Independent People, An Epic (Iceland)

Halldor Laxness; Translated From the Icelandic by J A Thompson

Edité par Alfred A. Knopf, 1946

A propos de cet article

Halldor Laxness became a Nobel Prize Laureate in 1955. Assumed First American Edition with the same 1946 date on the title pages as the copyright page. Clean unmarked straight demi-deckled edges. 470 pp. Dark blue cloth with gilt emblems front & spine. No dustjacket. The original two Icelandic books were published ten years before in Iceland: 1934: " Part I, (Icelandic Pioneers), Independent People 1935: (Hard Times), Independent People Translated from the Icelandic by J.A.Thompson. The most important theme of the novel is independence; what it means and what it is worth giving up in order to achieve. Bjartur, is a stubborn man, often callous to the point of cruelty in his refusal to swerve from his ideals. Though undoubtedly a principled man, his attitude leads to the death and alienation of those around him. There are strong economic themes, a discussion of the co-operative movement in Iceland and the exploitation of crofters like Bjartur by Danish merchants and rich Icelanders like JÃn the Bailiff. Independent People also reveals Laxness's anti-war leanings in a chapter that depicts Icelandic farmers sitting around talking about the economic benefits of the Great War. The ancient Icelandic sagas and Icelandic folklore are still alive in the stories and fables that the characters live with on a daily basis. The imaginations of the characters are inhabited by elves, ghosts and demons. Bjartur is also a talented poet, a living embodiment of the great oral tradition of the sagas. "The author's ironical appraisal is already expressed in the title of the novel, and also in the titles of some of the chapters e.g.: "Free of Debt", "Years of Prosperity".".

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Independent People, An Epic (Iceland)
• Éditeur: Alfred A. Knopf
• Date de parution: 1946
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Illustrateur: 1934: Sjálfstætt fà lk â " Part I, Landnámsmaður à slands (Icelandic Pioneers), Independent People 1935: Sjálfstætt fà lk
• Édition: 1st Edition.
• État de l'article: Very Good
• État de la jaquette: No Jacket
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Great Fiction
  • History
  • Travel and Exploration