Where the Story Ends, Tao Takes Over

Abstract

In the later novels of Halldór Laxness many found that the guidance of the narrator had been diminished, the formation of meaning shifted to the reader. This has been attributed to the increased influence of Taoism in Laxness’s work, as he creates more Taoist characters. These characters are full of humility and compassion, peace, and devoid of worldly ambition.

In this article, an attempt is made to add another dimension. Taoism has been present in Laxness’s work ever since the manuscript called The Red Booklet, which he wrote at the age of 19. It has been an alternative to social struggle or personal ambition, whether for the narrator or his characters, right from the beginning of his writing.

Epic narratives are composed of two building elements: retelling and settings. The retelling traces the thread of the story, while the settings immerse the narrator and the reader and create the stage. These basic elements work together for the progress of the story. However, in some instances, Laxness’s settings or stagings have nothing to do with the advancement of the story and may instead bear witness to an entirely different life, a life outside the story.

The article cites three examples: the farm under the glacier in World Light, Eystridalur in The Atom Station, and the Glacier in Under the Glacier. Time stands still in these places; there is no narrative. The story is stepped out of and there is no tale.

These scenes have accompanied Laxness throughout his career – the antithesis of telling a story, not only a denial of self and ambition but also a denial of the story itself. Tao could have been his symbol for what he called in an essay on The Book of the Way “the deep rich emptiness,” an alternative to the very act of storytelling, which was otherwise Laxness’s primary mode as an author.