Openness
I just took one of those facebook personality quizzes, and I guess because I neither agreed nor disagreed with most of the statements, I was diagnosed as having Openness as my strongest character trait. I guess that's true enough, especially the part about holding unconventional beliefs. I've stopped telling anyone my views on abortion or guns or homosexuality, because my own weird position frustrates and confuses people on either side of those ingrained, polarizing issues.
I also just finished reading Sidasti Galdrameistarinn. I like reading books in Icelandic, especially if the Icelandic is good and not too confusing. I remember trying to read Paradísarheimt by Laxness many years ago, and I couldn't even get through half of it. It doesnt help with language acquisition to read a book by an author who makes up words and favors convoluted metaphors. So I'm glad to read good juvenile literature. I can also read straight forward, plot driven novels in Icelandic with ease, and enjoy that. So as a general rule, I like to have a comprehensible Icelandic book at my bedside table.
Sidasti Galdameistarinn is also good because it has a certain openness to it, an unconventionality. The people set up as the enemy or the bad guy in normal narrative convention get shifted around in surprising, subtle ways, and I think that is great especially for juvenile literature. Kids need to learn the world is not black and white. The ending of the book, however, like the ending of another book I read by Ármann, is not exactly satisfying; for instance, we never get to find out why the dragon was laughing. And I think he should have been more purposeful in setting it up for a sequel, because all the elements are there to keep going with the story.
Just now I had cold pizza for breakfast, which I understand is completely un-Icelandic. In other words, the perfect follow up to an Icelandic book, in my wacky little brain.
I also just finished reading Sidasti Galdrameistarinn. I like reading books in Icelandic, especially if the Icelandic is good and not too confusing. I remember trying to read Paradísarheimt by Laxness many years ago, and I couldn't even get through half of it. It doesnt help with language acquisition to read a book by an author who makes up words and favors convoluted metaphors. So I'm glad to read good juvenile literature. I can also read straight forward, plot driven novels in Icelandic with ease, and enjoy that. So as a general rule, I like to have a comprehensible Icelandic book at my bedside table.
Sidasti Galdameistarinn is also good because it has a certain openness to it, an unconventionality. The people set up as the enemy or the bad guy in normal narrative convention get shifted around in surprising, subtle ways, and I think that is great especially for juvenile literature. Kids need to learn the world is not black and white. The ending of the book, however, like the ending of another book I read by Ármann, is not exactly satisfying; for instance, we never get to find out why the dragon was laughing. And I think he should have been more purposeful in setting it up for a sequel, because all the elements are there to keep going with the story.
Just now I had cold pizza for breakfast, which I understand is completely un-Icelandic. In other words, the perfect follow up to an Icelandic book, in my wacky little brain.
Comments