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Out Stealing Horses

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'Out Stealing Horses' by Per Petterson is a contemplative novel that delves into the relationship between a father and son, set in Norway during and after WWII. The story follows Trond, a man in his 60s who retreats to a remote cabin to reflect on his past, particularly a transformative summer spent with his father in the backwoods country close to the Swedish border. Through flashbacks, the reader discovers the father's involvement in the resistance movement and the impact it had on their lives. The novel skillfully weaves together themes of boyhood friendship, tragedy, loneliness, and the complexities of familial relationships, all while offering vivid descriptions of the Norwegian landscape.

Characters:

Characters in the novel are deeply developed, with Trond as a reflective figure connected to his past through poignant memories and relationships.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is poetic and evocative, with a blend of descriptive passages and introspective contemplation that enhances the emotional landscape.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot explores Trond Sander's reflections on his life, emphasizing a transformative summer spent with his father, while connecting the past to present experiences.

Setting:

The setting is a remote Norwegian landscape that enriches the narrative, symbolizing both isolation and connection to the past.

Pacing:

The pacing is deliberate and contemplative, balancing reflective moments with critical events that shape the protagonist's understanding of his life.
Early November. It’s nine o’clock. The titmice are banging against the window. Sometimes they fly dizzily off after the impact, other times they fall and lie struggling in the new snow until they can ...

Notes:

The protagonist, Trond Sander, is a 67-year-old man reflecting on his life.
The story features a significant flashback to Trond's summer at age 15.
Trond moves to a cabin in rural Norway to escape his past after losing his wife.
The narrative alternates between Trond's childhood memories and his present life.
The title refers to a childhood adventure of 'stealing horses' and a code used during WWII.
Trond's father was involved in the Norwegian resistance during the war.
The book explores themes of father-son relationships, grief, and solitude.
The writing style is described as lyrical and beautifully sparse, evoking the Norwegian landscape.
Trond's encounter with a neighbor rekindles past memories and unresolved emotions.
The novel emphasizes the importance of physical and emotional landscapes in shaping one's identity.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include loss, trauma associated with death (both past and present), and themes of emotional and psychological pain.

From The Publisher:

In 1948, when he is fifteen, Trond spends a summer in the country with his father. The events - the accidental death of a child, his best friend's feelings of guilt and eventual disappearance, his father's decision to leave the family for another woman - will change his life forever. An early morning adventure out stealing horses leaves Trond bruised and puzzled by his friend Jon's sudden breakdown. The tragedy which lies behind this scene becomes the catalyst for the two boys' families gradually to fall apart. As a 67-year-old man, and following the death of his wife, Trond has moved to an isolated part of Norway to live in solitude. But a chance encounter with a character from the fateful summer of 1948 brings the painful memories of that year flooding back, and will leave Trond even more convinced of his decision to end his days alone.

Ratings (4)

Loved It (2)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (12):

Read It (4)
Want To Read (7)
Did Not Finish (1)

About the Author:

Per Petterson was born in Oslo in 1952 and worked for several years as an unskilled labourer and a bookseller. He has received the prestigious Nordic Council Literature Prize and, on multiple occasions, the Brage Prize, the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature and the Booksellers' Best Book of the Year Award for his many celebrated novels, such as In the Wake, I Curse the River of Time and I Refuse. Petterson made his literary breakthrough in 2003 with Out Stealing Horses, which in English translation won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. It has been published in fifty languages and was an international bestseller.

 
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