Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2020, Síða 29

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LoveStar
Andri Snær Magnason, 2013
If you are an Icelander and have al-
ready read ‘LoveStar’ by Andri Snær
Magnason, read it again. The book
not only predicted social media,
but also how it would be utilised
for marketing on a global level, and
how it would eventually discon-
nect us from reality. When it was
published in 2004, ‘LoveStar’ was
supposed to be science fiction, but
nowadays it’s more science than
fiction. Set largely in the North of
Iceland, Andri’s masterpiece cri-
tiques an Orwellian megacorpo-
ration—which is eerily similar to
Facebook, to be honest. Now is the
perfect time to read it, we believe,
because with the way 2020 is going,
space burials are probably not too
far off. VG
Moonstone: The Boy
Who Never Was
Sjón, 2013
Sjón’s book ‘Moonstone: The Boy
Who Never Was’ is set in 1918 and
explores the dramatic moment
when Iceland declared indepen-
dence from Denmark, which
corresponded with the introduc-
tion of cinema to Reykjavík, the
eruption of Katla and the dead-
ly Spanish flu epidemic. What a
time! The plot revolves around a
young gay man who is obsessed
with cinema during these cata-
strophic years. There’s forbidden
love, imaginative escapism and
the horrific reality of a viral pan-
demic taking over. Sjón possess-
es a magical realism that dabbles
in steampunk, and the book is a
short read so expect to throw the
novel out the window of your car
in anger after the last page before
calling Sjón and demanding more
information. But don’t despair—
you can just pick up Sjón’s ‘Codex
1962’ next. VG
The Blue Blood
Oddný Eir Ævarsdóttir, 2015
An autobiographical novella avail-
able on Kindle, ‘The Blue Blood’
charts the author’s journey as she
attempts to become pregnant, via
various means. Oddný’s search
takes her from the corridors of a
sperm bank, to a market in South
America, to a cave under Eyjafjal-
lajökull; along the way she muses
on subjects like masculinity, Na-
zism, bohemianism, mythology
and history. ‘The Blue Blood’ is full
of vivid moments, and captures
the turbulent joy, seriousness,
sadness and absurdity of person-
hood. JR
Reply to a Letter
From Helga
Bergsveinn Birgisson, 2010
Bergsveinn Birgisson’s novel
is one of those rare ones that’ll
make you love your partner a lit-
tle bit more. It’s a well-written
saga about an old sheep farmer’s
regrets when it comes to love.
The story is incredibly modern
and honest when it comes to the
human experience and the terri-
ble regret about love lost. Plus, it
also contains some of the best sex
scenes ever written in Icelandic.
It’s almost mandatory to read this
book in the countryside, under the
cacophony of a running stream, a
golden plover, and a distant, per-
haps after reading, weirdly erotic,
bleat. VG
BOOK GUIDE
Who Doesn’t Want
To Read About
Sperm Banks And
Erotic Sheep?
Welcome to the Grapevine book club, it’s free
Words: Valur Grettisson & John Rogers Photos: Art Bicnick
Got some downtime? We relate. Pick up one of these Icelandic
books to enrich your mind while you wait for this chaos to end.