Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Hotel Silence
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
Winner of the Icelandic Literary Prize, Hotel Silence is a delightful and heartwarming new novel from Auur Ava lafsdttir, a writer who upends expectations (New York Times). Told with grace, insight, and humor, this is the story of one mans surprising mid-life adventure of self-discovery that leads him to find a new reason for being. Jnas Ebeneser is a handy DIY kind of man with a compulsion to fix things, but he cant seem to fix his own life. On the cusp of turning fifty, divorced, adrift, hes recently discovered he is not the biological father of his daughter, Gudrun Waterlily, and he has sunk into an existential crisis, losing all will to live. As he visits his senile mother in a nursing home, he secretly muses on how, when, and where to put himself out of his misery. To prevent his only daughter from discovering his body, Jnas decides its best to die abroad. Armed with little more than his toolbox and a change of clothes, he flies to an unnamed country where the fumes of war still hover in the air. He books a room at the sparsely occupied Hotel Silence, and there he comes to understands the depths of other peoples scars while beginning to see his wounds in a new light. A celebration of lifes infinite possibilities, of transformations and second chances, Hotel Silence is a rousing story of a man, a community, and a path toward regeneration from the depths of despair.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Adventures_of_a_French_Reader
Hotel Silence | Auur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

That's my jam! That's the type of books I like to read.

A depressed man decides to go abroad, in a country recently out of war, to kill himself. That's how the story begins. We follow this man's journey through this difficult period of his life.

I love world literature. It's not the first book by an icelandic writer that I read, and for some reason, they never disappoint.

*Already gave my copy... Picture of my reading buddy instead ;)

blurb
quietjenn
Hotel Silence | Auur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Thank you, @Born.A.Reader for a fab fall swap package! I am making a nice cup of cocoa asap and the treats all smell divine! Looking forward to the books and really appreciate everything. 💛🍂

#llfs #litsylovefallswap @Deblovestoread @Bookgoil

Bookgoil Enjoy your tasty cup of cocoa looks like a fun box of swap goodies! 🍁 2y
Deblovestoread Great box 🎃🍁 2y
Born.A.Reader You're very welcome! I hope you enjoy everything! 🧡 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome package!! 2y
LeahBergen Lovely! I‘ve been curious about Hotel Silence and will keep an eye out for your review or comments. 2y
49 likes5 comments
review
vlwelser
Hotel Silence | Auur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

I love this author. I found one of her books in the airport in Iceland and so glad I did. This one is about a man whose life is falling apart. He's depressed. So he picks a place to go kill himself. It's a hotel in an unnamed country that experienced a war and is just starting to recover. It may be a little dark but also funny and joyful. I definitely recommend it.

41 likes1 stack add
review
Jen2
Hotel Silence | Auur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

Picked this one based solely on the title. Wonderful book!

vlwelser I love this author. I still need to read this one. 3y
61 likes1 comment
review
Mirazzles
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

I‘ve read “Miss Iceland” and quite enjoyed it and the authors particular writing style. “Hotel Silence” is about a man who is at a crossroads. He doesn‘t know who he is, or where his life is going. Alone, and in pain, he decides to travel to a war torn country to commit suicide. Once there, he meets the hotel owners and locals and slowly begins to find purpose. ⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5

blurb
DrexEdit
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Starting a new book at lunch today.

DrexEdit I've not read much Icelandic literature so I'm looking forward to this. 4y
34 likes1 comment
quote
KT1432
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Started my second selection for #NewYearWhoDis yesterday. I really like this epigraph. Lol @RachelO I think it gets more humorous but right now it is a bit bleak with the MC's contemplations of ending it all. And omg the part about his daughter had me 😱😱😱!

rockpools 😱 I think we have our word for the month: BLEAK!!! 😂😂 You‘re making me want to read this one again - it‘s sad, but I think it has a lot of warmth to it. In Icelandic, its title is Scars, which makes at least as much sense as Hotel Silence. 🤞you like it! 5y
KT1432 @RachelO Lol yes!! 😂 And I can see that being a perfect title! I'm really intrigued so far! I'm almost to the point where he goes on his trip! (edited) 5y
23 likes2 comments
blurb
KT1432
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

My #WeeklyForecast is a busy one!
I finished The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind already✅
✳️Next #LMPBC book
✳️My next #NewYearWhoDis I think will be the tagged
✳️And yes, I need to finish The Last Hours for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead.
✳️If I can manage that, I‘ll be able to start on The Turn of Midnight.
✳️Also continuing Burnout and the #PotterADay read along.

Tanisha_A I am reading that one by Olga rn, and gosh, loving every bit of it. Fabulous read! Hope you enjoy! 5y
KT1432 @Tanisha_A I am so excited about it! I‘ve heard really good things! 😊 5y
rockpools Sounds like a busy week. Hope you enjoy them all! 5y
Librarybelle Good luck! 5y
TheDaysGoBy Burnout helped me a lot! Some real eye opening stuff in there 5y
50 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Pruzy
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Hey everyone! Sorry to be showing up so often on your feeds today 😆, but I just wanted to share a Litsy milestone with you! I‘ve reached 18,000 Litfluence thanks to my wonderful interactions with you all here on this site!

These milestones are usually blown past by the time I usually get around to checking Litsy, so I am happy to have caught it for once!

🙌

Tagged book is another book I started today🤦‍♂️😁

Avanders 🎉🎉🎉 5y
Pruzy @Avanders Thank you!! 5y
LeahBergen Yesss! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
See All 37 Comments
Pruzy @LeahBergen 😄😄 (edited) 5y
crazyspine 👏 way to go! 5y
BarbaraBB Great picture! And congrats! 🎈 5y
Pruzy @BarbaraBB You are too kind! 😝 5y
Pruzy @crazyspine Thank you!! 5y
Bklover Woohoo!! Congratulations!!🎈🎉🎊 5y
Pruzy @Bklover 🎉🌟 5y
Crazeedi Congrats! So glad you're here!!🎉🎉🎉 5y
Pruzy @Crazeedi Thanks!! 5y
Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😁😁 5y
Jas16 🎉📚👏 5y
Pruzy @Megabooks 😊😊😊 5y
Pruzy @Jas16 👍🤩👍 5y
JoScho 🥳💜🥳💜🥳 5y
Pruzy @JoScho 😃😃😃 5y
mrp27 🎉🎉🎉 5y
vivastory Congratulations! 🎉👏🤘📚 5y
Pruzy @mrp27 Thanks!! 5y
Pruzy @vivastory Thank you very much! 5y
KirstieE Congrats !! 👏🏻🥳 5y
batsy Yay!! 🎉🎉📚 5y
Pruzy @KirstieE Thanks ☺️! 5y
Pruzy @batsy Woohoo!! 5y
Cathythoughts Well done 🥳🥳🥳 5y
Cathythoughts The book sounds good 👍🏻 5y
La_Cori Congrats!! 🎉📚👏🎉 5y
Pruzy @Cathythoughts Thanks and it does! 5y
Pruzy @La_Cori Thank you very much! 🙂 5y
Redwritinghood 🎉🎉 5y
readordierachel 🎉🎉🎉 5y
Erofan Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉 5y
Pruzy @Erofan Thank you!!! 5y
79 likes37 comments
blurb
mreads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Jónas life is falling apart and he'd decided to end it allby going to a chaotic, war-ravaged country thinking his death there would be of little consequence. He stays at a formerly #grandhotel and fixes the nuisance plumbing, then a few other things around the hotel, then a few things in the neighborhood, then well you can see how this is going.
#wanderingjune @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Cinfhen Not familiar with this book or author but sounds good 5y
BarbaraBB Sounds good indeed! 5y
BooknerdsLife Never heard of this but sounds very interesting 🤗 5y
63 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Siri_reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

This novel took me by surprise! I didn‘t think a book about a depressed middle aged man, with a passion for tools, would be my cup of tea. It totally was. I really liked the book and found it hard to put down. Yes, the subject matter was dark and serious but it wasn‘t depressing. It was original and had a lot of gallows humour. Everything was written in a respectful and loving way.

Siri_reads The author won the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2018 with this book 🥇 6y
13 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Siri_reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

My second reading spot in the garden ready for hopefully a lot of reading. I just need more flowers and greenery 🌱📚 My dream is that the children will play peacefully outside while I sit inside the greenhouse warm and relaxed reading. Last summer that happened only once 🙈😅 #readingspot

BookishMarginalia How lovely! 6y
AnneCecilie La oss håpe at det skjer flere ganger i år ? Det ser helt fantastisk ut. 6y
Siri_reads @BookishMarginalia thank you ☺️ 6y
Siri_reads @AnneCecilie Ja, krysser fingre for det. Selv om jeg har mine tvil... 😅 6y
10 likes4 comments
blurb
Siri_reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Jealous cat! Won‘t let me read in peace...😅 #catsoflitsy

blurb
Siri_reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Don‘t judge a book by its cover....The same book in six different languages. Icelandic, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English and French. Which edition would you choose? I find the English edition a little strange. The cover reminds me of a feel-good romance. They have also changed the title from Scars to Hotel Silence. I wonder why? 🤔

Erofan All the covers are beautiful! 😍 Although I choose Icelandic! Is that a drill bit painted on it? 6y
Siri_reads @Erofan yes, I also love that cover 😍 6y
7 likes2 comments
quote
Siri_reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

Love this book dedication!

review
saresmoore
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

This was unexpectedly delightful. I appreciate that Ólafsdóttir kept it short. There are abundant digressions, but they‘re intentional & serve to enrich the story. Jónas reminds me of Kate Atkinson‘s male characters—kinda really just a female, deep down—and so, naturally, I think he‘s a fascinating MC. His musings are pithy & propel the narrative. Great premise, quirky, somewhat enigmatic style, and a truly wonderful reading experience.

saresmoore Funnily, I read this to fulfill the prompt for the #popsugarreadingchallenge, “Set in Scandinavia”, but most of the story takes place in an unnamed war-torn country. 🙃 Anyone have recs for a book that actually takes place in Scandinavia? 6y
rockpools I‘m so glad you enjoyed this - it was my first book of the year, and I loved it! 6y
saresmoore @RachelO I was unsure, at first, but then I just didn‘t stop reading until the end. There‘s some really masterful skill in packing so much food for thought into such a short, readable, entertaining book! 6y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 6y
saresmoore @TrishB 😘♥️ 6y
RohitSawant Awesome review! This sounds so interesting. 6y
LeahBergen Oh, look. I already have it stacked! 6y
68 likes7 stack adds7 comments
review
amyf0x
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

A man travels to a war-torn country with the intent of killing himself, but keeps getting distracted by the myriad repairs to do at Hotel Silence — and the lovely, traumatized young family that runs it.

Read January 28 - February 1
Book 8/55

blurb
rockpools
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

A good reading month for me! Night, Hotel Silence & Doggerland were favourites. My plan to read 1 book at a time lasted all of 5 days 🙄.

Pretty much on track with my reading goals for the year:
in translation 2/12
nonfiction 3/12
ARCs 1/12
from my shelves 2/12

Challenges not quite going so well, but not bad!
#readingwomenchallenge 1/26
#Booked2019 3/24
#readaroundtheworld 0/12 🙁
#readinggifts2019 2/20
#nonfiction2019 3/25

#ro19 #januarywrapup

TrishB Cool 👍🏻 6y
Reviewsbylola Great month! 👏🏻 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Great job!! 📚💕 6y
71 likes3 comments
review
rockpools
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

Starting the year with this sad, hopeful, sometimes funny, thoughtful little book, which I absolutely loved. Jónas packs his toolbox & his student diaries, & heads to a war-ravaged country to end it all. The young owners of the hotel could use the help of a man with a toolbox, if he decided to linger.

This was a #newtomeauthor for #booked2019, and no. 1 of my #readinggifts2019 (I‘m aiming to read 18 books I‘ve been given that are still tbr)

Velvetfur Aaww that's great that you've got one book to fit two reading challenges 😁👍 6y
rockpools @Velvetfur I counted up how many unread gifted books I had, and it was, frankly, embarrassing! So I‘m going to try and prioritise books from that list this year. For ALL of the challenges!! 6y
Velvetfur @RachelO That's great 👍 Yay! 6y
Cinfhen Great idea!!! I NEED to do that as well!!! 6y
66 likes2 stack adds4 comments
quote
rockpools
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

What am I to do with a whole six days? Excluding seven hours of sleep, that leaves me with seventeen hours a day to be filled.
“Seventeen times six equals a hundred and two hours” Mom would immediately have answered.
That means the glowing star will rise above the horizon six more times.

A beautiful little book about a middle-aged handyman who decides his time has come. And the people and tiny acts that delay him.

#seasonsoflove #musicalnewyear

Cinfhen Sounds like an Ove book 💔 6y
rockpools @Cinfhen I should probably read that sometime! 6y
Cinfhen If I had it I‘d mail it to you....it‘s definitely a book you should read❤️ 6y
See All 6 Comments
rockpools @Cinfhen Thank you! I‘ll track one down at some point - pretty sure our library should have copies 😊 6y
vivastory Sounds interesting. It's on my TBR, I love the cover design! 6y
LeahBergen This looks good. Stacked! 6y
55 likes4 stack adds6 comments
blurb
Briget66
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

blurb
Briget66
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

blurb
Briget66
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

My new TBR stack (actually one of many!) Jumping into Hotel Silence first. Any thoughts on the others?

review
BooksCatsMaine
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image
Pickpick

This one almost made me cry on the subway. Starts bleak, stays pretty bleak, but eventually the light gets in. Ultimately it's about what our purpose is, what 'useful' means, and how we can change things for the better.

This is Book 13 of my #52Booksin2018

quote
IsabCamire
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

quote
charl08
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

And when it starts to rain...

27 likes1 stack add
quote
Moray_Reads
Hotel Silence | Audur Ava lafsdttir
post image

charl08 That's beautiful. 7y
Moray_Reads @charl08 having read a little further it's from a poem by Anne Sexton but still beautiful http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2001/09/13 7y
42 likes2 comments