Customer Reviews

Iceland's Bell

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In true fashion to the skill of Halldor Laxness, ICELAND'S BELL paints a grim and desolate portrait of Iceland at the end of the 17th century. Iceland is a Danish colony and suffers from famine and a small pox epidemic that leaves this small island nation barely standing. What's more, Denmark has continuously benefited financially from a trade monopoly that prohibits Icelanders from trading with any other nations, especially the Dutch. Iceland's situation is not the only story of turmoil in Scandinavia; Denmark and Sweden are constantly at war. In the midst of all these socio-political issues three principle characters struggle with their individual livelihoods in ICELAND'S BELLS. Jon Hreggvidsson is a petty theft who is sentenced to be beheaded for ridiculing the Danish King in public. Laxness's portrayal of the plight of Jon Hreggvidsson is colorful and full of wit and dark humor. He is certainly a character that is difficult to hate even though he commits violent acts and has no regard for his family back home. Another principle character is Snaefridur who is often regarded as the most beautiful woman in Iceland. She is married to a drunk who manages to get himself in many funny situations such as selling his wife for a drink of liquor. The lives of Hreggvidsson and Snaefridur intertwine several times throughout the course of the novel in truly unique manners. The third principle character is Arnas Arnaeus who is determined to save and preserve all the old manuscripts of Icelandic history and literature but despite his good intentions Arenaeus's life is never as noble as he had wished. He is determined to be an advocate to the Icelandic people, but in the end he is an unlikely hero for Iceland.

With the constant references to Icelandic sagas throughout the novel one wonders if Laxness intended to write a saga of his own. He frequently used Latin phrases, and I was thankful that there was an index in the back which described in detail the meanings. One of this novel's biggest strengths besides the bold and authentic characterizations is that many of the characters and events were based on history. It is apparent that Laxness is well acquainted with the history and culture of Iceland. If you enjoyed INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, then read ICELAND'S BELL. Laxness created a dark portrait of Iceland that is bound to make the reader feel sorry for the inhabitants of this poor nation. Certainly they received the short end of the stick. Life in Iceland was difficult at the end of the 17th century, and Laxness succeeds in telling a saga that is both dark and comedic. Warning - don't read the introduction first as many essential plot developments are revealed. Recommended.

Halldor Laxness is probably one of the most obscure Nobel Literature Prize winners a native reader of English can encounter. He lived into his nineties, and his writing spanned much of the 20th Century. Like many of Laxness's books, Iceland's Bell has not been available in English until very recently, and it is a shame that it has not.

Rather than summarizing the plot, I will simply note that Iceland's Bell dates from the period immediately following World War II, during which Iceland finally obtained her independence after centuries of rule by other Scandinavian countries (first Norway and then, after 1380, Denmark). Although Iceland's Bell is set in the 1600s, the tone of the stinging criticism of Iceland's colonial rulers uttered by several of the novel's characters is like the two-headed Byzantine eagle, looking forward and back at the same time. The general sentiment of the novel is that Iceland's people have been, under colonial rule, more like prisoners of the unforgiving land than true inheritors of that land, strangely haunted by their unique cultural heritage while not completely aware of its breadth and depth -- the ongoing search for written remnants of Icelandic saga and ballads and the transport and sale of those remnants away from Iceland and Icelanders is criticized, as is the Danish monopoly on Iceland's whale-oil trade and the periodic looting of priceless metallic artifacts (which are treated as mere raw material to fuel the Danish crown's incessant warfare). One gets the impression that Laxness is fighting a rearguard action against all colonialism in the way that he describes the capricious interference of the Danish crown into the indigenous affairs of Iceland's own executive and judicial systems, prompted by some misguided sense of "we must save those poor Icelanders from themselves" ("White Man's Burden" redux?).

I didn't know much about Iceland, in the "macro" sense, before reading Iceland's Bell. I probably still can't claim that I do, in spite of all the authentic touches employed in this translation (such as retaining the original Icelandic spelling of the names of most places on the island). But I have been left with the impression of a people who are quite like my own Irish kinsmen -- stubbornly proud of their heritage even as they recover from the effects of a predatory colonial regime. Not even adding six extra letters to the "normal" alphabet can make the characters I have read in "Iceland's Bell" seem like strangers to me.

I read Independent People a few years ago, after returning from a trip to Iceland and was intrigued. I enjoyed this novel more than Independent People, which I liked a lot. It's much faster moving and loaded with interesting characters that I really got into. After seeing the prosperity of modern-day Iceland, it's amazing to consider how poor off the country was, not even that long ago. The condition of the people is every bit as bleak as the landscape Laxness paints in Iceland's Bell. I won't try to summarize the story, as other reviewers have already done that.

The novel draws you in and keeps you there the entire time. I hated to have it end. What more do you want in a book? I see several more Laxness novels have been translated, so I think I'll order a couple more. Try reading one of the sagas, such as Njall's Saga before reading Iceland's Bell, you'll get a better appreciation for the importance of those early writings in Iceland's history and culture, and enjoy the book even more. If you enjoy Steinbeck, give Laxness a try. You'll be glad you did.

I can't heap scorn and obloquy on the judges of the Nobel Prize for NOT recognizing the genius of Halldor Laxness, because they did! In 1955! So it's the anglophone readers and publishers who get the blame for the fact that hardly any of his books were translated or distributed in America until recently. This neglect has been corrected now by Vintage International, with half a dozen excellent translations on bookshelves near you, or at least on amazon.

Laxness is a modern viking, though as far as I know he never sailed in a dragon ship. His world is the viking world, stretching from Scandinavia across the North Atlantic to Iceland and in the book "Paradise Reclaimed" as far west as Utah. But the scene for most of his work, and most of the book "Iceland's Bell", is his native Iceland, which he knows to the smallest crevice of space or time. This novel is set at the end of the 17th Century, when Iceland was the grittiest outpost of the Danish Kingdom, a land of stark poverty and stubborn self-image. This was the era when the Icelandic sagas were rediscovered by antiquarians; one of the chief characters is in fact a collector of fragmented manuscripts from cow sheds and church cellars across Iceland. The effort rescued from oblivion all the sagas that we now cherish, at the cost of looting them from Iceland to museums in Denmark and England.

A little familiarity with the style and content of the Icelandic sagas is of great help in understanding Laxness's novels,especially "Iceland's Bell". Perhaps more than a help, almost a necessity, like a little knowledge of the Christian Bible is a necessity for appreciating Milton, Melville, or Mann. Laxness's style comes straight from Njall's Saga - hard-bitten, no fluff, grimly humorous, highly allusive. Emotions are never cheap in the sagas or in Laxness. Melodrama would be incomprehensible to a viking. Every character in "Iceland's Bell" exactly fills all the personal space allotted him or her, and fiercely resents any meddling intrusion; there is little tenderness or compassion, and what there is of such feelings is treated with suspicion. Some readers will conclude that Laxness's world is too grim to make enjoyable reading, but along with his grimness he offers absolute emotional honesty and a fabulously dry, sly sense of humor. If you don't find yourself laughing, or at least smiling bitterly, by page five, you probably should read something else.

There's also a lot of history in Laxness's work, and this book alludes frequently to the histories both of Iceland and of Denmark. That may cause difficulties for readers who insist on understanding every allusion, in which case I'd urge them to read one of Laxness's other novels: "Paradise Reclaimed", "The Fish Could Sing", or "The Atom Station".

Despite all those caveats, I love this novel. It's one of my favorites of all 20th C fiction. Here's a little sample; three farmers are being held in a dark cold cell, awaiting punishment for various infractions:

"It's an honor to be beheaded," said Holmfastur Gudmundsson. "Even a little churl becomes a man by being beheaded. A little churl can recite a verse as he's being taken to the chopping block.... and his name will live on as long as the land is inhabited. On the contrary, a man who is flogged is belittled. There's no man so gallant who is not humiliated by the whip."
"I wasn't belittled in the least be being flogged," said Jon Hreddvidsson. "and nobody laughed at me. I was the only one who laughed."
"It does nothing to a man, to the man himself, to be flogged," said Asbjorn Joakimsson. "But you can't deny that it must be slightly disturbing for the man's children to learn, when they've grown up, that their father was once flogged....I have three little girls. But after three or four generations, it's forgotten. At least I don't imagine that Asbjorn Joakimsson is such a remarkable name that it will be written in books... I'm like every other nameless man, healthy today, dead tomorrow..."

Three or four generations!?! That's Iceland.

Halldor Laxness's novels never fail to amaze me. As one reviewer has said, I believe he's arguably the John Steinbeck of Iceland. His works convey an atmosphere, setting, society, and culture that is like nothing else in the literature that most Westerners are familiar with. Whenever I want to take a break from reading novels by the most well-known and widely read authors of world literature (such as Dickens, Austen, Twain, etc.), I delve into the world of Halldor Laxness. I wish this author's status as a modern pioneer of contemporary literature was more acknowledged and recognized in the U.S. Just like Iceland's sagas, Halldor's Laxness are works to be treasured for its novel originality, fresh insight on common themes, and distinct style and literary beauty. On my list this is my 3rd most favorite Halldor Laxness novel (#1 is World Light, #2 is Independent People). Buy it, borrow it, read it, enjoy.

I admit to being a bit of a nut about Halldor Laxness, and "Iceland's Bell" is my favorite of his major novels. A true epic, the story tumbles across borders and centuries, yet remains intimate always human and universal, while also being specifically Icelandic. Laxness is a giant of literature, not necessarily beach reading, but unforgetable. Unavailable in English until very recently, this is an excellent edition with a very good introduction and beautifully translated.

Laxness is Iceland's most famous author, though that may not qualify him as being overly famous. He won the Nobel prize for literature in 1955, largely on the strength of _Independent People_, which became famous in the US as a Book-of-the-Month Club selection in 1953.

I mention this pedigree because Laxness is otherwise obscure, and most people don't just pick up Icelandic fiction off their friendly neighborhood bookshelf. But they should. _Iceland's Bell_ tells the story of a ne'er-do-well named Jon Hreggvidsson, who becomes involved in a long-running court case between two powerful figures in Iceland and their allies in the Danish court.

The book is loosely based on true events of the late 17th century, and represents a kind of modern updating of the medieval Icelandic saga. That may sound off-putting, but in the hands of a master the story comes alive. The only challenges that the setting pose for the typical reader are references to people and events that most Icelanders would recognize but that require an explanatory note for outsiders. Those notes, keyed by page number, are collected at the end of the book.

The book is often quite funny. Laxness eagerly pokes fun at everyone, and despite the book's setting the characters and Laxness's satires are timeless. He also manages to pull off the difficult trick of conveying a deep fondness for all his characters, heroes and villains, high and low, while making fun of them.

It's a wonderful book. Take a plunge and read it.

I suppose most readers wouldn't really expect anything from Laxness to be average, so perhaps my subject is a little disingenuous. Regardless, my point remains. A book like this can be a little difficult to get into, and a little strange to read. Frequently, the language seems almost stilted, or even over-simplified, at other times, flowery and ornate. In some cases the tense switches back and forth between past and present and seems either confused, or intended to confuse. As with anything that one reads in translation, I'm not entirely sure how much of this was intended by the author, and how much of this is simply the result of the translation. From what I understand (and what I heard, while visiting the country), Icelandic is a difficult language to learn, and also a very old language, largely unchanged over hundreds of years, which may not make for easy translation. In any event, the novel comes across as something of a pastiche of old Icelandic sagas, and very much feels like a tale told from a different age. So much of the subject matter is totally unfamiliar and strange that it can take some time to get used to the Iceland of the novel. From the description of Jon as a tenant of Christ, to his days in the dungeon (if you can even call it that) while awaiting trial for murder, the world described is so desolate and unremittingly poor that it's hard to reconcile with the happy and stable (a currency collapse notwithstanding) Iceland of today. Laxness nevertheless shows the beauty and strength in the Icelandic soul, and traps the reader in a story that is at once concerned with both the primary characters of the novel, as well as the nation as a whole. In its own way, this novel is beautifully written, and entirely rewarding. It's the first Laxness novel I've read, but it won't be long until I read more of his work.