The Atom Station

The Atom Station (Icelandic: Atómstöðin) is a novel by Icelandic author Halldór Laxness, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955.

Background

“The Atom Station”, written in 1946 and 1947, was published in 1948. The historical background of the novel is composed of the British Occupation of Iceland during World War 2 in 1940, which was later taken over by the Americans in 1941. Many viewed Iceland’s independence as threatened due to the United States’ request to establish a military base in Keflavík for 99 years (in 1946). However, the Icelandic Parliament (the Althing) eventually agreed to the request and concluded the Keflavík Contract. Laxness was critical of the fact that Icelandic jurisdiction was not applicable to the area within the military base. But above all, he saw a threat to Icelandic life, because, in the event of an atomic war, Iceland would become a potential target due to the military base. These fears are based on the impression left by the two atomic bombs which had been recently dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Laxness began writing the novel shortly after these events.

Plot summary

Ugla, an uneducated girl from the countryside, moves from an outlying area of Northern Iceland to the capital city of Reykjavík in order to work for Búi Árland, a member of parliament, and to learn how to play the organ. She’s met with a world that’s completely foreign to her: politicians and the military move freely about the city, and she views city residents as spoiled, snobbish and arrogant. In contrast, she comes from a rural area where the Icelandic Sagas of the Middle Ages constitute the majority of what people discuss and ponder and are viewed as more important than reality. These historical backgrounds are certainly important and provide crucial patterns. The prime minister subsequently carries out secret dealings with the Americans and “sells” the country. Ugla, however, also confronts other current issues, above all in the organ player’s house. There, she comes in contact with communist and anarchist mindsets and likewise protests the construction of an atom station in Iceland. After a short relationship with Búi Árland, Ugla decides to return to the “selfconscious policeman”, who is the father of her recently born child.

Sources

• Friese, Wilhelm (1995). Halldór Laxness. Die Romane. Eine Einführung. Beiträge zur nordischen Philologie. 24. Basel: Helbing und Lichtenhahn. pp. 67–77. ISBN 3719013766. 
• Keel, Aldo (1981). Innovation und Restauration. Der Romancier Halldór Laxness seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Beiträge zur nordischen Philologie. 10. Basel: Helbing und Lichtenhahn. pp. 8–65. ISBN 371900791X. 
• Sønderholm, Erik (1981). Halldór Laxness. En monografi. København: Gyldendal. pp. 229–243. ISBN 8700531022.