Hotel Silence

This book was chosen for discussion at a book group I belong to. The discussion was lively.My own take on it is that is a redemptive tale of a suicidal Icelander whose clearly highly intelligent mother is sinking into dementia, whose wife has decided to leave and whose daughter, it is revealed, is not his. He goes to an unidentified location (we thought somewhere in the Balkans in our discussion) with the intention of killing himself.However the hotel, which is in an area recently ravaged by war, and its residents and management, instead of providing a cover of anonymity in which to kill himself, provides a source of redemption to the subject of the book. He finds that he is on hand to undertake numerous repairs which the menfolk of the community seem unable to do.I think there is a history of unimaginable violence over the area he has visited that people hint at but somehow never describe.The book went down well. It was an enjoyable read.

We all have luggage, this short novel is a true reflection of an inner life and waking from the hum drum of banal daily living. Concise, clear, and beautiful with poetic quotes used to break up the text, it's work like this that you should read in school and again each decade of your life.

It is a novel about the middle aged man, who doesn't see much sense in livig but finds it in farawaay place destroyed by war. Helping people in everyday problems and getting some friendship from them helps him to accept life again. It's simply written with " economical" narration. There is something very Scandinavian about the main character and the narration. A good read.

A novel that questions life .. succinct and deceptively craftedHypnotising and thought provoking - whilst the melancholia hides a sense of wisdom and beauty

A story told simply and vividly about someone regaining an interest in living. The contrast between personal unhappiness and the destruction of war is interesting.

I could not put it down. It i sabout what makes life worth living...universal appeal and so real it hurts

Bought for my husband- he didn’t enjoy it at all. Thought the translation was poor and writing not enjoyable.

Great book, very fast delivery and the book was in good condition. Thank you