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pigeonindustrialcomplex's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3rdtimelucky's review against another edition
4.0
I developed stockholm syndrome for this by the end. Definitely one of the books ever written.
susanreadstheworld's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing journey through the many souls of man.
Only Laxness can throw everything, including the kitchen sink, in and have it work.
Only Laxness can throw everything, including the kitchen sink, in and have it work.
gemmadee's review against another edition
3.0
Well. What an introduction to the author. I may have been as frustrated by some medieval Catholic saint-philosophers back in college as I was by The Great Weaver, but I doubt it. Those authors were easy to write off entirely as tedious, dogmatic, and ignorant. They were simply wrong. But Laxness was so obviously, undeniably brilliant. His words were stark and modern as Hemingway but with an elegance that would make your heart ache. As much as you might want to scream in frustration and throw the book down, you also wanted to turn the page to find the next poetic jewel of philosophic wisdom or penetrating observation.
ejg92's review against another edition
3.0
Loksins, loksins. Bókin hreif mig ekki. Senurnar í klaustrum Evrópu og sértaklega pælingar varðandi klerkastéttina eldast illa. Afturá móti eru mög góðar frásagnirnarnar um útgerðar- og verslurnarveldið reykvíska. Endirinn er pínu töff en annars er bókin ekki sérlega eftirminnilega á Laxness-mælikvarða.
littlenyssa's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed The Fish Can Sing, so I thought I'd try this one. It's a lot different. There's a lot of meandering which I skimmed through. There are some flashes of brilliance, and some lines I will remember, though.
I still haven't finished thinking about the main character or come to an understanding of what kind of person he is, with his selfish poetry opposed to his conversion to Catholicism-- and I'm not sure what the author thinks of him either.
Interesting to have read this right after "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk- seems that novelists always have to think over & explore how they relate, as writers, to the European canon, and to European civilization.
I still haven't finished thinking about the main character or come to an understanding of what kind of person he is, with his selfish poetry opposed to his conversion to Catholicism-- and I'm not sure what the author thinks of him either.
Interesting to have read this right after "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk- seems that novelists always have to think over & explore how they relate, as writers, to the European canon, and to European civilization.
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