Iceland's BellFrom the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner: At the close of the 17th century, Iceland is an oppressed Danish colony, suffering under extreme poverty, famine, and plague. A farmer and accused cord-thief named Jon Hreggvidsson makes a bawdy joke about the Danish king and soon after finds himself a fugitive charged with the murder of the king’s hangman. In the years that follow, the hapless but resilient rogue Hreggvidsson becomes a pawn entangled in political and personal conflicts playing out on a far grander scale. Chief among these is the star-crossed love affair between Snaefridur, known as “Iceland’s Sun,” a beautiful, headstrong young noblewoman, and Arnas Arnaeus, the king’s antiquarian, an aristocrat whose worldly manner conceals a fierce devotion to his downtrodden countrymen. As their personal struggle plays itself out on an international stage, Laxness creates a Dickensian canvas of heroism and venality, violence and tragedy, charged with narrative enchantment on every page. Sometimes grim, sometimes uproarious, and always captivating, Iceland's Ball is at once an updating of the traditional Icelandic saga and a caustic social satire. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 32
Page x
... priest , our heroine , in good Laxness fashion , can only laugh . When Magnús does finally come after her with an ax ( too drunk to hit his mark ) , she goes to her sister's estate and there meets Arnæus again , this time in the role of ...
... priest , our heroine , in good Laxness fashion , can only laugh . When Magnús does finally come after her with an ax ( too drunk to hit his mark ) , she goes to her sister's estate and there meets Arnæus again , this time in the role of ...
Page 5
... priest , " said the king's hangman , " then tell him from me that neither quibbling nor crying is of use here . We have letters for eighteen bells plus one - this one . We've been ordered to break them apart and send the pieces to ...
... priest , " said the king's hangman , " then tell him from me that neither quibbling nor crying is of use here . We have letters for eighteen bells plus one - this one . We've been ordered to break them apart and send the pieces to ...
Page 7
... priest and tell him that His Royal Majesty's emissary and hangman Sigurður Snorrason has been here . " Jón Hreggviðsson sang : " The kingdom's lord leads ladies and pages parading Throughout his lands at furious pace Throughout his ...
... priest and tell him that His Royal Majesty's emissary and hangman Sigurður Snorrason has been here . " Jón Hreggviðsson sang : " The kingdom's lord leads ladies and pages parading Throughout his lands at furious pace Throughout his ...
Page 17
... to meet the king . Following a few steps behind this elegant company came Jón Hreggviðsson's pastor , the parish priest at Garðar , along with his curly- tailed sheepdog , sniffing . It quickly became too crowded Iceland's Bell 17.
... to meet the king . Following a few steps behind this elegant company came Jón Hreggviðsson's pastor , the parish priest at Garðar , along with his curly- tailed sheepdog , sniffing . It quickly became too crowded Iceland's Bell 17.
Page 18
... priest . " Here is the bishop of Skálholt himself , with the daughters of Magistrate Eydalín : the bishop's wife , Madam Jórunn , and her sister Lady Snæfríður , the flower of maidens . And finally , who else but Arnas Arnæus himself ...
... priest . " Here is the bishop of Skálholt himself , with the daughters of Magistrate Eydalín : the bishop's wife , Madam Jórunn , and her sister Lady Snæfríður , the flower of maidens . And finally , who else but Arnas Arnæus himself ...
Contents
Section 15 | 244 |
Section 16 | 268 |
Section 17 | 297 |
Section 18 | 309 |
Section 19 | 315 |
Section 20 | 336 |
Section 21 | 366 |
Section 22 | 373 |
Section 9 | 113 |
Section 10 | 137 |
Section 11 | 142 |
Section 12 | 161 |
Section 13 | 222 |
Section 14 | 227 |
Section 23 | 382 |
Section 24 | 389 |
Section 25 | 400 |
Section 26 | 404 |
Section 27 | 407 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Akranes Alþingi archpriest aristocrats Arnas Arnæus Árni asked assessor bailiff beheaded Bessastaðir bishop bishop's wife boots Bræðratunga Breiðafjörður Bremerholm brennivín called child Copenhagen court criminal Danes Danish Danish king daughter dear Denmark door doorway drink eyes Eyrarbakki face farm farmer father finally flogged gave German girl greeted Grindavík Grindavíkian guest Halldór Laxness hand hanging head heard Hlíðarendi Hólar homefield honor horses husband Iceland Iceland's Bell Jón Arason Jón Hregg Jón Hreggviðsson Jón Marteinsson killed knew lady land Latin letter looked lord madam Magistrate Eydalín magistrate's Magnús Sigurðsson matter merchants murderer Narvesen never night Ólafsvík old woman Öxará poor Rein Reverend Sigurður riding rixdollars saga servants Sigurður Snorrason silver sister sitting Skagi Skálholt sleep smiled Snæfríður squire stand stared started stood tell thing thought took Túre Narvesen viðsson walked wall words Þingvellir