The Little Book of the Icelanders: 50 Miniature Essays on the Quirks and Foibles of the Icelandic People

by Alda Sigmundsdóttir, Megan Herbert (Illustrator)

Hi, and thank you for your interest in The Little Book of the Icelanders – a collection of 50 miniature essays about the quirks and foibles of the Icelandic people and what it is like to live in their midst.

In 1994, I moved back to Iceland after more than 20 years of living abroad, and ever since I have been in the enviable [to me!] position of being both an insider and an outsider in Icelandic society.

I figure this makes me sufficiently qualified to dissect the national psyche of the Icelandic people.

Among the fascinating subjects broached in the book:

* the appalling driving habits of the Icelanders
* naming conventions and customs
* the Icelanders’ profound fear of commitment
* the Icelander’s penchant for irreverence
* why Icelandic women are really men
* how the Icelanders manage to make social interactions really complicated
* the importance of the family in Icelandic society
* where to go to meet the real Icelanders [and possibly score some free financial advice]
* Rituals associated with weddings, confirmations, graduations, and deaths

… and many, many more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Humor, Essays, Scandinavian Literature, Audiobook, Coffee Table Books

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alda Sigmundsdottir is the author behind the popular blog (now Facebook page) "The Icelandic Weather Report." After living abroad for many years, she returned to Iceland and found herself at once "one of us" but also very much unfamiliar with the "social mores and standards that prevailed in Icelandic society." So The Little Book of Icelanders is a short, anecdotal collection of observations ("sweeping generalizations and subjective opinions," she admits) made by a woman who is at once inside of Icelandic culture and yet is able to view it as (almost) a foreigner as well.

There's not a lot of analysis or deeper connections drawn in the course of Alda's Little Book, but then again, she really hasn't promised any such thing. It's not an anthropology text, after all. But the book is chock full of Fun Facts About Iceland, some of which, I think, circulate rather widely, and some of which were delightfully new to me. Some of the more entertaining and interesting Fun Facts Alda shares throughout are as follows:

--Family names (as in the sort of last names used in the US) have been "unequivocally illegal" in Iceland since 1991. Traditionally, Icelandic names are patronymic and end in "-son" for men and "-dottir" for women. So Bjarn Gudmundsson is Bjarn, son of Gudmund. His son would be, hypothetically, Karl Bjarnsson. But at some point, taking non-patronymic family names became very popular in Iceland, and people were just making things up "willy-nilly." So, to preserve tradition, no new family names can be taken.

--Continuing with the name-related rules: Iceland has a "Name Committee" that parents must submit the name of their child to for approval. And less traditional names, such as "Pixiebell or Apple or TigerLily" can absolutely be rejected. Alda explains: "Fascist? Perhaps. But consider: Icelandic is one complicated language...and one of its more difficult features is that the nouns, as opposed to just the verbs, decline according to case. They change. Either their endings change, or the whole name changes." So one of the Name Committee's jobs is to make sure that it's possible to decline a name in Icelandic without any trouble.

--As of 2010, 92% of Icelandic households had an internet connection--one of the highest rates of connectivity in the world. Icelandic dependence on Facebook is also unusually high: the post-meltdown revolution was, according to Alda, "largely organized through Facebook."

--Even though the current Icelandic Prime Minister is a woman, she is--in official correspondence--referred to with a male pronoun. Says Alda, "...an official committee appointed by the Icelandic authorities declared that all people in Iceland shall be referred to as 'men' and use the pronoun 'he.'"

--Icelanders rarely, if ever, say "excuse me."

--For Icelanders, the hot tub serves the same social purpose as the British pub or the Turkish teahouse. "It's where people go for rest and relaxation and also where they discuss current events and social affairs of prime importance."

--Icelandic children are universally made to nap outdoors in their prams, regardless of the weather. "This is believed to strengthen the child's constitution...All warmly ensconced in their lambskin-lined pouches, tucked behind a nylon net or blanket to keep out leaves, snowflakes, or other stray matter."

There's a lot more, all generously and humorously explained by Alda. The book is going to come out in hardback soon, but in the meantime, can be purchased as an e-book, here:http://icelandweatherreport.com/the-l...

(For another observational exploration of Icelandic Culture with a bit more structure to it, check out Ring of Seasons by America-to-Iceland transplant Terry G. Lacy.)

[Linda Beldava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grāmata par islandiešiem spāņu valodā (tulkojums no angļu valodas) iegādāta Keflavīkas lidostā.
Autore ir dzimusi islandiete, kas lielāko savas dzīves daļu dzīvojusi ārpus dzimtās zemes, atgriežoties tur un pamanot visādas islandiskās īpatnības, nolemj tās apkopot grāmatā. 50 dažādas kuriozas un ne tik kuriozas nacionālās īpatnības, kas raksturo islandiešus, bet citiem var šķist dīvainas. Gan jau, ka katrai tautai ir kas līdzīgs.
Piemēram, viena no tām - Islandē ceļu satiksmes noteikumiem esot rekomendējošs raksturs, nevis likuma spēks. Papildus tam islandieši esot briesmīgi autovadītāji.

[Maggie McKneely · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars* A delightful, insightful book about modern day Icelandic culture. The author was born in Iceland but grew up in Canada, so she has the unique ability to understand Icelanders as a native, but to poke fun at their quirkier habits as a sort-of-outsider.

[Katrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book! A must-read to anyone with any sort of interest in that rock in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean they call Iceland, and the people living on it. Especially if you feel you have a bit of Icelander in you yourself – meaning that you can relate to the feeling of not wanting to take anything too seriously.
It is by Alda Sigmundsdóttir, who is able to take both the insider's and the outsider's view on the Icelanders and their ways. It doesn’t pretend to be something that it's not: It's not an academic anthropological study. Alda Sigmundsdóttir tells about the customs and peculiarities of the Icelanders; some of them you quickly become aware of yourself when stepping onto the island, while others aren't as easily spotted. There are the flattering ones and the not so flattering ones, and they are all told in a delightfully informal and funny way. But I don’t feel like I'm laughing at the Icelanders (at least no too much), instead I feel like I'm allowed to partake in the Icelanders wonderful practice of laughing at themselves. All this in much the same way that there are things I love and hate and find ridiculous and exceptional about my own fellow countrymen.
An enjoyable and highly recommendable read!

[Stephanie Ricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable book of 50 miscellaneous essays on Icelandic life, written by an Icelander who mostly grew up elsewhere, so she speaks the language and the culture but isn't so close to it that she can't see its oddities. It's easy to get an exceedingly rose-colored view of Iceland; it's undeniably an amazing place with a lot of unique and enviable cultural features. These essays, while written with some affection, definitely focus more on the irritating or weird quirks of Icelanders that could drive a non-Icelander nuts. Useful for a healthy dose of wit and realism to clear the rosiness a bit.

[Adam Floridia · Rating 5 out of 5]

These gross generalizations about an entire populace are told in a very entertaining way regardless of how accurate they end up being. What a delightful read to prepare for a trip abroad.

[Simon Eskildsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in preparation for an impending trip to Iceland: Cute book with observations on Icelandic culture from an Icelander who left the island at 5, and later returned—giving a unique perspective. My favorite quote was this:

> The Icelanders are the southern Europeans of North Europe. The family is central in their lives. They like to put things off (mañana). They’re frequently late. Their buses don’t run on time.

One of the most used proverbs seems to be that "this will all work out one way or another," apparently deeply webbed into the culture. This proverbial stoicism was something my upbringing in Denmark had in common, with my family's variation being "nothing is so bad it's not good for something."

I also learned that in Iceland all pronouns are gender neutral, they love their hot tubs, and that the name of babies is hidden from everyone until the baptism.

If you're planning a trip, this is a good, light-hearted introduction to (somewhat accurate) Iceland stereotypes. While the author has an enjoyable writing-style and would be the first to confess it's largely anecdotal, this would've gotten another star with a bit more thought and investigation into the qualities and pet theories presented. There's almost no historical perspective, which is an odd bit missing from a story that attempts to synthesize the culture. The most recurring history was the economic meltdown following the Great Recession which frequently is brought up in the context of cultural traits—hardly an explanation of a culture, with it being so recent.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable and funny little book with short chapters about the foibles of living in Iceland. I saw some of these characteristics in members of my own Icelandic-Canadian family! Alda writes a blog regularly called The Iceland Weather Report, which is not about weather. At least, not usually. If you just want to relax and chuckle, this is the book for you.

[Marco Avataneo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro piacevole e curioso, anche se a tratti un po' banale, che aiuta a meglio comprendere la mentalità e la vita degli islandesi

[Posie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, funny and informative.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read!

[Sara Beresford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great little book. Nice to read as I finished up the trip to Iceland...

[Boni · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, this book seemed to be more suited to Icelanders themselves, insiders who might giggle at the truths. I see that the author wrote a similar book for tourists, so maybe that’s one that would have struck gold with me. As an outsider, I couldn’t see all that much humor in stuff that the whole world encounters… family, pride, independence, death, marriages, traffic etiquette, drinking, meeting people, people ignoring e-mail, etc.

What was interesting were those unique quirks, like the naming convention and the strictness of it. Also the reason why there are so few dogs in public. As a tourist this struck me as odd right away, and this book gave the weird history behind it.

As a tourist, I’d love to have added my own observations… like the locals wear shorts and t-shirts even in freezing cold. Or they do with those cute Icelandic horses (A restaurant server spilled the beans on that one). And of course, there’s that sun that really never leaves in summer. The spartan hotel rooms, and architecture is just sooooo Ikea…And the wind (as warned on YouTube by the Mayor)… oh that wind 😂.

[Steve Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on 50 characteristics and peculiarities of Icelanders. Most of them (independence, stuborness, importance of family, industriousness, etc…) are applicable to people anywhere and seemed more a general commentary on human nature than specifically Iceland. But the unique characteristics were very interesting. Specifically, the naming conventions, dislike and rejection of dogs, belief in elves and fairies, and egalitarian politics were insightful and fun. Listened to it while traveling through Iceland - provided good information for our trip. Based on our visit, the people seemed super nice, engaging, and helpful but there were almost no dogs. Her writing style grew tiresome and I thought her humor got stale by the end. Glad she didn't have more than 50 chapters or I may not have finished it.

[Xięgozbiór · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spory zbiór ciekawostek kulturowych i obyczajowych na temat Islandczyków. Przeczytałem tę książkę pod kątem wylotu do tego kraju i muszę przyznać, że naprawdę mi się przydała wiedza na temat tego, co o Islandii można wyczytać. Alda bez skrupułów obala mity i w interesujący sposób rozwija szczegóły życia na tej odosobnionej wyspie. Islandczyków opisuje poprzez stereotypy i generalizacje, ale bardzo dobrze uzasadnia to podejście i w ogóle go nie ukrywa.

Owszem, może książki oparte na danych statystycznych byłyby bardziej rzetelnym źródłem informacji na temat danego kraju, ale moim zdaniem "The Little Book of the Icelanders" to i tak pozycja obowiązkowa, jeżeli ktoś planuje polecieć na Islandię.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable light-hearted and affectionate reflection on the modern Icelandic culture (not pretending to be all-encompassing or applicable to everyone, just essays in general) from an author who has written several “little books” about her home from the perspective of so,done born and living there now but having spent significant parts of her childhood upbringing elsewhere as well. This author was recommended to me prior to my trip to I eland - this and her little book on tourists and tourism were perfect companions for the trip. (note - while there I looked around and chose a couple novels by Icelandic authors to continue to relish in my Iceland time upon my return - this is a cherished habit of mine).

[Bruce Harpham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book on a flight home following my first visit to Iceland. The author brings a unique perspective to her native land. She lived abroad for a number of years before returning there. Each essay was short and offered enjoyable insights. You will not find data, charts and other such points here. Instead, a series of essays exploring the different quirks of the Icelanders. Based on a short visit to Iceland, I'd say that the author did well in capturing much of the spirit of Iceland. Recommended if you are visiting Iceland!

[Mama Pessotto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going to be going on a trip to Iceland soon and I always appreciate learning about where I am going from someone who is well versed in its history and culture. lt was an interesting read that enlightened me about the Icelandic way of life and their idiosyncrasies. It appears that overall they are a friendly people, however I was disappointed to read they do not love dogs as where I come from we adore dogs more than most people and we were taught to never trust anyone who doesn’t like them!

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! It’s 50 delightful mini-essays and thoughts on those delightful Icelanders. If you haven’t been to Iceland before it may not make much sense to you, however for a twice traveller there it sent me back chuckling remembering a country I’ve become very fond of. It discusses all walks of Icelandic culture, from dating, manners and showering naked in public pools! Fantastic.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at the Geysir gift shop in Iceland. Lots of entertaining anecdotes about Icelandic society including "the shower police" at public swimming pools, buses not always arriving on time and everything happening at the last minute. I would have liked a little more historical context and comparisons with other Nordic countries. A fun read.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading Sigmundsdóttir’s perspective on modern Icelandic culture. I’m in the process of reading all her “Little Books” in preparation for a trip to Iceland later this year, and I’ve already learned so much. Her knowledge as a non-traditional expat is invaluable, especially to those of us coming from a North-American background. Plus she’s freakin’ hilarious.

[Megan Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Australian foreigner who lived in Iceland for 8 years, I found Alda's analysis and helpful explanations of Icelandic cultural and social quirks endlessly helpful and fascinating. I loved her writing so much that after illustrating this book, I jumped at every subsequent chance to work with her.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a gift from a friend who knows we are planning to go to Iceland later this year. I'm not sure if this book made me want to go more or not. LOL! It's interesting, and I want to pick up the tourist one she wrote. Supposedly this is humor, but I'm not sure I quite caught the jokes - maybe if I knew more about Iceland I would? Anyway, interesting read.

[Jonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of short essays based on the author’s experiences returning to Iceland as an adult. I found her essays about names, especially last names, quite interesting. Not sure how native Icelanders feel about the book characterizations, but it was humorous especially the first half of the book. I did think the book slowed towards the last quarter of the book and was less interesting.

[Karolyn Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, the essays in this little book are, I assume, brutally honest, to the point of making me wonder why anyone would want to visit the country. I will be going soon, nonetheless, not because of the people but because of the amazing natural wonders I’ve heard about. I’ve also been warned not to expect much of the native cuisine, so … expectations duly lowered.

[Dana Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun to read post Iceland trip..I probably should have read it before I went. The book, however, needs an update. Iceland has changed dramatically since 2012, largely due to tourism. Still, many of the idiosyncrasies still hold true!!!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slight, but interesting as far as it went. .

I would have been more interested if there were more practical advice for visitors on navigating the idiosyncrasies the author describes.

[Petr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takové malé vyprávění o pár zvláštnostech Islandu. Je zajímavé, nakolik mi tu chybělo hlubší porovnání s domácím prostředím (jako např. v Amerických denících). Kratičké postřehy, které se občas překrývají, jsou dobré odpočinkové čtení.

[Katarzyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apart from some really interesting facts (like the one about the last name pattern), this book is comprised of customs and behaviors that lots of other nations consider as unique and specific only for them ;)

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute! I liked the Hidden People book by this author, so I decided to get this one next. I recently took a trip to Iceland, and it was fun knowing a little extra about the places we visited while we were there.