 First edition (Norway) | |
| Author | Per Petterson |
|---|---|
| Original title | Ut og stjæle hester |
| Translator | Anne Born |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Publisher | Forlaget Oktober (Norway) Harvill Secker (UK) Graywolf Press (USA), |
Publication date | 2003 |
| Publication place | Norway |
Published in English | April 2007 (USA), November 2005 (UK) |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 240pp (UK hardback) |
| ISBN | 1-84343-229-3 (UK), 1555974708 (USA) |
| OCLC | 61702863 |
Out Stealing Horses (Norwegian: Ut og stjæle hester) is a 2003 Norwegian novel by Per Petterson. It was translated into English in 2005 by Anne Born and published in the UK that year. It was published in the US in 2007. Among other awards it won the 2007 Dublin IMPAC Award, one of the richest literary prizes in the world.[1]
Out Stealing Horses has double meanings and features two sets of twins.[2] When asked, “How did the Nazi Occupation of Norway translate into the plot of your novel?” Mr. Petterson responded, “Well, like I said, I do not plan, so that double meaning came up when I needed it. That is disappointing to some readers, I know. But for me it shows the strength of art. It is like carving out a sculpture from some material. You have to go with the quality of the material and not force upon it a form that it will not yield to anyway. That will only look awkward. Early in the book, in the 1948 part, I let the two fathers (of my main characters, Jon and Trond) have a problem with looking at each other. And I wondered, why is that? So I thought, well, it’s 1948, only three years after the Germans left Norway. It has to be something with the war. And then I thought, shit, I have to write about the war. You see, I hate research.” [2]
- ^ Pauli, Michelle (2007-06-14). "Biggest literary prize goes to little-known Norwegian". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
- ^ a b Stocke, Joy E.; "Language within Silence – An Interview with Norwegian Writer Per Petterson", Wild River Review, November 19, 2007.