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Seven Icelandic Short Stories
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
92 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1960
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 11, 2020
A delightful snack of Icelandic culture through short stories from some of their most prominent authors. The stories selected mainly focus on hardship and life on land (farming and hunting) or on the sea (boating and fishing). Coupled with a short history of Icelandic literature and the authors themselves, this book makes for an easily digestible afternoon treat.
July 23, 2017
Seven short tales of ordinary characters leading extraordinary lives. They ellicit raw emotions from you even before you reach the crux of the story. Amongst the seven, I liked "Father and Son" and "New Iceland" the most.
None of the reviews or summaries give details of the book. So, I will write them below for the convenience of future readers.
These are the seven Icelandic short stories:
1) The Story of Audunn and the Bear by Anonymous
2) A Dry Spell by Einar H Kvaran
3) The Old Hay by Gudmundur Fridjonsson
4) When I Was on the Frigate by Jon Trausti
5) Father and Son by Gunnar Gunnarsson
6) The Fox Skin by Gudmundur G Hagalin
7) New Iceland by Halldor Kiljan Laxness
I was fortunate to have read a digital copy, as such books are rarely sold as paperbacks in India. The charm and vibe of Iceland and the people of Iceland have been beautifully captured in these stories.
There is an introduction by Steingrímur J Porsteinsson. He introduces the reader to all the authors of the book, a glimpse of Iceland's journey to this present day, and why being a poet in Iceland is the coolest thing you can be. The soul in me craves to make a home in this beautiful country.
None of the reviews or summaries give details of the book. So, I will write them below for the convenience of future readers.
These are the seven Icelandic short stories:
1) The Story of Audunn and the Bear by Anonymous
2) A Dry Spell by Einar H Kvaran
3) The Old Hay by Gudmundur Fridjonsson
4) When I Was on the Frigate by Jon Trausti
5) Father and Son by Gunnar Gunnarsson
6) The Fox Skin by Gudmundur G Hagalin
7) New Iceland by Halldor Kiljan Laxness
I was fortunate to have read a digital copy, as such books are rarely sold as paperbacks in India. The charm and vibe of Iceland and the people of Iceland have been beautifully captured in these stories.
There is an introduction by Steingrímur J Porsteinsson. He introduces the reader to all the authors of the book, a glimpse of Iceland's journey to this present day, and why being a poet in Iceland is the coolest thing you can be. The soul in me craves to make a home in this beautiful country.
June 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Amazingly, I liked them all, as well as the introduction.
My favorite stories were: When I was on the Frigate by Jon Trausti and Father and Son by Gunnar Gunnarsson
My favorite stories were: When I was on the Frigate by Jon Trausti and Father and Son by Gunnar Gunnarsson
November 22, 2020
Delicious short snacks that got me reminiscing on my two trips to Iceland (so far). Can’t wait to go back. My favorite stories were “Audunn and The Bear” and “The Fox.” Quick and fun reads, especially as winter arrives.
October 26, 2015
First read of some of these old stories and must say I enjoyed it. Could have been better as some of the stories were just not really understandable to me but I think this is most likely in the lost in translation category from the old to the new languages; however it has spurred me on to read more of these and to then delve into the Icelandic Sagas, full stories not short ones. Nice to be introduced to some of the classic Icelandic authors such as Gunnarsson, Trausti and Laxness ........ Now for tales of Hundefolk and Sagas
December 5, 2020
Beautiful, masterfully written short stories
Each story is sparsely detailed yep perfectly conveys the culture and environment of Iceland, as well as acting as a character portrait. The bitter, desperate and often hard to read, or possibly because of that fact, these stories perfectly evoke the spirit of Iceland
Each story is sparsely detailed yep perfectly conveys the culture and environment of Iceland, as well as acting as a character portrait. The bitter, desperate and often hard to read, or possibly because of that fact, these stories perfectly evoke the spirit of Iceland
June 6, 2018
Seven Icelandic Short Stories
These tales have a freshness that draws the reader eagerly into their heart. The shape of the narratives move beyond commonplace expectations formed by years of reading and deliver something new, and at times something tantalisingly subtle and insightful.
The introduction of the book briefs any reader new to Icelandic writing on the history of its development. This itself is very much worth reading, erudite and scholarly the reader receives a whistle stop tour of how the isolated Icelandic community preserved its language and traditions and blossomed a generation of farmer writers.
The background of the writers themselves also reveals the experiences that yielded such rich details of rural life against which are set the follies, strengths and tragedies of the human condition.
The first and most familiar story is Audunn and the Bear, a folk tale written six centuries before the rest of the collection it is very much older. Yet despite the gulf in time there are still deep connections between how the central characters move through their lives.
The poignant, Father and Son is rude with poverty and tragedy and yet it is never hopeless. Whether you could call this a personal romantic notion I do not know.
It is not the simplicity of the setting or the vignette like telling of the stories have that strikes me most, it’s something else, something to do with the rhythm of the stories. They unfold in the same way as landscape can, fooling the eye – yes, that outcrop I thought was close is actually distant or no, what I thought was water is only shadow. This type of realisation occurs again and again, and is a delight.
The final story, written by Halldor Laxness, a subsequent Nobel Prize winner, is New Iceland and is Shakespearean in the scope as it follows one man’s journey.
I feel this collection will mark the beginning of exploring more Icelandic tales.
Gabrielle Barnby
Orkney, 1st May, 2018
These tales have a freshness that draws the reader eagerly into their heart. The shape of the narratives move beyond commonplace expectations formed by years of reading and deliver something new, and at times something tantalisingly subtle and insightful.
The introduction of the book briefs any reader new to Icelandic writing on the history of its development. This itself is very much worth reading, erudite and scholarly the reader receives a whistle stop tour of how the isolated Icelandic community preserved its language and traditions and blossomed a generation of farmer writers.
The background of the writers themselves also reveals the experiences that yielded such rich details of rural life against which are set the follies, strengths and tragedies of the human condition.
The first and most familiar story is Audunn and the Bear, a folk tale written six centuries before the rest of the collection it is very much older. Yet despite the gulf in time there are still deep connections between how the central characters move through their lives.
The poignant, Father and Son is rude with poverty and tragedy and yet it is never hopeless. Whether you could call this a personal romantic notion I do not know.
It is not the simplicity of the setting or the vignette like telling of the stories have that strikes me most, it’s something else, something to do with the rhythm of the stories. They unfold in the same way as landscape can, fooling the eye – yes, that outcrop I thought was close is actually distant or no, what I thought was water is only shadow. This type of realisation occurs again and again, and is a delight.
The final story, written by Halldor Laxness, a subsequent Nobel Prize winner, is New Iceland and is Shakespearean in the scope as it follows one man’s journey.
I feel this collection will mark the beginning of exploring more Icelandic tales.
Gabrielle Barnby
Orkney, 1st May, 2018
September 23, 2017
Quite frankly, I didn't expect much from this free offering. In the end, I'm pleasantly surprised with what this collection contains. Some of the the stories are either poorly edited or translated which made reading those particular pieces a bit tedious. But for the most part, the stories read smoothly.
Each story contains a glimpse into Icelandic life, shedding light on the struggle faced by those hearty peoples who live in a world all their own.
If I had to sum up the tone of this collection in one word, that word would be: hardship. Although hardship seems to be the common thread, hope and determination underscore that hardship.
Don't pass this up simply because it's offered for free with a brown paper bag as a cover. I found this to be enlightening, as well as enriching. You just may do so, too.
Below are story titles, location indicators for their beginnings, and indicators as to their relative lengths. I'll be honest, I skipped the lengthy introduction.
Introduction [loc. 4] 0%-19%
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Story of Audunn and the Bear [loc. 231] 20%-27%
A Dry Spell [loc. 324] 27%-34%
The Old Hay [loc. 397] 34%-47%
When I was o the Frigate [loc. 554] 47%-68%
Father and Son [loc. 797] 68%-79%
The Fox Skin [loc. 926] 79%-90%
New Iceland [loc. 1055] 90%-100%
Each story contains a glimpse into Icelandic life, shedding light on the struggle faced by those hearty peoples who live in a world all their own.
If I had to sum up the tone of this collection in one word, that word would be: hardship. Although hardship seems to be the common thread, hope and determination underscore that hardship.
Don't pass this up simply because it's offered for free with a brown paper bag as a cover. I found this to be enlightening, as well as enriching. You just may do so, too.
Below are story titles, location indicators for their beginnings, and indicators as to their relative lengths. I'll be honest, I skipped the lengthy introduction.
Introduction [loc. 4] 0%-19%
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Story of Audunn and the Bear [loc. 231] 20%-27%
A Dry Spell [loc. 324] 27%-34%
The Old Hay [loc. 397] 34%-47%
When I was o the Frigate [loc. 554] 47%-68%
Father and Son [loc. 797] 68%-79%
The Fox Skin [loc. 926] 79%-90%
New Iceland [loc. 1055] 90%-100%
August 1, 2017
I really enjoyed The Story of Audunn and the Bear. Icelandic sagas are wonderful and this was no exception. The other short stories are more modern (1905-1927 vs. 13th century). A Dry Spell was short and thought provoking. When I was on the Frigate was excellent, a beautiful tale. Father and Son almost made me cry.
I did not resonate with The Fox Skin or New Iceland as much, but this does not make them bad works. My only real criticism is that the editing is not great in places, with some clear misspelling and incorrect punctuation.
I did not resonate with The Fox Skin or New Iceland as much, but this does not make them bad works. My only real criticism is that the editing is not great in places, with some clear misspelling and incorrect punctuation.
April 20, 2018
A different style of short stories that offer a wonderful collection of readings.
April 23, 2012
This is another free Gutenberg collection of short stories that the average non-Icelandic person would probably not find themselves reading. Similar to the selection of Russian short stories I read, the Introduction was long, but necessary to paint a picture of Icelandic life in the 1300’s (the first story) to the early 1900’s.
I AM a fan of short stories but for those who aren’t you should give this a miss regardless of your cultural interest. Most of these stories don’t have a real plot build up and outcome. They are about common, poor, farmers, and fishermen. They are all pretty uneventful and have a sort of flat moral message at the end of the most part as short stories tend to have. You do feel the cold and poverty of the people and it makes you think just how easy we all have it today. It makes you wonder how people survived so long in these environments and why the hell they didn’t say, hmm, its warmer further south of here, let’s go that way! I enjoyed the read.
The writing is very good actually, but for those reading it in English like I did we could maybe say that the translators were very good. I’m sure in Icelandic it’s even better as I imagine and hear books in their original language do. It's a solid 3 star if you like old short stories.
I AM a fan of short stories but for those who aren’t you should give this a miss regardless of your cultural interest. Most of these stories don’t have a real plot build up and outcome. They are about common, poor, farmers, and fishermen. They are all pretty uneventful and have a sort of flat moral message at the end of the most part as short stories tend to have. You do feel the cold and poverty of the people and it makes you think just how easy we all have it today. It makes you wonder how people survived so long in these environments and why the hell they didn’t say, hmm, its warmer further south of here, let’s go that way! I enjoyed the read.
The writing is very good actually, but for those reading it in English like I did we could maybe say that the translators were very good. I’m sure in Icelandic it’s even better as I imagine and hear books in their original language do. It's a solid 3 star if you like old short stories.
April 2, 2013
I have been wanting to read more Scandinavian literature, and while the old sagas are perhaps better know, Icelandic writing is a venerable and ancient craft. Finding that some of my viking ancestors may have been to or come from Iceland made me want to read something from Iceland even more. I am glad I found this little book which is a very quick read. I was disappointed when I was done so quickly, and there were no more stories.
This book is a quick read of seven rather short stories. I have little else of Icelandic literature to compare them to, but I liked reading them for the flavor and variety in Icelandic time periods and thought. The seven stories were selected to represent the classic short stories from the last century or so, but the first story is very old. This book is a wonderful introduction into Icelandic literature, I think. I am motivated to read more, and get a feel for a culture, while foreign to me, is part of my heritage.
This book is a quick read of seven rather short stories. I have little else of Icelandic literature to compare them to, but I liked reading them for the flavor and variety in Icelandic time periods and thought. The seven stories were selected to represent the classic short stories from the last century or so, but the first story is very old. This book is a wonderful introduction into Icelandic literature, I think. I am motivated to read more, and get a feel for a culture, while foreign to me, is part of my heritage.
July 31, 2016
I bought this because it has the ONLY Halldor Laxness short story available in English (besides his Quire of Seven collection, which is long out of print and quite pricey). "New Iceland" is a really good story, and most of the other six were quite good as well. They're fairly simple stories and the whole book is very short. I bought the paperback edition on Amazon, not knowing it was Print on Demand. It's literally the worst-looking book I've ever seen; the print must be about font size 6, and there are NO spaces whatsoever between any of the stories, the author's name, the story titles, it's just one long block of text for 30 pages. Terrible piece of work, honestly, but it's only $6.99 and has this Laxness story, so it's worth it. Maybe the Kindle edition is cheaper and better?
March 14, 2014
The first story of this collection was the first piece of Icelandic literature I've read that didn't involve brutal death by axe-to-the-head or the like. The subsequent stories lived up to my expectations, however.
The extreme, brutal environment of Iceland translates so transparently into the violent stories and spare prose of Icelandic literature. It is harsh and beautiful as the landscape.
The extreme, brutal environment of Iceland translates so transparently into the violent stories and spare prose of Icelandic literature. It is harsh and beautiful as the landscape.
September 7, 2011
I'm not a big fan of short stories, but as I'm taking a trip to Iceland soon, I wanted to get a feel of the people and culture. The stories were mildly interesting, but too short for my liking. I enjoyed the intro (Kindle readers: the book opens at the first story, so be sure to back up a few pages to read the intro) about the history of storytelling in Iceland.
July 21, 2011
The first of these stories is of an older Icelandic tale with the other six dealing with just some every day Icelandic life circa 1900. There isn't anything I found overly exciting but there is some great writing and you can find free copies online so it might be worth your time.
June 23, 2012
The stories in this book were short, free, and entertaining. I don't think a sudden interest in Icelandic history is necessary but I have to admit I'm nursing one of those. The introduction was good too.
July 20, 2013
It want bad at all, and a nice introduction to Icelandic storytelling.
January 9, 2016
great short stories that give a sense of the culture of ancient iceland
July 10, 2016
I love the stories; each shows different aspects of the Icelandic temperament. Stalwart, nature loving, hard-working, principled. A people reflective of their environment and their history.
February 24, 2023
This book was my first known exposure to Icelandic literature, and I was surprised at how interesting and complex these tales are. I enjoyed reading this.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews