Day Six: Under the Glacier

Pastor Jón: When I discovered that history is a fable, and a poor one at that, I went looking for a better fable, and found theology.

This line ends Chapter 16. The next chapter begins, We seem to have strayed into philosophy unintentionally…

It has taken me longer than expected to read even this far into the book. I am about a third of the way through and have no urgency to finish and no desire to set it aside. It is a book to be read in small bites.

I like the translation, but have no real way of knowing if it’s a good one. The English sentences are pleasant yet still feel slightly off. I want to know which Icelandic word was used for “strayed” and why the translator chose that over “wandered” or “moved into”. I want to know if the adjectives used to describe the glacier are bold enough or crisp enough or light enough. There isn’t enough time for me to learn all of the languages.