HalldцЁr Laxness (Laxness Halldor Kiljan)

(1902-1998)
Born April 23, 1902 in Reykjavik, grew up on a Farm near the town. In 16 years of his debut book on the romantic theme of returning to nature, then traveled extensively in Scandinavia and Germany. The chaos of postwar Germany deeply shocked him, and in 1923 adopted Catholicism Laxness. This spiritual change it reflected in the confessional novel Great weaver from Kashmir (Vefarinn mikli fr Kasmr, 1927), expressionistic, surreal style that marked a major shift in the Icelandic Prose. After living for nearly three years in the U.S. (1927-1929), Laxness turned to the left position to the problems of their compatriots. This new approach is clearly revealed in the novels Salk Valka (Salka Valka, 1931-1932), Independent People (Sjlfstaett flk, 1934-1935) and the Light of the World (Heimsljs, 1937-1940). In the historical trilogy Icelandic bell (Islandsklukkan, . 1943), . Golden-haired maiden (Hi ljsa man, . 1944), . Fire in Copenhagen (Eldur i Kaupinhafn, . 1946) Laxness hailed the resilience of Icelanders, . their pride and love of knowledge, . that helped them survive in the age-old ordeal,
. In the novel Nuclear Power Plant (Atmstin, . 1948) a writer with communist positions sharply criticizes the moral decline of Iceland after the Second World War, . in Gerple (Gerpla, . 1952) satirically exposes militancy, . characteristic and the Viking Age, . and our time,
. In 1955, Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. Among the later novels of the writer - Annals farm Brekkukot (Brekkukotsannll, 1957), remanded Paradise (Paradsarheimt, 1960), Christianity at the foot of the glacier (Kristnihald undir jkli, 1968). Laxness died in Reykjavik, February 8, 1998.