While it isn't possible to pinpoint a country for the largest segment of the book, in some ways it can represent anywhere that finds itself seeking to recover post-conflict. A place name is meaningless in a place struggling to redefine itself. She lived in Paris while obtaining her art history degree from Sorbonne. Hotel Silence is her fifth novel. Hotel Silence is in this unnamed country, left in ruins from war, and run by a brother and sister, and her young son.
The story is nothing unexpected, but still insightful and with "Instead of putting an end to your existence, can't you just put an end to this you and become someone else? The story is nothing unexpected, but still insightful and with beautiful writing and translation. I could see some comparing this one to Backman's A Man Called Ove in terms of the story arc, but thankfully this one didnt fall into the sappy well that Ove did.
In other words, this one was much better. Sparser, not as sappy, but still uplifting and thought-provoking. Mar 10, Mickey rated it it was amazing. A novel of renewal. May 23, Janet rated it really liked it.
I enjoyed this small gentle tale of repair in the world. A short novel about a Icelandic handyman whose life has lost meaning and has decided to commit suicide, who travels to a nameless country left in ruins after a war and takes up residence at the Hotel Silence, intending to do himself in, but ends up repairing lives and windows and himself.
Kind of the literary equivalent of a Wes Anderson movie, a stylish allegorical fairy tale. One doesn't really 'believe' in the character and his suicidal I enjoyed this small gentle tale of repair in the world.
One doesn't really 'believe' in the character and his suicidal tendency as much as accept them as a posit and enjoy the little artifice being created. And there is something primally comforting and life-giving in the act of setting the ruined to rights, and the people who can accomplish that small magic.
This could very well be the story of your next door, slightly introverted, yet eager to help, middle-aged neighbor because that is exactly how Jonas comes across. The character development for not only the protagonist but for all the characters is flawless.
Every character has his or her baggage that they are carrying an TL;DR — Winner of the Icelandic Literary Prize, Hotel Silence is a thoroughly delightful, quirky yet strange in a good way novel.
Every character has his or her baggage that they are carrying and it does not come across as though it is forced. The Positives At no point did I found the story lagging or struggling to be carried forward on the shoulders of lengthy descriptions of surroundings or moods.
That is not to say that the story is fast-paced. But it moves along steadily, like a well-oiled machine. The narration is in first person without losing the perspective and perceptions of the narrator. Reading of diary entries from the past by Jonas is definitely a clever idea to add more dimension not only to the story but to Jonas himself.
He essentially gives up on living and decides to travel to an unspecified war torn country where he plans to commit suicide so his daughter won't be the one to find his dead body. Scars on one's body, emotional scars, and the many scars caused by war.
If you like quirky, this might appeal to you, but this is no A Man Called Ove. It did win a literary award in Iceland though. Sep 30, H. Leuschel rated it it was amazing. Another heart-wrenching read that was compelling, emotional and powerful in a quietly confident way! Highly recommended! Originally written in Icelandic, this is the story of a man tired of life, unhappy and depressed. Unable to end his life in Iceland he travels to a war-ravaged country as a tourist with no plan to return.
There are no other tourists at the Hotel Silence, or indeed anywhere in the destroyed country, but it is not long before he becomes involved with the local people who have suffered unimaginably and yet are determined to continue with their lives. My unhappiness is at best inane when compared to the ruins and dust outside my window.
This is a novel about picking up the pieces and resilience. The writing is sparse and sympathetic to individual unhappiness, and there is empathy in the cost of loneliness and the damage done by war. It really is great stuff. When the racket of machine guns has stopped people feel the need to dance and go to the movies.
After knowing that his daughter is not his and him being divorced, nothing is exciting as it was supposed to be in life for Jonas. But once he is in the unnamed country and stays in Hotel Silence, slowly he sees the life around him, totally different from his. He is back in demand. He finds a purpose. Slow paced but it explores the human emotions beautifully. Happy Reading!! Hotel Silence is about one man's contemplation of suicide.
It is the winner of the Icelandic Literary Prize out of 5 nominees and The New York Times describes it as a delightful and heartwarming novel told with grace, insight, and humor. I had trouble getting through this story as I found it to be the complete opposite of delightful and heartwarming. The tone was bleak and depressing, the story disconnected, and the conversations sparse.
Oftentimes the narration appeared to be a jumble of Hotel Silence is about one man's contemplation of suicide. Oftentimes the narration appeared to be a jumble of random thoughts which made it very confusing to read. I had to pause frequently and reread many passages.
The storyline did pick up once the main character, Jonas, arrived at the hotel. Jonas now had a purpose which was enough for me to keep reading. The original Icelandic title of this book is "Scars" which is the underlying theme of the whole book.
Scars on one's body, emotional scars, and scars left over from war. A difficult and exhausting read that will not appeal to everyone. I adore Icelandic literature, but have come to the conclusion that the work of Audur Ava Olafsdottir just does not work for me. I picked up Butterflies in November a couple of years ago, and ended up putting it down when I was a third of the way through. The same thing has happened with her newest novel, Hotel Silence. In terms of its storyline, it is not at all bad, but reading part o I adore Icelandic literature, but have come to the conclusion that the work of Audur Ava Olafsdottir just does not work for me.
In terms of its storyline, it is not at all bad, but reading part of it has allowed me to conclude that it is Olafsdottir's writing, or perhaps the translation of it, which I do not particularly enjoy. Mar 09, Viv JM rated it liked it Shelves: zauthor-female , author-female , women-in-translation , zatw-translated-lit-challenge , fiction-literary , in-translation , indiepress , read-in He decides to sell off his business and travel to an unnamed war torn country, so that his daughter will not find his body.
When he gets there, he ends up forging connections with the owners of the hotel and local residents, and finds a niche for himself as a handyman, helping people r 3. When he gets there, he ends up forging connections with the owners of the hotel and local residents, and finds a niche for himself as a handyman, helping people rebuild their houses and their lives in a country that has been ravaged by civil war.
I thought this book was rather odd, slightly melancholy but ultimately rather sweet. Once upon a time he was a husband, a father, a son. Now these roles have been eroded, taken from him by forces he struggles to understand. He is unable to find any reason to go on.
His mother, a former maths teacher, lives in a home for the elderly where she is gradually losing her mind. His wife has divorced him, his daughter grown and leading her own life. When his father died he dropped out of university that he may keep the family business going.
He considers himself ordinary, lately become unnecessary and thereby unhappy. He has decided to commit suicide. He considers hanging himself from a light fitting but worries that his daughter may be the one to discover his body and have to cut him down. He does not wish to be an inconvenience when he has always tried to be helpful.
He clears out his belongings and puts his affairs in order. He buys a one way ticket to a former war zone where the supposed dangers may solve the problem of how to meet his end. Wars and their aftermath are opportunities for the unscrupulous to make money. The local population has been decimated, traumatised, the survivors forever scarred physically and mentally. As they try to salvage a life for themselves, outsiders arrive eager to hoover up anything of value, to gain lucrative contracts amidst the rebuilding.
He has booked himself into Hotel Silence, a venue with few guests and suffering neglect in a place now avoided by tourists. When a door falls off in his hands he reattaches it. Soon he is being called on to use his skills elsewhere. He has tools and knowledge that are in demand. It reminds me of The Clown by Heinrich Boll. I loved it. Black Cat. Tags Literary. Hollywood Heroine 26 Oct Out of the Rain 09 Nov Comfort Me With Apples 09 Nov Shadows of Swanford Abbey 07 Dec This site uses cookies.
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