Iceland Summer: Iceland Summer: Travels along the Ring Road

Iceland Summer is a book by Kurt Caswell that explores the natural beauty and charming eccentricities of Iceland while meditating on the value of wild places, travel, friendship, and literature. The author is accompanied by his lifelong friend Scott, who provides a ribald humor that grounds Caswell's flights into the romantic.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2023
Publisher: Trinity University Press,U.S.

An island is a world apart, disconnected from the confines of time and place, where the boundaries between reality and magic blur. Iceland, with its remote location, captivating mythology, creative individuals, and awe-inspiring natural wonders such as glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, and fjords, encapsulates this extraordinary enchantment in the hearts of many, including writer Kurt Caswell.

Julia Oldham's captivating illustrations bring Iceland Summer to life, documenting Caswell's journey across the country on foot and bus, accompanied by his lifelong friend Scott. The pair embarks on a clockwise adventure along the Ring Road, stopping at various points for backcountry walking trips. Caswell fully immerses himself in the breathtaking natural beauty and quirky charm of this tiny island nation. With his trusty drinking and hiking companion by his side, fueled by a steady diet of Brennivín (fermented grain mash) and pylsur (Icelandic hot dogs), he explores the Hornstrandir peninsula, walks to the renowned Dettifoss waterfall, eagerly awaits a glimpse of the lake monster Lagarfljótsormurinn at Egilsstaðir, visits the world's only penis museum, and pays homage to centuries of Icelandic literary tradition at the Árni Magnússon Institute.

In the vein of other pairs who have journeyed through Iceland, such as W. G. Collingwood and Jón Stefánsson, and W. H. Auden and Louis MacNeice, Caswell reflects on the significance of wild places in the modern world, the joy of travel as both a pastime and a profession, the nature of friendship, and the art of walking, food, and literature. Scott serves as Caswell's Sancho Panza, providing a ribald humor that grounds his flights into romanticism. Together, they travel seamlessly, forging a deep bond that ultimately anchors them both.

Iceland Summer is a testament to the power of friendship, the beauty of nature, and the limitless possibilities that exist when we step outside our comfort zones. It reminds us to embrace the extraordinary and to cherish the moments that make life truly magical.

Weight: 328g
Dimension: 151 x 204 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781595342690