Featured Book of the Month

This gripping collection of 13 short stories will keep you on the edge of your seat! Cynical tales that will stick with you long after reading. Some readers may even find some of the material disturbing. Each story sparks a different emotion, touching on a wide range of topics. Featuring stories of bitter love, hard life lessons, death, business trip savages, assault on a critic, a serial killer novelist, crime family disputes, religion, politics, and more. Narrated from the point of view of various characters in and around the district of Reykjavík.

This book is translated from Icelandic by David McDuff and the Author except for "The Nazi" by Philip Roughton and "The Wrath of Jehova" by Sola Bjarnadottir O ́Connell. "Death Comes At Daybreak," and "Into the Fire" are translated by Steven Meyers

The cover art is a painting titled "Head of Medusa" by Caravaggio. Commissioned as a ceremonial shield by Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte in 1598.

The Review:

Genre: F/short stories/Drama/Thriller

4 Stars

Ólafur Gunnarsson writes an intriguing collection of stories 

In The Critic and other Stories, there are thirteen stories, and they all have the same theme. If you read the prologue, which I recommend of all books, you get the sense that the narrator is reflecting on his life and death. I haven't read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I always scrutinize short stories more, because they aren't just short, they have to have a beginning, middle and end, like any story. I was very impressed by Ólafur Gunnarsson writing style and the theme of the book. Stories need to bring in the reader, and keep their attention, no matter the length. I read through all 13 stories, my favorite, after reading them all is Death comes at Daybreak. It's the first story, but all of them are worth reading. A reader can get lost in some of the stories, and others, make you question things, but if I told you, I'd give it away. An unforgettable read. I am a big fan of short stories, especially when they are written well, and keep the reader's attention.