Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.11.2016, Blaðsíða 30

Best Of Reykjavík 30
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 17 — 2016
An Antiquarian
Book Lover's
Guide To
Reykjavík
Words ELI PETZOLD
Photo ART BICNICK
The tale of Reykjavík’s antiquar-
ian book trade is one of decline.
In 1967, Reykjavík boasted eleven
secondhand book stores—rough-
ly one shop for every 7,000 resi-
dents of the burgeoning city. After
half a century, even as the city’s
population has doubled, only two
proper used book shops remain,
leaving one store for every 60,000
Reykvíkingar. Old books, never-
theless, remain, indifferent to
the fluctuations of time; here are
a handful of spots where you can
hunt them down.
Bókin (“The Book”), founded in
1964, is indubitably the bibliophilic
mecca of Reykjavík. With just the
right balance of clutter and order,
it ’s easy to lose hours rif ling
through dusty shelves and precar-
ious towers of books stacked on the
floor. Although a few shelves by the
entrance contain a hodgepodge of
literature in English, most of the
stock is in Icelandic—a point of
pride for the booksellers who run
the shop: ask for translations of
Icelandic authors and you’ll be di-
rected elsewhere. If you’re eager to
learn Icelandic, however, there’s no
shortage of old grammars and dic-
tionaries scattered throughout,
and the staff, curmudgeonly
though they seem, will gladly en-
tertain your broken Icelandic and
help get you started on the Icelan-
dic canon. The shop devotes con-
siderable space to medieval Icelan-
dic literature: critical editions of
Sagas in their original, archaic or-
thography sit beside versions up-
dated into familiar modern spell-
ings in the placid back corner of
the shop.
Bókakjallarinn (“The Book Cel-
lar”), tucked away in an alleyway
off Laugavegur, occupies the for-
mer workshop of Bókamiðstöðin, a
defunct publisher and press that
printed comics, children’s books,
c r o s s w o r d s , a n d p o r n .
Bókamiðstöðin stopped printing
books in 1990, but the space reo-
pened as a secondhand book shop
in 2010. The old printing machin-
ery now slumbers in the back of the
shop, but the old materials—vin-
tage smut included—remain for
sale in the cozy basement, along-
side a neat, tightly shelved collec-
tion of Icelandic literature.
At Kolaportið, Reykjavík’s week-
end flea market, a handful of regu-
lar vendors peddle secondhand
books from stalls encircled by
bookshelves which simultaneously
maximize shelf space and bar
ricade against the fish-pungent
chaos of the market. The combined
stock of the market’s booksellers,
and the breadth of subject matter,
could constitute a cohesive, com-
prehensive bookshop in its own
right: oversaturated, illustrated
kids’ classics; new mystery in well-
worn paperback; Sagas bound in
stately sets. In addition to these
reliable staples, the vendors at
Kolaportið often have unique or
rare treasures—a Greenlandic
phrasebook, a compilation of Faro-
ese folk songs, an early nineteenth
century edition of Hallgrímur
Pétursson’s Passíusálmar—silent-
ly bearing witness to the lives and
adventures of strangers.
Thrift stores, such as Góði hirðir-
inn in Skeifan or Salvation Army’s
Hertex in Vesturbær, devote sever-
al shelves to used books. Entirely
dependent on donations, the stock
at these shops can be unpredicta-
ble, unorganized, and under-
whelming; patience and a good
eye, however, are rewarded with
the occasional gem. Góði hirðirinn
generally has a small selection of
foreign titles, priced at 100 ISK
apiece—a negligible sum next to
the cost of shipping to Iceland.
Throughout the University of Ice-
land campus and in the National
Library, professors and students
leave unwanted books on semi-of-
ficial free book tables. Often, the
books are more interesting for
their peculiarity or specificity
than for any intrinsic aspect: a
university-published pamphlet on
an otherwise unstudied seven-
teenth century poet; municipal
records from mid-century Bor-
garnes; an Italian study of Old
English metrics. Utility is dubi-
ous; novelty abounds.
Best art museum
Hafnarhúsið
Tryggvagata 17
The Reykjavík Art Museum has three loca-
tions: the beautifully designed Ásmun-
dursafn sculpture garden and museum,
the rotating collection of paintings and
contemporary shows at Kjarvalstaðir, and
Hafnarhúsið, which is Iceland’s largest
contemporary art institution—think Tate
Reykjavík. Each has its own character, but
if you only have time for one, Hafnarhúsið
is right in the heart of downtown, and
often has three or more exhibitions run-
ning concurrently, so you’re bound to find
something you like. There’s a great café
and book shop, too.
Best record store
Rvk Record Shop
Klapparstígur 35
Reykjavík Record Shop is capitalising on the
current boom in vinyl sales. With a focus on
new releases, indie-rock and alternative mu-
sic, it’s frequented by hipsters and old-timers
with an eye on up-and-coming acts. You can
spend an hour thumbing through the cata-
logue or just pop in to grab something for an
upcoming party. It’s amazing, given the state
of the music industry, that these places are
still making a go of it. So if you love vinyl, get
out there and support your local indie store!
Best place to start the night
KEX Hostel
Skúlagata 28
KEX is a hostel bar and gastropub with a
beautifully designed interior and a large
patio that catches the sun on a clear day.
There’s always something going on, whether
it’s a free concert, a beer festival, or KEX-
mas. The bar hosts weekly jazz nights, and
you can also book a trip into the countryside
via the KEXLAND tour company. It’s quiet by
day but bustling at night, serves great food,
and has a wide selection of Icelandic beer on
the taps. “You always bump into someone
you haven’t seen in a while at KEX,” noted
the panel.
Best beer selection
Mikkeller & Friends
Hverfisgata 12
Despite the high blood pressure-inducing
Icelandic prices, Mikkeller wins easily this
category for its mouth-watering beer list.
Twenty taps feature a rotating menu of
beers brewed by Mikkeller and their favou-
rite fellow micro-breweries (the “Friends”
in the bar’s name). They vary from super-
sour lambic ales to intense IPAs and deep,
chocolatey stouts. “It’s a cool brand, and
a beautifully decorated bar room,” said
the panel. Bonus points for being located
above a great pizza place.
Best coffeehouse
Stofan
Vesturgata 3
If you know anything about the latté-drinking 101 crowd, winning 'Best coffeehouse'
is a major achievement. Stofan wins for being a great all-around coffeehouse, and
for having what Icelanders call “stemning,” which means atmosphere or vibe. With two
floors, charming antique furniture, and seating that’s a good distance from the noise of the
espresso machine, the stemning is perfect, and you’ll see locals and tourists alike reading
books, playing chess, and discussing the social construction we all live in.
“Awesome experience”