Book Review #75 - Out Stealing Horses

You know when books have a flavor? This had a European flavor. The author is Norwegian whose very Scandinavian characters, Trond and Lars, create a feeling akin to those I had watching films at the International Cinema during college, only in book form. The book doesn't happen in black and white, at least not quite, but there was a definite filter on my mind's lens.

Subdued. Cold. Detached. Serious. Unexplained. Unemotional. Unhappy ending.

What more could you ask for in a book, right?

As dreary as I am making it sound, there are a lot of really good things that happen in this novel. First of all, I love the title. It's more complicated than it seems after the first chapter, and I love it when titles are layered.

Secondly, I think melancholy books about fathers and sons totally works. Men are such an unemotional lot, and the contained longing this older man has for the last summer he spent with his father is poignant.

Finally, there is an excellent quote. Many a book is supported by a few good quotes. I don't know if this will pass the test of time, but it should:

"You decide for yourself when it will hurt."

Can you feel the testosterone? They may be driving Volvos instead of trucks, but this is a book about men. And because I like men, and am curious by just how much they are not like me, I really enjoyed this book.