Reviews

I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson

melatonin1mg's review

3.0

“I was scared. Not of being dead, that I could not comprehend, to be nothing was impossible to grasp and therefore really nothing to be scared of, but the dying itself I could comprehend, the very instant when you know that now comes what you have always feared, and you suddenly realise that every chance of being the person you really wanted to be, is gone for ever, and the one you were, is the one those around you will remember. Then that must feel like someone’s strong hands slowly tightening their grip around your neck until you can breathe no more, and not at all as when a door is slowly pushed open and bright light comes streaming out from the inside and a woman or a man you have always known and always liked, maybe always loved, leans out and gently takes your hand and leads you in to a place of rest, so mild and so fine, from eternity to eternity.”


Melancholic story about lost time and eroded relationships.

rachelosullivan's review

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mary412's review

For the second time I've read a Per Petterson book, enjoyed it very much and can't say why. His writing is a bit hypnotic.

mustirufatoshsu's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.0

anetq's review against another edition

4.0

Cursing the river of time may be what you want to do, but it's not of much use. Time will pass anyway; Life, death, divorce, avoided memories and maybe a wasted life? Time is certainly turning for Arvid: His marriage, his mother and his ideology is dying (And he gave up getting an education and possibly lost his family to the latter). And still most of it is unsaid and the heavy weight of the unspoken lies over the (lack of) relationship.
This would be a great setup for tragicomedy, but it stays in the very tragic in the tradition of Strindberg, Bergman and Ibsen - but then it is a Nordic Council Literature Prize winner!

cmcrockford's review

4.0

Not as grand and monumental in scope as Out Stealing Horses, but what the hell could be? It's central weakness is a whiny protagonist in Arvid, but this and Horses become mournful, hopeful meditations on the passing of time and of the governments and worlds that defined us.

sbaunsgard's review

3.0

The sentences are beautiful and it goes around and around. That is really the point of the book, and I wonder if it was lost on me because I took too long to read it.

msjoanna's review against another edition

4.0

Per Patterson is a heck of a writer. He manages to write sentences that are heartbreakingly beautiful even while a narrator is complaining that his life didn't go the way he expected or wanted. This is a quiet book that takes patience to get into. It's a terrible choice for reading right before bed because the simplicity and beauty fades with tired eyes. Much better to savor this with a cup of tea on a calm morning.

bethnellvaccaro's review

3.0

This is a hard book for me to rate and review. I can't say I liked it exactly, but the descriptions of the cold and Norway are breathtaking. Not too much happens in this book, which is usually fine by me, but the whole book kind of left my stomach in a knot by the end.

astroneatly's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0