''Justice Undone'' (Icelandic: ''Grámosinn glóir'') is a novel by Icelandic author

Thor Vilhjálmsson Thor Vilhjálmsson (; 12 August 19252 March 2011) was an Icelandic writer. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of ...

. It was published in 1986. This crime story is based on an Icelandic trial dating back to the 19th century when two half-siblings were accused of having committed

incest Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...

. The novel pivots on the magistrate of the trial who has just returned from his studies in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. In 1988, Thor won the

Nordic Council Literature Prize The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth ...

for the book. It was translated to English in 1998 by Bernard Scudder.

References

1986 novels Icelandic novels Crime novels Nordic Council's Literature Prize–winning works Icelandic-language novels {{1980s-crime-novel-stub