Halldór Laxness

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Halldór Laxness


Born
in Reykjavík, Iceland
April 23, 1902

Died
February 08, 1998

Genre

Influences
The Icelandic Sagas, Catholicism, Communism, Taoism


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 only 17, the beginning of a long literary career of more than 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 was sympathetic to Communist politics, which is evident in his novels World Light and Independent People. In 1955 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. ...more

Average rating: 3.94 · 30,624 ratings · 3,891 reviews · 174 distinct worksSimilar authors
Independent People

by
4.12 avg rating — 13,987 ratings — published 1934 — 121 editions
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The Fish Can Sing

by
3.88 avg rating — 3,003 ratings — published 1957 — 66 editions
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Under the Glacier

by
3.54 avg rating — 3,011 ratings — published 1968 — 3 editions
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Iceland's Bell

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,336 ratings — published 1943 — 71 editions
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Salka Valka

by
3.98 avg rating — 1,979 ratings — published 1931 — 58 editions
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The Atom Station

3.52 avg rating — 1,560 ratings — published 1948 — 70 editions
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World Light

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,003 ratings — published 1937 — 43 editions
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Paradise Reclaimed

3.73 avg rating — 801 ratings — published 1960 — 41 editions
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Wayward Heroes

by
3.86 avg rating — 341 ratings — published 1952 — 28 editions
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The Great Weaver From Kashmir

by
3.41 avg rating — 276 ratings — published 1927 — 16 editions
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More books by Halldór Laxness…
Frie mænd Ásta Sóllilja Independent People Úsvit nad slatinami
(4 books)
by
4.12 avg rating — 14,021 ratings

Den lyse mø Eldur í Kaupinhafn
(3 books)
by
3.89 avg rating — 2,370 ratings

World Light Höll sumarlandsins Hús skáldsins Fegurð himinsins Himlens skönhet
(5 books)
by
4.13 avg rating — 1,053 ratings

Þú vínviður hreini Fuglinn í fjörunni
(2 books)
by
4.48 avg rating — 21 ratings

Quotes by Halldór Laxness  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“For man is essentially alone, and one should pity him and love him and grieve with him.”
Halldór Laxness

“Remember, any lie you are told, even deliberately, is often a more significant fact than a truth told in all sincerity.”
Halldór Laxness, Under the Glacier

“Human beings, in point of fact, are lonely by nature, and one should feel sorry for them and love them and mourn with them. It is certain that people would understand one another better and love one another more if they would admit to one another how lonely they were, how sad they were in their tormented, anxious longings and feeble hopes.”
Halldór Laxness

Polls

June 2022 New School Poll

 
  66 votes, 23.2%

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro, 1982, 183 pages
 
  53 votes, 18.7%

 
  43 votes, 15.1%

 
  42 votes, 14.8%

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, 1902, 210 pages
 
  32 votes, 11.3%

 
  28 votes, 9.9%

Independent People by Halldór Laxness, 1934, 482 pages
 
  20 votes, 7.0%

More...

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