I Curse the River of Time
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Review
'A work of blackest tragicomedy, a novel as... scintillating and desolate as the northern winter landscapes that are its setting' -- Guardian
`Per Petterson stands unsurpassed among contemporary writers for existential truth telling' -- Financial Times
`He unpacks the folly and pain of the human condition, leaving space for wit' -- Scotsman
`Per Petterson stands unsurpassed among contemporary writers for existential truth telling' -- Financial Times
`He unpacks the folly and pain of the human condition, leaving space for wit' -- Scotsman
Book Description
A haunting literary masterpiece by the bestselling and prize-winning author of Out Stealing Horses
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I Curse the River of Time is simply a stunning work of literary fiction. Beautifully written and translated, emotional and atmospheric and at the same time not lacking in humour. At times I felt as if I was sneaking a look into a diary with every emotion laid bare. I am sure that the mother/son relationship will resonate with most people who read this book. Definitely not for anyone looking for a plot driven, fast paced novel, but if you are looking for a read where language and character take centre stage then I can't recommend this highly enough.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Same author as Out Stealing Horses and just as good. You may not like it if you like fast action as it is slow and contemplative. If you want perception and insight and beautiful writing, buy it now.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Arvid, the protagonist of this Norwegian novel, is fifty now, and he has witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the massacre at Tiananmen Square, and the demise of Communism, along with major changes in his own life and in the lives of his family members. This character novel opens in the middle of a swirl of Arvid's memories: time has flashed back to 1989, and Arvid is thirty-seven, at a major crossroads in his life, the details of which evolve slowly. Taking an oblique approach, author Per Petterson embeds Arvid's story within these memories, conveying them in language which twists and turns in upon itself while slowly moving forward in strong, musical cadences. Vibrant imagery, some of it symbolic, connects past, distant past, and present, as Arvid's story, propelled by his recollections of family relationships and his own life choices, evolves to show how he became the person he is.
As the novel begins, Arvid's mother has just discovered that she has a recurrence of cancer, and she has decided to take the ferry from Norway back to her "home," on Jutland. Arvid has had a testy relationship with his mother over the years and has not talked with her in a while, trying to avoid telling her that he and his wife are getting a divorce, but when he gets a message that his mother has left home, he, too, takes the ferry to Jutland to see her. During this time, he is inundated with memories, which come, seemingly at random, from different times in his life.
Throughout, however, Arvid returns to stories of his mother, who, though hard pressed for cash herself, still gave him money when he was in college, but who, when he decided to leave college and give up his chance to escape the kind of life she and her husband had been living, smacked him, hard, across his face. On his trip to Jutland, he sees constant change and sees that even the "permanence" of the local cemetery is impermanent: a grave marker is routinely vandalized. Homely details and intense descriptions of nature give weight and importance to Arvid's experiences and what they reveal of him.
Though Arvid is coolly reserved and often tamps down his feelings, the reader comes to know him, understanding his mixed feelings about his mother while also recognizing his need for her, accepting his distance from his father while regretting their lack of connection, accepting his decisions even when they seem to be wrong for him, and seeing the effects of change upon him at every stage of his life. Often ineffective in his actions, clumsy in expressing his inner feelings, especially in matters of love, and unable to give himself fully to others, Arvid lacks the stature of a "hero." It is in this very characteristic, however-his imperfect humanity-that he comes to life, becoming a character so real that even the author has said (in an interview on PowellsBooks), "Sometimes I call him not my alterego but my stunt man." Mary Whipple
To Siberia
Out Stealing Horses
As the novel begins, Arvid's mother has just discovered that she has a recurrence of cancer, and she has decided to take the ferry from Norway back to her "home," on Jutland. Arvid has had a testy relationship with his mother over the years and has not talked with her in a while, trying to avoid telling her that he and his wife are getting a divorce, but when he gets a message that his mother has left home, he, too, takes the ferry to Jutland to see her. During this time, he is inundated with memories, which come, seemingly at random, from different times in his life.
Throughout, however, Arvid returns to stories of his mother, who, though hard pressed for cash herself, still gave him money when he was in college, but who, when he decided to leave college and give up his chance to escape the kind of life she and her husband had been living, smacked him, hard, across his face. On his trip to Jutland, he sees constant change and sees that even the "permanence" of the local cemetery is impermanent: a grave marker is routinely vandalized. Homely details and intense descriptions of nature give weight and importance to Arvid's experiences and what they reveal of him.
Though Arvid is coolly reserved and often tamps down his feelings, the reader comes to know him, understanding his mixed feelings about his mother while also recognizing his need for her, accepting his distance from his father while regretting their lack of connection, accepting his decisions even when they seem to be wrong for him, and seeing the effects of change upon him at every stage of his life. Often ineffective in his actions, clumsy in expressing his inner feelings, especially in matters of love, and unable to give himself fully to others, Arvid lacks the stature of a "hero." It is in this very characteristic, however-his imperfect humanity-that he comes to life, becoming a character so real that even the author has said (in an interview on PowellsBooks), "Sometimes I call him not my alterego but my stunt man." Mary Whipple
To Siberia
Out Stealing Horses
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I curse the river of time
This is the second book I have read in the last year by Per Petterson. The first, "Out Stealing Horses", was chosen by the Round the World Book Group of which I am a member. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. A. Mcinnes
One long cigarette break
I haven't read anything else by this author, so had no preconceptions or expectations. Based on this book I would be loathe to venture further into his literary world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. F. G. Dineen
unusual and successful meditation on life and its imperfections
Somehow this novel does convey "the river of time" and also the reasons the central figure, Arvid, has for agreeing with Chairman Mao and cursing it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by William Jordan
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