These themes were quite modern for their times. All of them are worth a read, but Njál’s Saga stands out because of its length, comprehensive detailing of events, and its themes. Njál’s Saga is just one of many epics written by Icelanders around the 13th and 14th Centuries in souvenir and bookshops around Iceland, you will often find large volumes in which many sagas are contained.

Though its detail can be a little too meticulous, and its dense text at times a little laborious to read, it is a fascinating insight not only into Icelandic history, folklore and culture, but early styles of European writing that would end up shaping literary traditions for years to come. Njál’s Saga is one of Iceland’s most renowned sagas, detailing a family feud around the turn of the last millennium. However, I’ve enjoyed it enough thus far for it to warrant a place on this list.

See also: Icelandic Literature for BeginnersĪdmittedly, I have not finished this one, but I swear I’m working on it.

Below are the five Icelandic works I have enjoyed the most. The task of getting through all there is to read is, therefore, impossible.įor an outsider who wants a taste of Icelandic literary culture, however, I have some decent recommendations based on what I have personally read. Not only this, but they have maintained the habit of recording histories and telling stories for centuries, ever since the nation’s settlement. Icelanders also have the highest literacy rates in the world (with basically everyone with the capacity to be able to read knowing how to), and, even in times of poverty and hardship, have considered the skill of reading to be an essential part of a child’s upbringing.

Icelanders write more books per capita than any other nation, and approximately one in ten Icelanders have a book of some form published.

Of course, I have barely scratched the surface of what is out there. Icelanders, unlike much of the rest of the world, remember their writers and poets far more than any kings or warriors, so indulging in the nation’s poems, novels and sagas is an essential part of soaking up their culture. Having lived in Iceland for nearly four years now, I feel like I have managed to read quite a lot of the literature that has so vividly coloured this nation’s history.

I remember you book yrsa