This book was given to me as a present by an Icelandic client. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a magnificent read beyond my expectations. The legendary Icelandic author Haldor Laxness won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature with this novel.
At the center of Independent People is an individual’s desire to build a life completely free from societal bondage. The novel’s protagonist, Bjartur, is a simple sheep farmer living in a remote village with his daughter. After eighteen years of servitude Bjartur is now determined to lead a life that is unbeholden to anyone. But, at the same time, Bjartur’s wildly spirited daughter wants to live a life unbeholden to him.
I found Bjartur’s unremitting determination to achieve independence truly heroic and at the same scary because of its seeming hopeless nature at certain occasions. Also, the battle of wills between Bjartur and his daughter is emotionally intense, touching, harsh and yet intimate.
Inevitably, one turns to look at his/her own life and quest of independence while reading Independent People making it a deeply rewarding novel.
