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Copy/paste the text below into your blog. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14265.Under_the_Glacier?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Under the Glacier" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1166585996m/14265.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14265.Under_the_Glacier?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Under the Glacier</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8875.Halld_r_Kiljan_Laxness">Halldór Kiljan Laxness</a><br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1034387?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a> rating: 5 of 5 stars<br/>glaciers and absurdity <br/> <br/>who doesn't judge books by their covers? i was in kramerbooks, soon to be headed to iceland, when this one called to me. i reached past the reds and blues and modern arts for a lovely green book with a title that pulled at my heartstrings. even though it was "ordinary people" that won halldór laxness the nobel prize, i went with "under the glacier" because of its title and because the subject matter seemed so fascinating. <br/> <br/>how do i describe it? there's an intro by susan sontag that labels it as: science fiction, a philosophical novel, a dream novel, a comic novel, and a visionary one. that's a fairly good start. it involves a young emissary from the bishop of iceland who is sent from reykjavik to investigate odd rumors about the pastor - and town - of snaefells glacier. in short order, this becomes an investigation of all things considering "christianity at the glacier." and that investigation is hilarious. there were times, reading it, when i thought it very well might be the funniest book i have ever read. <br/> <br/>christianity, taoism, hinduism, reincarnation, hatha yoga, nature poetry, biblical verse, mythical fish, intergalactic communication, horse abusers and imported french biscuits ... all come together in the narrative, yet there is cohesion in the absurdity. i think what i liked best about it were the ruminations on literature itself, such as the bishop's instructions to the emissary: <br/> <br/>"no verifying! if people tell lies, that's as may be. if they've come up with some credo or other, so much the better! ... remember, any lie you are told, even if deliberately, is often a more significant fact than a truth told in all sincerity." <br/> <br/>there are so many other gems that are underlined in my copy, but here is the first that truly hooked me, from a letter from the parish clerk to the bishop of iceland: "In conclusion, it's quite true that our church is a little worse for wear, although in fact there haven't been many complaints; but God is said to be great. No need to elaborate further on that. Your Grace's loving and obedient servant ..." <br/> <br/>for me the high point of the book comes about halfway through, in a long discussion between old friends pastor jon primus and dr. syngmann (mundi), the angler and businessman and mystic who returns to perform biotelekinesis - life induction - in the energy field of the glacier. the chapters that outline their discussion, through the notes of the emissary, play two different but captivating philosophies against one another. the chapters also hint at regret and nostalgia, the way our lives change separately from those we were once close to. the climax, then, for me, is pastor jon's soliloquy at mundi's funeral. <br/> <br/>i'll leave the final words to pastor jon: <br/> <br/>"It's a pity we don't whistle at one another, like birds. Words are misleading. I am always trying to forget words. That is why I contemplate the lilies of the field, but in particular the glacier. If one looks at the glacier for long enough, words cease to have any meaning on God's earth." <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/73216?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>