“I don't read much crime fiction”

21. September, 2010

Photo: Einar Falur Ingólfsson

“I don't read much crime fiction anymore,” says crime-writer Arnaldur Indriðason in an interview with Sagenhaftes Island. He is about to release a new novel, which contains a pleasant surprise for fans of  Indriðason's eccentric police investigator, Erlendur Sveinsson.

When Arnaldur Indriðason published his first book thirteen years ago, Icelandic crime novels faced a distinctly uphill journey towards acceptance. Writing about crime and violence in Icelandic society was perceived as preposterous, and in the first few years of his career, Indriðason was often asked if it was even possible to stage a plausible crime novel in the country. Thirteen years later, things have changed.

With thirteen books to his name, Arnaldur Indriðason is now the most popular writer in Iceland, the recipient of numerous awards, and his books have been translated into countless languages. His fourteenth, titled Furðustrandir in Icelandic (Strange Shores),  is due out this fall.

Sagenhaftes Island had a few words with him about popularity, the Icelandic crime-novel and  influences from Icelandic literature.

 

Your books have found great success outside of Iceland in the past few years, reaching a large and diverse readership. Has popularity changed the way you write? 

I've tried to keep it from from influencing the actual writing. Of course, a whole lot has changed. I can write without having to to work at another job, which is the most enjoyable change. When foreign publishers have asked me to help promote the book, I've obliged, which means I've traveled a great deal and met many wonderful people in the book industry around the world. But it's always those 300,000 people in Iceland that I'm writing for. I haven't tried to reach a wider audience – it seems to expand by itself. I've never gone chasing after popularity, and I think doing so is a risky business.

What are your main influences in Icelandic literature?

I have my favorite authors, such as Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson, Halldór Laxness and my father, Indriði G. Þorsteinsson. My favorite poets are Hannes Pétursson, Snorri Hjartarson, Stefán Hörður Grímsson and Steinn Steinarr, to name a few. I find myself reading more and more poetry.

What do you read when you're not writing?

Historical accounts. I just read a wonderful book by Bruce Chatwin called In Patagonia. It's a traveler's description of interesting places in South America. Lately, I've also been reading a lot on Albert Speer. The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig is always close to hand, and I'd also like to mention a delightful book on the composer Jón Leifs.

For the longest time, crime novels had a hard time of it in Iceland, but since 1997, the country and its literature have changed. Has the crime novel taken root in Iceland? Is there now some sort of “Icelandic tradition” of the crime novel?

I think it's safe to say the form has taken root. Today, there are maybe 15 to 20 of us writing crime novels, which is a big change. And new writers are constantly joining our ranks. Whether or not a tradition has evolved, I don't know. It does seem to me that Icelandic crime writers try to work their environment into works that aren't just about solving the crime. I think that social realism is on the minds of many writers here, like in the rest of Scandinavia.

Your main protagonist, Inspector Erlendur, has been absent from your latest two books. Instead, his sidekicks Elínborg and Sigurdur Óli have stepped forward. Can readers expect Erlendur to return in the next book?

Yes, Erlendur is back at the helm in the next book, which will be out this fall.

In previous interviews, you have said that your works are influenced by the narrative technique of movies. But how do you feel about TV shows such as C.S.I., where each graphic detail of the crime is magnified, and the viewer is brought into extreme proximity with murder? There, the solution to the mystery is more often found through the power of science than the insight of the investigators.

I must admit I hardly ever watch crime shows, and I don't read much crime fiction anymore. When you're thinking about these things all day long, you like to take your mind off it when you can. But as far as I can tell, these shows are mostly about beautiful people who strike fabulous poses and spout  technical details which I have no interest in. I've always been more interested in character development than anything else. You don't see much of it, lately.