Out Stealing Horses – Per Petterson
Martin chose this after reading an interview with the author in the Guardian.We all really liked it, especially Ciara and Pete, although Martin felt disappointed at times by some of the melodrama. The story is told from the perspective of an old man who experiences a return to episodes from his past after the deaths of his wife and sister.
The writing is beautiful: sparse at times, and tumbling at others when he is in the middle of a reverie. Martin and Pete both felt that the contrast in sentences reflected the sensory experiences and emotions experienced by the author, as Pete put it ‘less words more meaning’. Daniel thought that it brilliantly described what it was like to be a male teenager – the milkmaid’s knees seemed to strike a chord with the male members of the group…
I found it intriguing, in a book that was dealing with so much tragedy and high emotions, that all of the big confrontations are hinted at and never described. I suppose as the narrator was a child when most of them happened they would have been hidden from him anyway. Even so, the author does not give into the temptation of writing an overly dramatic scene between Trond and Lars when they acknowledge that they know each other’s identity.
The meaning of the title caused quite a bit of debate. Pete wondered whether it was an allegory for the relationships between the characters but we never quite pinned that down. I thought it was too much of a stretch that Jon’s invitation to Trond would coincidentally be the same phrase used as a code during wartime, but the rest of the group had theories why the phrase appeared twice – that the boys may have overheard it from their parents and found a fascination in it, or as Pete suggested, it may have been a common phrase at the time.
We all agreed that loss was one of the main themes of the book, but we weren’t all convinced that he was suffering from depression. Dan thought he was depressed, and dwelling on the death that had followed him throughout his life. I agreed – what convinced me was the appearance of his daughter at the end. He had moved away without telling her where he was going, yet they obviously had a loving relationship. I felt that the author brought her in at the end to show us that Trond’s rural retreat was darker than we had suspected earlier in the book. Dan thought that he was enveloped by darkness and threat. Martin thought that Trond was content in his retreat however, and had made a decision to lead a quieter life. Martin also pointed out that every character was dealing with loss in the book, whether through death, betrayal, abandonment or the experience of living in wartime. Ciara though that it was interesting that Trond did not seek out Jon after the tragedy – Jon was an interesting character that we could have discussed more. Dan thought the symbolism of the crushed eggs was used effectively.
The relationship between Trond and his father underpinned the whole story. Martin felt that there was overlap between the two characters, with Ciara pointing out that Trond may have been trying to complete the circle by moving out to the country, as he had done with his father as a teenager. Male relationships were explored in great detail – teenage friendships, sibling rivalry, sexual jealousy and competitiveness…but where were the women? I wondered whether this was deliberate – relationships with women just weren’t the point of this book. Dan thought there might have been a hint of misogyny, and Ciara pointed out that women were mainly discussed in terms of their physiology. Dan thought that the log cutting scene was used well to hint at occurrences that we weren’t privy to as readers: as Ciara pointed out, Trond is completely innocent of the real meaning of the competition and we are left to piece it together. Martin felt that Jon’s dad was a flimsy character; I agreed thinking this was mirrored in his physicality, breaking bones all over the place!
We probably should have discussed Lars a little more (like Jon); Ciara was intrigued by the relationship he had with his disobedient dog, and his reflection of the narrator – both old men who had a lot to deal with. Trond seemed to occupy us the most – maybe a sign of his strength as a narrator. Ciara wondered why he had been ‘the boy with the golden trousers’ – didn’t seem to fit with our hermit. Dan asked, ‘Who the hell is Franz?’ something I think we had all asked ourselves at some point. He was a bit of a Literary Device, but this was explained by having Trond’s father asking him to reveal all to his son at an appropriate time.
This is a great book – it’s a rare occurence when we all agree! And, as Dan pointed out , it’s an excellent translation. Definite recommendation.
