September 2, 2019
#324
Gentle reader,
Of the many articles I've written, this will be my first book review.
NOTE: I found all of the images in this article on the Internet. Clicking on any image will open a window over this one with all the images in order, and larger than seen here.
Sometime in the 1970's, a friend told me about this book. I'd never heard of it, but based upon their enthusiasm, I went out and purchased a large paperback version of it that looks like the one above.
Another image, this of the back of the illusive dust jacket. When I read a book, if it has a dust jacket, I remove it and carefully store it upright until I am done with the book. I reinstall it and shelve the book. Part of my OCD, I guess.
I read the book lo those many decades ago and picked it up to re-read it at least two more times since. I came across the well worn book recently which I'd had reattach the front cover to and decided to donate it.
But first, I found and purchased a hardcover copy of it. It looks like this, except the letters were once gold colored:
But, mine has not fared as well. It is ex-library, in fact from the campus library of Occidental College of Los Angeles, California. It still has the library card pocket and card in the back. Last checked out on August 13th, 1958. I was not quite two years old that day.
For FAR more information that I am about to give you, here are some links:
Islandia (novel) - Wikipedia
and Wright, "Islandia" | Libertarianism.org The latter is succinct and personal, I enjoyed reading it.
My copy is 1014 pages long, according to Wikipedia, the original manuscript was well over ten times that. Mr. Wright had apparently begun writing it as a child and continued it for decades. He died in 1931 and the manuscript was edited down by Mark Saxton for publication in 1942.
Mark Saxton wrote three books taking place in Islandia before and after the times (early 20th Century) in which the story takes place.
It is written first person by the main character, John Lang. A young man from a wealthy Boston family, he attended Harvard and at a gathering there met a large man who looked quite out of place.
His name was Dorn. Just Dorn. He was from Islandia, a country on the Karain continent in the southern hemisphere. Here is an image of a map inside the front and back covers of retail editions of the book:
And here is another map I have also found on the Internet:
The Wikipedia article has a couple color maps which show details of the rest of the continent.
Dorn was in the same class as John and they became friends. Dorn played American football for Harvard at the insistence of those that wanted his size and strength on the team.
John was so intrigued by tales of Islandia from Dorn, he began learning the language. There was not much written about Islandia in the rest of the world as Islandia preferred to remain apart from the industrialized world. Similar to Japan prior to Commodore Perry showing up in Tokyo harbor in the 1800s.
John's uncle Joseph, an ambitious man, whom John went to work for, learned that Islandia under it's new leader, Mora, was entertaining the idea of trade with the rest of the world.
His uncle suggests young John be chosen as Counsel representing US business interests in Islandia under the State Department. He is chosen mainly because he speaks Islandian and knows at least one person there. And off he sails.
He lands in The City aboard the St. Anthony steamship. Steamers only land every few months there and thus international mail can be sent and received but a few times a year. He settles in The City and meets the French and German ambassadors and their families and others in the very small diplomatic colony.
He had written to Dorn prior to sailing and Dorn comes to see him. Together, they travel by horseback to Dorn Island. John meets his sister, Dorna and is taken by her beauty and complete difference from girls and women he has known.
Islandia is an agrarian society. There is no industry. No electricity, nor power of any kind. There are more than 150,000 farms in the country. Families have lived on the same lands for as far back as any can remember.
Family is of foremost importance to Islandians. As is tradition. Most have a great love of beauty, especially when it comes to their immediate world, their farm.
Rather than naming their children, girls names have an "a" added to the end. Each child is further identified by a number which indicates birth order.
Previous generations are like this, Dorn, Elder or Dorn, Younger.
Dorn's father is Lord Dorn, who served as Premiere prior to losing the last election to Lord Mora. The Dorns are firm believers in keeping Islandia just the way it's been for 1000 years.
The City is like many other cities, but completely lacking in modern amenities. There are businesses which serve the people and things are manufactured, but nothing is powered. Lighting is by flames only.
The rest of the Karain continent, of which Islandia is at the Southern end, is occupied by other types of peoples, mainly dark complected. Especially directly over the border of the Sobo Steppes. Like Australia, the majority of the continent is quite hot most times of the year. Islandia being more temperate with regular seasons due to it being so far south. Their calendar is different than the rest of the world.
Foreign powers, as had gone on all over the world, had occupied portions of the rest of the continent and were serving as protectorates. They looked longingly at Islandia thinking that Islandians should welcome "modern" peoples in the form of tourists, but especially as investors to "help" them catch up to the rest of the world by letting them mine their mineral wealth, build railroads, provide power with coal power plants, run wires for power and more. Lord Mora was keen on just that happening.
I could go on and on. The gist of the story is John Lang, called only Lang by the residents since Lang is also an Islandian name, who by virtue of knowing Dorn and speaking their language, is welcomed far more readily into society than other diplomats.
He, instead of doing Uncle Joseph's bidding by pushing American business interests, travels widely with Dorn and spends time with Dorna (and of course falls in love with her) and as a result is fired from his post. He remains in the country and meets another family called Hyth. They have a number of daughters called Hytha. Of which Nattana he is very attracted to. Much happens with her. She is banished to their upper farm which is not far from the border.
John is asked by Don, a huge man with hair perfectly parted in the middle, to join him and others in watching the border since the Germans had convinced Lord Mora that they would be glad to "protect" Islandia from the Bants on the other side of the border. As a result, the Islandian troops had been withdrawn from the border forts.
Some things happen and John has to ride as quickly as Fak, his sturdy mountain horse, can go to warn the Hyths and other farmers in the area. It turns out that Dorna was traveling in the area. He saves all the people from the invaders who trash and burn farms but did not get to kidnap people and make slaves of them or worse.
John stays with another family the rest of his year after being fired. He works with them and his love for the people and their lifestyle and mindset continues to grow. He becomes skilled at working as they do.
The King thanks John for saving all those people by allowing him to remain in Islandia. This is amazing for the Law is that any who is allowed to visit is first subjected to an extensive medical examination and if cleared can only stay for one year.
John had been writing back and forth with a young woman named Gladys back home his entire time in Islandia. He also wrote a history of the United States in Islandia and has is published there.
He decides to return to the US and give living and working there a try. He discovers Gladys is no longer the gangling girl he remembers. They began dating and get to know each other better.
And this is where I'm going to stop. The book is excellent. Some have called it utopian, other's science fiction, albeit without much science. The author goes into much detail as to life in Islandia, the people, their three forms of love, their history and even quotes from their literature. He clearly captures John Lang's feelings and what he has going through. All I know is it is a wonderful story and I intend to read it again. I have also read Tolkien's books several times. While not as epic as those, Islandia is epic is scale and depth.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It is your kind words and comments that keep me writing.
Scott
September 2, 2019
#324
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