The Night Guest is a short, sparse story set in Reykjavík, Iceland. Iðunn, our central character, wakes up each morning exhausted and covered in mysterious injuries. It is only when she starts tracking her steps that she realizes she is not only sleepwalking, but covering miles every night.
Iðunn also begins an ill-advised relationship with her dead sister’s ex boyfriend. Could this be the key to her night marches?
I love Knútsdóttir’s almost truncated style of writing; The Night Guest is all plot and no fluff. Things move incredibly quickly, and before the reader knows it, the book is over. And while the story is somewhat satisfying, I expected a little more. However, I do love an unreliable narrator, and I think Iðunn is a great example of this.
The Night Guest is a quick, interesting read, and I would love to read more of Knútsdóttir’s work.
California Reading 