The Honour of the House
1923
First Published
3.73
Average Rating
110
Number of Pages
Set in a small coastal town in Iceland in the 1920s, this is the story of a deacon's family who is also engaged in worldly matters and owns a fishing fleet. The oldest daughter, Thurithur, is married to the son of the manager of the Danish-owned store, while the younger daughter, Rannveig, is unmarried but intelligent and gifted with her hands. They are the best families in town and always referred to as The People and their home as The House. This delicately composed story is an ironic picture of the society of the time and a timeless parable of the tyranny of family repute.
Avg Rating
3.73
Number of Ratings
136
5 STARS
14%
4 STARS
51%
3 STARS
28%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
Halldor Laxness
Author · 18 books
Born Halldór Guðjónsson, he adopted the surname Laxness in honour of Laxnes in Mosfellssveit where he grew up, his family having moved from Reyjavík in 1905. He published his first novel at the age of only 17, the beginning of a long literary career of more than 60 books, including novels, short stories, poetry, and plays. Confirmed a Catholic in 1923, he later moved away from religion and for a long time was sympathetic to Communist politics, which is evident in his novels World Light and Independent People. In 1955 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
