George's review
Independent People
by Halldór Kiljan Laxness
George's review
Independent People by Halldór Kiljan Laxness
George's review
rating:
If there were half stars, this would be 3.5. The writing is wonderful, and the way that Laxness captures the landscape and people is truly impressive (when I started the book, we were in Iceland, and I was reading it aloud to my wife as we drove through the same harsh landscapes that he describes, which benefited both our experience of the book and of even the most barren countryside). That said, Bjartur of Summerhouses is one of the most frustrating main characters I've ever encountered, and by about halfway through the book, you just want to give up on the guy for chasing away pretty much everyone important in his life, all in the name of his obsession with being an "independent man." He wears his tragic flaw so unwaveringly, so explicitly, that he walks a narrow line between being a well-drawn character (because some people are ruled by such a single, dominant trait) and a caricature. The book drags a bit during the occasional scenes of occasional dialogue, which usually c...more
