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knod78's review
4.0
So I thought when I entered the giveaway for this book, it would be about Iceland and further fan my fire to travel to that country. But it was more than that really. It was a metaphor for the Viking traveling around the world and taking pieces to make one complete piece. I could definitely get behind this way of thinking. Although, my ancestors were more of conquerers. LOL.
The book was great. Slow at the beginning and it was hard to follow the timeline. It was interesting to read early Icelandic life before it was a major travel destination. I think it's cool that part of their summer schooling was to work on a farm. Although I was very interested in the Iceland stuff, it became one of my least favorite parts of the book; the university in Finland being my least favorite. It dragged and I was more excited about his travels and work after he left Finland. The Middle East part was amazing and traveling/visiting all over before it was really dangerous to go. Visiting countries and working to find solutions after they just fell from Soviet regime or leaving right before a war started. It was interesting. The author did have a way to talk about himself as if he was the most influential and best part of history, which did get annoying and isn't always fair, but it's also very Scandinavian in culture.
This was a very interesting read, especially if you love travel and architecture.
The book was great. Slow at the beginning and it was hard to follow the timeline. It was interesting to read early Icelandic life before it was a major travel destination. I think it's cool that part of their summer schooling was to work on a farm. Although I was very interested in the Iceland stuff, it became one of my least favorite parts of the book; the university in Finland being my least favorite. It dragged and I was more excited about his travels and work after he left Finland. The Middle East part was amazing and traveling/visiting all over before it was really dangerous to go. Visiting countries and working to find solutions after they just fell from Soviet regime or leaving right before a war started. It was interesting. The author did have a way to talk about himself as if he was the most influential and best part of history, which did get annoying and isn't always fair, but it's also very Scandinavian in culture.
This was a very interesting read, especially if you love travel and architecture.
mybookworld24's review
4.0
I’m not the biggest fan of history, but when I saw it was a memoir, I was curious to see what I could find out; therefore, I said yes to review it. Before I share my thoughts with you all, I want to say that every experience is valid. Something that was interesting to me was how WW2 affected places like Iceland, where the government tried to stay as neutral as possible.
This book also shows the respect Icelanders have for nature by quotes like this one. “The sea is the highway that can lead us to treasures beyond our imagination.” A thing that stood up to me was that kid, who I believe is the author, came home crying because of what the teacher said about Viking ancestors and how the parents could give the author a different concept.
I admired how the parents respected everyone and their opinions but still stayed true to their roots. With the author making the same journey his parents did before him, I felt it came full circle. I felt I was seeing and living the beauty of Iceland through the author’s eyes.
By the way, am I the one who thought the author was female? I was a few chapters in when I realised he was male sorry. As a whole, I loved the adventures and the journey the author took us on. Therefore, I gave this book four out of five stars. All the opinions found here are mine, and thanks to the author for giving me a copy to review.
Alex
This book also shows the respect Icelanders have for nature by quotes like this one. “The sea is the highway that can lead us to treasures beyond our imagination.” A thing that stood up to me was that kid, who I believe is the author, came home crying because of what the teacher said about Viking ancestors and how the parents could give the author a different concept.
I admired how the parents respected everyone and their opinions but still stayed true to their roots. With the author making the same journey his parents did before him, I felt it came full circle. I felt I was seeing and living the beauty of Iceland through the author’s eyes.
By the way, am I the one who thought the author was female? I was a few chapters in when I realised he was male sorry. As a whole, I loved the adventures and the journey the author took us on. Therefore, I gave this book four out of five stars. All the opinions found here are mine, and thanks to the author for giving me a copy to review.
Alex
ceeemvee's review
5.0
Viking Voyager: An Iceland Memoir by Sverrir Sigurdsson and Veronica Li (5 Stars)
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for giving me this book, which was a giveaway contest. What a spectacular life Sverrir has lived so far!.
First, I chose this book because the name contained the word Viking. We have been on two enjoyable Viking cruises, and had scheduled a third. Then the pandemic led to a cancellation, a reschedule and then a second cancellation. I think I just want to dream about a return to normalcy and being on vacation, and the title caught my eye. Second, Iceland has always captivated me. The Northern Lights are something I would love to see, if the climate weren’t too inhospitable.
This book is Sverrir’s autobiography, and what a spectacular life so far! He tells us tales of his growing up in Iceland, going to school in Finland, and then embarking on his international career as an architect. His assignments and travels took him through Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and ended with his settling down in the United States. Along the way, he treats us to stories of his family, his work and all the different cultures he encountered along the way. The writing is excellent (his wife is his co-author), conversational and a great book to escape with. If you have any interest in Iceland, this will pique your interest further and divert your attention to learning more about this fascinating country.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for giving me this book, which was a giveaway contest. What a spectacular life Sverrir has lived so far!.
First, I chose this book because the name contained the word Viking. We have been on two enjoyable Viking cruises, and had scheduled a third. Then the pandemic led to a cancellation, a reschedule and then a second cancellation. I think I just want to dream about a return to normalcy and being on vacation, and the title caught my eye. Second, Iceland has always captivated me. The Northern Lights are something I would love to see, if the climate weren’t too inhospitable.
This book is Sverrir’s autobiography, and what a spectacular life so far! He tells us tales of his growing up in Iceland, going to school in Finland, and then embarking on his international career as an architect. His assignments and travels took him through Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and ended with his settling down in the United States. Along the way, he treats us to stories of his family, his work and all the different cultures he encountered along the way. The writing is excellent (his wife is his co-author), conversational and a great book to escape with. If you have any interest in Iceland, this will pique your interest further and divert your attention to learning more about this fascinating country.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
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