It was good to meet my old classmate again and accept a glass of wine from him without thinking that he’d spit in it.

Summer is nearly over and the scent of heather fills the senses in Grafningur county. The islands Nesey and Sandey can be seen from the nearby summer houses, their peaks cresting the surface of Thingvellir Lake. Sometimes, you can see boats sailing there, too. People come here to relax and be alone with their memories and secrets. But by summer’s end, the nights have gotten dark, making it difficult to find what you’ve lost.

R E V I E W S

“The Lake shows what a clever author Gerdur Kristny is and how skilled she is in creating stories that hold an almost enchanting attraction for the reader. I am only realizing as I write these words that I have been awaiting The Lake for nearly twenty years – ever since I first read and was charmed by Poisoned Apples in the nineties.”
VERA KNUTSDOTTIR, BOKMENNTIR.IS

“The story takes place over twenty-four hours: a couple in a cabin and a farmer on the nearby farmstead become involved in events that result in the awakening of memories from Elin’s childhood of blackmail and exclusion… A terse style and informal tone of the text results in the tension and dread creeping up on the reader from behind… The author achieves an uncomfortable atmosphere in the piece especially well… The book shines with the hallmarks of Gerdur Kristny – stories of the unfamiliar and hidden, but also of sensitive emotional life. No sentences, not a word goes to waste. This is a beautiful book with a terrifying undertone that grabs the reader, perhaps not on the first page, but little by little, dragging the reader into the silent brush.”
GUDRUN BALDVINSDOTTIR, VIDSJA/NATIONAL BROADCASTING SERVICE

“The surface is smooth and calm, but underneath darkness simmers.
Wonderfully written.”
ARNI MATTHIASSON, MORGUNBLADID DAILY

“Gerdur creates an atmosphere that makes one half-delusional…
immensely well structured and written… an extremely successful novel.”
KOLBRUN BERGTHORSDOTTIR, KILJAN/NATIONAL TV

“Very well done and effective.”
THORGEIR TRYGGVASON, KILJAN/NATIONAL TV

“The story is very well written and constructed with the utmost caution. Well placed references to children’s culture rustle up feelings of nostalgia in us all, though with sinister undertones that become difficult to shake off.”
JOHANNA M EINARSDOTTIR, DV

“It is not easy to explain why this story is so transfixing, because the events are not fast-paced or driven by a thrilling storyline, and in reality not much happens until the end. However, the author is able to awaken the feeling, little by little, that something more is simmering below the surface than the subdued text would suggest… this feeling that there is more to the story increases over time, and the book could be likened to a pot of water that takes a long time to boil. The final third of the story is almost an inversion of the beginning. A regular late-summer car ride turns into a horrific tragedy which is so delicately woven that it never becomes physical or grotesque, but works solely in the mind. Therein lies the book’s magic – the author achieves this effect through artistically restrained writing that flows smoothly, but leaves much to be considered. A few days after reading, the story seemed to continue its effect – one’s mind is drawn to the mother and daughter in the cabin, the natural beauty of Þingvallavatn, and the darkness that cannot be escaped at summer’s end.”
THORDIS JOHANNESDOTTIR, HUGRAS