First translated into English by Magnus Magnusson in 1961,
Laxness's lyrical satire on the American military presence on
Iceland after World War II had already helped gain him the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1955. The American decision to impose a
NATO base on the island is seen through the eyes of a maid working
for her local Member of Parliament. She not only represents the
simple resistance to authority, and, therefore, American
imperialism, but the clash of cultures north and south, between the
powerless and the organised power like big business. Laxness' style
reflects this clash, with his inner turmoil against the communist
outsider, his cynicism and the lyrical folk tradition and his anger
alongside gentleness. (Kirkus UK)
When the Americans make an offer to buy land in Iceland to build a
NATO airbase after World War II, a storm of protest if provoked
throughout the country. The airbase provides Laxness with the
catalyst for his astonishing and powerful satire. Narrated by a
country girl from the north, the novel follows her experiences
after she takes up employment as a maid in the house of her Member
of Parliament. Marvelling at the customs and behaviour of the
people around her, she emerges as the one obstinate reality in a
world of unreality. Her observations and experiences expose the
bourgeois society of the south as rootless and shallow and in stark
contrast to the age-old culture of the solid and less fanciful
north. A witty and moving satire on politics and politicians,
Communists and anti-Communists, phoney culture fiends, big business
and all the pretensions of authority, Laxness' masterpiece of
social commentary is as relevant today as when it was written in
1948.
General
| Imprint: |
Vintage Classics
|
| Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
| Release date: |
March 2004 |
| First published: |
March 2004 |
| Authors: |
Halldor Laxness
|
| Dimensions: |
198 x 129 x 14mm (L x W x T) |
| Format: |
Paperback - B-format
|
| Pages: |
192 |
| Edition: |
New ed |
| ISBN-13: |
978-0-09-945515-8 |
| Languages: |
English
|
| Subtitles: |
Icelandic
|
| Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
| LSN: |
0-09-945515-3 |
| Barcode: |
9780099455158 |
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