ROMANIA, 1989. At the end of the Ceaușescu regime young Mihail meets his father for the first time, a political prisoner that is burdened by obscure events that occurred during his time in jail.
ICELAND, 2000. An ordinary dysfunctional family live in ordinary suburban dread until the mother dies in a shocking accident which becomes a viral video, causing the surviving family members to drift apart, unable to find healthy ways to cope with the grief and their shitty personalities. Hilarious!
And how do these two plots intersect? Can’t tell ya – but it has something to do with talking animals, mad scientists (and even madder dictators), Pippi Longstocking as a child euthanizer, some Aurolac-sniffing orphans, tinnitus, cyber-bullying, subterranean tunnels and dystopian hospitals, terrorism as a hobby, and becoming a father.
An examination of totalitarian horror as much as late-capitalistic angst, this outrageous and hilariously grotesque novel was Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia’s debut, and was lauded by critics and readers for its imaginative and constantly surprising plot.
For Málleysingjarnir, Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia received the New Voices grant from the Icelandic Literature Center.
A note on the title: The word málleysingjarnir refers not only to someone who is mute, but also one who does not and can not possess language. Animals and infant children are sometimes referred to in this way in Iceland. Thus the title might be simply translated as The Mutes, or then more poetically/awkwardly Languageless.
For foreign rights, contact Reykjavík Literary Agency : rla@rla.is
“No ordinary debut, but an epic and mature novel that weaves together tales of different places and times, of people’s lives, dreams and destinies. A fertile imagination and a strongly structured plot, executed in vivid and entertaining prose, come together to create a unique and fascinating novel.”
NEW VOICES – JURY REVIEW. ICELANDIC LITERATURE CENTER.
A BRIEF EXCERPT IN GERMAN
Reviews
“An incredibly mature first work, written with immense assuredness. An extremely powerful book.”
KILJAN – TV PROGRAM, RUV (National Broadcast Service)
“In his debut novel Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia creates strong characters and a focused worldview to lure the reader into a universe that in the start seems familiar but turns into a distorted mirror of our own world. It is quite remarkable that Málleysingjarnir, which on the surface seems to speak of the impossibilty of experiencing empathy for the fellow man, offers such clear and generous characterization.”
REYKJAVÍK CITY LIBRARY WEBSITE
“One of the most interesting debuts by a new Icelandic authors for a long time, a book that sets its goals so high that they can barely be seen and yet surpasses them without it seeming to have been any effort for the limitless imagination of its author.”
LESTRARKLEFINN, LITERARY WEBSITE
“One of the most interesting books of the year. This over-400 page debut bears witness to a tremendous stylistic gift and powers of imagination.”
FRÉTTABLAÐIÐ DAILY
Further reading:
https://bokmenntir.is/bokmenntavefur/bokmenntaumfjollun/malleysingjarnir-0
Pedro Gunnlaugur Garcia 