Olafur Gunnarsson’s readers will be surprised by the publication of this, his first collection of short stories, as until now Gunnarsson has been known mainly for his big novels such as Trolls’ Cathedral, Winter Journey, and The Ax and the Earth for which he received the Icelandic Literary Prize in 2004.
Gunnarsson presents here a varied repertoire of characters. The title story, The Masterpiece, is about a boy waiting impatiently to see his drawing in the school’s exhibition, while in The Nazi an Icelandic Nazi experiences more horror than he could have imagined. We also hear about an Icelander who fought in Vietnam, an old rock singer who unexpectedly gets an opportunity to appear on stage with a megastar, a pole-dancer who moves in with an Icelandic car mechanic in the Vogar district of Reykjavik, and many more colourful characters. Many will find it interesting to hear of the man who was forced to steal his own house in the year Iceland became a republic.
See also: https://asitoughttobe.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/olafur-gunnarsson-interview/
“Memorable stories of Fear and Loathing in Iceland … Throughout these superb stories, there is a certain desolation, of the heart as well as of the landscape.”
VINCE CZYZ, ARTFUSE.ORG
“In spare, minimalist prose, the author documents both the joys and tragedies of being human while exploring such diverse themes as aging, terminal illness, rivalry, and what is real … brilliant juxtaposition of the quotidian and the grotesque.”
JILL ALLEN, FOREWORDREVIEWS.COM
“The novel has received almost unanimously good reviews, both in Iceland and abroad. It paints a very clear and interesting picture of Iceland´s and Reykjavík´s growing pains as the Icelandic society rapidly changed and the capital transformed from town to city. The story of Sigurbjörn is an epic tale of one man´s downfall, and his fate follows a universal theme that could surely be translated and understood in any culture. … Bottom line: A vivid picture of Iceland´s growing pains in the 1950´s.”
HILDUR KNUTSDOTTIR, GRAPEVINE.IS
“Gunnarsson is a born raconteur … he entertains, provokes thought and leaves a little bit of a chill in the soul. Cruelty, humour and complete mastery of the form.”
Fridrika Benonysdottir, Frettabladid newspaper
“The tone in these stories is beautiful, it is sympathetic, with an underlying humour. He takes as his subject farcical events in the interrelations of people. This is a very agreeable read.”
Pall Baldvin Baldvinsson, Kiljan, National TV
“[Gunnarsson] is an expert in this form. He handles it incredibly well … his descriptions of peoples’ interrelations and confrontations are spot on … he succeeds in creating tension.”
Kolbrun Bergthorsdottir, Kiljan, National TV
“The Thaw [is] a total masterpiece. One of the best Icelandic short stories I have ever read.”
Egill Helgason, Kiljan, National TV
“Olafur Gunnarsson appears here in a new role. I have never seen him so good …
The Masterpiece is one of the most beautiful short stories I have ever read.”
Svavar Gestsson, svavar.is
FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE POSSIBLE
“The author manages to draw the characters clearly, invest them with life despite the brevity of his stories, and to arouse the reader’s sympathy with them.”
Einar Falur Ingolfsson, Morgunbladid newspaper
FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE POSSIBLE
“The areas of conflict revolve as often as not about love interest, the dialogues are believable and devoid of the melodramatic nonsense so many revert to – here we have short stories that are pithy and well thought out.”
Pall Baldvin Baldvinsson, Frettatiminn weekly
