Critics

Ármann Reynisson’s vignettes are a joy to read. A creative soul with a joie de vivre, Ármann notices little things about people, life, or nature and writes them up in a way that pleases the reader. His vignettes include memories from childhood, interesting people, or mythological tales. Each vignette is a page and gets the reader thinking and smiling. He is a real artist at life.

Edward Peter Stringham, K.W. Davis Endowed Professor of Economic Organizations and Innovation, Trinity College, Hartford U.S.A. and President, American Institute for Economic Research, writing Private Governance, Oxford publication 2015

Ármann’s vignettes transport you to a wonderful world of reflection and thought by giving the reader a glimpse into not only Icelandic culture, but also those from many lands. I teach Icelandic and have used some of them in my advanced levels of the language in order for students to appreciate the beauty and writing style that is captured in his vignettes. Looking at the English translations of them, I quickly notice that translators Dr. Martin Regal and Lisa Marie Mahmic M.A. have managed to do justice in retaining the flavor of the original Icelandic, a feat not so easily mastered by many. This calls to mind Seamus Heany’s excellent modern English rendition of Beowulf as he [Heany] manages to do the same with the Old English poem.

Josef V. Fioretta, Professor of Comparative Literature, Languages & Linguistics.
Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, U.S.A

The skillful concision of Ármann Reynisson’s writing is enviable: it turns the narratives into prose poems with poignant threads of description, nicely balanced internal rhythms, and moving observations (Christmas, the country, childhood memories). I enjoy especially the darker tales – dinner parties, nepotism, the media, Reykjavik grandees, tense social relations, and so on – often with subversively humorous twists. The love series are very amusing.

Robert Clarke, Artist and Lecturer in Philosophy of Art, England