Piltur og stúlka, dálítil frásaga (Lad and Lass, a little tale) by Jón Þórðarson Thoroddsen is regarded as the first Icelandic novel. It is a romantic love story whose main characters are Indriði and Sigríður. The story begins in Hérað in the east of Iceland and then moves to Reykjavík. It praises country life but paints a dark picture of life in Reykjavík.
Jón wrote his novel in 1848–49 in Denmark; he had begun studying law in Copenhagen in 1841. Jón did not finish his studies before he came to Iceland in 1850, having been active in the social life of Icelanders in Copenhagen and, among other things, having joined the Danish army for lack of money: he took part in the battles between the Danes and the Germans in the Schleswig War of 1848. With Gísli Brynjúlfsson he published the cultural and social journal Norðurfari in 1848 and 1849, which can be read at www.timarit.is.
Jón Thoroddsen moved to Iceland in 1850, bringing his newly published book with him. The same year he was appointed acting district magistrate in Barðaströnd. His book attracted little attention at first, but was published a second time in 1867.
Piltur og stúlka, dálítil frásaga is the Highlight of the month for February. Shown here is the first edition of the book, from 1850, kept in the Benedikt S. Þórarinsson collection in the National and University Library of Iceland.