Independent People

The great Icelandic novel written by a Nobel prize-winner, this is a magnificent portrait of the eerie Icelandic landscape and one man's dogged struggle for independence.

‘In Iceland it’s the canon, but to me it’s a cult classic’ Zadie Smith

‘I defy anyone to finish Halldór Laxness's Independent People without wetting the pages with tears’ Jonathan Franzen

‘Favourite book? Independent People… I love it’ Ann Patchett

Bjartus is a sheep farmer determined to eke a living from a blighted patch of land in rural Iceland. Nothing, not merciless weather, nor his family, will come between him and his goal of financial independence. Only Asta Solillja, the child he brings up as his daughter, can pierce his stubborn heart. As she grows up, keen to make her own way in the world, Bjartus's obstinacy threatens to estrange them forever.

‘A masterpiece’ David Mitchell
‘It moved me immensely’ Barbara Kingsolver
‘One of the great novels’ Ian McEwan
‘Funny, clever, sardonic and brilliant’ Annie Proulx
‘A great Icelandic novel…It’s an epic’ Max Porter
‘An amazing book… A stunning piece of work’ Cillian Murphy
'Laxness is a magnificent writer' Salman Rushdie
'Laxness’ contribution to both Icelandic and world literature cannot be overstated' Andrey Kurkov