Phases in the Life of a Nation (1955)

Phases in the Life of a Nation was the title Indridi G. Thorsteinsson gave to his trilogy Land and Sons (1963), North of War (1971), and Taxi 79 (1955). Together these three novels illustrate some of the most radical sociological changes in the history of Iceland, in the wake of the Depression, military occupation, and the emergence of new forms of employment. In his books, Indridi G. Thorsteinsson provided us with an X-ray of the emotional roots of two generations, and in doing so, created classic fiction about the nature of human destiny itself. Two of his novels, Taxi 79 and Land and Sons have been adapted into milestone movies.

• Nominated for the German Independent Publishers’ Award, Hotlist 2011