Out Stealing Horses

Out Stealing Horses is a 2003 Norwegian novel by Per Petterson. It was translated into English in 2005 by Anne Born, published in the UK that year, and in the US in 2007. Among other awards it won the 2007 Dublin IMPAC Award, one of the richest literary prizes in the world. Out Stealing Horses has double meanings and features two sets of twins. 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.” Cast People Barkald – The owner of a nearby farm with horses. “The biggest landowner in the district.” Ellen Sander – Trond's eldest daughter. Franz – A friend of Trond's father's, who lives near the cottage. Jon Haug – Trond's friend in the summer of 1948. He is 15 years old that summer. Lars Haug – Younger brother of Jon's and the twin of Odd. He is 10 years old in the summer of 1948. Also, Trond's neighbor in the later episode. Odd Haug – Younger brother of Jon's and the twin of Lars. He is 10 years old in the summer of 1948. Jon's father Jon's mother Olav – The mechanic in the later episode. The Dairy Maid - Worker on a dairy near the cottage. Trond Tobias Sander – The story's narrator and main character. He is 15 years old in the summer of 1948. He is 67 in the later episode. Trond's father Trond's mother Uncle Arne – A brother of Trond's mother. A twin of Uncle Amund. Uncle Amund – A brother of Trond's mother. A twin of Uncle Arne.