Author:Hermann Palsson
Written around the thirteenth century AD by Icelandic monks, the seven tales collected here offer a combination of pagan elements tightly woven into the pattern of Christian ethics. They take as their subjects figures who are heroic, but do not fit into the mould of traditional heroes. Some stories concern characters in Iceland - among them Hrafknel's Saga, in which a poor man's son is murdered by his powerful neighbour, and Thorstein the Staff-Struck, which describes an ageing warrior's struggle to settle into a peaceful rural community. Others focus on the adventures of Icelanders abroad, including the compelling Audun's Story, which depicts a farmhand's pilgrimage to Rome. These fascinating tales deal with powerful human emotions, suffering and dignity at a time of profound transition, when traditional ideals were gradually yielding to a more peaceful pastoral lifestyle.
A compulsive and well-paced story
—— Wiltshire TimesA really great tale of triumphs and trials that you won't be able to put down
—— BestReally good read, very sad at times but this is a story that lingers with you even after the final words
—— Whitehaven NewsA touching tale to open any heart
—— Northern EchoA dazzling hall of mirrors... Ferociously ambitious... Illumined by a fizzing passion for the recondite
—— Daily TelegraphAn astonishingly assured début, funny and serious ... I was delighted
—— Salman RushdieShe is . . . a George Eliot of multi-culturalism
—— Daily Telegraph[Zadie Smith] is one of the prominent voices of her generation
—— Sunday TimesBritain's finest young author
—— The List[Zadie Smith] packs more intelligence, humour and sheer energy into any given scene than anyone else of her generation
—— Sunday Telegraph[White Teeth] established a model for how to make sense-and art-out of the complexity, diversity and pluck that have defined the beginning of this century
—— TimeThe first publishing sensation of the millennium
—— ObserverWhite Teeth reflects a new generation
—— Guardian[Zadie Smith] is one of the prominent voices of her generation