Paradise Reclaimed

Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Life Journey
Review: A saga about Steinar Steinsson of Hlidar farm in Iceland, a simple man who lives with his simple wife and two simple children. Set in the later 1800's, the story begins with the family possessing a remarkable pony that is the envy of others, it attracts so much attention that Steinar decides to take the pony to a national celebration and present it to King Christian of Denmark. It is here that he encounters Bishop Didrik for the first time, an ex-Icelander who now makes his home in Salt Lake, the bishop is back in Iceland to convert souls to Mormonism. Later Steinar is invited to Denmark by King Christian, where he meets European royalty, drinks water from a special spring and after another encounter with the bishop is converted to Mormonism. He decides to travel to America abandoning his family and embracing his new faith, the Mormon community is at this point is still young and still polygamous. Eventually after some years he sends for his family in Iceland but by then nothing is the same, his farm is in ruins and his loved ones broken.

Funny and heartbreaking at the same time, this novel is as beautiful to read as a fairytale. Much also about life in Iceland at that time and the early history of Mormonism in Utah.

Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Life Journey
Review: A saga about Steinar Steinsson of Hlidar farm in Iceland, a simple man who lives with his simple wife and two simple children. Set in the later 1800's, the story begins with the family possessing a remarkable pony that is the envy of others, it attracts so much attention that Steinar decides to take the pony to a national celebration and present it to King Christian of Denmark. It is here that he encounters Bishop Didrik for the first time, an ex-Icelander who now makes his home in Salt Lake, the bishop is back in Iceland to convert souls to Mormonism. Later Steinar is invited to Denmark by King Christian, where he meets European royalty, drinks water from a special spring and after another encounter with the bishop is converted to Mormonism. He decides to travel to America abandoning his family and embracing his new faith, the Mormon community is at this point is still young and still polygamous. Eventually after some years he sends for his family in Iceland but by then nothing is the same, his farm is in ruins and his loved ones broken.

Funny and heartbreaking at the same time, this novel is as beautiful to read as a fairytale. Much also about life in Iceland at that time and the early history of Mormonism in Utah.

Rating:
Summary: A touching tale, by a master novelist
Review: Along with The Fish can Sing, this is one of Laxness's best "later" novels (i.e. from the post-epic phase, which resulted in masterpieces like Independent People and Iceland's Bell, now finally translated into English!). It is a touching story - based, as is so often the case with Laxness, on real persons and events - of an Icelandic farmer who is baptized by a Mormon and decides to move to the promised land, i.e. Salt Lake City. The story is beautiful and deeply touching in its descriptions of the many sacrifices which have to be made in order for this dream to be realized, and the ending is absolutely brilliant (and fully in keeping with Laxness's Taoist philosophy). A must-read!