The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1964, Blaðsíða 32

30
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Autumn 1964
Dinner with Halldor Laxness
by Herman G. Nelson1
“I’ve always tried to do my best.”
This remark to me by Halldor Lax-
ness characteristically sums up a life-
time of energetic authorship which in
1955 was climaxed with the award of
the Nobel Prize in Literature to this
famed son of Iceland.
It is the remark that lingers with
me as I try to recapture the evening
of Sept. 11, 1963, when my wife and
I were guests for dinner in the Lax-
ness home, located in the beautiful
countryside about 20 minutes by car
outside Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital.
Ait 61, Laxness appeared vigorous
and in excellent health. By his own
admission, he works hard at writing
and allows himself hardly any leisure
when he is home in Iceland.
He is by far the best known person
in Iceland and reportedly one of he
most difficul to meet. He adheres to
a rigid schedule which permits few
interruptions. By his own word, he
seldom answers letters.
We had turned to Raymond J. Sto-
ver, public affairs officer of the United
States Information Service in Reykja-
vik for help. A telephone call to Lax-
ness by Stover resulted in an invitation
to meet him the next day in the Reykj-
avik Radio Station. This was changed
the next day to dinner at his home.
Mr. Laxness telephoned our Hotel
Saga that he would stop for us that
evening.
As could be expected from a gentle-
man of the old Icelandic school, polish-
ed by years of travel and living abroad,
Laxness wsa a charming dinner host.
A third guest was a friend of the auth-
or’s wife.
All of us retired for our coffee to
the large elegant living room and
there Laxness spoke freely for over
an hour about himself and his literary
career.
“When you look at a book written
years ago, you find it missing many
qualities,” Laxness commented. “Since
you cannot correct it any more it’s
better not to look back afer a book is
published.”
Laxness discussed frankly that he
was then writing the final chapters
and making the final changes in a
book setting forth his personal experi-
ences and viewpoints. He said he had
been working constantly on it, without
interruptions, for 10 months.
“It is an account of what I’ve learn-
ed through my experiences,” the
author said. “I’m working hard to
finish the last chapters.” He added:
“My wife and I have not had a single
holiday during the last 10 months.”
He explained that six or eight
chapters are about his stay in America.
He assured me he referred to his rather
long stay in America as a young man
in the 1920s, rather than bis more re-
cent visit when he made a study of the
Mormons in Utah and wrote a book
entitled “The Paradise Regained” with
the Mormon background. Ele said he
had made many friends among the
Mormons.
Laxness told us that as a young man,
when in the United States, he became
an admirer of social fiction. He spoke