The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

I Refuse
by Per Petterson
translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett
Norway



Per Petterson’s hotly anticipated new novel, I Refuse, is the work of an internationally acclaimed novelist at the height of his powers. In Norway the book has been a huge bestseller, and rights have already been sold into sixteen countries. In his signature spare style, Petterson weaves a tale of two men whose accidental meeting one morning recalls their boyhood thirty-five years ago. Back then, Tommy was separated from his sisters after he stood up to their abusive father. Jim was by Tommy’s side through it all. But one winter night, a chance event on a frozen lake forever changed the balance of their friendship. Now Jim fishes alone on a bridge as Tommy drives by in a new Mercedes, and it’s clear their fortunes have reversed. Over the course of the day, the life of each man will be irrevocably altered. I Refuse is a powerful, unforgettable novel, and its publication is an event to be celebrated.

-Yet Petterson also transforms the unremarkable into magic. ~Harriet Lane in The New York Times Book Review

-The Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano claims to have written a version of the same novel throughout his career; in a sense so has Petterson, but his anguished precision is such that no one should complain. ~Catherine Taylor in The Telegraph

I read this when it came out in 2014. Petterson is one of my favourite writers and, for my money, this is even better than Out Stealing Horses. I very pleased to see it here.

JM wrote: "I read this when it came out in 2014. Petterson is one of my favourite writers and, for my money, this is even better than Out Stealing Horses. I very pleased to see it here."

I would second those thoughts.

This is all great to hear. I really liked Out Stealing Horses. I haven't read anything else by Petterson, though.