Product details
Biographical note
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is an Icelandic prize-winning novelist, playwright and a poet. She is the author of five novels, a collection of poetry and four plays that have been performed at the National Theatre in Iceland and at the Reykjavik City Theatre. She also writes the lyrics for the Icelandic performance pop band Milkywhale. Auður Ava's novels have been translated into over 25 languages and among them are The Greenhouse and Butterflies in November. Her new novel, Hotel Silence, won the Icelandic Literary Prize 2016 and was chosen Best Icelandic Novel in 2016 by booksellers in Iceland. Auður Ava lives in Reykjavik.Humane, eccentric and bleakly funny
Sunday Times
Ólafsdóttir's writing is at once profoundly Icelandic... and universal... her authorial voice is immediate and intimate
Financial Times
What's so wonderful is the understatement, the humour, the philosophical depth; above all, the lovely optimism
Daily Mail
A dark comedy that deals with our darkest thoughts with deft humour, and boasts some surprisingly insightful truths about human nature
Esquire
A novel of healing and redemption
Financial Times, Best Summer Reads
Bizarre, black humour can be a good thing, as Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir's fifth novel proves... For fans of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Independent, Best New Novels for 2018
An uplifting tale of how to carry on in difficult circumstances
The Gloss (Irish Times)
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir's speciality is the small journeys we take in order to save ourselves and the ones we care for. She is the heart's finest map-maker
Sjón
A beautifully written, quirky and heartwarming novel . . . this life affirming, perfectly poised story is ideal fireside reading - good for the winter blues.
The Lady
Hotel Silence is one of the most human books I've read in a while. It reminds me of The Clown by Heinrich Boll. I loved it
Daniel Wallace, author of 'Extraordinary Adventures' and 'Big Fish'
Jónas Ebeneser leaves his home in Iceland for a city thousands of miles away pummelled by war and violence, now at tentative peace. He brings with him only his toolbox, scars, and grief. While he plans his suicide, the people of the town draw him out with their endless list of broken items to be fixed. With humor and simple, heart-piercing prose, Hotel Silence tells the story of a man and his past, and the community where he finds himself. Ólafsdóttir's world is full of surprise, sadness, love, and transformation. I didn't want it to end
Bethany Ball, author of 'What To Do About the Solomons'
In Jonas, Ólafsdóttir has created a rounded, humorous character and it is a pleasure to spend some time in his company
Bookoxygen
For those already impressed by her track record, the book confirms Auður's stature
This is Splice
Taut, pithy... Ólafsdóttir excels in exploring what bedevils Jónas and the novel's other men: a conception of manhood that prevents them from articulating emotion or understanding power except as violence
New Yorker
This charming novel of second chances and fateful journeys is filled with quiet hope... Ólafsdottir's blend of sly humor and bleak realities makes for a life-affiriming tale without any treacle
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Witty, soulful, lighthearted, and tender, this charming and immersive new work from the award-winning author of Butterflies in November is a great choice for book discussion groups
Library Journal (starred review)
Told in surreal, almost Kafkaesque prose, Ólafsdóttir's stunning story is about one man's unexpected reawakening. An engaging and surprising tale of transformation, told in almost allegorical form, perfect for fans of second chances and evolving perspectives
Kirkus
Hotel Silence is a beautifully spare and insightful tale of redemption
Booklist
Charmingly quirky... understated and incredibly impactful
Nudge Books
Wry and kooky, serious and sad, Hotel Silence enthralls and entertains. Readers yet to discover Ólafsdóttir's magic should begin here with this, her finest novel to date
The National
A reflective and uplifting novel about second chances - a must-read!
CUB Magazine
Even in translation Auður Ava's prose is evident as she breathes life into Jonas, an utterly charming literary hero
The Word's Shortlist (blog)
A captivating read
Never Imitate (blog)
A quietly powerful piece of fiction managing to both entertain and deliver a message of hope through shared humanity and cooperation
A Life in Books (blog)
Praise for Butterflies in November
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Funny and wistful... very moving, layered and optimistic
- Isabel Berwick on <i>Butterflies in November</i>, Financial Times
Evocative and humorous
Observer, on <i>Butterflies in November</i>
[Butterflies in November] has many bleak moments, but plenty of funny ones too... we warm to Olafsdottir's clear-eyed, quirky heroine
Daily Mail
Playfully self-conscious... reflecting on the relationships between reading and experience
- <i>Guardian</i>, on <i>Butterflies in November</i>
Brilliantly written, and the main protagonist is such a fascinating character. The author... takes mudane subjects in life... and makes them quirky, fun, adorable and bizarre. You'll savour each page of this book
- <i>Company</i>, on <i>Butterflies in November</i>
Sadness and humour coexist beautifully in Butterflies in November
Metro
The darkly comic narrative touches and captivates at every turn
- <i>The Lady</i>, on <i>Butterflies in November</i>
Gorgeously quirky
- <i>Stylist</i>, on <i>Butterflies in November</i>
A funny, moving and occasionally bizarre exploration of life's upheavals and reversals
- <i>Financial Times</i> (Books of the Year), on <i>Butterflies in November</i>