Independent People Author:Halldor Laxness "Independent People, An Epic" by Halldor Laxness translated from the Icelandic by J. A. Thompson. — "Independent People" ... is a tragedy that speaks deeply to the cultural beliefs of proper Icelandic-ness. It tells the story of a rural peasant settling his own land and attempting to build a future for himself and his family in spite of the destr... more »uctive forces of nature and modern society. Laxness vividly depicts how the cultural values of hard work and self-sufficiency clash with the harsh realities of rural life in Iceland, where yearly famine was a common occurrence until the mid-20th century.
--from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halldor_laxness
In 1955, Halldor Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the citation being: "for his vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland."
--from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature