LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
December 2013 Book of the Month.
A captivatingly different, quirky read run through with wit, dark comedy and Icelandic culture. Butterflies in November tells the story of a highly unusual road trip round Iceland driven by a need for escape and fueled by a lottery win involving a recent divorcee and the deaf-mute son of her best friend. The journey changes them both.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for Butterflies In November a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'This is a stunning story that holds you captive with its gentle intrigue and humour. A delightful, quirky book that you will love.' - Julie Bickerdyke.
Scroll down to read more reviews.
A Piece of Passion from the Publisher...
'I am delighted to share with you an extraordinary darkly comic book.
Butterflies in November is the second novel published in English by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir, an award-winning and internationally bestselling author from Iceland.
You discover the narrator’s uniquely witty and deeply moving writing style in the very first pages. After a day of being dumped - twice - and accidentally killing a goose, the narrator begins to dream of tropical holidays far away from the chaos of her current life. Instead, she finds her plans wrecked by her best friend's deaf-mute son, thrust into her reluctant care. When a shared lottery ticket nets the two of them over 40 million kroner, she and the boy head off on a road trip across Iceland, taking in cucumber-farming hotels, dead sheep, and any number of her exes desperate for another chance.
The story follows the turns of the narrow roads of Iceland and goes on to a sequence of unexpected events, both dramatic and comic. Underneath this unlikely but perfectly believable journey however, stir the more serious undercurrents of unwanted motherhood, relationships and the legacy of life’s mistakes, leaving the reader constantly between tears and laughter.
And I am not the only fan of this book! The films rights have just been bought by a group of American, Icelandic and French producers and the books rights have been sold into 6 languages, including France and Germany, where Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir is a bestselling author.
I do hope you will love this book as much as I do.'
Stephanie Seegmuller, Pushkin Press
LoveReading
Find This Book In
About
Butterflies in November Synopsis
A hilarious and moving road trip around Iceland in an old car, told by a recently divorced woman with a five year-old boy 'on loan' After a day of being dumped - twice - and accidentally killing a goose, the narrator begins to dream of tropical holidays far away from the chaos of her current life. instead, she finds her plans wrecked by her best friend's deaf-mute son, thrust into her reluctant care. But when a shared lottery ticket nets the two of them over 40 million kroner, she and the boy head off on a road trip across iceland, taking in cucumber-farming hotels, dead sheep, and any number of her exes desperate for another chance. Blackly comic and uniquely moving, Butterflies in November is an extraordinary, hilarious tale of motherhood, relationships and the legacy of life's mistakes.
About This Edition
Press Reviews
Audur Ava Olafsdottir, Petra Borner Press Reviews
We have asked a select number of members and browsers to review Butterflies In November. You can read their reviews below.
Beverley Latarche - 'A darkly comic road trip novel with much soul-searching.' Click Here to read the full review.
Lesley Hart - 'I loved this wonderful gentle tale of a compliant woman's journey, not simply to a different part of Iceland but, to finding her feet and a more self-reliant, happier, version of herself on the way.' Click Here to read the full review.
Rachel Hall - 'Butterflies in November is a beautiful novel by an author who I would perhaps never have come across without the help of Lovereading.co.uk.' Click Here to read the full review.
Kath Thornton - 'What an amazingly different, witty, hilarious black comedy read...a must read which will bring a smile as you travel along with her and her young companion.' Click Here to read the full review.
Dan Owens - 'a novel deeply indebted to feminine literary tradition...Laced with cynicism and irony, Butterflies in November is nevertheless a truthful and poignant study of a twenty-first century woman.' Click Here to read the full review.
Julie Bickerdyke - 'This is a stunning story that holds you captive with its gentle intrigue and humour. A delightful, quirky book that you will love.' Click Here to read the full review.
Edel Waugh - 'Dark humour and a great plot...This is definitely an author to get excited about with a charming writing style. Go read this!' Click Here to read the full review.
Sonya Kemp - 'Butterflies in November is totally different to any other book I’ve ever read...A strangely addictive read, beautifully written.' Click Here to read the full review.
Joan Hill - 'I felt the plot was far-fetched, somewhat ludicrous and slightly dream-like. It was way out of my comfort zone.' Click Here to read the full review.
_________________________________
Further praise for Butterflies in November.
'Quirky and poetic, everything is there... An extraordinary novelist' Madame Figaro
'A poetic and sensory narrative' El Pais
'Enchanting and moving' Paris Match
'It is as rare to be hit in the heart twice as to win the lottery. yet that's what happened with the new novel by Audur Ava Olafsdottir' Elle
'Perfect' Le Monde
'Quirky, fun, serious, unexpected' France Culture
'A joyous celebration of life... love, tenderness and sex' La Vanguardia
Author
About Audur Ava Olafsdottir, Petra Borner
Audur Ava Olafsdottir was born in Iceland in 1958, studied art history in Paris and has lectured in History of Art at the University of Iceland. Her earlier novel, The Greenhouse (2007), won the DV Culture Award for literature and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Award. She currently lives and works in Reykjavik.
Author photo © Anton Brink
More About Audur Ava Olafsdottir, Petra Borner
