Towards the end

The Greenlanders were due back to the library, but thanks to Mr. Renewal and his good pal Mr. Online, I now have till 10/30 to finish the book and return Gunnar, Margaret, and all their pals.

Things are looking much better for the scroungy band, the great hunger that lasted several winters is now 8 years ago, and farms are beginning to prosper. Not only that but the book-long fued between Asgeir's family and Ketil's family is stitched up some by marriage between Asgeir's granddaughter (granddottir) and Ketil's last surviving son.

One of my favorite things about the book is all the talk of luck, signs, omens, and things of ill or good portent. We, civilized beings that we are, don't think in such terms any more, or at least, any more than the stifled impulse will allow. I like the conversations between the characters, and the examples of their reasoning. For example:

... . And after he left, a surprising thing happened, and that was that Jon Andres Erlendsson appeared at Gunnar's booth with some men that he knew, all proserous farmers from Vatna Hverfi district, and he asked for Helga Gunnarsdottir in marriage.
Now Gunnar invited the men inside his booth and asked them ot sit down, and the mne, who numbered seven, with Jon Andres, were all men Gunnar had known in Vatna Hverfi district, or else the sons of these men. They were men whose envy of Asgeir had turned into pleasure at the trick that had done Gunnar out of his steading, or so it seemed to Gunnar. Although they sat about smiling, as folk do when there is talk of marriage, their smiles seemed evil and false to Gunnar, and aroused in him a painful sense of shame that he had not especially felt since his removal to Hvalsey Fjord. These were men who had amused themselves by repeating the verses of Ketil the Unlucky against Margret Asgeirsdottir, who had clung tight to Erlend Ketilsson in every case against Gunnary, who had gossiped about the Gunnars Stead folk whenever they could. Now one of them said to Gunnar, "My friend, it is not usual for a man to remain silent when the master of such a steading as Ketils Stead, and all the steadings that go together with it, makes such a proposal."
Gunnar said, "Indeed, I must hold on to my thoughts if I am to make something of them. I had no notion of this."
"But the maiden is well past the ideal marriage age. How many different thoughts can there be of such a case?"
Now Jon Andres Erlendsson said, "A man must come to a reply in his own way, and it seems to me wise to let him do so, rather than to distract him and tempt his annoyance." And so everyone sat about for a little while longer. Gunnar looked at the fellow, and he saw that he had not lost this quality that he had had earlier, when defending himself in the action of Kollgrim's dunking, a quality of smoothness and a charm that had to be likened to something bright--a fire, or a star. If Helga's gaze were to reveal something unsightly about him, Gunnar could not imagine what it would be. And his friends looked to him in all things, it was easy to se that. Gunnary looked away from him, and reminded himself o fthe injuries done to him and his father by this man and Erlend, and even Ketil, if old stories were to be believed. Jon Andres said, "Old man, you are scowling, and thinking of what has gone before, but it seems to me that these things may be laid to rest now, for I am heartily sorry for my father's sins and my own." The other men nodded and smiled in aproval at this speech.
"Nay," said Gunnar, "I am thinking of what is to come, for business remains unfinished that endangers many folk, and it seems to me a sign of unwisdom to let it linger."

Gunnar is talking about Jon Andres' former friend Olfeig who is a menace to all the farmers in that area. Interesting to note too are the comments at the end of incidents and conversations such as this one, which tell us what people thought of events. In this case 'people' thought that Gunnar was foolish to turn Jon Andres down, and reminded themselves that not for nothing he was considered unlucky.