I really enjoy his writing, but I feel in each book I've read that there are subtle cultural and political themes or undercurrents that are lost to those of us who are not Icelandic. I just feel like I miss some things that probably lend understanding or depth to the story because of not being familiar with the political climates at the time of the writing. Also he had a political arc himself, and I've read others express how this manifests in his writing. But again, an Iceland-centric arc, a context that many don't have access to.

That being said I think his writing is still worth reading even when it's weird (parts of The Atom Station) for example. The Fish Can Sing is actually my favorite, the breadths of characters and all of their personalities are impressive. I spend a lot of time in Iceland and so in some ways the characters feel familiar to me, composites of people I've met and even Icelandic friends and their families. So this makes this book more understandable.