Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2021, Blaðsíða 26

How does one describe a city that
is barely a city? Reykjavík was a
town for most of the 20th century.
Suddenly, the city moniker crept
up on us. There was an announce-
ment in the late '80s. A headline
announcing there was finally a
hundred thousand of us living
in the same area and so, techni-
cally, we were officially a city—al-
though we had been calling our-
selves a city since the '60s. It felt
like a message; we now belong to
something more than the moun-
tains and the glaciers and the
baren wastelands and the endless
northern wind.
Small city, plus
two million
“The Book Of Reykjavík” tries to
capture the essence of this small
metropolitan city, which trans-
formed once again, only a decade
ago, when more than two million
travellers poured onto our streets.
The people of Reykjavík finally un-
derstood the exhausting feeling
of thousands of strangers mak-
ing eye contact; how your soul be-
comes like a torn sail after a quick
walk through the downtown.
Complex metropolis
“The Book Of Reykjavík” is com-
piled by ten Icelandic authors,
and comprises the same number
of short stories about the inner
life of Icelanders living in this
odd locale. The city is now home
to roughly 200 thousand, if you
count the populations of the sur-
rounding suburban areas. We of-
ten make jokes about this in Ice-
land: Reykjavík is two streets in
Tokyo; it’s not even a neighbour-
hood in New York. Still, the com-
plexity of this city is like that of a
metropolis of millions.
Lonesome death of the
old times
The short stories in “The Book
Of Reykjavík” are penned by Ice-
land’s best authors. Many from the
younger generation that lost its
connection with the old farmers’
society a long time ago. Although,
there are also stories to be found
from more mature authors, like
Einar Már Gu!mundsson, who en-
deavours to explain in “The Gar-
deners” how farmers tried to find
their place in this new world, and
delves into the lonesome death of
the old times.
Losing connection
The young authors are more fo-
cused on the inner life of the aver-
age resident in Reykjavík. Fri!geir
Einarsson, one of the authors,
describes a city that he does not
know, in some ways echoing Einar
Már’s short story in a modern way.
The protagonist returns home for
his mothers funeral, only to find
that he has not only lost a mother,
but perhaps his connection with
this small city.
We also are burdened with
grim feelings about being alone in
a big crowd as well as just finding
love.
Great care and deep
thought
The stories are written by very
well-known Icelandic writers, and
it's a good compilation of authors
of different ages and genders. Vera
Júlíusdóttir and Becca Parkinson
edited the book and they seem to
have done so with great care and
deep thought.
Expertly translated, it showcases
much of the best that is happen-
ing in Icelandic literature right
now. For example, at least six of
the ten authors have received the
Icelandic Literary Prize. It’s a very
ambitious offering.
The foreword is written by none
other than Reykjavik Grapevine
favourite SJÓN, and Vera does a
good job explaining the aesthetic
of the stories in her introduction.
A good place to start
The “Book of Reykjavík” is, first
and foremost, an excellent place
to begin if you want to get to know
Icelandic modern literature. It be-
comes more and more of an urban
work, unlike most Icelandic litera-
ture produced in the 20th century
which focused on the life of farm-
ers and on the past. It gives the
reader a peek into the mindset of
Icelanders in this small city. Over-
all, this is an easy, fun read, giving
readers a deep understanding of
the modern lives and thoughts of
people in Iceland.
You can find the book in our online
shop at grapevine.is
26The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09— 2021

SÆTA SVÍNI! / Hafnarstræti 1-3 / Tel. 555 2900 / saetasvinid.is
790 1.490
HAPPIEST
HAPPY HOUR
IN REYKJAVÍK
ICELANDIC GASTROPUB
Modern Stories
From The City That's
Barely A City
The Reykjavík Grapevine Reviews The Book Of Reykjavík
Book
Words: Valur Grettisson Photo: Art Bicnick