Hotel Silence - Softcover

Olafsdottir, Augur Ava

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782274219 ISBN 13: 9781782274216

Publisher: Pushkin Press, 2018

Synopsis

'Ólafsdottir's specialty is the small journeys we take to save ourselves and the ones we care for. She is the heart's finest map-maker' Sjón

Winner of the Icelandic Literature Prize

Jónas feels like his life is over.

His wife has left him, his mother is slipping deeper into dementia, and his daughter is no longer who he thought. So he comes up with a foolproof plan: to buy a one-way ticket to a chaotic, war-ravaged country and put an end to it all.

But on arriving at Hotel Silence, he finds his plans - and his anonymity - begin to dissolve under the foreign sun. Now there are other things that need his attention, like the crumbling hotel itself, the staff who run it, and his unusual fellow guests. And soon it becomes clear that Jónas must decide whether he really wants to leave it all behind; or give life a second chance, albeit down a most unexpected path...

About this title

Review

'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

'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

'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

'What's so wonderful is the understatement, the humour, the philosophical depth; above all, the lovely optimism' -- Daily Mail

'An puplifting tale of how to carry on in difficult circumstances' -- The Gloss (Irish Times)

'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

'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

'I loved it' -- Daniel Wallace, author of Extraordinary Adventures and Big Fish

'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

Beautifully written... Told with a quiet power, this life-affirming, perfectly poised story is ideal fireside reading - good for the winter blues' -- The Lady

'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 captivating read' -- Never Imitate (blog)
,br>'A reflective and uplifting novel about second chances - a must-read!' -- CUB Magazine

'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

'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-affirming tale without any treacle' -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'Witty, soulful, lighthearted, and tender' -- 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

'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

'Even in translation Auður Ava's prose is evident as she breathes life into Jonas, an utterly charming literary hero' --The Words Shortlist (blog)

PRAISE FOR BUTTERFLIES IN NOVEMBER

'Funny and wistful... very moving, layered and optimistic' -- Financial Times

'Evocative and humorous' -- Observer

'[Butterflies in November] has many bleak moments, but plenty of funny ones too... we warm to Ólafsdóttir's clear-eyed, quirky heroine' -- Daily Mail

'Playfully self-conscious... reflecting on the relationships between reading and experience' -- Guardian

'Brilliantly written, and the main protagonist is such a fascinating character. The author... takes mundane subjects in life... and makes them quirky, fun, adorable and bizarre. You'l' savour each page of this book' -- Company

'Sadness and humour coexist beautifully in Butterflies in November' -- Metro

'The darkly comic narrative touches and captivates at every turn' -- The Lady

'Gorgeously quirky' -- Stylist

'A funny, moving and occasionally bizarre exploration of life's upheavals and reversals' --Financial Times, (Books of the Year)

About the Author

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1958. She studied art history and art theory in Paris and is a lecturer in history of art at the University of Iceland and a director of the University of Iceland Art Collection. The Greenhouse, published in 2007 won the DV Culture Award for literature and a women's literary prize in Iceland, was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Award and received unanimous acclaim. Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir lives and works in Reykjavik.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1782274219
• ISBN 13: 9781782274216
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224