Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel is subtitled “An Epic.” How did this subtitle affect your expectations and overall experience of the book?

2. What did you think of Bjartur as a heroic figure? How does he compare to other stubborn protagonists from literature who are brought down by their own principles, such as the struggling families in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939)?

3. How did you feel about the final image of Bjartur carrying Ásta across the moors? Did you find the novel’s ending to be hopeful or tragic? Why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Bjartur’s entire life is driven by his definition of independence: owning land and sheep, free of debt. What do you believe “independence” means and in what ways do you engage with this idea in your own life?

2. Throughout the story, Bjartur prioritizes his ideology over the practical needs of himself and others. Can you think of a time in your own life when you had to balance or adapt a long-term principle in the face of reality?

3. The novel’s characters often use stories, especially verse, to express themselves. How do you use art or storytelling in your own life to explore your feelings and/or build resilience? What would your works reveal about you to an audience?

4. Nonni and Gvendur make different decisions regarding emigration. When have you had to decide about making a new start? How did you make your decision and, with hindsight, was it correct for you?

5. The novel explores the idea of “home.” What does this mean to you and how do you create a feeling of “home” in your life, for yourself and others?

6. Bjartur’s refusal to accept help, even when his family is starving, is a core part of his identity. Think of a time when you have found it hard to ask for or accept help. How did this affect you and what did you learn?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Laxness wrote Independent People as a critique of Iceland’s national myth of rugged individualism during a period of intense economic change. To what extent is the novel applicable to contemporary debates about individualism and community in society today?

2. How does the novel portray the privileged landowning class and the poor crofters? To what extent is the book a text on class struggle, and how does it express the socio-political movements of when Laxness was writing in the mid-1930s?

3. What does the story reveal about the impact of distant global events, like World War I, on isolated rural communities? Does the novel argue that we should engage with far-away events, or consider them outside our control?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. In what ways does the book combine the distinct Classical and Icelandic traditions of heroic tragedy?

2. How does the novel convey the physical landscape of Iceland? Consider the author’s use of description and imagery.

3. In what ways does Ásta’s character arc draw on the traditional tropes of other tragic heroines, such as Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary or Edna Pontellier?

4. The narrator often provides direct commentary on the events and characters. Did you find this narrative voice likeable or not? Why?

5. How does the book use generational relationships and/or conflict as a way to explore its wider “epic” purpose?

6. Do you believe that Bjartur is redeemed emotionally at the end of the book? Will he reform his character and attitudes, or not? Why?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Design a memorial for Finna and her beloved cow, Bukolla. What form would it take, what materials would you use, and what message would it convey?

2. Hallbera lives by a mix of ancient folklore and Christian beliefs. Imagine that she has made a collection of essential rules or charms for enduring the valley’s spiritual and physical hardships. What would these be?

3. A year after the novel’s conclusion, imagine that Bjartur writes a new poem. Describe what will he be feeling, and what events have taken place since the end of Independent People. If you can, compose the poem in Bjartur’s voice.