Independent PeopleIndependent People
Score Classic
What it's about
Bjartur of Summerhouses has worked eighteen years as a servant to buy a piece of barren land in the Icelandic highlands, and now he's a free man, an independent sheep farmer who owes nothing to anyone. Stubborn, proud and heroic in his way, he will sacrifice anything, including his wives and children, to keep that independence.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books, and Laxness won the Nobel Prize. It's an epic of poverty and pride, harsh and often funny, with a heartbreaking daughter at its center.
You'll love it if you liked
The Grapes of Wrath
Buddenbrooks
East of EdenGood to know
It's long and bleak, with deaths, harsh poverty and sexual abuse. J. A. Thompson's translation is the standard one.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller18 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
To Kill a Mockingbird
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1984
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of TimeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Independent People worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books, and Laxness won the Nobel Prize. It ranks #890 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Independent People about?
Bjartur of Summerhouses has worked eighteen years as a servant to buy a piece of barren land in the Icelandic highlands, and now he's a free man, an independent sheep farmer who owes nothing to anyone. Stubborn, proud and heroic in his way, he will sacrifice anything, including his wives and children, to keep that independence.
How long does it take to read Independent People?
About 14 hours (546 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Independent People?
If you liked it, try The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann or East of Eden by John Steinbeck.