Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Page 42

Books 42The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 20 — 2017
A Life In Reverse
Ragnar Jónasson's Hulda series published by
Penguin
Words: Björn Halldórsson Photo: Sigurjón Ragnar
This coming March will see the pub-
lication of Ragnar Jónasson's latest
thriller in English by publishing
house Michael Joseph, an imprint
of Penguin Books. Ragnar has al-
ready established himself as a ma-
jor author among the wave of Scan-
dinavian crime writers currently
sweeping the UK markets through
his ‘Dark Iceland’ series, which is
published by Orenda Books and al-
ready spans five novels. “It's been
amazing working with Karen Sul-
livan at Orenda,” says Ragnar. “The
reception of the ‘Dark Iceland’ se-
ries in the UK was completely over-
whelming and exceeded my wildest
hopes. I'm very grateful for that.”
A female detective in
her sixties
His forthcoming thriller is titled
‘The Darkness,’ and as well as be-
ing Ragnar's first book with Pen-
guin, it’s the first part of a new
crime fiction trilogy called ‘The
Hulda Series.’ The series subverts
many of the conventions of Nor-
dic Noir, especially in terms of its
major protagonist:
Hulda Hermannsdót-
tir. “Hulda started to
take shape before I
had any sense for the
storyline,” Ragnar ex-
plains. “At the outset,
I just wanted to write
a crime novel where
the protagonist was a
woman over 60; some-
one who had had to
break her way through the glass
ceiling of the police force. Gradual-
ly her back-story and outlook filled
out, until I knew everything about
her, down to the smallest details.”
The trilogy is a different beast
from Ragnar's ‘Dark Iceland Series,’
which was set in the remote fishing
village of Siglufjörður and centered
around local policeman Ari Thor.
“You learn something new with ev-
ery book, but the biggest difference
is probably that Hulda's story was
there from the beginning, while
Ari's story developed gradually
from one book to another,” Ragnar
says. “I knew who she was before
I ever put pen to paper. The three
books form a narrative of her life,
even though each book is centered
around a criminal investigation.”
Brink of retirement
This character-driven arc is am-
plified by the fact that the series
is told in reverse chronology, pro-
viding readers with an eerie sense
of foreboding as they move from
one book to the next. “In ‘The Dark-
ness,’ when we first meet Hulda,
she is 64 years old and approaching
retirement,” explains Ragnar. “In
‘The Island’ [spring 2019] she’s in
her fifties and in ‘The Mist’ [spring
2020] she is in her forties. Through-
out the series, the readers become
acquainted with the major events
that have shaped her: her child-
hood in foster care, her complicat-
ed relationship with her mother
and her search for her father, as
well as her tragic relationships
with her husband and daughter.”
At a time when more and more
crime authors are resorting to
prequels to address and
expand the backstory of
thoroughly established
protagonists, it is un-
deniably refreshing to
be provided with such
a premeditated excur-
sion into a character's
past. Ragnar makes it
clear that such an un-
ravelling was always
his intent. “That's what
got me started,” he exclaims.
“This idea of telling a character's
life story in reverse. Once all three
books are out I don't think we'll
see any more Hulda stories. Her
story will be over; told from be-
ginning to end—or vice versa.”
Get Your Read On
Recommended Icelandic books in English
Words: Björn Halldórsson
Each issue, we take a look at two
Icelandic titles old and new, avail-
able in English at most Reyk-
javík bookstores. If you’d like
more ideas, or to read more on
Icelandic literature, head over
to gpv.is/lit for in-depth author
interviews, guides, and more
book reviews.
Ragna Sigurðardóttir –
The Perfect Landscape
A young art historian named Hanna
returns to Iceland and takes up a
position at a small gallery in Reyk-
javík. The city feels unfamiliar to
her. It is the height of the "góðæri,"
Iceland's roaring noughts, when the
country’s go-getter robber-barons
could do no wrong—before the fi-
nancial crash of 2007 and its decade
long hangover. Her arrival at the gal-
lery coincides with the appearance
of a previously unknown landscape
painting by a famous 20th century
Icelandic artist. It is quite the coup
for a small gallery, but Hanna doubts
the authenticity of the mysterious
work. However, at a tumultuous
time when works of art are valued
by their investment worth rather
than artistic merit, no one is eager
to ask too many questions. This
light-hearted mystery novel delves
into the murky world of art forgeries
and carries an undertone that ques-
tions some of the ethics and insecu-
rities of the art world itself— a world
which the author, herself a painter
and art critic, knows all too well.
Halldór Laxness –
The Atom Station
Published in 1948, ‘The Atom Sta-
tion’ is sometimes referred to as "the
first Reykjavík novel," as at the time
Icelandic fiction mostly revolved
around halcyon depictions of the
Icelandic countryside. In fact, this
idealism is not so far off—through
the eyes of Ugla, a country girl who
has recently arrived in the city, we
are given a distinctly pessimistic
view of the city's recently urban-
ized inhabitants. Packed with local
politicians, artists and entrepre-
neurs, ‘The Atom Station’ landed
Laxness in hot water for its dis-
tinct socialist message and un-
favorable depictions of Reykjavík
bigwigs. Though it doesn’t stand
with Laxness's greatest works, its
saving grace is the proto-feminist
character of Ugla, whose sharp
tongue and no-nonsense outlook
provide merriment as well as so-
cial criticism of Reykjavík's pomp-
ous townies and politicians.
gpv.is/lit
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