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The Greenhouse Audiobook
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(3.01) - 689 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
For Lobbi, the tragic passing of his mother proves to be a profound catalyst. Their shared love of tending rare roses in her greenhouse inspires him to leave his studies behind and travel to a remote village monastery to restore its once fabulous gardens. While transforming the garden under the watchful eye of a cinephile monk, he is surprised by a visit from Anna, a friend of a friend with whom he shared a fateful moment in his mother’s greenhouse, and the daughter they together conceived that night. In caring for both the garden and the little girl, Lobbi slowly begins to assume the varied and complex roles of a man: fatherhood with a deep relationship with his child, cooking, nurturing, and remaining also a son, brother, lover, and…a gardener. A story about the heartfelt search for beauty in life, The Greenhouse is a touching reminder of our ability to turn the small things in everyday life into the extraordinary.
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"This is an unexpected gem of a book. Lobbi, a 22 year old Icelandic man, travels from the harshness of his homeland to an ancient monastery where he will try to recreate a rose garden and the 8 petaled rose it was famed for. Along the way, his touching relationships with his father and autistic brother, the mother of his child and a cinephile monk, teach him life lessons. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it"
— Carole (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“One of the most unexpected and greatest discoveries of the year.
— Le Parisien -
Excellent introduction to Icelandic fiction; funny.
— The New York Times -
The Greenhouse is a rare book, full of beauty. After opening the book I was unable to put it down, entirely captivated by its enchanting style.
— Le Page
The Greenhouse Listener Reviews
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" I feel like translated fiction can be awfully hit or miss - usually more of a result of the translation, than the original work. This translated novel I thought was smoothly written, and very interesting. I really enjoyed reading it, but it felt more like half a novel than a full novel because the ending was just lacking. Everything about it felt unfinished, other than the relationship between father and daughter. The ending did not satisfy me, and some of the more fantastic healing elements were mentioned repeatedly, but never went anywhere. The main character, Lobbi, was very feminine, and I felt like the explanations for this was more superficial than well grounded. But the biggest problem I had with it, was that the book lacked a sense of setting. The monastic town was well drawn out, but not having a country or town name even was a bit frustrating. And I wouldn't have known that Lobbi started his journey in Iceland had it not been for the back of the book! It distracted me throughout the book. It was very interesting, but too unresolved for me to really like it. "
— Victoria, 1/29/2014 -
" I was surprised by what I felt was an abrupt ending, but it wasn't a horrible way to end the book. Perhaps I wasn't ready to let Lobbi's story go. "
— Megan, 1/25/2014 -
" I've read several Nordic authors the last few years so I was looking forward to expanding out to Icelandic authors. However, I was disappointed with this novel; more specifically, with the translation. Phraseology was often clumsy, especially the vernacular. I think some of the other more negative reviews may be due to the fact that the translation is awkward or downright incorrect. The story was a nice one, but I felt it could have been developed a little more. "
— Gail, 1/11/2014 -
" Thoroughly enjoyable. A quiet book - the kind in which it is easy to lose yourself, and return to whenever you find a stolen moment. "
— Amanda, 12/26/2013 -
" Simple yet deep. I loved the budding father daughter relationship between Lobbi and his baby daughter Flora Sol. Translated from Icelandic. "
— Sherry, 12/21/2013 -
" I worried at first that The Greenhouse was about to descend into Euro-nihilism ala The Stranger, but the book took a turn for the better at about the 40% mark. Ethereal and touching. "
— Marc, 11/30/2013 -
" Like many reviewers on Amazon, I dowloaded this book because it was free. But what a little gem it turned out to be. "
— Maggieg, 10/24/2013 -
" Excellent. Such a strange, disembodied voice that the narrator has, and yet completely engaging. A story that's left me uplifted and a bit heartbroken, yes, simultaneously. "
— Oanh, 9/30/2013 -
" Funny, yet touching. Honestly I liked 99% of this book higher than I'm rating it, I knocked one star off because I really disliked the end. "
— Ajay, 9/15/2013 -
" Great book, well written and not pretentious. It did take me a little while to get into it and to bond with the main character but once there I couldn't put the book down. "
— Emmanuelle, 8/18/2013 -
" If you can get past the slightly odd structure of multiple very very short chapters, this is a really beautiful and affecting story about finding fulfillment in the simplest things in life. "
— Rachel, 5/8/2013 -
" This was a very gentle story, but it kind of fizzed out with no conclusive ending. "
— Clare, 3/15/2013 -
" I loved this book, but the translation/editing was a little rough. "
— Rebecca, 10/26/2012
About Audur Ava Olafsdottir
Audur Ava Olafsdottir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1958. She studied art history and art theory in Paris and is a lecturer in history of art at the University of Iceland and a director of the University of Iceland Art Collection. She has curated art exhibitions in Iceland and abroad, and written about art and art history in various media. She is the recipient of the Reykjavik Literary Award, the DV Culture Award, and the Prix de Page award for the best European novel of 2010.
About Luke Daniels
Luke Daniels, winner of sixteen AudioFile Earphones Awards and a finalist for the Audie Award for best narration, is a narrator whose many audiobook credits range from action and suspense to young-adult fiction. His background is in classical theater and film, and he has performed at repertory theaters around the country.