Embroidery

by Sigrún Pálsdóttir, Lytton Smith (Translator)

How do you turn old gold into priceless treasure? 
At the turn of the twentieth century, Sigurlina finds herself in a hopeless situation. She is the
motherless daughter of an eccentric father, who expects her to spend her life helping him
catalogue Icelandic archaeological artifacts.
But Sigurlina has her own ambitions of education and excitement and after a harrowing
experience, takes fate into her own hands. She disappears from Reykjavik, along with a historical
relic from her father’s collection. Through a series of incredible events, the artifact is unveiled at
The Metropolitan Museum of New York. Meanwhile, officials in Iceland launch their own
investigation into the theft of the artifact.
A tragicomic tale about the preservation of cultural treasure, an intriguing perspective on the
coincidences that have determined their place in history and a thrilling and winding story of the
human fates that underpin it all.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature

195 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2023

About the author

Sigrún Pálsdóttir is a writer and historian. Born in Reykjavík in 1967, she completed a PhD on the history of ideas at the University of Oxford in 2001, after which she was a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Iceland. She worked as the editor of Saga, the principal peer-reviewed journal for Icelandic history, from 2008 to 2016, and she has been a freelance writer since 2007. She first came to prominence as a writer of historical biographies. Her debut in 2010 was the acclaimed Þóra biskups (Thora: A Bishop’s Daughter), followed by Ferðasaga (Uncertain Seas) in 2010, the story of a young couple and their three children who were killed while sailing from New York to Iceland aboard a ship torpedoed by a German submarine in 1944. Her first novel, Kompa (That Little Dark Room), was released in 2016 and her second, Delluferðin, in late 2019. Pálsdóttir’s biographies have been nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize, the Women’s Literature Prize and the DV Cultural Prize for Literature. Her book Ferðasaga was chosen as the best biography of 2013 by booksellers in Iceland. Kompa, her debut novel, was nominated for the Icelandic Women’s Literature Prize in 2016 and in 2019 was published in the US by Open Letter (University of Rochester’s literary translation press) under the title History. A Mess.

Reviews

[Kuszma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Éppenséggel nem rossz, de ha választanom kellett, hogy ezt a könyvet olvassam, vagy daráljuk tovább a Ted Lasso harmadik évadát, akkor nehéz volt érveket találni mellette. Pálsdóttir műve egyfajta kalandregénybe oltott megszabadulástörténet, amiben a főhősnő, Sigúrlina lerázza magáról mindazon láncokat, amelyeket az 1890-es évek Izlandja a nőknek nyújtani tud, és a provinciális, szűkkeblű szigetországból New Yorkba teszi át székhelyét. Ahol amúgy szintén nincs kolbászból a kerítés, úgyhogy Sigúrlina a maga sajátos módján próbálja megélni az amerikai álmot - egyes kultúrákban szélhámosságnak nevezik az ilyet. Ennek következtében kapunk némi társadalomkritikát, izlandi kultúrtörténetet, miegymást, de ez nehezen feledteti velem, hogy a történet amúgy nem a komplexitásával tüntet, és nemigen van hová továbbgondolni. Nem tudtam megbarátkozni továbbá a hektikus történetmeséléssel sem, a véletlenek önkényes használatával, valamint az előkészítetlennek tűnő fordulatokkal - folyamatosan megtörték az ívet, nem építkezésnek tűnt miattuk a szöveg, inkább izgatott ugrabugrálásnak.

Persze lehet, csak én voltam lusta, vagy Ted Lasso volt túl jó. Akárhogy is, maradandó nyomot biztosan nem hagy bennem ez a regény.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embroidery is a beautiful little book. Set in Iceland and the U.S. at the turn of the 20th Century, it tells the story of Sigurlina, a young woman, the daughter of the curator of a museum focused on early Icelandic history, who is bright, adventurous, knowledgeable—and stuck being housekeeper and amanuensis for her father while dreaming of something more.

The narrative moves back and forth in time in a way that seems designed to make readers feel a bit wrong-footed, but that doesn't make the act of reading unreasonably difficult. Aside from the central character, readers only see other characters partially: there's no attempt to present them in any way beyond their relevance in Sigurlina's life.

In some ways this book is almost as much prose-poem as novel. The language is beautiful, but hazy at times in that way that works for poetry. The author balances Sigurlina's lack of options and frustrations with a kind of gentleness. Readers meet a woman living in a very narrow world, but there is an expansive gentleness that surfaces regularly.

When you're looking for a book that's both thought-provoking and charming, that asks more and gives more than your typical mass-market book, Embroidery will serve your purposes nicely.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss the opinions are my own.

[Magni Örvar Guðmundsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skemmtileg bók mæli eindregið með henni.

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, if this novel weren't written by an Icelandic author, I probably would have given up reading way before the end (translations of Icelandic novels are a rare occurence in Croatia, so I try to read every book translated, the exception being crime stories). The story itself is a surreal dramatic plot of a theft and a chain of events and incredible coincidences after it. It could have been a great story of self-discovery and a clash of cultures, with a little bit of irony intermixed. But no. It's a postmodern pastiche of a story, which isn't my favorite genre, to say the least. There was a good story in here, but the way it was developed and presented wasn't to my taste. Plus, it mostly takes place in New York, so we are robbed of even enjoying the Icelandic background to the story. Plus, there are some necessary trigger warnings. All in all, I finished it just to finish it. Sometimes it's like that.

[Einar Jóhann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gott fólk mælti með bókinni sem hefði annars farið fram hjá mér. Sterk saga og auðvelt að týna sér í henni, vel farið með veröld sem var. Í fyrstu óttaðist ég að þetta yrði enn ein bókin þar sem nútímamanneskja er stödd í fortíðinni og er sú eina sem hugsar eins og fólk hugsar á 21. öldinni - boring - en svo var ekki! Enda vel menntaður sagnfræðingur sem skrifar bókina sem hefur eflaust lengi fengist við "the tyranny of knowing what comes next".
Það sem féll mér vel í geð var hvernig Sigrún breytir hraða frásagnarinnar óspart og listilega; stundum hæg og stundum svo ógnarhröð að lesandinn má ekki missa af einu orði án þess að tapa þræði.
Vonandi fer ég ekki fram úr mér núna en þessi fimlega hraðabreyting minnir á Cormac McCarthy.

[Hrafnhildur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ég hafði mjög gaman af Delluferðinni. Skemmtilegar lýsingar og frekar hröð atburðarás

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigrún Pálsdóttir's Embroidery is a captivating and well-spun tale that I began before falling asleep, and wanting to know Sigurlína's fate, finished the next morning before rising for the day.

[Julien Luebbers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Interesting story of a young icelandic woman caught between the social constraints of 19th century iceland and america and a broader historical moment of rising global capitalism and its effects on local cultural heritage.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mouais… malgré tout ce qui s’y passe j’ai réussi à m’ennuyer.

[Simge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate this book for the delightful references to New York landmarks and prominent personalities from the turn of the 20th century, and I have to admit - at least initially - the journey of a young scholarly Icelandic woman to the US to work as a scribe and research assistant for someone who works on Nordic sagas, history, and artifacts seemed like it was going to be a thrilling adventure. But it soon devolved into 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' with an Icelandic flavor.

Perhaps the last few lines of the book summarize it the best:

Too many ridiculous coincidences. All of it one false pretense after another. A bit like the plot of a penny dreadful.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threads twisting and turning throughout this story of an Icelandic woman journeying through time and distance to discover buried treasure in objects and herself. Interesting perspectives on the role of museums and artifacts in creating national identity. Read for Nordic Book Club at Swenson Center at Augustana College.

[Lucija Ružman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nakon putovanja Islandom krasan knjižuljak za osjetiti ponovno ozračje Islanda. Naše putešesvije Islandom su kao putešesvije male Sigurline. Jako dobro prožimanje povijesti s tadašnjim vremenom. Živahno, napeto, pitko...

[Adri Dosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takhle to řeknu, jde o první historický příběh, který se týkal Islandu. Jde o jednu z mála knih od islandské autorky, kterou jsem četla a co se týče grafického zpracování, se mi kniha moc líbila. Ano, měla zajímavé chvíle, ale jinak jsem se dost nudila. 3,5 hodnocení tedy odpovídá.

[Aslaug Agnarsdottir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vel skrifuð og spennandi bók.

[Guðríður · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frábær bók!

[Eva Símonardóttir · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ekkert sérlega hrifin

[Kristín Ómarsdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skemmtileg bók - vel skrifuð og frábærlega, stíllinn er einsog píla sem flýgur beint í markið á píluspjaldinu.

[Nína Jónsdóttir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mjög skemmtileg og vel skrifuð bók

[Rosalie I · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story a little hard to follow. Perhaps it was the translation. I am not really sure how the book ended.

[Mia Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

Embroidery is not a good book. It ignores many of the qualities that we as writers are taught to value, to strive for in crafting a narrative that we might define as "compelling." It does not care for pacing, nor particularly about character, setting, or plot. Its descriptions are often comprehensive but rarely beautiful or memorable. Frequently we are introduced to details that quickly become extraneous; there is little in the way of an obvious theme. And yet, which you as a reader already know because of how I've written this, using details that will quickly become extraneous, that in the end I can't help but say that I very much enjoyed the experience of having read Embroidery. I will not say that I enjoyed the experience of reading it (at least not consistently), but for writers and those who care about writing itself, this is a wonderful exercise in how to diverge from the norm.

One could likely sum up Embroidery as "a deeply Scandinavian book." Palsdottir and her translator, Smith, have a fascinating power: to say not only much in few words, but little across many. Theirs is a story with strange priorities, cold and bleak like a long solstice night. Tragedy finds her without reason, karma punishes her attempts at redefinition, and for what? For the sake of reiterating the historical struggles of womanhood? To draw parallels between her and the legendary Gudrid, the explorer around whom her life comes to revolve? To make commentary on the struggles of otherness, especially for immigrants far from their homes? Whatever the case, Sigurlina, our protagonist, suffers greatly, whether for the sake of suffering of to convey to us some kind of meaning. Her life is a comedy of misfortune, frequently so ridiculous that I wondered, perhaps, if I was supposed to laugh. Ultimately, those with more knowledge on Iceland, its history, and its culture may be able to derive more from this speculation, but I think that for the rest of us, those who are unwilling to do research to simply read a novel, its true value lies elsewhere: technique.

Embroidery's linguistic concerns lie where most novels seldom tread, attempting, like Sigurlina, to carve new paths at questionable gains to itself. The most striking feature of the text is that despite being so centered on its characters, it has very little in the way of indented, quoted dialogue. Conversations occur almost entirely in summary, trapping us in a strange dissociation, with only the most emphatic lines snapping us from trance. Huge swathes of time will pass in a single sentence; moments can take more than a single page. Characters will appear spontaneously and feature heavily in Sigurlina's life with little context or pretense. Is this always successful? No, but while I still can't be sure where Rubinov appeared from on this string of miserable coincidences and could-be meet-cutes, these bizarre threads weave together into a remarkable approximation of the way that life often feels, much more so than any kind of nonfiction. Nonfiction is deeply concerned with meaning, a thing that Embroidery is not. As fiction, it is free from the consideration of the portrayals of its characters, of events, and of importance — of why one would bother to read it in the first place. It is riddled with brutal and pointless realism, full of anecdotes that editors would highlight for easy omission, and yet they weren't. Some of these might be a failing on an editor's part, but I would wager that most were not. They are part of the fabric that makes this story distinct. Although I would rarely call Embroidery "exciting," its approach to crafting a picture of an individual's life is nothing if not impressive. Even if I came away from it with a lingering sensation of "why?"

So, why? Why, if we can only read so many books in our life, read an on-the ground faux-memoir of an Icelandic stranger instead of Britney Spears' real life actual tell-all? Excellent question. The best answer I have for you is that Embroidery isn't so obtuse as to be inaccessible. Its straightforward prose demands little of its reader beyond an ability to keep names straight (I found that keeping a pronunciation guide on hand was not only helpful but both fun and informative), and it's fairly short as far as novels go (under 200 pages). That might sound like a dressed up way of saying, "I don't know, because you're literate?" In some ways, it is. I feel like I would find it hard to recommend to non-writers. Earlier, I said that I enjoyed the experience of "having read" it. This was intentional. I would find it hard to say that I enjoyed the sheer act of reading it. I did, however, feel as though I learned a lot, and whether or not I incorporate any of that that into my own practice, I feel as though I learned about possibility, about what a story from a place and name I have no connection to could be. For those who enjoy — or perhaps often find themselves — pulling meaning from the meaningless, Embroidery is a fascinating read. For those with other concerns, I'd suggest putting it back on the shelf.

[Henri-Charles Dahlem · Rating 4 out of 5]

La fuite vers New York

En retraçant le parcours de Sigurlina qui, à la fin du XIXe siècle a fui Reykjavik pour New York, Sigrún Pálsdóttir réussit un roman qui mêle l'histoire et l'aventure aux sagas islandaises, sans omettre d’y ajouter une touche féministe.

Nous sommes à Reykjavik en 1896. Sigurlina y vit avec son père qui, après le décès de son épouse, se consacre presque exclusivement à ses collections. Au musée des Antiquités il passe son temps «au milieu de son fatras à répertorier les trouvailles qu’on lui apporte et qu’il s’efforce d’exposer pour les voyageurs étrangers.» Il en oublie sa fille qui n'a qu'à se consacrer à ses travaux d'aiguille et à trouver un bon parti.
Mais Sigurlina s'est forgé un fort caractère et entend mener sa vie comme elle l'entend. Elle est curieuse, aime lire et écouter les conversations, y compris lorsqu'elles ne lui sont pas destinées. Et elle a repéré un jeune rédacteur ambitieux. Mais ce dernier est promis à une autre. Alors, après avoir été troussée par un vieux sadique, elle décide de rassembler ses affaires, s'empare d'une fibule dans la collection de son père et prend le premier bateau vers l'Écosse, puis vers New York. Dans ses bagages, elle a aussi la lettre d'un important collectionneur que son père avait accueilli et guidé en Islande. Un courrier qui sera tout à la fois son sauf-conduit et sa lettre d'embauche. Installé dans une belle demeure, elle devient rapidement la secrétaire particulière de cet érudit. Mais, en voulant attraper un volume de sa bibliothèque, il fait une chute mortelle. Et voilà Sigurlina à la rue. Elle va parvenir à trouver un toit et un emploi de couturière, mais le destin va s'acharner contre elle. Un incendie détruit son immeuble et ses maigres biens. Dans la poussière et les cendres, elle parvient cependant à récupérer la fibule, se disant qu'elle pourrait peut-être en tirer un bon prix. Je vous laisse découvrir comment l'objet sera exposé au Metropolitan Museum avant de connaître des péripéties dignes des sagas islandaises, dont on finit du reste à l'associer.
On ne s'ennuie pas une seconde dans ces multiples pérégrinations qui, après avoir pris un tour dramatique vont virer au tragicomique. Et nous rappeler que l'Histoire n'a rien de figé, qu'elle se construit sur des récits plus ou moins authentiques, qui enflamment les imaginaires. Et à ce petit jeu Sigrún Pálsdóttir fait merveille, en retrouvant les recettes du roman populaire, en construisant son livre comme un feuilleton à rebondissements dans lequel chaque chapitre contient son lot de surprises. Bref, c’est un bonheur de lecture!

[Alice Alexandre]

Ce livre, paru la semaine dernière, m’avait tapé dans l’œil de par sa couverture (que voulez-vous, je suis faible… @revesdelivres tu me comprends, n’est-ce pas ?). Puis, en lisant la quatrième, je me suis dit : Oh oui ! Oh oui ! (non, je ne simule pas… #humourdecrotte, je sais !) Donc, ni une, ni deux ! Je me suis jetée sur lui (le livre). Sauf que, voilà !…

Alors, comment vous dire ? Vous savez, quand vous sortez d’une salle de cinéma et que l’on vous demande ce que vous avez pensé du film, et que vous répondez « c’était – vous marquez ici une pause pour trouver le mot qui correspond le mieux à votre ressenti – intéressant » ? Et si en plus vous faites précéder votre réponse de l'expression « disons que », alors là vous atteignez le paroxysme de l’antithèse de ce que vous considérez réellement intéressant (et avec cette phrase, j’ai perdu 2 ou 3 d’entre vous, bref).

Eh bien, c’est exactement ce que j'ai ressenti en fermant le livre (enfin, en éteignant mon iPad) : c’était... intéressant. Voilà, voilà !

Bon, certes, Sigrún Pálsdóttir est une historienne passionnée, et cela se ressent tout au long du récit : on perçoit dans les entrelignes tout le plaisir qui a animé l’auteur à nous conter un pan de l’histoire de son pays, l’Islande, et à remettre les points sur les i en ce qui concerne la découverte des États-Unis. Toutefois, si l’on met l’Histoire de côté, que reste-t-il vraiment de l’histoire ? Pas grand-chose, si ce n’est le récit des (més)aventures d’une jeune fille qui, à la fin du XIXe siècle, cherche à s’émanciper du joug de son père, et à fuir son pays pour découvrir le monde, notamment New York. Comment ça « pas grand-chose », me demandez-vous. J’y viens : le schéma narratif, qui alterne entre le présent et le passé, est certes très bien construit, mais je n’ai réussi ni à m’identifier avec le personnage principal ni à m’y attacher. Alors, si on ajoute à cela une fin qui, pour moi, n’en est pas une… Eh bien, disons que c’était… intéressant (voilà, vous avez tout compris).

https://www.instagram.com/aliceintheo...

[Litote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nous sommes en 1897, afin de fuir un quotidien tout tracé, la jeune Sigurlina va tenter le tout pour le tout et quitter son Islande natale pour New York. Elle laisse un père copiste auprès duquel elle à appris la profession et un jeune frère qui a le droit d'aller à l'université alors qu'elle n'y a pas sa place. De sa défunte mère elle a appris la couture et la broderie où elle excelle. Sur un coup de tête cette jeune fille courageuse et éprise de liberté va devoir affronter la dure réalité. Une belle histoire d'indépendance et de femme qui nous parle d'une autre époque où le patriarcat prédominait. L'auteur nous dévoile aussi sa passion pour l'histoire de son pays en plaçant des éléments qui s'intègrent parfaitement à la fiction. J'ai aimé découvrir la compétition pour savoir qui de Christophe Colomb ou de Leif Erikson avait découvert l'Amérique. L'arrivée à Ellis Island passage obligé pour tous les émigrants à cette époque, premier pas pour cette jeune femme forte et vulnérable à la fois, qui possède des ressources insoupçonnées. On imagine aisément la rudesse de la vie en Islande, sévérité Luthérienne, pauvreté et conditions de vie difficiles. Il faut dire qu'elle n'est pas parti sans rien, elle a au fond de sa poche un objet précieux du patrimoine culturel qui ne lui appartient pas et qui va jouer un rôle important pour la suite des événements. Une écriture lente et posée qui apporte une ambiance bien particulière et nous fait ressentir l'époque et ses diktats. Le personnage de Sigurlina est touchant, on ne peut qu'éprouver de l’empathie et une dose d'admiration pour sa détermination et sa fidélité à son pays. Elle traverse de nombreuses épreuves et poursuit son chemin sans faiblir. Un roman court et original qui donne une nouvelle définition des coïncidences et de la destiné. Bonne lecture.

http://latelierdelitote.canalblog.com...

[Sybille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rythmé et bien écrit. Une belle histoire.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck in a societal rut due to her class and gender, Sigurlina attempts to right the wrongs of an awful man, but just gets herself wrapped up in the aftermath of his criminal deeds. But being on the run is just the first step towards the rest of her unstuck life. Both bleak and hopeful in nature, Embroidery’s a book of many costumes, all packed up for a long sea voyage: pseudo-mystery in tone, historical fiction at heart, and medium-paced adventure; a delayed romance, tragedy by proxy, and fly-on-the-wall narrative in a spiderwebbed museum’s strictly temperature controlled basement.

[Mary Scholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the (supposed) Icelandic tradition of a book and chocolate for Christmas Eve, this was my first read of the year.
A conflicted main character who wants out of her small Iceland town and through a deception finds herself in New York City and invisible there in a different way. I appreciated her courage and resilience as she made her own way.
The setting of the late 1800’s in both places is interesting and a learning experience!

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like this more than I did.
Found the story repetitive, confusing and vague