this, the humor has its strong ups and strong downs, but I would be lying if I wouldn't admit straight off that overall I had a fantastic time reading this during my own journey around dramatic Iceland. Seriously, why have I never read a travel memoir from the location I'm traveling during me traveling that destination? Best idea ever, need to do that again. With that in mind, I was fairly easily capable of overlooking some of the cringe moments.

Markley takes the goofy, lighthearted approach to tell us about this trip that he took in his twenties with two of his buddies, a kind of last hoorah type thing since everyone else around him was getting serious about family and adulting and he and his 2 friends were so not in that league yet. With that we see a lot of hostel-party lifestyle, attempts to hook up with women and lamentations on the difficulty of masturbating on the road with friends. Luckily, Markley is a great story teller and despite those lower points I was completely sucked in, immersed into his journey almost as much as my own. And yes, of course hitting some of the same sights as he does in the book at almost the same time added a layer of extra enjoyment for me but I think this will work very similarly if you read it after your own Iceland adventure, or in preparation for it (that way you can get some advice of where to go!). But underneath the endless jokes and drunk musings there is a lot of great research and knowledge sharing in here too. Markley touches on Iceland's financial situation, politics, history, environmental issues... For example, I learnt insightful facts about the situations of forests in the country and that was totally eye opening while we were traveling. This is a fun, easy book but you will leave with some actual useful and interesting information about the country and culture.

How did he survive though? I know they were traveling under the endless Icelandic summer sun (as opposed to my own September storms with pretty normal daylight hours) which can give you extra euphoria but how did these guys ever sleep and not kick the bucket from exhaustion? They traveled and hiked around the whole ring road (like me) and went out partying every night (unlike me) and I can't fathom how because I was always exhausted at the end of a day and while we sometimes shared drinks, we also just fell dead into bed on other nights. If he didn't exaggerate, I'm still not sure that is something you should earn respect for. Must be an age thing.
The constant honing in on how hot Icelandic girls are and how they are so open to have sex all the time, and especially when you use extremely rude hook-up lines: I am sure Icelandic women would beg to differ with this portrayal; less in this regard would have truly been more than enough.

But I also laughed out loud in this. Repeatedly. I truly had a good time and he is so right when he says these horses are auditioning for cheesy romance covers with how they swoosh their manes around. Truest words. You know what else is true? This:
“The problem with driving around Iceland is that you’re basically confronted by a new soul-enriching, breath-taking, life-affirming natural sight every five goddamn minutes. It’s totally exhausting.”

[anahissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was made for How I Met Your Mother fans.

I finished it only because I have to know how books end and because I found some redemption in his brief moments of clarity, education on Iceland and glaciers, and cultural ramblings. Everything else was a waste of time, and it’s so rude that he says he is going to write a book about this quickly, unseriously, just for fun. If he had mentioned that was his intention for this book from the beginning, at least I would have been warned. It was irreverent in a way that was clear how hard he was trying to be irreverent and cool and his head could not have been bigger, though he tried to mask it with disparaging comments. Also he just put in several excerpts of his blog posts and articles/interviews he published which felt lazy and like a stab at marketing.

I liked some of his thoughts on moving into new spaces and communities for a chance of renewal but it was also altogether too obsessed with tourism as a source of self discovery.

[Abby Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 in spite of the gross bro-y misogyny (“we wanted to hang out with her because of her great boobs”— ugh), but because of the great bro-y Icelandic history lesson at the end. Very funny, easy read. I finished it in 7 hours, with substantial breaks.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There aren't too many travelogues around about Iceland so this was a fun find. I can't say that I thought the author very humorous (he was actually kinda obnoxious to me), but his travels through Iceland were fun and his book included a lot of interesting Icelandic tidbits (history, politics, culture, food, etc.).

A decent and quick read. Could be inspiring for someone interested in visiting Iceland (which I have done, but would love to return).

[Teddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Yes there is swearing and dick jokes. But their is lots of fun stories. As I have lived in Iceland it was a nice book to read to remember my time there. But if you have never been there you will learn so much about Iceland, it's beauty and it's people.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can overlook some crude humor (think discussions about masturbation, bowel movements, etc.), you will likely find that this book contains many surprising tidbits that are both endearing and insightful. The author and his two buddies (all mid-20's guys) decide to spend a few weeks in Iceland, spending time in both Reykjavik and renting a car to drive the perimeter of the island. I actually really enjoyed 'traveling around' Iceland with these guys, and the author's appreciation for Iceland, Icelanders, and all that he experienced is obvious. Definitely not my first book about Iceland, and still I learned quite a few things. The author also touches on some deeper issues that I would not have counted on from this book, judging by its cover of a nude man running through a field, including mass glacier melting, the Icelandic financial collapse, preservation of resources, and social justice. The book is written in a colloquial, humorous tone that is easy and pleasurable to read. Four surprising stars!

[Paulo Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the things I like to do when I travel is to buy books from local authors, or about the places I'm visiting. So, in Iceland last month, I bought a few Icelandic books at one of the Eymundsson bookshops, and as I was browsing the shelves, this little book about a trip to Iceland by a young American caught my eye. I bought it, read a few random pages as I was travelling across the country, and after coming back home read it from beginning to end. It's a nice book, an account of three young Americans' trip to Iceland and their impressions of the country. Loving to travel and to compare opinions, I found it mostly funny and entertaining, even if the twenty-something-ish kind of experiences and humour are quite far from my own. Maybe sometimes it gets a bit too silly, but all in all I enjoyed reading it. And through it I discovered the Give Live Explore project of one of the guys, Matt Trinetti, that is very uplifting and interesting, and to which I subscribed and plan to follow online. So many different things one can get from travelling!

[Xzs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a twenty-something guy traveling with his friends, so there's an over abundance of crude comments, jokes, sexual innuendo, etc. However, aside from the juvenile male absurdities, the book contained lots of interesting tidbits, and I actually gleaned quite a bit about Iceland. Surprisingly, I feel that the book is great preparation for my upcoming trip in the fall! I believe the intent of the book is to serve as a primer for those traveling to Iceland, so if that is the case, the book hit its mark. Also, the writer and his friends seem like smart enough guys...I'll never understand why all guys (especially twenty-somethings) feel the need to act like complete jackasses when they're hanging out together!? Ha ha!

[SL · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the book's own words:

"“I feel like I could write a whole book about this place,” I said.
"You should.”
"Not like a real book. Not something I’d spend two years on and bleed my eyeballs out over, but something fun and fast, informative but mostly full of dick jokes and F-words. Publish it as an e-book and not even f--- around with a publisher.”"

Too bad that's not until page 202. Fortunately, there is plenty of warning early. If you'd like a Tucker Max style travelogue, this is for you.

Not my jam. At all. Blech.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo... this book was actually great. And I'm slightly surprised by that because at first glance this appeared to be a stupid, immature, yet funny book. Yes, it certainly contains its fair share of sex and drinking anecdotes... but then it also contains these really brilliant sections on Icelandic history, economy, and culture. Who woulda thunk? Clearly the author knows his craft and how to write with a paced, interesting, unique voice.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of irreverent writers, and I didn’t mind the author’s crassness. In fact, for someone so determined not to take himself seriously, the author has a charming passion for glacier science.

The reason for my low rating is that so much of the book is not even about Iceland. About 1/3 of it is about Iceland. The other 2/3 is a mix of inside jokes, transcripts of conversations, semi-interesting asides, and the author’s musings on the best places to masturbate.

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, a must-read before visiting Iceland, or after coming home from Iceland, or if you just enjoy a really funny travel story.

[Eduardo Minte · Rating 4 out of 5]

short, fun, entertaining read. Never got bored during the book, it explains hystory and geology in a fun way.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect pre-trip read. Markley is hilarious. And smart.

[Josh Auerbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, fun read that was surprisingly informative.. Looking forward to visiting Iceland in September

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny look into an amazing country. Gets sidetracked at times, but pretty sure that's the point. Good read if you've been to Iceland or want to go (you should go now)!

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drunken college boy ramblings of a two-week trip to Iceland; profane and not worth my time.