Stone Tree

by Gyrðir Elíasson, Victoria Cribb (Translator)

Along the lonely western shores of Iceland, among its vast mountain ranges and its barren lava fields, this sublime collection of short stories blends the desires and efforts of its numerous protagonists, nearly all intent on taking leave of their normal lives in order to pursue their dreams more seriously. A Boston ornithologist speeds through the landscape in a four-by-four chasing Arctic Terns; a schoolboy is relocated to the northernmost town of Siglufjördur to compete in a chess tournament; and a husband packs his wife off to visit her aunt in Sweden. Despite the desolation of their surroundings, the characters encounter strange company: ghostly presences in the early hours, enviable neighbors, and fellow writers with remarkably similar ambitions. Plotting a constellation of singular, glittering images that are rendered nonetheless complete, this magnificent compilation intersects the paths of its characters, who are at once isolated in their individual pursuits and yet connected in the vast realm of dreams.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, The World, Travel, Scandinavian Literature, Contemporary, International

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Gyrðir Elíasson's family comes from the Eastfjords but he grew up in the town of Sauðárkrókur in the north of Iceland and went to both elementary school and college there. He lived for a while in the western part of the country, in Borgarnes and Akranes, but later in Reykjavík.
Gyrðir has been a full time writer almost all his adult life, he has published a number of poetry books, novels and collections of short stories. He is one of Iceland's most acclaimed writers of his generation and has been awarded for his work. He is an avid translator, especially of books about and by American aborigines, and has translated four of Richard Brautigan's novels.

Reviews

[Snoakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what drew me to this collection. I'm not a huge fan of short fiction - I generally prefer something longer that I can immerse myself into. Short fiction (and you can't really call these short stories as the majority of the book is more a collection of vignettes) often leaves me with a feeling of anti-climax, as though I haven't really GOT it. Likewise, I don't read much translated fiction. The act of translation inexorably alters the intention of the author - whether it improves or detracts from the original. There is so much I want to read that was written in English, I'm not sure if I want to be bothered with writing that may not quite be what the author intended.

Those prejudices aside, I did enjoy this collection. Some really resonated with me such as the tale of the man who lives surrounded by books and open Amazon boxes, storing his books everywhere - including in the oven and the fridge. Others left me slightly baffled.
The pieces are generally loosely linked by reading, writing and dreaming and there is some lovely imagery e.g. "His sight had become so poor that he couldn't even see properly in his dreams any more".

All in all, if you like short fiction, it's a good read with a slightly dark tinge in places. Not sure I'd read it again though, hence four rather than five stars.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection will not be to everyone’s taste but I’d like to find any collection that will not have its detractors. I’ve certainly not found any online. But you will only really love this book if you can come to terms with his unusual style. The only collection I own that is in any way comparable is Thomas Bernhard’s The Voice Imitator, a collection of 104 less-that-a-page-length pieces but Elíasson is no satirist. He is, however, very interested in the human condition. I personally liked the book, not every story, but there were only a couple where I felt cheated on the storytelling front but not of the atmosphere front. No.

You can read my full review on my blog here.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange little book. I found it through an article by a woman who read a book from every country on earth. This was her Iceland entry.

A lot of solitary figures, soome lonely, some not. The landscape plays a big role in the stories, the cold and snow, the beaches and pines, the ruggedness of the terrain. It's very vivid and melancholy. I liked coming upon places I have been to. Borgarnes, Mal og Menning bookstore in Reykjavik, the greenhouses at Hveragerdi.

I really do need to take a short story class because I don't always get it. So many of these are so short and they end just after creating a scene. Is that the point? One, single thing done to completion?

I liked "The Stargazer is Always Alone" as unique in the collection: there's more of a happy ending for this lonely soul, finding a serendipity of mushrooms because he left his house instead of staying in and using his telescope to spy on his neighbor. They're little, simple things. A lot of description of daily life and commonplace objects.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The remarkably short stories in this collection make you come back again and again. In fact, they haunt you. There is so much in them that you may not quite 'get' at first reading.
I find it amazing that in so few words, or perhaps because there are so few words, these stories had the impact on me that they did. My partner and I have been reading them out loud together, and we have both noticed different things in the stories that tie them together.
How I wish that more of this author´s work had been translated into English. I will have to really practice Icelandic reading skills, I guess.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surreal, perfectly reflecting the other-worldliness of Iceland. Reading it is like being caught in a dream without conclusion, frustrating at times but the stories certainly linger.

[Peter Colclasure · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been to Iceland. If this collection of short stories is any indication, it's rather bleak and lonely. The stories are brief, only three or four pages each, and nothing happens in any of them. Each features an unnamed protagonist who goes on walks, looks at mountains and fjords, and then takes a nap. Sometimes there's strained relationship with a wife. Sometimes there's a ghost or monster. Often birds. Or strange dreams about books.

Each story is a like a dream in its way: random, ephemeral, vaguely metaphorical. Each was pleasant, but insubstantial. It left me with the impression that everyone in Iceland is half asleep.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaving Keflavik last January in a snowstorm. Snatched glimpses of the land, coast, mountains, islands and ocean as the plane ascended. All were brief, yet each had its own allure, its resonance. Thus it was with the stories in this collection. As with my resolve to return to Iceland itself, I will return to this anthology.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This collection of twenty-five stories has several unifying themes the primary one of which is books and writing. Books feature in every single story whether it is simply a title a character is reading or rooms where there are so many books they are kept inside appliances. Several of the stories also feature writers, primarily men, primarily living alone or left alone in some way. Many of the stories take place in the dark Icelandic winters which adds to the often melancholy or subdued atmosphere and the ghostly elements of several of the stories, implied or explicit.

One story takes place in Germany and another in the Faroe Islands, there are a few stories where the narrator is from America and one that features the Danish astronomer Tycho Brake who I'd never heard of. In the main though these are stories set in Iceland and, for me, have a very Icelandic sensibility about them. Having lived in Iceland for a few years nearly twenty years ago I have a soft spot for the country and enjoyed recognizing places like the greenhouses of Hveragerdi and the Mal o Menning bookstore on Laugavegur, downtown Reykjavík.

The stories are primarily short and that doesn't always work as well for me; my favorites tended to be longer including The Tea Lights, The Writing Room, The Stargazer is Always Done and The Summerbook. Most are narrated in first person too and this, again, is not necessarily something I always appreciate, and some stories end a little oddly. On the whole, however I enjoyed this collection for its atmosphere, its evocation of the Icelandic landscape, the proliferation of books and bookish people the stories contain and the memories it stirred up.

[Tony Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an attempt to better understand Icelandic literature I picked up the Stone Tree, an interesting set of short stories. Themes of pain, searching, perception, substance, relationships, thought, and denial are found in a world with a thin line between reality and mysticism. Many settings are spilling over with authors and books, packed into ovens, refrigerators, closets, cellars, and cars. I particularly enjoyed the stories centered on travelers, whether foreign or domestic, in search of things missing, whether conscious or unconscious. Some are traveling away from a situation of sadness, while others are returning to the place where they experienced grief. One of my favorite stories was of a son whose ailing father passed away. He returned to his childhood home to be with his mother and in the cold evening he fills the frozen pond with water and tea lights that will probably be blown out in the wind instantaneously. It was an interesting set of 2 - 9 page stories centered on peopling exploring the world in which they exist.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly didn't love this book. I firstly struggle with short stories because of shortness they cannot provide the depth and understanding of characters which is one thing I love about reading. The other is it's harder to truly immerse yourself into the world of a short story. This collection was even harder to do that because they were particularly short and rather obscure. The plots didn't necessarily have a theme, a purpose or an end. I think it was to provide a short snapshot into different people's lives and to include some of the feel of Iceland. But I didn't really connect with the characters or the environment at all.

[Ciaran Monaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are very short, short stories; some are barely more than a page. I usually prefer a bit more development and more of a 'story' but I liked the style of these quite a lot. Their unfinished nature definitely felt like it had a purpose and the lonely, bleak locations were really well described. As I lack a poetic sensibility, I didn't get the most out of all the stories as I felt there was more symbolism to be found hidden amongst the strangeness and that the right reader would enjoy delving a little further into them.

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[John Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not often I get the chance to read an Icelandic work and so this was a rare treat that I fully enjoyed. Some stories were better than others, but in general I really admire the artistry of short fiction, and especially in this collection having some stories no more than two pages long. I think I'd have to say my personal favourite is ‘The Dream Glasses' and this line “His sight had become so poor that he couldn't even see properly in his dreams any more" was literally one of the best lines I've ever read, made me laugh and will stay with me forever

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

his is a fantastic collection of short stories by a new author to me. I have to agree with other reviewers, which convinced me to buy the book in the first place, that the stories themselves have a very unsettling effect on the reader, particularly bringing out the feeling of isolation in the reader. No two stories are the same though and I found myself gripped from the first story, and although I enjoyed some more than others, all stories are written of an equal quality.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book to read on my trip to Iceland and the dark, ethereal quality of Eliasson’s writing matches the winter world of his country.

As with any collection of stories, some resonated with me and others didn’t. However, this is definitely a book to revisit - especially in the winter when the world feels uncertain.

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, strange stories. Some stranger in their content, some strange because they don't seem to say much. Personally, I like when authors let things develop, which I guess is why letting days or weeks or months pass in a few pages isn't my up of tea.

Interesting language though. And the stories do tend to make you think what else could be under the surface. Especially as you do tend to realize that there are some small details that bind the stories together.

[Kristian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't like this one. I think my expectations may have been wrong for this book. I was hoping for something of an Icelandic flavor, which maybe I did get, but it was so dreary and sad. Almost all of the characters are having a bad time, moping, having their lives fall apart, etc. And then...nothing. It didn't seem like they learned or grew or improved from their experiences, so those bad experiences fell flat for me.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since Reykjavik is one of only seven worldwide cities with UNESCO's City of Literature designation, it's not strange that reading and collecting all genres and titles of books is part of nearly every story within Elíasson's collection. The literary main characters also are interested in nonfictional subjects from ornithology and Nature, "observations and reflections on life and his existence...", and chess, so there's an impression of emotional detachment in social situations. Indeed, in 'Summerbook', a writer takes along Henry Beston's The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod to a seaside dwelling, "his experiment into living at the end of the world." Not too many untowardly events happen in spite of unresolved suspense, wild dreams, and threatening visions. An upbeat sense of individualistic aspiration and its accomplishment with some kindly help makes for self-sufficient characters like the early Icelandic farmers and the heroes of their sagas. The figurative imagery of the writing makes the spare prose electric with meaning and poetry:

"The heavenly bodies seemed so remote, seen with the naked eye; scarcely more than dots, like the eyes of wild beasts in a black jungle. He was carried past this dark forest by a powerful current, riding in a little boat on a black river--a boat that was the earth itself."

Besides this fortunate English translation of Gyrdir Eliasson's Stone Tree, I noted a translation of Steinunn Sigurðardóttir's Place of the Heart .

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is made up of many short tales. It is difficult to say anything about them without being a spoiler due to their short length.

For the first half, I thought the stories were unremittingly bleak. However, I realized at that point that I was missing the point by looking for plot or detailed character studies. These stories are meticulously crafted to portray the landscapes of Iceland: bleak, harsh, and unforgiving. The author says it well in one story entitled The Lost Grimms' Fairytale, "there's no paradise without a serpent". Some of the stories could almost be described as prose poems for the way they use description of things to evoke emotions in the reader while leaving enough unsaid to allow the reader to use their own imagination to complete the tale.

I would have given this book 3.5 stars if I could but I rounded down due to some of the stories not being up to the quality of the rest of the book.

[Neva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Years ago I read this quote by Tycho Brache and I loved it unconditionally:

"Everywhere the earth is below and the sky above and to the energetic man, every region is his fatherland."

I didn't know anything about the astronomer, but from this book I learned he used a prosthetic silver nose. (Wikipedia says that he lost his own in a sword duel in Germany with a fellow Dane: they got mad at each other because of a mathematical formula, mind you.) This was the only interesting notion/feeling/insight that I got from the first half of "Stone Tree". In the second half I found a funny quote:

"You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one."

(the chess Grandmaster Mikhail Tal, "the Magician from Riga"). And that was it. So many pages of monotonous nothing: no thrill, no love, no information, no invention, no sharp observation, no philosophy, no literature.

[Morbid Swither · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this book the first time in 2021, I gave it three stars. But I was compelled to come back and change it to a 4. I’m not sure what to call this prose works… they aren’t conventionally short stories, maybe flash fiction is the best term, but then again, they have a quality that might be alienating should they find themselves on the same shelf as, say, Lydia Davis. There’s a new degree of imagination and the uncanny at work here. Simply put Stone Tree’s pieces are too memorable and original to just be given three stars.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating, strange and wonderful little collection of short stories. I think that they're about loneliness and about the feeling of being caught adrift. Although the stories are not linked in a narrative sense, common motifs seep between them: solitude, guest houses, stars, birds, dogs and blackness. My favourites were The Bus, Bird Hunting and the eerie The Winter Hotel. Highly recommended.

[Alvin Svitzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a layer of sadness built into the short stories in this collection. For some reason, it seems fitting, and I really can't say why. The stories all take place in Iceland and showcase many characters looking for something. People lost in their lives and looking for Iceland to provide cryptic solutions with its solitude and beauty. Some of the stories were good, some felt they lacked enough depth to be about anything, but overall I liked them.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more short stories I read, the more convinced I am that a short story is difficult to do well.

This is a collection of extremely short stories set in Iceland. Most of the stories are only a couple of pages - there's only one that's more than five pages. Elíasson is good at conjuring up a moment in time, especially a creepy moment in time. A few of the stories were misses, but overall I enjoyed the style and the eerie quality.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing is resolved, but everything is whole. The stories dissolve. I really wish stupid tourists would stop using Iceland as some sort of vacuous window into their own quest to flee their mundane, unfulfilled lives. They just make it more crowded for when I go there (not for those reasons).

[BiblioBrandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for book club. I'm not huge fan of short stories, but I was amazed by how the author was able to say so much in so few words. I was immediately taken to the places he described, could get a feel for the people, but then they were over.

[SL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful collection of stories. Some are a bit haunting and I've already found myself going back and rereading those ones.

[A.]

The stories were very atmospheric, but they read more like anecdotes or vignettes than actual short stories, and it just wasn't worth the time.