101 Reykjavik: A Novel

101 Reykjavik: A Novel by Helgason, Hallgrimur. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780743225144.

Hlynur Bjorn sleeps in. He surfs the Web. He tests the efficacy of various pornography. And at night, he hits the K-bar for a few drinks, maybe a tab of E, and perhaps a bit of sex before another crash. Hed blithely remain in this cycle forever, but when his part-time girlfriend reveals shes pregnant, his way of life is threatened. Hlynur withdraws and becomes obsessed with his mothers best friend, only to discover, after hes shagged her, that shes his mothers lesbian lover. And just when you believe he couldnt twist up his life any further, Hlynur finds a way. Icelandic novelist HallgrÍmur Helgason inhabits his antiheros mind with marvelous acuity, subversive wit, and devilish charm. Hlynur is a true product of our postmodern global culture. Well beyond slackerdom, he lives at home with his mother and depends on social welfare. Hes a quick-witted and articulate young man, and theres nothing wrong with him -- other than a total lack of ambition, an off-kilter sense of morality, and a nagging set of existential woes. Against the backdrop of ReykjavÍks storied nightlife and amid the swelling global presence of Icelandic culture, Helgason portrays with brutal honesty and humor a young man who takes uselessness to new extremes, and for whom redemption may not be an option. 101 ReykjavÍk is a spectacularly inventive, darkly comic tale of depraved and inspired humanity.