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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Kate Gridley chose this for our new women’s book group. Beautiful if strange. Norwegian family drama, with logging.
This multi-award winning Norwegian novel is an excellent, one-of-a-kind book. Trond, a 67yr old man, has retired alone with his dog in a cottage near the Swedish border. He recalls memories of a summer in the 1940s that had significant implications for his life. An excellently written page-turner, with lovely descriptions of Norwegian nature, farm work, and the emotions we experience alone as we go through life. A great read.
We were going out stealing horses, Trond Sander remembers his friend Jon saying during the summer of 1948, when both boys were fifteen. Years later, an older Trond reflects on that day and that summer, which would prove to have drastic, devastating effects on both boys.
A quiet, sparse novel with beautiful writing, Out Stealing Horses shifts focus between present-day Trond, living along in a rustic cabin in an isolated area of Norway, and his memories and reflections of that fateful summer which changed his life.
A quiet, sparse novel with beautiful writing, Out Stealing Horses shifts focus between present-day Trond, living along in a rustic cabin in an isolated area of Norway, and his memories and reflections of that fateful summer which changed his life.
This book was on my "to read" list for quite a while and I had trouble bringing myself around to read it. Honestly, I thought it involved horses and was worried about it being a translation from Norwegian. Once I finally picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised right from the first page. As I continued reading, I discovered that it really doesn't involve horses (much) and that the language is beautiful. The book does not have a lot of action and alternates between the past and present as the narrator thinks back to a defining summer in his life. It is not at all confusing to keep up since the time periods are very distinct. I found a few parts of the book to be somewhat far-fetched, but it really didn't bother me and seemed necessary for the story to move along. I would definitely recommend this book.
Out Stealing Horses doesn't have much of a plot, but I didn't mind it in the least.
It's a very atmospheric novel. Petterson's writing, while relatively unadorned, managed to conjure vivid images of the landscape, the seasons, the rural and the city environments.
Certain events affect and shape us, and, possibly, alter our life's trajectory.
Sixty-seven-year-old Trond Sander, the narrator of this novel, reminisces about the summer of 1948, when his father disappeared from his life. The puzzle of that summer is still not completed five decades later.
This was a good little literary fiction novel, worth checking out.
It's a very atmospheric novel. Petterson's writing, while relatively unadorned, managed to conjure vivid images of the landscape, the seasons, the rural and the city environments.
Certain events affect and shape us, and, possibly, alter our life's trajectory.
Sixty-seven-year-old Trond Sander, the narrator of this novel, reminisces about the summer of 1948, when his father disappeared from his life. The puzzle of that summer is still not completed five decades later.
This was a good little literary fiction novel, worth checking out.
This is a beautifully written books. Spare yet rich with emotion and a sense of place. I really loved this book.
I wish I was going to be present for the conversation about this book with the Hanover Book group. The more I think about this, the more questions I have. Which is why this has been a popular book discussion title.
There is so much I don't know - why exactly had Trond always wanted a place like this one? Why did this place start all the old memories coming back? Why does Trond remember the words to the end of The Tale of Two Cities, but his daughter is remembering the beginning to David Copperfield?
Petterson has such wonderful phrasing, his translator did a great job. I may have to listen to this if it is available on CD.
There is so much I don't know - why exactly had Trond always wanted a place like this one? Why did this place start all the old memories coming back? Why does Trond remember the words to the end of The Tale of Two Cities, but his daughter is remembering the beginning to David Copperfield?
Petterson has such wonderful phrasing, his translator did a great job. I may have to listen to this if it is available on CD.
All the pleasure of Stardew Valley's secluded farming lifestyle with the added reminder that the ones you love the most might abandon you. But it's okay -- you'll probably abandon someone too.
This is one of those old-man-reflecting-on-his-life sort of books. And it's charming, poetic, and thought-provoking, just like you want such a book to be. But it's not my favorite such book because it's too scattered. It's almost like talking to a real person, and listening to them tell a bunch of interrelated stories, but without having a point or a theme in mind.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated