"I want to be casually upended and destroyed by the books that I read."
i love that sentiment. just read sarah chihaya's 'bibliophobia' in which she writes about her LIFE RUINER - the book that shook her so profoundly that completely changed her (and, for a while, ruined books for her because nothing compared in force, magnitude or connection). i felt so jealous because i don't think i have had that experience yet.
this book sounds wonderful, i love sad and bleak. and i love iceland. i will definitely look for it.
I just read your piece from this morning and was about to comment on it, because Independent People was for me the complete opposite of the book you mentioned that made you feel nothing! IP is an odd book, and even a bit repetitive, but I think it totally works. It's a really phenomenal book. I feel like I should read 'bibliophobia'... would you recommend??
Odd is good. Repetitive can be good. It's that connection that I was after and so happy for you to have experienced in such a deep way with IP. Btw, IP reminds me a little bit of CLEAR by Carys Davies... have you read that? It's set on a remote Scottish island.
Bibliophobia is a hard YES for me - as a reader and someone who talks about books on the internet, you would appreciate it on so many levels. It's an interesting memoir, it's an interesting reflection on which books actually have the deepest impact on you, on what it means to be a reader AND a writer.... It also has just enough of gossipy tidbits (Chihaya is really close friends with Merve Emre and Merve is a central figure in the book).
I've never read CLEAR, time to add it to my list!! Okay I am sold on Bibliophobia, this is great. My TBR list is BUCKLING under the weight of all these books i want to read
I am in awe of how romantic you manage to make this book sound! I personally love this section;
"Bjartur is dumb, and harsh, and naive, but he is only a pawn in a much larger game. He is a sacrificial lamb to a societal push to rip civil society apart. It is possible that he even knows that he is a martyr. But he wants to be a martyr, because he believes that this is his cause — even though he has had no say in defining society’s idea of independence. It is not in his interest to question things too far, or to bite the hands of the owners that dangle the threat of debt over his head. And yes, sure, there are rumors of new theories in cities such as Reykjavik over how society should be collectively organized, but why would he bother? After all, he does not need other people. He does not need society, or God, or even the fairies of Icelandic myths. His world is one where, as Laxness writes, "Sensible people don't like things to happen."
because it is so true - Bjartur is an idiot, but this idiocy is not born from him alone, it is a response, to a wider message and a large shift in humanity and society. I think that clicks about half way through the novel, after you've gotten all the inital shock out the way of how Bjartur only wants to eat fish forever and ever and live in squalor, that Bjartur's belief of independent hedonism is just a response to the systems that we are made to live under. And then it becomes a different book almost entirely, one that is almost sad, in the way it suggests that how we're living is ridiculous, it's making people sadder, making them punish their children to eat the same fish forever (lol) in the name of a concept that does not mean anything once you're 10 feet under. And he gets there in the end, imo, by the end of the novel. But it is so painful to watch him work it out; and perhaps that is just a fable for us. Would it be worth it to live a life so obsessed with being an island, fiercely independent, only to realise when you're nearing the end that it doesn't amount to what you were told it would. A life interconnected with other humans isn't as horrific as we are told it is, and really it's frankly all that matters, but you can't go back and change it if you've spent your whole life make yourself an island!!
You should read The Colony by Audrey Magee - I saw Petya recc Clear which is good! But I think The Colony is a more fleshed out version of it, with a bit more philosophy about what community and humanity means, which I think you'd enjoy.
Wow i missed this lovely comment!! Yeah, Bjartur is such an interesting character -- a total idiot of course, but the whole society is stupid and oriented around rewarding greed and self-reliance above all else. So many Bjartur's in the world though... (not me though, i am perfect!).
Okay i'll read it, I'm especially convinced after seeing that Magee is Irish (I trust my Irish writers!! Usually more than Americans tbh!!). This is now like the 6th book that you've added to my TBR pile in the last day, what the hell Martha!!
Gorgeous as always. Love how you end it. Love how you describe the feeling of being possessed by a book—a rare feeling but one I love. Love your descriptions of Iceland and the book, I can smell and taste the faces and the colors and the contradictions. Will add to my reading list
Really adored this - you write so so well. I also have such a fondness for Iceland after a family holiday there when I was a child - this made me so so nostalgic.
aw thank you! That sounds so nice, what a great place to go as a kid. I was totally blown away when I went a couple years ago, and I especially loved the thermally heated pools that were in all of the neighborhoods, I could have swam and floated in them for days...
oh those were the best !!! I remember also thinking all the moss was so cool? such a unique landscape, I definitely didn’t appreciate it enough at age nine haha… Thank you for writing ❤️
Michael, thank you for this evocative analysis and introduction to Independent People. Sounds like a very alien and odd, but beautiful book. I will try reading it.
But on another note, I am spellbound by your depth on subject matters that you pick. I just love your approach and style of wrestling with an idea to its completion. So good!
that's perfect, that makes me so happy. When you read it, keep me posted on what you think -- I don't know your reading tastes, but I could see you enjoying it...
Iceland is incredible, I 100% recommend it. I went in the winter but it was SO FUN. I just vibed in a heated pool with a bunch of locals and it was so fun, so relaxing, very beautiful there. At first I was pronouncing his name like 'B J -Artur', which is wrong and stupid but I still did it. I feel like it essentially sounds like 'Jartur', with a light 'b' in front of it, but who knows. If one of the less than 400,000 Icelanders are here, they can correct me. Their language is NUTS.
"I want to be casually upended and destroyed by the books that I read."
i love that sentiment. just read sarah chihaya's 'bibliophobia' in which she writes about her LIFE RUINER - the book that shook her so profoundly that completely changed her (and, for a while, ruined books for her because nothing compared in force, magnitude or connection). i felt so jealous because i don't think i have had that experience yet.
this book sounds wonderful, i love sad and bleak. and i love iceland. i will definitely look for it.
I just read your piece from this morning and was about to comment on it, because Independent People was for me the complete opposite of the book you mentioned that made you feel nothing! IP is an odd book, and even a bit repetitive, but I think it totally works. It's a really phenomenal book. I feel like I should read 'bibliophobia'... would you recommend??
Odd is good. Repetitive can be good. It's that connection that I was after and so happy for you to have experienced in such a deep way with IP. Btw, IP reminds me a little bit of CLEAR by Carys Davies... have you read that? It's set on a remote Scottish island.
Bibliophobia is a hard YES for me - as a reader and someone who talks about books on the internet, you would appreciate it on so many levels. It's an interesting memoir, it's an interesting reflection on which books actually have the deepest impact on you, on what it means to be a reader AND a writer.... It also has just enough of gossipy tidbits (Chihaya is really close friends with Merve Emre and Merve is a central figure in the book).
I've never read CLEAR, time to add it to my list!! Okay I am sold on Bibliophobia, this is great. My TBR list is BUCKLING under the weight of all these books i want to read
I am in awe of how romantic you manage to make this book sound! I personally love this section;
"Bjartur is dumb, and harsh, and naive, but he is only a pawn in a much larger game. He is a sacrificial lamb to a societal push to rip civil society apart. It is possible that he even knows that he is a martyr. But he wants to be a martyr, because he believes that this is his cause — even though he has had no say in defining society’s idea of independence. It is not in his interest to question things too far, or to bite the hands of the owners that dangle the threat of debt over his head. And yes, sure, there are rumors of new theories in cities such as Reykjavik over how society should be collectively organized, but why would he bother? After all, he does not need other people. He does not need society, or God, or even the fairies of Icelandic myths. His world is one where, as Laxness writes, "Sensible people don't like things to happen."
because it is so true - Bjartur is an idiot, but this idiocy is not born from him alone, it is a response, to a wider message and a large shift in humanity and society. I think that clicks about half way through the novel, after you've gotten all the inital shock out the way of how Bjartur only wants to eat fish forever and ever and live in squalor, that Bjartur's belief of independent hedonism is just a response to the systems that we are made to live under. And then it becomes a different book almost entirely, one that is almost sad, in the way it suggests that how we're living is ridiculous, it's making people sadder, making them punish their children to eat the same fish forever (lol) in the name of a concept that does not mean anything once you're 10 feet under. And he gets there in the end, imo, by the end of the novel. But it is so painful to watch him work it out; and perhaps that is just a fable for us. Would it be worth it to live a life so obsessed with being an island, fiercely independent, only to realise when you're nearing the end that it doesn't amount to what you were told it would. A life interconnected with other humans isn't as horrific as we are told it is, and really it's frankly all that matters, but you can't go back and change it if you've spent your whole life make yourself an island!!
You should read The Colony by Audrey Magee - I saw Petya recc Clear which is good! But I think The Colony is a more fleshed out version of it, with a bit more philosophy about what community and humanity means, which I think you'd enjoy.
Wow i missed this lovely comment!! Yeah, Bjartur is such an interesting character -- a total idiot of course, but the whole society is stupid and oriented around rewarding greed and self-reliance above all else. So many Bjartur's in the world though... (not me though, i am perfect!).
Okay i'll read it, I'm especially convinced after seeing that Magee is Irish (I trust my Irish writers!! Usually more than Americans tbh!!). This is now like the 6th book that you've added to my TBR pile in the last day, what the hell Martha!!
here to chime in on Martha's recommendation to read The Colony! such a beautiful and poignant book
Thank you for this. I really needed it today.
least i can do <3 I needed it too!!
Gorgeous as always. Love how you end it. Love how you describe the feeling of being possessed by a book—a rare feeling but one I love. Love your descriptions of Iceland and the book, I can smell and taste the faces and the colors and the contradictions. Will add to my reading list
that's so kind of you, thank you as always <3 give soda pop some scritches from me
omg will do so right now
Really adored this - you write so so well. I also have such a fondness for Iceland after a family holiday there when I was a child - this made me so so nostalgic.
aw thank you! That sounds so nice, what a great place to go as a kid. I was totally blown away when I went a couple years ago, and I especially loved the thermally heated pools that were in all of the neighborhoods, I could have swam and floated in them for days...
oh those were the best !!! I remember also thinking all the moss was so cool? such a unique landscape, I definitely didn’t appreciate it enough at age nine haha… Thank you for writing ❤️
Michael, thank you for this evocative analysis and introduction to Independent People. Sounds like a very alien and odd, but beautiful book. I will try reading it.
But on another note, I am spellbound by your depth on subject matters that you pick. I just love your approach and style of wrestling with an idea to its completion. So good!
aw that's so nice, thank you :) how are you doing, how are you holding up? It's so nice seeing your name pop up on here!
I am well my friend, thank you for asking. Hope you are well too!
i skimmed through parts of this because now i will read this book and go in sort of blind
i definitely have not had this relationship to a book. but i want to go to iceland so bad
how do you pronounce Bjartur
that's perfect, that makes me so happy. When you read it, keep me posted on what you think -- I don't know your reading tastes, but I could see you enjoying it...
Iceland is incredible, I 100% recommend it. I went in the winter but it was SO FUN. I just vibed in a heated pool with a bunch of locals and it was so fun, so relaxing, very beautiful there. At first I was pronouncing his name like 'B J -Artur', which is wrong and stupid but I still did it. I feel like it essentially sounds like 'Jartur', with a light 'b' in front of it, but who knows. If one of the less than 400,000 Icelanders are here, they can correct me. Their language is NUTS.
the whole country is nuts!!!! we need to have more icelandic celebs