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jijirich's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was very much a slice of life, but not in the lighthearted sense that I am accustomed to. It never really grabbed my attention, but I am glad that I eventually got the perfect rainy day to finish it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
samarakroeger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
really enjoyed reading this (in Iceland!), especially with the short chapters. it did feel pretty obvious what Olafsdottir was trying to convey about the difficulties of being a woman or gay in 1960s Iceland (or anywhere, tbh). the main characters were pretty cookie cutter and did not surprise me.
on a sentence-to-sentence level, this book was beautifully written (and translated), but I think it could have had a much bigger impact had it taken some more risks with plot and character development.
on a sentence-to-sentence level, this book was beautifully written (and translated), but I think it could have had a much bigger impact had it taken some more risks with plot and character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
miss iceland, set in 1960s iceland, explores the lives of 2 of society's marginalized, a female writer and a gay man, and is a slim work w/ spare prose that's surprisingly melancholic.
ólaffsdóttir balances variables of contradictions here: a story that's seemingly filled w/ a lot of space - aided by the sparse writing and breathing room in the pacing - but one that packs quite a punch in terms of themes and insight into its setting and larger societal - even global - context. i particularly enjoy how the prose resembles poetry at times w/ the choice of lines and spacing; not a word is wasted here, and this results in a slim novel that's nevertheless full of msgs.
i learn a lot abt iceland and its society, esp pertaining to the specific time period, and the inequality never ceases to infuriate me. it's quite different to read abt the bleakness of the icelandic landscape and the rural setting. the danish setting in the latter part of the book also comes as a delightful and much welcomed surprise.
my fav thing abt this book, however, is the relationship between hekla and jón john, which, despite them not being in the same scene for a chunk of the novel, manages to move and emotionally wrangle me. theirs is a bond deeper than mere friendship, perhaps one of platonic soulmates, and is now certainly one of my top male-female fictional friendships. the way they care abt one another, kin to marginalized kin, is just wholesome and non-toxic, which is why im also a lil disheartened by the book's ending.
overall, this is a sparse, reflective read that examines the external world's manmade limitations on society's marginalized, and a refreshing one for anyone looking for a read w/ different setting.
ólaffsdóttir balances variables of contradictions here: a story that's seemingly filled w/ a lot of space - aided by the sparse writing and breathing room in the pacing - but one that packs quite a punch in terms of themes and insight into its setting and larger societal - even global - context. i particularly enjoy how the prose resembles poetry at times w/ the choice of lines and spacing; not a word is wasted here, and this results in a slim novel that's nevertheless full of msgs.
i learn a lot abt iceland and its society, esp pertaining to the specific time period, and the inequality never ceases to infuriate me. it's quite different to read abt the bleakness of the icelandic landscape and the rural setting. the danish setting in the latter part of the book also comes as a delightful and much welcomed surprise.
my fav thing abt this book, however, is the relationship between hekla and jón john, which, despite them not being in the same scene for a chunk of the novel, manages to move and emotionally wrangle me. theirs is a bond deeper than mere friendship, perhaps one of platonic soulmates, and is now certainly one of my top male-female fictional friendships. the way they care abt one another, kin to marginalized kin, is just wholesome and non-toxic, which is why im also a lil disheartened by the book's ending.
overall, this is a sparse, reflective read that examines the external world's manmade limitations on society's marginalized, and a refreshing one for anyone looking for a read w/ different setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Death of parent
e_m_f_reads's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Terminal illness, Stalking, Death of parent, and Classism
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I quite liked the general setting, I've never read about Icelandic society, let alone in the 1960s, and I appreciated the focus on the conditions of women and gay men.
Still, I'm not so sure about the actual characters and their portrayals, I struggled a bit to connect with them, especially with the main character Helka. Among everyone, my favourite character might actually be her best friend Ísey.
I appreciated the writing style, especially the descriptions of the landscape, they were very atmospheric. I also didn't mind the division in short sections, it made for a pacier reading, but I can see that it might also give a bit of a disjointed feeling to the narration.
Sometimes I struggled a bit with the tone, like I read a passage and I really could not understand if it was supposed to be funny?! I don't know if it is just me, it just felt strange, I couldn't get my head around it.
Also, I have to say I was disappointed by the end, it actually did not feel like much of an ending, more like an abrupt stop in the narration.
Still, I'm not so sure about the actual characters and their portrayals, I struggled a bit to connect with them, especially with the main character Helka. Among everyone, my favourite character might actually be her best friend Ísey.
I appreciated the writing style, especially the descriptions of the landscape, they were very atmospheric. I also didn't mind the division in short sections, it made for a pacier reading, but I can see that it might also give a bit of a disjointed feeling to the narration.
Sometimes I struggled a bit with the tone, like I read a passage and I really could not understand if it was supposed to be funny?! I don't know if it is just me, it just felt strange, I couldn't get my head around it.
Also, I have to say I was disappointed by the end, it actually did not feel like much of an ending, more like an abrupt stop in the narration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Vomit, Police brutality, and War
davidbowie's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
Minor: Police brutality