Not stealing, but letting out horses in Norway.

by

© Photos of young stallions at Feøya: Trond Thorvaldsen, Fredrikstad, Norway

We’re in Dublin, a great opportunity for me to present a Norwegian novelist who won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2007:

“Out stealing horses” by  Per Petterson

Per Petterson is a trained librarian. He has worked as a bookstore clerk, translator and literary critic before becoming a full-time writer. His breakthrough novel was “Ut og stjæle hester” (2003), which was awarded two top literary prizes in Norway – the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature and the Booksellers’ Best Book of the Year Award. The 2005 English language translation “Out Stealing Horses” was awarded the 2006 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the 2007 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (the world’s largest monetary literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English (€ 100,000). “Out Stealing Horses” was named one of the 10 best books of the year in the December 9, 2007 issue of the New York Times Book Review.








All the photos taken by Trond Thorvaldsen are from an island called Feøya (Cattle island) in Norway. This is a holiday island for young and old stallions from our local district, trotters, gallopers, show jumpers and dressage horses. This island is situated in a rather large lake (Vannsjø) not far from the city of Moss, situated in the county of Østfold. Wonderful place where they roam about all summer long. (Thanks Tone!)

“You decide for yourself when it will hurt.” – Per Petterson “Out stealing horses”

“But that’s life. That’s what you learn from; when things happen. Especially at your age. You just have to take it in and remember to think afterwards and not forget and never grow bitter.” – Per Petterson “Out stealing horses”

“If I just concentrate I can walk into memory’s store and find the right shelf with the right film and disappear into it….” – Per Petterson “Out stealing horses”

114 thoughts

    • Thank you, dear creative garden, for taking the time to look into my blog and making such a nice comment. 🙂
      Greetings from beautiful Dublin
      Dina

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    • Viele Dank für den Besuch und den feinen Kommetar, liebe Annenieannenou. Ja, das sind wirklich schöne, wilde Tiere. Es ist ein großes Event jedes Jahr, wenn die Hengste auf dieser Insel freigesetzt werden.
      Liebe Grüße zu dir in Berlin
      von Klausbernd und mir in Dublin
      🙂

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    • How lovely! Read and enjoy. It takes place not too far away from my hometown in Norway
      Greetings to you from the literary city of Dublin
      Dina.

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  7. That first quote is spot on! And as always those pictures are spectacular. I wonder how the photographer was able to catch the horses so much being themselves. Thanks for such a gorgeous post to get me going in the morning. I’ll have to see if I can kick up my heels a bit like these guys. Hope your time away is lovely.
    Love Jennifer

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    • Hi dear Jennifer,
      thank you for visiting and commenting. Yes, we’re having a great time in Dublin, it’s truly worth a visit. You have a lovely post today as well, beautiful art work!
      Take care, all the best
      from the city of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and many more…
      Dina and Klausbernd

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  12. “Out stealing horses” is a great book. I am currently reading Per Pettersons latest book, “Jeg nekter”, pulished 2012, (Norwegian title – translated to English it will be something like “I refuse”). Previously I read “I curse the river of time” published in 2008. Didn’t get so wrapped up in that book as I am in his new.

    Picture taken by Trond Thorvaldsen is from an island called Feøya (Cattle island). This is a holiday island for young and old stallions from our local district, trotters, gallopers, show jumpers and dressage horses. This island is situated in a rather large lake (Vannsjø) not far from the city of Moss, situated in the county of Østfold. Wonderful place where they roam about all summer long.

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    • Dear Tone, thank you for filling in the missing details about the stallions! 🙂

      I loved reading “Out stealing horses” too, you introduced that book to me some years ago.
      By the way, we saw his new book “I refuse” in the windows of the bookshops in Dublin today.

      Greetings to Fredrikstad and gutta
      from us in Dublin. You’d love this city!
      Hanne og Klausbernd

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    • Mmmm. Dublin is high on our list. But I will correct myself with regards to the stallions; Jostein read my comment, and reminded me that this wonderful holiday resort for the stallions is only for the young ones, NOT the old stallions. Summer youthcamp, you might say, 😀 Jostein and Jon Olav was there a few years ago with the young stallion after our mare Quinta. He spend 2 summers at Feøya. Lucky him then, now he is no longer a stallion 😦 but a gelding, he he.

      Is the last book from Per Petterson really called “I refuse”. Brilliant translation by me 😀

      Love and kisses from me and the boys to both of you ❤

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    • Takk nok en gang, Tone.
      Dublin is beautiful, highly interesting and lots of fun. There’re many norwegians here!
      Ha det,
      vi treffer Mr. Perfectlight fra Irish Poscard senere i kveld i Temple Bar.

      Hilsen Hanne, Klausbernd
      og bokfeene

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  13. Danke an Trond Thorvaldsen für diese grandiosen Fotos! Das erste ist wunder-, wunderschön!

    Über den Satz You decide for yourself when it will hurt. hab ich jetzt eine Weile nachgedacht… Was drückt er genau aus? Mein Englisch ist nicht in Übung, daher bin ich nicht sicher. Ich würde ihn so verstehen, dass wenn du weißt, dass das, wofür du dich entscheidest, weh tun wird, dann hast du dich für dich selbst entschieden, denn wer würde sich weh tun lassen, um jemand anderem zu gefallen?

    Liebe Grüße
    Marion

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    • oder… es liegt in deiner Macht, ob es weh tut oder nicht? Wenn die Gefühle weniger Macht haben, also wenn du es distanziert betrachtest?
      Liebe Grüße
      Dina, die gleich bei Klausbernd nachfragt… 🙂

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    • Weißt du, liebe Marion, das Problem mit Zitaten ist immer das, man muss sie im Zusammenhang betrachten (was ständig missachtet wird). Es ist ein paar Jahre her, als ich das Buch gelesen habe und deswegen habe ich es nicht parat und kann es hier im Hotel in Dublin nicht nachschlagen. Der springende Punkt bei diesem Zitat ist das “when”. Die wörtliche Übersetzung heißt: “Du entscheidest selbst, wann es schmerzen wird.” D.h. es wird davon ausgegangen, dass es schmerzt, aber den Zeitpunkt wann es schmerzen wird, kannst du selbst entscheiden. Ich hätte eher formuliert: You decide for yourself if it will hurt – also: Du entscheidest selbst, ob es schmerzen wird. Aber das temporale when geht eindeutig davon aus, dass der Schmerz unumgänglich ist und du nur den Zeitpunkt bestimmen kannst, wann er eintritt.
      Wie gesagt, obwohl mir Per Pettersons Roman gut gefallen hat, stimme ich nicht mit diesem Zitat überein, es ist zu schicksalsgläubig: Zumindest in der englischen Übersetzung geht es davon aus, dass der Schmerz ein unvermeidbares Faktum ist. Der Ansicht bin ich nicht. Ich wage, kühn zu vermuten, dass Petterson im Original geschrieben hat, dass man selbst entscheidet, ob man verletzt wird.
      Liebe Grüße aus dem sonnig warmen Dublin
      Klausbernd 🙂

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    • Tone, please help us! 🙂
      We have the book in german at home, you are the only one I know that has got the norwegian original text, can you please find out what
      “You decide for yourself when it will hurt” sounds like, word by word by Per Petterson, that’d be really great!
      Thanks.X

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  15. Very well captured these beautiful horses… 😉

    Like this: “Time is important to me now, I tell myself – not that it should pass quickly or slowly, but only be time, be something I live inside and fill with physical things and activities that I can divide it up by. so that it grows distict to me and does not vanish when I am not looking” (Per Petterson, Out Stealing Horses)… 🙂

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    • Det er vi også! 🙂
      Irene er like stolte av Irland som vi er av Norge, hovedsaken er at vi trives og nyter land og kultur, mat og drikke. Det er jo overhodet ikke vanskelig i denne fantastiske byen da… 🙂
      P.S. Jeg har fått/hatt fototillatelse for the long room på Trinity College og i det sanselöst fine Chester Beatty Library, Marsh’s Library, the Royal Irish Academy, ååååååååå, til ä dåne av. Ha det!

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  20. Reblogged this on Bellissima und kommentierte:
    I wanted to share this posting of horses in Norway from Living and Loving in the North, one of the blogs I follow. My heart went pitter patter when I opened up this posting on what is a very dreary, drippy day in the Pacific Northwest. I love horses and this just went to the core of my heart.

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  21. Ha, “a trained librarian”. I like that, cause I’m a trained librarian myself – and now interested in “Out stealing horses”, that has been published in Germany allready! And as I do this research in the library catalogue, I just discovered, that I have been reading “Til Sibir” some time ago (and I liked it!).
    Thank you for bringing this author into my mind again!!
    Jarg

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    • You’re very welcome! You’d like our days here in Dublin, we go from one outstanding library to the next one, true beauties.
      Happy reading, Jarg!
      Greetings from sunny literary Dublin
      Dina and Klausbernd
      and the bookfairies Siri and Selma, who are enjoying themselves thoroughly
      🙂

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    • Hi, Jarg
      jetzt habe ich angefangen Pettersons Erstling „Sehnsucht nach Sibirien“ zu lesen, danke für den Hinweis. In beiden Büchern besteht eine große zeitliche Kluft zwischen der Erzählzeit und der erzählten Zeit, was an sich schon eine eigene Art von kompositorischer Spannung bereithält; genau darin liegt ein Teil des Pathos in “Pferde stehlen” finde ich.
      Liebe Grüße
      Dina

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    • Hi Dina,
      das freut mich! Ich meinerseits lasse mir “Pferde stehlen” aus einer anderen Bibliothek kommen – und bin gespannt …!
      Liebe Grüsse von
      Jarg

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    • “Pferde stehlen” war eine wunderbare, berührende Lektüre – für mich eine der schönsten des Jahres. Danke nochmal für den Tipp!!

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    • Hi Mary, thanks for visiting!
      Yes, I have read “Out stealing horses” a few years ago, in German. Tone introduced me to Per Petterson, like to many other temporary norwegiand writers as well. He’s well worth reading, please give it a try!
      Happy reading!
      Love
      Dina

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  25. I don’t know how I came to your site but I’m glad I did. These photos are amazing. They remind me of the horses on Sable Island in Canada …. the difference is that Sable Island horses run wild and are protected by the Canadian government.

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    • Klausbernd lived in Canada and knows the famous Sable Island, I’ll look it up, I’m curious now! 🙂
      On Feöya the horses run free the whole summer, but they are not wild.
      Thanks for taking the time to visit and commenting!
      Love
      Dina

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    • Vielen Dank liebe Petra,
      wir genießen jede Sekunde, Dublin ist pure Lesefreude. Und viel, viel mehr.
      Liebe Grüße zurück,
      Dina und Klausbernd

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    • Ja liebe Frau Blau, das finde ich auch, freilebende Pferde haben was.
      Herzliche Grüße zurück zu dir aus Dublin
      von Dina und Klausbernd

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  28. Wirklich ganz wunderbare Tiere sind das, die dazu auch noch so schön fotografiert wurden. Da ist so viel Dynamik drin. Besonders das erste Bild hat es mir angetan.
    Liebe Grüße und einen tollen Tag noch! 😉

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    • Herzliche Grüße zurück aus Dublin vons uns 4!
      Dina, Masterchen, Siri und Selma
      die gerade etwas erschöpft vom Writers Museum zurückgekehrt sind.
      🙂

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  30. Greetings to the two wild horses in Dublin. Really SUPER photos. Best wishes from an Irish soul in Germany. Have fun!! Joan

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    • Thanks, dear Joan, also thank you so much for calling this morning! 🙂
      Your town of birth is SUPER! See you on sunday,
      love to you from
      Hanne and Klausbernd
      Siri and Selma
      🙂

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  34. Those are gorgious horse. The photographer did a great job capturing those action shots. I hope those stallions settled down and made friends without hurting one another. Here in Nevada we have wild horses, too.

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    • Hi Cliff, thanks for taking the time visiting and commenting. The stallions are only living wild in the summertime when they stay on the island. The pictures are taken on the day the’re set free, you can sense that by watching the images. And luckily, none was harmed! 🙂
      Have a great evening.
      Love from Dublin
      Dina

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    • Thank you, I’m glad you like hem.
      This cattle island is called Feøya, the island is situated in a rather large lake (Vannsjø) not far from the city of Moss, situated in the county of Østfold.
      Greetings from Dublin
      Dina

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  37. These pictures are stunning. It’s so hard to catch animals doing interesting things, and these are amazing. I also enjoyed your article. Thanks for visiting my site. I’ll be following yours. 🙂

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  38. You have captured their magnificence – a summer camp for horses, brilliant! How do they get there and are they loathe to return home after their holiday, like the rest of us?

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  44. These photos are just magnificent, really breathtaking! Oh, ich kann ja Deutsch schreiben… 😉 Aus den Bildern sprechen die Kraft dieser Tiere, Wildheit, Ausgelassenheit, aber auch Sanftheit und Sensibilität, wunderschön!

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    • Das hast du sehr schön ausgedruckt! Herzlichen Dank für den Besuch und den feinen Kommentar, darüber habe ich mich sehr gefreut! 🙂

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  45. I love this series of photos… it reminds me of a family trip we took to England and saw horses on Dart Moore… i loved it.. some of the best times I had as a kid… thanks for the happy and unexpected trip down memory lane. 🙂

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  46. Pingback: I Brake For Horses « Zeebra Designs & Destinations

  50. What a beautiful place for horses. And they are stunning.
    Horses are my favorite. I was around many growing up. Never owned one, but rode them.
    These pictures are gorgeous and it is nice to see them roam free for a summer 🙂

    Dina, I hope you don’t mind if I reblog your link on my reblog page?

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  51. Pingback: Pferde stehlen : Roman / Per Petterson « Jargs Blog

  53. Pingback: Wasser, Wellen, Wogen und Pferde stehlen – Linolschnitt von Susanne Haun « Susanne Haun -> Drawing -> Zeichnung -> Dibujo -> 水彩画

  54. @ Susanne Haun:
    Vielen Dank für den Link! Wow, hast du einen tollen Beitrag geschrieben! So feine Skizzen; I’m impressed!
    Herzliche Grüße aus Norfolk, on the way to Cambridge
    Hanne

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  57. Absolutely beautiful photographs, the horses are stunning. I’ve added Cattle Island to my ever growing ‘WanderlusT list 🙂 Our stealing horses sounds like a good read, I’ll keep my eye out for the author now, are they translated into english at all?

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