The Saga of Sölvi, son of Daniel
Arnar Már Arngrímsson
Original title: Sölvasaga Danielssonar
Publisher: Sögur, Iceland, 2018
Genre: Fiction, young adult
Pages: 264 pages
Sölvi is nineteen years old, works in a supermarket and harbours a poet inside, even though the battle with words is not always fruitful. Sölvi has had a hard time finding his place in everyday life so he moves to Akureyri to study in a newly founded school there.
In Akureyri, a small town in North Iceland, new challenges emerge entwined with the
old, as he tries to keep his footing in life and gain confidence as a poet. Speculation on poetry and playing with words are a big part of Sölvi’s story and the author manages exceptionally well to paint a vivid picture of the influence of a generation gap on language. In a way the story is a bildungsroman, but it also raises questions about the challenges facing young people in modern society.
Awards
Nominated to the Icelandic Literary Prize 2018