This isn't a novel. It's a travelogue, Burton's personal journal from his 1872 trip. He sails from Scotland, lands in Reykjavik when it was little more than a village, and then sets out to see everything. The 'story' is his journey across the island: riding the small, sturdy Icelandic horses, getting soaked by sudden storms, marveling at the explosive power of the Great Geysir, and navigating treacherous glaciers.

The Story

Burton structures his account like a grand tour. He describes the people he meets—farmers, officials, fellow travelers—with a sharp, often critical eye. He details the food (lots of dried fish and sour milk), the challenging accommodations, and the surreal landscape of lava fields and steaming earth. There's a constant push-and-pull. One day he's in awe of the natural beauty; the next, he's complaining bitterly about the mud, the cold, or the lack of comfort. His goal isn't just sightseeing; it's to understand this 'Ultima Thule' and test his own legendary endurance against it.

Why You Should Read It

You read this for Burton's voice. He's brilliant, prejudiced, funny, and endlessly observant. His descriptions are incredibly vivid. You can feel the spray from a waterfall and smell the sulfur from a hot spring. But the real magic is seeing a 19th-century mind at work. He compares everything to his travels in Africa and Arabia, making wild connections. He argues with other travel writers, quotes poetry in multiple languages, and gives his unfiltered opinion on everything. It’s like being on a very long, very educational, and occasionally exhausting road trip with a genius who never stops talking. You don't have to agree with him to be captivated.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for armchair travelers and history fans who want an authentic, unvarnished adventure. It's not a quick, easy read—Burton's prose can be dense—but it's immensely rewarding. If you enjoy the diaries of explorers like Lewis and Clark, or if you've ever been curious about Iceland before it was a tourist hotspot, you'll love this. Just be prepared for a guide who is as much a force of nature as the volcanoes he describes.