Bjarni´s 8th Novel was published in September 2011 and raised some serious and relevant questions in the aftermath of the banking crisis in Iceland. In 2017, it was published in English, in the translation of David McDuff, by Red Hand Books. It is partly based on the Icelandic businessman Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson. When the book was published there was a public debate about it´s content between the author and Björgólfur Thors public relator, Ragnhildur Sverrisdóttir.
In his book: Útrásarvíkingar: The literature of the Icelandic Financial Crisis, (2019) the author, Dr. Alaric Hall, uses The Reputation as part of the basis for his thesis.
What’s the price of a clean reputation?
It’s not without reason that Starkaður Leví ponders this question, given he’s been a fugitive since the banking crisis, denounced and wanted for the role he played in the collapse of the Icelandic economy. He concludes that the only way for him to re-enter society is to acquire a new reputation—whatever the cost. What follows is an amazing sequence of events that keeps the reader transfixed right through to the end.
This Novel certainly stirred things up in the debate about those who are accused of having created the financial crisis.
Here is what the Critics had to say:
"Here, the author merely uses our general knowledge of people and events to construct a narrative that deals with other and more philosophical concerns. I felt, as I drew nearer to the end of the book, that I could classify it as philosophical realistic fantasy without being guilty of excessive hair-splitting – indeed, I suspect that the author is consciously working with this virtually threefold paradox. The big questions (and some of the small ones) are undeniably philosophical, existential; the narrative and presentation of places and events are perfectly realistic; and yet, at the same time, the actions and aims of the characters effectively enter the realm of fantasy." Gauti Kristmannsson - Viðsjá National Radio. Read more >>>
