Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
97th out of 514 books
—
503 voters
World Light
As an unloved foster child on a farm in rural Iceland, Olaf Karason has only one consolation: the belief that one day he will be a great poet. The indifference and contempt of most of the people around him only reinforces his sense of destiny, for in Iceland poets are as likely to be scorned as they are to be revered. Over the ensuing years, Olaf comes to lead the paradigm...more
Paperback, 624 pages
Published
October 8th 2002
by Vintage
(first published 1937)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
506)
World Light is a mammoth novel, but once you start it you wouldn't want it any other way. It begins with Olafur Karason's childhood in an abusive household, basically an orphan, and spans his life till old age. He is bedridden throughout much of his childhood, and is eventually sent away to live in another part of the country. He is quickly healed and from then on leads a life of quiet simplicity, filled with troubles that affect him but never quite seem to bother him, as he (more then any other...more
I didn't immensely enjoy Independent People when I read it, but it's taken firm root in my memory. I like that I read it, even if I didn't totally dig it while I was mid-page. Remembering Independent People fondly, I decided to try World Light. Time will tell, but my first impression is that Independent People is a stronger exploration of many of the same ideas. If Independent People is about politics and economics, then this is its political- and art-focused accompaniment. Our protagonist is sa...more
Olafur Karasons Leben bietet von Beginn an kaum etwas Erfreuliches. Olafur wurde von seiner Mutter weggegeben und lebt seither als Gemeindearmer auf einem Hof, der für dessen Betreuung einen Zuschuss erhält. Doch er tut sich schwer dort, und das liegt nicht nur daran, dass er von den beiden Söhnen der Hofherrin hart herumkommandiert wird und für sie schuften muss. Olafur träumt immer wieder vor sich hin und kümmert sich lieber um Dinge wie Schönheit oder Dichtung - mit solchen Dingen kann man im...more
Wasn't the easiest book I've ever read. I almost abandoned it many times. The Wilde like aphorisms on love and poetry and politics started weighing me down. At some points it was one of those books that every line screams to be placed on the front of a quote card for someone like my fiancée to place upon her wall and ponder countless times. And that's all and good for a couple of lines, but there were millions. It became almost too witty. But that aside, I loved the book. The Icelandic allusions...more
Halldor Laxness introduces readers to a new genre of prose, where each line is like a divine sonnet.
What makes World Light so incredible is the story of pain and the beauty it brings with it. The protagonist dreams and yearns to be a poet; the consequence of being respected or shunned is immaterial to him. Through the physical and emotional torment of life, he wages on, painting each moment with beautiful rhymes.
Halldor Laxness definitely knows how to render pain a charm that makes his readers l...more
What makes World Light so incredible is the story of pain and the beauty it brings with it. The protagonist dreams and yearns to be a poet; the consequence of being respected or shunned is immaterial to him. Through the physical and emotional torment of life, he wages on, painting each moment with beautiful rhymes.
Halldor Laxness definitely knows how to render pain a charm that makes his readers l...more
The appeal of this book was in the writing, not in the main character. Poor Olafur was a rather frustrating character. I could pity his condition, but so wanted to seize him and shake him! He saw beauty in nature and had a bland goodwill to all, including those least worthy of it, yet was quite oblivious of the need to support his family in any practical way.
There was a relentless bleakness in his condition. His brutal childhood is reminiscent of Dickens, or, in an Australian context, Albert Fa...more
There was a relentless bleakness in his condition. His brutal childhood is reminiscent of Dickens, or, in an Australian context, Albert Fa...more
To read Icelandic literature means visiting the work of Laxness, considered to be their greatest writer and the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1955. It seems the strength of his writing is in making broad statements about society/life, without explicitly coming to definitive conclusions. Anotherwords it is left to the reader to mull, debate, and contemplate their own place in life through the work. On a specific note we did have the great pleasure to visit the Haldor Laxness museum...more
This is a novel about truth, beauty and art, to put it simply. It is abstract and often bizarre in both style and content.
The story is of Ólafur of Ljósavík, an orphan mistreated by his foster family and who spends much of his childhood lying in bed immobilised by illness until he is cured by an elf. It follows his entire life from early childhood, through many love affairs, a tortured marriage, several children, struggles with poverty and a stint in prison for sleeping with his teenage student,...more
The story is of Ólafur of Ljósavík, an orphan mistreated by his foster family and who spends much of his childhood lying in bed immobilised by illness until he is cured by an elf. It follows his entire life from early childhood, through many love affairs, a tortured marriage, several children, struggles with poverty and a stint in prison for sleeping with his teenage student,...more
This novel, based on the life of Iceland's bumbling national poet, is delightful.
Really hard to get in to. I really tried to like this book, but just couldn't.
This novel is SO bizarre and requires patience but two months later I'm still thinking about it. If you're new to Laxness, I recommended reading Independent People first. But my god, the man can write. Every character gets in my head and stays there--permanently. I was inspired to write this review after scanning the last ten books I've read and realizing that this is one my mind keeps returning to. Unlike Wolf Hall, for example, which was a great read, but one I haven't thought about once since...more
What a hard life they had in Iceland. T
Interesting book - Halldór Laxness is never a very easy read, though always enjoyable, nevertheless. Many of the poems within the story have been beautifully set to music (in Icelandic) by contemporary Icelandic composers.
It is a good idea to have some idea of the political and social history of Iceland before embarking on reading Laxness' books, as so much of his work is satire based on these very issues and the people who found themselves tangled up in the ramifications of the times.
It is a good idea to have some idea of the political and social history of Iceland before embarking on reading Laxness' books, as so much of his work is satire based on these very issues and the people who found themselves tangled up in the ramifications of the times.
Wow. Reading this book was a huge commitment. I felt like I had to write notes and do some fact checking on Icelandic culture to ensure I understood all of the nuances. Very interesting reading. Loved references to the "invisible friend."
Between exquisite wretchedness at the beginning and a short sweet fade at the end, this is definitely a funny book–especially the seance scene, Petur Dhrihross, Olafur clueless in Reykjavik, and great minor characters. Ljosvikingur is certainly not a likable character, but you never know what is going to come out of his mouth. All Laxness needs to be translated!
For me a farewell, and glimmering recollection of Iceland. But more than that; a mirror. "Every transgression is a game, every grief easy to bear compared with having discovered beauty; it was at once the crime that could never be atoned, and the hurt that could never be assuaged, the tear that could never be dried."
William T. Vollman praised Halldor Laxness in an interview and inspired me to read World Light. I haven't enjoyed reading a book so much since reading Don Quixote almost 30 years ago. World Light is tender, tragic, sad, hilarious, humane.
This is one of those books that I could read 100 times and still miss a lot of things.
I believe this is the best book I have ever read. What a joy to read, I reread many pages just for enjoyment, and laughed out loud a lot.
I tried, & tried, & tried to get into this, but gave up after 375 pages. Just not my cup o' tea.
The lasting legacy of reading this book would be many uses and meanings of the word 'really'.
When I run out of the Laxness works that are available in English, I will have to learn Icelandic.
fell in love then had to break up, turned out I'd married a misogynist
Quite entertaining, at least for Icelanders
May 19, 2013
Rob Szumlakowski
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Veronika
added it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Born Halldór Guðjónsson, he adopted the surname Laxness in honour of Laxnes in Mosfellssveit where he grew up, his family having moved from Reyjavík in 1905. He published his first novel at the age of 17, the beginning of a long literary career of over 60 books, including novels, short stories, poetry, and plays. Confirmed a Catholic in 1923, he later moved away from religion and for a long time w...more
More about Halldór Laxness...
Share This Book
4 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“He continued on, on to the glacier, towards the dawn, from ridge to ridge, in deep, new-fallen snow, paying no heed to the storms that might pursue him. As a child he had stood by the seashore at Ljósavík and watched the waves soughing in and out, but now he was heading away from the sea. "Think of me when you are in glorious sunshine." Soon the sun of the day of resurrection will shine on the bright paths where she awaits her poet.
And beauty shall reign alone.”
—
9 people liked it
And beauty shall reign alone.”
“Þar sem jökulinn ber við loft hættir landið að vera jarðneskt, en jörðin fær hlutdeild í himninum, þar búa ekki framar neinar sorgir og þessvegna er gleðin ekki nauðsynleg, þar ríkir fegurðin ein, ofar hverri kröfu.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
Aug 13, 2010 12:17pm