Monday, October 28, 2024

Trilogy By Stefánsson

Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels, The Heart of Man


A trilogy by Jón Kalman Stefánsson

I’ve tangled with this Icelandic author before; I raved about Summer Night, and Then Comes the Night and had mixed feelings about Your Absence is Darkness.

This dense trilogy almost did me in. Its major theme is fatalism—death surrounds its protagonist, ‘The Boy’, as he blindly makes his way through ordeals in the unforgiving Icelandic sea, land and psyche. Not for the reader who is faint-of-heart. Stefanssón’s prose (and Philip Roughton’s translation) is always excellent, but where his other books were flights of imagination, these three are heavier, even turgid at times. I sensed a bit of dèjá vu (particularly in Sorrow) where I got the impression that this was recycled Halldór Laxness (without the humor.) If you are wondering where the authors who revel in elaborate language went, look no further.

One problem I had in reading these books is that I have burned out on Icelandic culture (I’ve been infatuated with it for nearly a quarter century) and, sometimes, enough is enough. If you are up for a challenge, and enjoy dense, grim books ruminating about death and despair, you might enjoy this journey. If not, beware!

By Professor Batty


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