Sturla Jón Jónsson, the fifty-something building superintendent and sometimes poet, has been invited to a poetry festival in Vilnius, Lithuania, ap...
read full description
reviews
Sep 04, 2010
Jasmine
rated it: 
First, I want to say thank you to the guy who knows Karen that I have never met who gave her this book. I think his name is Chad. Thank you Chad.
One of the really great things about Karen and greg is that when people give them free books they go out of the way to get these people nice reviews of these books. Back in the day when Zweig was floating around, Greg gave it to me after he was done with it because he was hoping that I might like it a bit more and have something nice to say More...
One of the really great things about Karen and greg is that when people give them free books they go out of the way to get these people nice reviews of these books. Back in the day when Zweig was floating around, Greg gave it to me after he was done with it because he was hoping that I might like it a bit more and have something nice to say More...
43 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Oct 12, 2010
Amy
rated it:
Translated from the Icelandic by Lytton Smith
It’s tough being a poet. First, there’s the whole stereotype of the cerebral, tortured artist who offers the world little but obscure verses. Then your Dad starts doing the passive-aggressive thing and slights your work whenever he can. Your son calls your career a ‘hobbyhorse’. You get no respect.
This is the world for Sturla Jon, a sucessful poet from Iceland. He’s tough, sarcast More...
It’s tough being a poet. First, there’s the whole stereotype of the cerebral, tortured artist who offers the world little but obscure verses. Then your Dad starts doing the passive-aggressive thing and slights your work whenever he can. Your son calls your career a ‘hobbyhorse’. You get no respect.
This is the world for Sturla Jon, a sucessful poet from Iceland. He’s tough, sarcast More...
Jan 07, 2011
Christopher
rated it: 
I probably shouldn't have read this right after reading the abortion, but doing so did make me realize the similarity between Ólafsson's style and Richard Braughtigan.
That aside, the book didn't connect with me much. Largely a criticism of the arts community (and specifically the poetry community), it's often hard to tell where the ironic detachment lets up - maybe it never does. If you're looking to read an Icelandic book, this probably isn't the place to start, although it did seem to More...
That aside, the book didn't connect with me much. Largely a criticism of the arts community (and specifically the poetry community), it's often hard to tell where the ironic detachment lets up - maybe it never does. If you're looking to read an Icelandic book, this probably isn't the place to start, although it did seem to More...
Dec 21, 2010
Joshua
rated it: 
I wanted to like this one as I don't read many books from Icelandic writers, but this was just dull. Not much happens really and whilst I'm not one of those needy readers who needs a lot of whiz bang in my plot, I don't, I do need a little more going on than is given with The Ambassador. Huge sections of this, nothing happens! Maybe that's the intention of Olafsson? Bombard us with the mundane, little moments of this 51 year old guy who buys a new overcoat, talks to his father, has conversations
More...
Dec 06, 2010
Larissa
rated it: 
Review here: http://thesecondpass.com/?p=6748
***
Full text of Second Pass review:
After a recent reading in a small, internationally stocked New York bookstore, Icelandic author Bragi Ólafsson prepared to answer questions from the audience about his newly translated novel, The Ambassador. But rather than asking about the novel, or a previous novel (The Pets, published in the U.S. in 2008), or his prose style and writing inspiration, or even his former gig as th More...
***
Full text of Second Pass review:
After a recent reading in a small, internationally stocked New York bookstore, Icelandic author Bragi Ólafsson prepared to answer questions from the audience about his newly translated novel, The Ambassador. But rather than asking about the novel, or a previous novel (The Pets, published in the U.S. in 2008), or his prose style and writing inspiration, or even his former gig as th More...
Feb 05, 2011
Tze-Wen
rated it:
Sturla Jón, the anti-hero protagonist, is a man who has gone through a lot in his life. His parents are long separated, his mother an alcoholic, he divorced in a distant past and his five children are estranged from him. I cannot say for sure whether one should pity him for the unfortunate events that have befallen him, or that he is simply as an island onto himself. Perhaps that makes him the perfect ambassador for Iceland? (Not really. His conduct and character are hardly appropriate for a rep
More...
Feb 11, 2011
Tara
rated it:
Most people who don't like this book have complained that it has no plot. True enough. If you're willing to forgive the author this eccentricity, though, you might find yourself enjoying his strange (yet familiar) characters and wonderful sense of the absurd.
Aug 13, 2010
Rob
rated it:
The ending is a bit of a let down, but this novel is oddly endearing. And hard to put down.
Apr 27, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Really funny understated humor at the expense of writers and poets. It was interesting to see an Icelandic perspective on the rest of the Baltic.
Feb 04, 2012
Jan 27, 2012
Jan 08, 2012
Jan 04, 2012
Dec 09, 2011
Dec 03, 2011
Nov 11, 2011
Nov 28, 2011
Jan 18, 2012
Oct 24, 2011
Oct 12, 2011
Oct 04, 2011
