Audur Ava Ólafsdóttir

Hotel Silence

Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

A funny, wistful and utterly beguiling novel about a man whose life is falling apart, and how he learns to put it back together 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 must unexpected path... Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is an Icelandic prize-winning novelist, playwright and a poet. She is the author of five novels, a collection of poetry and four plays that have been performed at the National Theatre in Iceland and at the Reykjavik City Theatre. She also writes the lyrics for the Icelandic performance pop band Milkywhale. Auður Ava’s novels have been translated into over 25 languages and among them are The Greenhouse and Butterflies in November. Her new novel, Hotel Silence, won the Icelandic Literary Prize 2016 and was chosen Best Icelandic Novel in 2016 by booksellers in Iceland. Auður Ava lives in Reykjavik.

Bilge Ince

“Did you know that humans are the only animals who cry?” She smiles from ear to ear. “No, I didn’t know that. I thought we were the only animals who laugh.” 

This story starts with a gloomy air, depressed guy who is just divorced. The guy decided to go on a journey where there is no comeback…
Then a city is just as wounded as the guy. It’s in a truce but no one knows whether it’s permanent. It has struck him how little his sorrow is when he is surrounded by people who have more scars on their bodies and in their souls. And one would expect that the guy will be healed in such an environment, right? But is it the case that I’m not sure, at last?

In normal circumstances, I’d love to give more stars than 3 to this story but it was a bit dark I caught unprepared. Therefore, I felt depressed a bit in the end because the city reminded me the wars have been happening and continuing in the middle east and around of it. I didn’t want to be reminded of what had happened and currently happening for this reason.


The woman asks disjointed questions: what my name is, how old I am, and asks me to count my fingers. I have five on one hand and five on the other, unlike many others in this town.

Auður A. Ólafsdóttir

A funny, wistful and utterly beguiling novel about a man whose life is falling apart, and how he learns to put it back together

Moray Lyle McIntosh

"I'm not happy." Jónas Ebeneser tells his mother close to the start of this poignant little gem of a book. He's middle-aged, divorced and his ex-wife has just revealed a secret that has shaken his understanding of his own life so far and his understanding of his life is that he is ready for it to be over. That he says these sad, simple words to a mother no longer present or coherent enough to understand them is heartbreaking and it spurs Jónas on to the decision to die. His main concern is how to spare his daughter the pain of finding his body so he packs an almost-empty case and departs for Hotel Silence in a nameless, recently-war-torn country. In the dilapidated hotel run by a harried brother and sister clinging to hope, amongst the ragged population haunted by violence and lingering landmines Jónas finds that his skills as a handyman are much in demand and that his apparently small contributions, fixing showers and building doors, make a world of difference. He begins to wonder whether his life can mean more, offer more, before it ends.

It's a sad story full of melancholy and loneliness but while it is a little too tender to be described as heartwarming it is affirming and not without hope. As Jónas navigates the scarred streets and their scarred residents Ólafsdóttir explores the nature of different wounds and the residue they leave with real tenderness and sensitivity. It's touching and perceptive and manages to understand and portray a real depth and complexity of feeling with a simplicity of language and form more commonly found in poetry. I wouldn't add or take a thing, Ólafsdóttir has mastered the short form and her delicate economy of word and detail really leaves its mark. Beautiful.

Hotel Silence (eletto Libro dell'anno dai librai islandesi) è un romanzo poetico e delicato, un inno alla capacità della vita di rigenerarsi e trasformarsi. Ed è il libro piú bello di Auður Ólafsdóttir.

Luca Conti

Non è un lbro facile da descrivere. Un uomo deluso dalla vita decide di farla finita, ma alcune circostanze inaspettate...

Capitoli brevi. Non è un thriller ma a suo modo è appassionante.

Hotel Silence

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