Dot Dot Comma Dash is WDR2's book of the year
“A delightful surprise from Iceland,” says Antje Deistler, literary critic of the German radio station WDR2 , on the German translation of the novel Dot Dot Comma Dash (orig. Punktur punktur komma strik) by Pétur Gunnarsson, during her annual literary round-up, which Pétur's book topped.
“This little, unpretentious book from Iceland was my biggest surprise of the year,” Deistler said of the work, which was translated into German by Benedikt Grabinski. “The fascinating and entertaining thing about the novel is not what Pétur Gunnarsson says, but how he tells a story. The book is full of spot-on images and similes, and terse sentences that you could hang above your bed ... I have only one complaint about this entertaining and informative tour of Iceland: It's too short! “
Dot Dot Comma Dash, a coming-of-age tale set in Reykjavík, established Pétur Gunnarsson as one of the leading authors of Iceland upon its publication in 1976. He wrote three more books on its protagonist, the youth Andri, and Pétur's German publisher Weidle has announced that the second title in the series is due to be published as well – a prospect at which Deistler professes delight.
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