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I Curse the River of Time Audiobook
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(3.00) - 24 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Per Petterson won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his masterful novel Out Stealing Horses, hailed as a best book of the year by the New York Times. In I Curse the River of Time, he takes listeners to 1989, when Communism was crumbling all over Europe. Struggling through his divorce, an overwhelmed Arvid Jansen leaves Norway to reconnect with his Danish mother, who has terminal cancer. Arriving in Denmark, Arvid is flooded with memories-of his time there as a child, of vacations with his brothers, and of his days working in a Communist factory. Questioning the choices he's made, he attempts to find a new direction in life. Hailed as "a profoundly gifted novelist" by Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford, Petterson crafts a striking tale complemented by narrator Jefferson Mays' expressive performance. ". this author's gift is his ability to convey so much emotion in such a spare prose style. Petterson's reputation and the litany of prizes awarded to this work . make [this novel] essential for all literary collections."-Library Journal, starred review
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"I like this author. I did not like main character. He is a selfish little boy in a grown mans's body. I love the title of the book, though. Overall it was dissatisfying, but perhaps that was the point. "
— Heather (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Petterson tells another poignant, harrowing and sometimes comic story of a man coming to terms with his dying mother, his failures (job, marriage) and his failures in the eyes of his mother: ‘You squirt!’ But mother and son are bound by feelings and memories for which even the word ‘love’ doesn’t do justice.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“All the inevitability of life, its fragile glue and the doubts that stalk the survivors are summoned and considered in Petterson’s candid, allusive fiction. There is no easy sentiment, only genuine emotional power. His tender new novel is as masterfully evocative as In the Wake and Out Stealing Horses, as gentle as To Siberia, and as exceptional as all three.”
— Irish Times -
“[A] melancholy novel…Fans—and curious newcomers—will snap it up.”
— Newsday -
“[Petterson] deftly alternates between present and past…His prose is elegant and spare.”
— Booklist
Awards
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Selected for the August 2010 Indie Next List
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One of the 2010 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
I Curse the River of Time Listener Reviews
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" I didn't enjoy this one as much as 'Out Stealing Horses' or 'In the Wake,' but I have to say that this book has stayed with me. Certain scenes are still very clear in my mind. So it gets four stars. "
— Jeb, 5/19/2011 -
" Randomly chosen from my piles and it is book 47 of 2011 - aim 133 books in 2011. Yay for books!! "
— Tania, 4/28/2011 -
" Bleak, meandering Norwegian fiction. Permit me to summarize: cigarettes, alcohol, strained parental relationships, divorce, cancer. And a less-than-compelling translation to boot. "
— Joshua, 4/27/2011 -
" This author and this translator are unbeatable. I'll read anything they put out. "
— Llalan, 4/25/2011 -
" I found this very bleak and a disjointed story where at times I was totally lost as to where I was and what was going on.....?? This author is well known for a previous work 'Out Stealing Horses' which I do have on my tbr but might give it a while to delve into this author again. "
— Jeniwren, 3/26/2011 -
" Fantastic writing as usual. I did not enjoy this nearly as much as Out Stealing Horses or To Siberia. Was darker and a bit depressing....but still worth reading and I'm sure I will continue to read everything Per Petterson writes. "
— Cjperkins33, 3/20/2011 -
" Ho-hum. I can't say that I understand what, if anything, happened, "
— Kirsten, 3/14/2011 -
" Lame. The main character is self-absorbed, and the character never fully develops. Boring. Not inspiring at all. Also, does not lead to self-reflection either. I see no point to this book. Hopefully (for the author's sake) something was lost in translation. "
— Amanda, 3/11/2011 -
" A sparse & rather beautifully written work where the story didn't intrigue me so much as spark a curiosity about my own Norwegian heritage. Sadly, the book itself left me feeling merely cold. "
— Anna, 3/1/2011 -
" Well written, but depressing subject matter. "
— Mark, 2/9/2011 -
" I had a bit of trouble with this one. The switching back and forth in Arvid's life confused me a bit. When the time switched, it usually took me a good 2-3 pages to figure out where we were in time. <br/> <br/>But this might just be me not grasping it that well. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. "
— Rachel, 2/7/2011
About Per Petterson
Per Petterson is an internationally renowned Norwegian author. His breakthrough novel, Out Stealing Horses, was named a Best Book of 2007 by the New York Times and has been translated into more than thirty languages. He is also the author of In the Wake, I Curse the River of Time, and To Siberia.
About Jefferson Mays
Jefferson Mays, an Earphones Awards-winning narrator, is also an award-winning theater and film actor. In 2004 he won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Obie Award, and a Theatre World Award for his solo Broadway performance in I Am My Own Wife, a Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Doug Wright. He holds a BA from Yale College and an MFA from University of California–San Diego.