This is probably the most Icelandic of Laxness' novels, not only in its history as especially in the structure, and this caused me some difficulty reading. The tragicomic adventure of the oath-brothers Thorgeir and Thormod, inspired by a true saga, is written with a style and a pace that reminded me of the Snorri'sEdda, but it is not a novel but a series of narrative's 'paintings', intended to give literary references to poets . Again, these adventures take place in 'paintings', which often break and then resume elsewhere without the not Icelandic reader is given to understand the reason why stopping at that point in the story and why they pick up right at any other point of of the plot. Without this inconvenience,with the description of a world complete development like Scandinavia at the time of Christianization and the merciless description of the characters, it would have meant that the book could not be called anything but a masterpiece.
Thank Archipelago Books and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is really not my sort of book and therefore it’s difficult for me to write a review. I decided to read it as I know very little about Halldor Laxness’s work and am always eager to expand my knowledge of authors from other countries, but this one defeated me. Very much in the tradition of the Sagas and therefore packed with all the tropes of such literature, I found it unengaging and difficult to read – not least because the translator chose to use the Icelandic alphabet. The historical background, which the author explores in some depth, made for some heavy-going reading and slowed the action considerably, and the rather picaresque romp of the two main characters left me cold. So I’m hedging my bets with the rating and assuming it was my tastes rather than the book itself that has left me feeling so half-hearted.