The Natural Laws

"Did you ever hear the folk tale that says that if seven priests and one one-eyed ever gather in front of the local church, the cliff that stands above it will come lose and bury the entire town, effectively ending all habitation in Ísafjörður for the foreseeable future?“

It's early summer 1925 and the youngest, most beautiful and most reluctant bishop in the history of Iceland summons the country’s priests to the small town of Isafjordur. His purpose is to solidify the power of Christianity and suppress the spread of spiritualism. However, his schemes set off an unforeseen chain of events that span seven tumultuous days. Life in the town takes a sharp detour as inexplicable and catastrophic phenomena unfold, leaving the townspeople grappling with the question of whether the nature of these occurrences is scientific or divine.

The Natural Laws is a captivating novel with a glittering tinge of fantasy that offers a distinctive and carnivalesque portrayal of life in a small Icelandic town. Fact and fiction are juggled freely, capturing the town’s atmosphere and local memories, to weave an exhilarating and thrilling narrative.

Sold to Rámus (Sweden). Further information and test translation available from The Reykjavík Literary Agency.

Praise for The Natural Laws :

"Without a doubt one of the most entertaining novels of the year." ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Kristján Jóhann Jónsson / Morgunblaðið

"Brimming with cheerful story-telling, stylistic aristry and an off-beat plot.
Icelandic Literary Award Motivation

"Wow and bravo!.
Sunna Dís Másdóttir / Kiljan TV

"An immensely ambitious philosophical novel and social depiction dealing with the biggest questions of the kingdom of God and man."
Þorsteinn Vilhjálmsson / Heimildin

Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl (1978) is an Icelandic experimental poet and novelist. His work – including a dozen novels, a dozen poetry books, a couple of essay books, a couple of plays, a cook book, a children's christmas splatter, video poems, sound poems and various conceptual projects – have been published in over a dozen languages and won numerous awards in several countries, including the Icelandic Literary Award, the Transfuge award for best nordic fiction (in France), the DV Cultural Award, the Zebra Poetry Film Festival Special Mention, Sparibollinn Award for Romantic Fiction and the Book Merchant's Prize. They have also been shortlisted for awards such as the Prix Médicis Étranger, the Prix Meilleur Livre Étranger and the Nordic Council Literary Award.

Eiríkur has translated over a dozen books into Icelandic, including a selection of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry and Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn (for which he received the Icelandic Translation Award). He lives in Ísafjörður, Iceland, a rock in the middle of the ocean, and spends much of his time in Västerås, Sweden, a town by a lake

Other praise :

"The birth of a very, very great writer."
Livres Hebdo / France

"Demanding, touching, valuable reading."
Musik Express / Germany

"Illska, the title sounds like a cry, like the sound of a blade in the night. But it is a bomb that comes at you. A work of a rare caliber, strength, humor and scale that grabs you from the start and deposits you back on earth, 650 pages later, in a very different state of consciousness."
Lire / France

“[Evil] is a journey; dense, long and sometimes wildly funny. And Norðdahl is a virtuoso."
Marie Claire / France

“When Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl writes novels you must hold on to your hat so it won’t blow off."
Sveriges Radio / Sweden

"It is undoubtedly the most unusual book this season: An Icelander called Eirikur Orn Norddahl has succeeded in writing a novel that gathers under the same roof the Holocaust, the economic crisis, the rise of neo-Nazis in Europe and an unusually frank love triangle.“
Profile / Germany

"A stroke of brilliance."
Les Echos / France

"A major work in every sense … very strong impact … masterfully written …"
Kiljan, National Broadcasting Service / Iceland

"This book is a monster. A loud, nasty, mean, violent, feverish, and sometimes delicate, vulnerable and sensitive monster. It scratches and bites, rumbles your stomach in order to make your heart large and wide."
Stadtbekannt Wien / Austria

"Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl has written a cruel, sometimes cruelly funny book about how ideology and history permeates our most intimate spheres."
Der Spiegel / Germany

“[Evil] is a literary tour de force."
Le Matricule des Anges / France

"Here you’ll not find a trace of the clichés and unimaginative writing so easily associated with authors taking on the past. Instead of raising a judgmental finger Norðdahl grabs history by the throat and doesn't let go until 560 dizzying, thought-provoking, playful, violent and completely brilliant pages later."
Kristiansstadsbladet / Sweden

"An exceptional contemporary novel. MAGNIFICENT. Wildly funny and incredibly intelligent."
Bodil Malmsten / Sweden

“Crazy book! Read it! ... So masterfully done, original and fantastic that it is just overwhelming.”
Fréttablaðið daily / Iceland

"Evil is twisted, crazy, stubborn, cheekily good. If you appreciate the kind of literature that is completely different from anything else you might know, then you need to read Evil."
Denglers-Buchkritik, Germany

"This year’s best and most unique novel."
Göteborgs-Posten / Sweden

“I don't remember having read a better book in Icelandic. Haven't I said enough? What on earth should I add to that? I’m telling you to read the book.”
truflun.net blog, Iceland

“Evil is a clear conversation with the present. … Norðdahl is a complete genius … There's never a dead spot in the work. … As a political work, Evil is a pure masterpiece.”
DV daily / Iceland

“... a beautiful and expansive novel, a tremendous feat I must say, about injured people wandering around an ailing world in all its misery – and splendour.”
bokmenntir.is

“Norðdahl has made himself a place amongst the most progressive and daring authors of his generation with his work.”
Víðsjá, National Broadcasting service

Mynd: Ágúst G. Atlason