I dipped my toe in by taking the tour of Reykjavik that the library conducts by appointment much of the year. One guide, Ulfhildur Dagsdottir, is a literary scholar, and the other, Maria Bordardottir, is an actress. By the time the tour began, about 10 of us had gathered in the drizzle. At each site Ms. Dagsdottir gave us the historic and literary background of the location, and Ms. Bordardottir read an excerpt from a novel, an ancient saga or a poem that involved that specific place.

Image Andri Snaer Magnason, a novelist. Credit... Bara Kristinsdottir for The New York Times

On the street outside the library, Ms. Bordardottir read from “Skoffin,” a folktale from “Meeting With Monsters: An Illustrated Guide to the Beasts of Iceland.” We walked a few blocks to the old government house and heard an excerpt from a 1929 novel “The Black Cliffs.” At the National Theater Building we heard a section of “The Man From Manitoba,” which featured a scene in the alley behind the theater. At the former hospital and morgue (now a music school for children), we heard “The Fleeting Face of Autumn,” a folktale from “Peculiar Passengers.” We stopped in front of a rusted metal shack being used as a public art display and heard from the “Saga of Grettir,” which is about a bad-tempered fellow from around the ninth century. Some of the stories were reminiscent of tales by Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps extended periods of dark, cold and rain had drawn out the darkness of the heart.

“Icelandic literature, like literature everywhere, is a reflection of our society, and, for those who are interested to learn a little about Icelandic society, literature offers a way to learn and understand,” Ms. Dagsdottir told me. “In this way, literature is important, both in itself as a cultural product, and as a way of gaining insight into our nationality and society. The tours are intended to provide a glimpse into Icelandic culture and the history of the city.”

They accomplished that goal. Hearing the words of writers spoken in front of places they wrote about takes travelers past the beautiful scenery. It offers a peek at the country’s literary soul.