236:
tunnel in the gully's side, sees a mutilated
Tryggur, and nothing more is seen of either in the novel. It later emerges than Anna follows Egill into the tunnel. Setting off later, Hrafn and Vigdís find Anna and Egill's bags; Hrafn sees that their tracks enter the tunnel but do not emerge, but does not tell Vigdís, and the two return to the house through another sandstorm. That night, the electricity cuts out and various other unnerving developments occur, leading up to a knock on the door. Despite Ása's demands, Hrafn and Vigdís open it to find Anna wrapped in fishing line stolen from their car and mutilated, primarily by the removal of her fingers and tongue, blinded and deafened. She bears a message which appears to be an attempt by Egill to ask for help.
216:. Losing the road in foggy darkness, Hrafn accidentally drives the jeep into the wall of a house mysteriously located in the highland desert, making the jeep unusable and forcing the characters to demand the reluctant hospitality of the house's two inhabitants: an old woman, Ása; and an old man who in the characters' estimation is at an advanced stage of Alzheimer's disease. The novel is quick to imply that there is something strange and dangerous about the situation.
224:
photograph of Vigdís sleeping, taken with her own polaroid camera. Hrafn attacks Egill due to factors including old enmities and Egill's apparent lust for Vigdís, and the three become separated, returning home separately through a sandstorm. Meanwhile, Anna explores the house, discovering the old man's office and that he is one
Kjartan Aðalsteinsson, a doctor and one-time member of the Icelandic business elite, associated with
232:. From the office she finds a hidden room containing a bed, a pistol, and a switch labeled 'see me' which, when pressed, gives her a serious electric shock. Piecing clues together, Anna concludes that Kjartan had a child by his own sister, and the family moved to the highlands to escape public shame. It is also implied that he was 'a once-famous scientist who has undertaken dangerous experiments on human subjects'.
260:' (p. 182). It is divided into four sections: 'Eyðimörkin' ('the desert', 12 chapters), 'Það hefur enga sál' ('it has no soul', 12 chapters), 'Húsið' ('the house', 11 chapters), and 'Náttúra' ('nature', 1 chapter). The narratorial perspective shifts from one character to another, explicitly labelling from whose perspective each sequence of chapters is presented.
240:
himself responsible for at least some of the violence that has taken place. Hrafn and Vigdís become separated during an increasingly confused sequence, and Hrafn returns to the house and for the first time tries to explore the basement; the sequence ends with what appears to Hrafn's mental return to a childhood trauma.
239:
Early on the fourth day, Hrafn and Vigdís set off to look for Egill. The narrative perspective shifts to Hrafn and as he becomes increasingly confused or indeed deranged, it becomes increasingly unclear to the reader how reliable the account is. It is implied that Hrafn either is or starts to believe
219:
With no mobile phone signal and unsure of their location, the characters seek to find a way to reach civilization and get help, and the plot of the novel largely comprises the failure of these efforts. On the first day they try to drive to a village in an old jeep which Ása lends them, but it crashes
223:
On the second day Hrafn, Vigdís, and Egill try walking north to get a phone signal; Anna stays behind with an injured ankle. The walkers soon find a dam in a glacial river and an abandoned settlement, and explore the village, finding disturbing, man-made piles of animal bones, one surmounted with a
243:
The novel closes with a confused account of Vigdís being discovered wandering naked in the highlands, the police investigating events at the 'house', and Vigdís's hospitalisation. Yet it also appears at this stage that the house was in fact a large rock; 'thereupon the reader has to wonder whether
235:
On the third day, Egill and Anna set off at daybreak without telling Hrafn and Vigdís, as Egill wishes to escape from Hrafn. Before going far, they find
Tryggur's collar with an arrow made with stones pointing down the gully through which the glacial river runs. Following this sign, Egill enters a
38:
512:, pp. 115–16: "þá hlýtur lesandi að velta fyrir sér hvort allt það sem á milli fer hafi aðeins verið ofskynjanir, kallaðar fram af neyslu áfengis og eiturlyfja, en þó umfram allt hinni ríku sjálfseyðingarhvöt sem ungmennin fjögur búa yfir"
274:
The novel prominently addresses the power of the natural world in
Iceland, and the lack of understanding and respect of the characters for it; Icelandic culture at the height of the early twenty-first century boom; and characters' psychology.
244:
everything that goes on in between was only hallucinations, triggered by the consumption of alcohol and drugs, but above all by the powerful impulse to self-destruction which the four young people experience'.
190:. It has four main characters, whose back-stories and psychological peculiarities the novel gradually develops through narratorial exposition and the characters' own flashbacks and conversations:
200:
Egill, a childhood friend of Hrafn's who despite heavy drinking and womanising has by dint of hard work become a lawyer and also a leading player in
Iceland's financial boom.
197:
Vigdís, Hrafn's girlfriend, who, notwithstanding the death of her mother in a car accident and a distant father, has done well in her education and become a psychiatrist.
568:
263:
The novel has been understood as a self-conscious
Icelandicisation of the American genre of the horror story, showing the influence of, amongst others,
203:
Anna, Egill's girlfriend, noted in the novel for her sexual drive, who is a successful journalist and writer. She brings with her her dog
Tryggur.
187:
66:
271:, while the fact that the house is in fact a rock recalls the homes of trolls and elves in Icelandic folklore, as does the name of Ása herself.
582:
229:
612:
130:
194:
Hrafn, born into an elite
Icelandic family, who after a troubled youth has become a leading entrepreneur in Iceland's financial boom.
436:
421:
406:
391:
376:
361:
346:
331:
314:
293:
252:
The novel is written in the third person. It contains a map of the region where the novel is set (p. 6) and a reproduction of
617:
225:
602:
607:
267:, and making subtle use of traditional Icelandic folklore. Thus, for example, Vigdís fulfils the trope of the
562:
37:
220:
in a pothole (which Hrafn thinks may be newly dug) and they walk home. Tryggur goes missing overnight.
500:, p. 114: "eitt sinn verið frægur vísindamaður sem hafi stundað varhugaverðar tilraunir á mönnum"
597:
162:
253:
432:
417:
402:
387:
372:
357:
342:
327:
310:
306:
289:
170:
137:
125:
84:
257:
264:
550:
591:
212:
The four go on holiday in the
Icelandic highlands, driving in a jeep to the south of
166:
48:
17:
457:
268:
288:, trans. by Patrick Guelpa, Bibliothèque nordique (Paris: Métailié, 2013),
326:, trans. by Kim Liebrand (Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Luitingh-Sijthoff, 2015),
144:
469:
467:
431:, trans. by Enrique Bernárdez (Barcelona: Ediciones Destino, 2016),
213:
138:
371:, trans. by Silje Beite Løken (Oslo: Gyldendal, 2016),
341:, trans. by Rolf Stavnem (København: Gyldendal, 2015),
401:, trans. by Lorenza Garcia (London: Macmillan, 2016),
533:
521:
509:
497:
485:
473:
416:, trans. by Lucie Korecká (Zlín: Kniha Zlin, 2016),
356:, trans. by Utassy Ferenc (Budapest: Animus, 2015),
186:The novel is implicitly set around the time of the
136:
124:
116:
108:
100:
90:
80:
72:
62:
54:
44:
386:, trans. by Tuomas Kauko (Helsinki: Like, 2016),
154:
8:
30:
36:
29:
448:
567:: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (
560:
305:, trans. by Inge Knutsson (Stockholm:
7:
551:"Hryllilegar hremmingar á hálendinu"
173:. It enjoyed very positive reviews.
583:English translation of pp. 198–200
456:Davíð K. Gestsson (January 2012).
188:2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis
67:2008–11 Icelandic financial crisis
25:
429:El silencio de las tierras altas
1:
549:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir (2012).
557:(in Icelandic) (4): 112–17.
27:2011 novel by Steinar Bragi
634:
613:Icelandic-language novels
555:Tímarit Máls og menningar
534:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
522:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
510:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
498:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
486:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
474:Úlfhildur Dagsdóttir 2012
230:Margrét Þóra Hallgrímsson
35:
226:Björgólfur Guðmundsson
165:") is a 2011 novel by
155:
618:Mál og menning books
603:Highlands of Iceland
31:Hálendið: Skáldsaga
32:
18:Hálendið: Skáldsaga
524:, pp. 113–16.
307:Natur & Kultur
150:
149:
101:Publication place
16:(Redirected from
625:
608:Icelandic novels
572:
566:
558:
537:
531:
525:
519:
513:
507:
501:
495:
489:
483:
477:
471:
462:
461:
453:
319:
303:Höglandet: Roman
298:
258:Four Generations
158:
140:
92:Publication date
40:
33:
21:
633:
632:
628:
627:
626:
624:
623:
622:
588:
587:
579:
559:
548:
545:
540:
532:
528:
520:
516:
508:
504:
496:
492:
484:
480:
472:
465:
460:(in Icelandic).
455:
454:
450:
446:
427:Steinar Bragi,
412:Steinar Bragi,
397:Steinar Bragi,
382:Steinar Bragi,
367:Steinar Bragi,
352:Steinar Bragi,
337:Steinar Bragi,
322:Steinar Bragi,
317:
301:Steinar Bragi,
296:
284:Steinar Bragi,
281:
265:H. P. Lovecraft
250:
248:Form and themes
210:
184:
179:
109:Media type
93:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
631:
629:
621:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
590:
589:
586:
585:
578:
577:External links
575:
574:
573:
544:
541:
539:
538:
526:
514:
502:
490:
488:, p. 113.
478:
476:, p. 112.
463:
447:
445:
442:
441:
440:
425:
410:
395:
380:
365:
350:
335:
320:
299:
280:
277:
249:
246:
209:
206:
205:
204:
201:
198:
195:
183:
180:
178:
175:
171:Mál og menning
148:
147:
142:
134:
133:
131:978-9979332312
128:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
91:
88:
87:
85:Mál og menning
82:
78:
77:
74:
70:
69:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
46:
42:
41:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
630:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
595:
593:
584:
581:
580:
576:
570:
564:
556:
552:
547:
546:
542:
535:
530:
527:
523:
518:
515:
511:
506:
503:
499:
494:
491:
487:
482:
479:
475:
470:
468:
464:
459:
452:
449:
443:
438:
437:9788423350148
434:
430:
426:
423:
422:9788074733994
419:
415:
411:
408:
407:9781509832064
404:
400:
399:The Ice Lands
396:
393:
392:9789520112547
389:
385:
381:
378:
377:9788205481848
374:
370:
366:
363:
362:9789633242469
359:
355:
351:
348:
347:9788702174007
344:
340:
336:
333:
332:9789024567744
329:
325:
324:De hoogvlakte
321:
316:
315:9789127137479
312:
308:
304:
300:
295:
294:9782864249399
291:
287:
283:
282:
278:
276:
272:
270:
266:
261:
259:
255:
247:
245:
241:
237:
233:
231:
227:
221:
217:
215:
207:
202:
199:
196:
193:
192:
191:
189:
181:
176:
174:
172:
169:published by
168:
167:Steinar Bragi
164:
163:The Highlands
160:
159:
157:
146:
143:
141:
135:
132:
129:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
89:
86:
83:
79:
75:
71:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
50:
49:Steinar Bragi
47:
43:
39:
34:
19:
563:cite journal
554:
529:
517:
505:
493:
481:
451:
428:
413:
398:
383:
368:
353:
338:
323:
318:(in Swedish)
302:
285:
279:Translations
273:
262:
254:Seb Patane's
251:
242:
238:
234:
222:
218:
211:
185:
161:(literally "
153:
152:
151:
598:2011 novels
379:(Norwegian)
364:(Hungarian)
297:(in French)
592:Categories
458:"Hálendið"
444:References
269:final girl
182:Characters
439:(Spanish)
409:(English)
394:(Finnish)
369:Ødemarken
339:Højlandet
309:, 2014),
286:Excursion
145:810563160
81:Publisher
58:Icelandic
349:(Danish)
177:Synopsis
156:Hálendið
55:Language
543:Sources
424:(Czech)
414:Planina
354:Felföld
334:(Dutch)
120:253 pp.
104:Iceland
76:Fiction
63:Subject
435:
420:
405:
390:
375:
360:
345:
330:
313:
292:
45:Author
214:Askja
117:Pages
112:Print
73:Genre
569:link
433:ISBN
418:ISBN
403:ISBN
388:ISBN
384:Sumu
373:ISBN
358:ISBN
343:ISBN
328:ISBN
311:ISBN
290:ISBN
228:and
208:Plot
139:OCLC
126:ISBN
96:2011
594::
565:}}
561:{{
553:.
466:^
571:)
536:.
256:'
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
