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'Magnússon narrates a well-timed history of Iceland through the lives of ordinary people and local communities in a pointillist style that evokes a rich heritage. He shows how a localised barter economy, based in fishing and agriculture, became a financial system with a global strategy that fatally overreached itself with embarrassing international political and financial consequences. The dust has yet to settle.' --The Times
'[a] combination of cultural depth and material backwardness is the central message of Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson's social history of one of Europe's smallest and remotest countries . . . This book, drawing on Icelanders' astonishingly detailed diaries and letters in past centuries, gives the outsider a rare glimpse into the past lives of an extraordinary people.' --Edward Lucas, The Economist
'[a] combination of cultural depth and material backwardness is the central message of Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson's social history of one of Europe's smallest and remotest countries . . . This book, drawing on Icelanders' astonishingly detailed diaries and letters in past centuries, gives the outsider a rare glimpse into the past lives of an extraordinary people.' --Edward Lucas, The Economist
Product Description
Iceland appears to many a country shrouded in mystery and legend, and marked by contradiction: a part of Europe, and yet separated from it by the Atlantic Ocean; seemingly inhospitable, and yet home to more than 300,000 souls. Wasteland with Words explores the evolution and transformation of Icelandic society and culture, investigating the literary and historical factors that created the rich cultural heritage enjoyed by Icelanders today. Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson presents a wide-ranging and detailed analysis of the island's history, examining how a nineteenth-century economy based on the industries of fishing and agriculture - one of the poorest in Europe - grew to become a disproportionately large economic power in the late twentieth century, while retaining its strong sense of cultural identity. The recent economic and political collapse of the country is also assessed, in the light of the historical development of the island. With a focus on the lives of individual Icelanders throughout, the book seeks to chart the vast changes in this country's history through the impact and effect on the Icelandic people themselves. "Wasteland with Words" is a comprehensive study of the island's social and historical development, from tiny fishing settlements to a global economic power. It will appeal to anyone interested in or studying this most enigmatic of islands, and also to those interested in cultural and social history as a whole.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I read this book just after a trip to Iceland (I had seen it in a bookstore there) and it really provides an interesting background to everything that we saw. The book covers the period of the early 19th century up to now which has been a period of tremendous change for Iceland. Iceland had been isolated from many of the changes in Europe due to its remote position in the north Atlantic and its harsh environment. It was still a very primitive place even at the start of the 20th century. Some of the facts are pretty amazing when you think of Iceland and how it is today. Most people were still living in turf houses even after WWII. Sanitation and personal hygiene were poor then as well - tapeworms, lice, leprosy and tuberculosis were common. Farm land was limited and controlled by a minority. Many people spent much of their lives as bonded labourers who needed permission to marry. The poor ended up renting farms on marginal land where they were always at risk of losing everything to debt in a bad year. This book certainly helps to put Laxness's most famous novel, "Independent People" into context. There were hardly any doctors in Iceland and no roads (the national ring road was completed in the 1970's) and when the postal system was first introduced (a sort of pony train), the post was delivered 3 times a year. Yet, the people were literate and social evenings were spent reading together, the famous Icelandic sagas and anything else that was to hand. Iceland has achieved so much in such a short space of time and now that the economic miracle bubble has burst, the question is where do they go here? If you are interested in Iceland and its culture, this is well worth reading.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Elegantly written and captivating
24 July 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderfully written, lovingly detailed, and intriguing work of history. The stories and details are incredible; they pull you in.
As a historian, I find Magnusson's observations about history compelling. He is honest and thoughtful about what it means what it means to write history, to search for facts, to sometimes imbue them with meaning, to accept the limits of what we can know.
As a historian, I find Magnusson's observations about history compelling. He is honest and thoughtful about what it means what it means to write history, to search for facts, to sometimes imbue them with meaning, to accept the limits of what we can know.
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