“I see the secrets. I see the people cooking and pottering about, pissing, being silent, skulking. Some are crying, some are listening, some are staring. I see the people screaming into their pillows, throwing out rubbish and useless memories, and I do not look away. I never look away.”
In a little village the paths of peoples’ lives are variously interwoven, and even though many are very familiar with each other, no-one knows what lies hidden in the next person’s head, in the memory palaces of the mind.
In sixteen closely-linked stories all happening during the same two minutes, Thorsson presents people of flesh and blood, familiar folk who battle with life and an existence which is at times grey and cruel but at also incomparably wonderful. In an exceptionally chiselled and beautiful text which is bound to touch many people deeply, characters and sentiments spring to life, resulting in an entertaining and lively story arc where the great is reflected in the small, the whole of Iceland in a little village. The author cites Sherwood Anderson’s seminal 1919 short story cycle Winesburg, Ohio as his favourite example of the form, a book known as one of the earliest works of Modernist literature, placed midway between the novel proper and the mere collection of stories.
Nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2012
Chosen as one of the 50 best books published in Denmark 2014
“A heart-warming gem of a novel.”
DAVID MILLS, THE SUNDAY TIMES
***** 5 stars
“An exquisite story, fragrant with sunshine and salt and human longing.”
THORUNN H. SIGURJONSDOTTIR, FRETTABLADID DAILY
“A gem that contains humour, depth and a wonderful command of language.
Bright and light as the summer, while also steeped in a perception of the innermost parts of human nature.
Such an enjoyable experience that you cannot wait to share it with others.”
COMMENT BY THE COMMITTEE OF LIBRARIANS, DENMARK
“Take note of the name Gudmundur Andri Thorsson – still unknown in Denmark, but after his nomination for the Nordic Council Literature Prize he will soon conquer the world.”
WEEKENDAVISEN, DENMARK
“And the Wind Sees All is an absolute gem.”
BERLINGSKE TIDENDE, DENMARK
“The narratives appear to take place in a matter of minutes – as long as it takes Kata to cycle from one end of the village to another – and yet decades can be covered in one person’s recollections; and Thorsson skilfully imbues each character with just enough detail to leave you wanting to know more. … It is his brilliant interplay of light and shadow that marks Thorsson as a writer of talent. …And the Wind Sees All offers a powerful sense of Icelandic culture and identity.”
LUCY POPESCU, EUROPEAN LITERATURE NETWORK
“It is the author’s warmth and fondness towards his characters – even the unsuccessful ones –
that characterise this book … And the Wind Sees All is, above all, a very human story
about individuals and the community they create.”
ASDUS SIGMUNDSDOTTIR, VIDSJA/NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICE
