Independent People in Never too Late to Read Classics

Oct 08, 2016 Josh Caporale rated it liked it

3.5 stars

I read Independent People as a buddy read with Janelle from The Page Turner, who is an insightful and well-spoken Booktuber that suggested that we read something by Halldor Laxness, who is the first and only Nobel Prize in Literature winner from Iceland. It is a great selection to read this, because I have never read a work of Icelandic literature before picking this up, so I was looking forward to reading something about a country I did not know so much about. After reading this, I got 3.5 stars

I read Independent People as a buddy read with Janelle from The Page Turner, who is an insightful and well-spoken Booktuber that suggested that we read something by Halldor Laxness, who is the first and only Nobel Prize in Literature winner from Iceland. It is a great selection to read this, because I have never read a work of Icelandic literature before picking this up, so I was looking forward to reading something about a country I did not know so much about. After reading this, I got a bit of an understanding about the country, but I felt overall, I would declare that this novel was just pretty good.

Bjartur of Summerhouses is our central character, who has spent eighteen years as a sheep herder for a higher authority before finally being able to obtain independence and being able to raise sheep the way he wishes. He marries Rosa, who is a foil in what he is trying to get accomplished. While Rosa has her obligations, including a belief in Icelandic superstitions, Bjartur refuses to be held down by this superstitions and he does not like poetry or prayers unless they rhyme, which comes off as a bit of a gripe of his. Rosa gives birth to their daughter, Asta Sollilja, whose father is the Bailiff's son. Following Asta Sollilja's birth, the next part cuts to about thirteen years later. In addition to his daughter, Bjartur now has three sons and a new wife, and while he is in the right place regarding what he sees as being independent, there is still a great amount of strain between himself and his family. Obviously enough, his children end up going into different directions of their own and there comes a point where THEY want to obtain what THEY see as freedom from a higher authority.

The question of what it means to be independent is by all means the foundation of this story and it is definitely the cycle where all of us are attempting to achieve and excel. I would say that this novel definitely brings that idea across. What got me, though, was how dense this novel was written. While this novel was artistically written and the description was gritty and powerful, I felt that it would sometimes get caught up in its wordiness, which would take away from the structure of the dialogue. On some occasions, it would switch between discussion through quotations and structuring the discussion like it was a play. For instance, you would sometimes see something like this: "Bjartur: *insert line*" There were also moments where I would lose track of who was saying what and I would need to go back and read over what was being said. For the record, this is not a light read. This novel requires a great deal of commitment and there will be moments where you may need to read over things before it makes sense. It may even require a reread, which is something I may consider.

If I had to compare this novel to types of cheese, it would either be Gorgonzola or Maytag Blue. Why I say this is that you can feel how earthy the novel is as you read it, plodding through the details, yet there are moments where you can feel everything going on around you. If you take things too fast, the experience will be worthless and you will clearly not be fond of it.

Laxness' greatest strengths lie in his way with words and how he is so artistic in saying what he wants to say. His ability to craft characters, in my mind, is just pretty good. I felt that while Bjartur had the right sense of motivation, I wish I could have felt a greater sympathy for him and his pursuits. The fact that he is a great representative to Icelandic literature, though, is what makes him an important writer and his ability to insert a reflection of Icelandic history and culture is what is truly important. Overall, I would say this is worth reading if you are a patient reader that is willing to seize the text. This is by no means for those that want to explore classics or literary fiction, but it is for someone looking for a good read and for someone that has the mentality to keep a forward pursuit in mind at all times, no matter the circumstance.

Here is my video review for Independent People: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR5jZ... ...more

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Apr 12, 2014 Janet rated it it was amazing

With exquisite prose, the author takes us to Iceland...the countryside, culture, economics, and daily life of workers. Life is hard, cold, bleak, and sad, with a few glimmers of happiness in small ways. This is a masterpiece.

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