Half the fun in taking a trip is the planning and preparation. Here are a few of our recommended reads for visiting Iceland:
There are several good guide books for Iceland, but the Rough Guides are always one of our favorites!
Burial Rites, the Australian author Hannah Kent's literary debut novel, has been an international bestseller, translated into 30 languages, and has won numerous awards. The book is based on the true story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, the last woman executed in Iceland by public beheading, who was accused and convicted of brutally murdering, along with Friðrik Sigurðsson, both Nathan Ketilsson, a farmer in Illugastaðir in Vatnsnes, and Pétur Jónsson in 1829. The story is about her final days on a remote farm as she awaits her execution. The setting is stark, and the story truly riveting!
Halldor Laxness, Iceland's most famous author of over 60 books, won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for his book 'Independent People' in 1955. And if you were to read only one book by an Icelandic author, this should be it. The most important theme of the novel, thus its title, is independence, what it means and what is worth giving up in order to achieve it. Full of humor and great sadness, it is a book you will never forget.
“Remember, any lie you are told, even deliberately, is often a more significant fact than a truth told in all sincerity.”
― Halldór Laxness, Under the Glacier
Ragnar Jonasson, as well as being an attorney, is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction, the most popular of which was the “Dark Iceland” series, set in and around Siglufjörður, and featuring Detective Ari Thor. His novels are captivating and give you a great feel for the landscape and society that is Iceland, although I think the murder rate is a little less than what is portrayed.
Another Icelandic multi-award winning author and writer of crime-fiction, Arnaldur Indridason is well known for his unique brand of suspense, intrigue and realism. He is particularly well known for his series featuring protagonist ‘Detective Erlendur’, and these are novels you won't want to put down!