Out Stealing Horses (2007) by Per Petterson

HRevvdon@evpl — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:45:00 GMT

Out Stealing Horses (2007) is not about horse rustling. Set in Norway, it is a contemporary story about a man that moves to a rustic cabin in the woods after his wife and sister both pass away. In the quiet he begins to reflect upon his life. When he realizes that the closest neighbor is the brother of a boy he was friends with in his early teenage years, he begins to reflect on the summer that changed both his and his friend's life forever.

Trond Sander tells the story of that summer in reflection, telling the reader not only about the friendship and that fateful summer, but also about his father's experiences and heroism as a member of the resistance during WWII. It is not a story about WWII, but a description of the man his father was and how that influenced his behavior. It is also the story of a lonely man isolating himself from the world and his daughters.

Two of my friends raved about this book, but I was a little disappointed because I had very high expectations. It is a good story. The writing is good, and although I would not say it was depressing it is not an uplifting read.

Books Blog : Norway

Out Stealing Horses (2007) by Per Petterson