Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjón is a bit depressing. I think the book is supposed to be a metaphor for AIDS? I don't know. Everything in this novel is kind of abstract, so the meaning whooshed right over my head. I'm not great with abstract literature. That is why I did terrible in poetry classes. Moonstone is an Icelandic novella that has been translated into English. It stars a teenage boy prostitute who lives in Iceland in 1918. He's going through some stuff and uses movies as a way to escape from his problems. Then, the Spanish flu arrives in Iceland, kills tons of people, and sets his life on a new course.

This is a 140-page novella that I read in a few hours. I'm not sure how I feel about it because it's such a weird little book! It's surreal and dreamlike. I never knew where it was going next. I enjoyed the reading experience and the historical aspects, but I don't think I totally got the meaning behind the strangeness. If you love poetry, you'll probably like this novella.

(Also, this book is NOT safe for work. The main character is a prostitute, so prostitute activities occur and are described in great detail. Use caution if you're reading in the workplace, my friends.)