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mahra_almarar's review against another edition
4.0
"أنت بنفسك تقرر متى تتوجع " قال له والده ذات صيف.
قرأت هذه الروايه بالصدفة ولم أعلم أنني قد أتعلق بها كل هذا التعلق.
هل هيه ترجمة سُكينه ما تفعل بي هذا؟
أم هو ريف النرويج؟ ذكريات الصيف، رائحة خشب الأشجار حينما يتبلل بماء النهر الواقع عند حدود السويد
أم هو الإحساس الذي يشعر به المرء حين يدرك مرور الزمن.
حكاية تدخل إلى عمق روحك بهدوء ثم تقلب حكايتك كالعواصف.
قرأت هذه الروايه بالصدفة ولم أعلم أنني قد أتعلق بها كل هذا التعلق.
هل هيه ترجمة سُكينه ما تفعل بي هذا؟
أم هو ريف النرويج؟ ذكريات الصيف، رائحة خشب الأشجار حينما يتبلل بماء النهر الواقع عند حدود السويد
أم هو الإحساس الذي يشعر به المرء حين يدرك مرور الزمن.
حكاية تدخل إلى عمق روحك بهدوء ثم تقلب حكايتك كالعواصف.
rachcannoli's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5
OUT STEALING HORSES is aobut a 67 year old man, Trond, who lives alone in a small house by a lake in east Norway and contemplates his past. Told through a dual timeline, we pop back and forth between the present, 1999, and 1948 when he was fifteen living with his father in their summer home. The events of that summer defined his life in many ways as he gains meaning and waxes nostalgic in this coming of age story.
While I can appreciate the writing style, I just found something lacking in the overall delivery and plot, I just didn't connect to this story. There were some interesting moments in the beginning, but unfortunately, these situations weren't explored further, even though they made a huge impact on all the characters. I was hoping and expecting for the trauma to reoccur and really effect this story, but it just never really happened. I wonder if this has to do with this story being a lost in translation situation from the original (Swedish, I believe), but I felt the story petered off towards the end or I just very much missed the point.
In the end, I'm not sure what I got from this novel. Would I recommend it to others? Sure because the writing style was overall very atmospheric and engaging and I can see those with more patience gaining more out of this story than I was able to. But personally I just felt this to be another example of a well written book filled with flowery language that just ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. Not surprising from a Tom Bailey pick, not too sad to be finished with this one.
OUT STEALING HORSES is aobut a 67 year old man, Trond, who lives alone in a small house by a lake in east Norway and contemplates his past. Told through a dual timeline, we pop back and forth between the present, 1999, and 1948 when he was fifteen living with his father in their summer home. The events of that summer defined his life in many ways as he gains meaning and waxes nostalgic in this coming of age story.
While I can appreciate the writing style, I just found something lacking in the overall delivery and plot, I just didn't connect to this story. There were some interesting moments in the beginning, but unfortunately, these situations weren't explored further, even though they made a huge impact on all the characters. I was hoping and expecting for the trauma to reoccur and really effect this story, but it just never really happened. I wonder if this has to do with this story being a lost in translation situation from the original (Swedish, I believe), but I felt the story petered off towards the end or I just very much missed the point.
In the end, I'm not sure what I got from this novel. Would I recommend it to others? Sure because the writing style was overall very atmospheric and engaging and I can see those with more patience gaining more out of this story than I was able to. But personally I just felt this to be another example of a well written book filled with flowery language that just ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. Not surprising from a Tom Bailey pick, not too sad to be finished with this one.
shirleytupperfreeman's review
This story is told by an older Norwegian man as he is quietly reflecting on his life. He was a teenager during WWII and things happened during that time which altered the course of his life. The book is translated from Norwegian. Place descriptions are quite lovely - I felt like I was in a snowbound cabin in the Norwegian woods - but the story didn't always hang together well. There was plenty left unfinished.
shesnotthere's review
2.0
This was a book club selection. I'm not a huge fan of Scandinavian literature. I find it as stark & practical as Ikea furniture. That kind of bleak writing style just doesn't keep my interest. I kept waiting for some great discovery about Trond (either from his past or present), but none surfaced. Plus, the run on sentences drove me nuts. The book took twice as long to read as I had to reread half the sentences. I think the thing that bothered me the most about this book were the Dickens references. Dickens wrote lush, beautiful novels with fully developed characters & intricate relationships, both of which I felt this novel lacks. Long story short, this book just wasn't for me, but I'm sure it has plenty of fans.
husito's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I sobbed... These are the kind of stories that stay with you forever. I hope Trond and Jon live a good life (they're so queer coded).
The last pages of this book brought me to TEARS. The way he said the most devastating and heart-wrenching things like they were nothing will always make me cry. I'll keep having flashes of this book in the future inside my head, and i'll just cry a little every time. Some parts in the middle got too heavy, though.
The last pages of this book brought me to TEARS. The way he said the most devastating and heart-wrenching things like they were nothing will always make me cry. I'll keep having flashes of this book in the future inside my head, and i'll just cry a little every time. Some parts in the middle got too heavy, though.
bridgetwf's review
3.0
I'll have to let this settle and think about my rating, but for now, I'd say 3 is appropriate. I just didn't love it.
thisismeandme's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rebeckareads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Look, I get it. I do. I appreciate the craft. It should've been right up my alley; slow, character-driven, reflective, quiet prose... but it just wasn't.