Der grosse Weber von Kaschmir (Steidl Pocket)

He is egocentric, reckless, and searching for himself. Iceland feels too small and provincial for him; in the vast world, young men like him live amidst indulgence and passionate debates. This is where Stein Ellidi is drawn; he too wants to live unrestrained and join the conversation. Before he leaves, he says goodbye to his childhood friend Dilja. For one night, they sit on the Thingvellir fields by the sea, and Stein paints her a picture of his radiant future. The author was similarly young when he wrote The Great Weaver of Kashmir, his first significant novel: 23 years old. Laxness had also plunged into wild living, escaping the confines of his homeland before penning this colorful, vibrant story of a rebel in Sicily.