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To Siberia (1996)

by Per Petterson

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6204637,438 (3.65)84
In the years before the Nazis arrive, two young people growing up in Danish Jutland have dreams of leaving their frigid coastal town while coping with distant parents, eccentric family members, and the cold winds. In the aftermath of their grandfather's suicide, the arrival of puberty and most tragically, the German invasion, their idyllic childhood changes forever.… (more)
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» See also 84 mentions

English (42)  Danish (2)  Spanish (1)  French (1)  All languages (46)
Showing 1-5 of 42 (next | show all)
Here's what I wrote in 2011 about this read: "OK. Educational historically as before this read did not know the history of Denmark during WWII, including how most of the Danish Jews were saved from the Nazi's. To note, though, only learned this history via Wikipedia searching during reading :-)" ( )
  MGADMJK | Aug 23, 2023 |
A sixty-year-old woman looks back on her life from childhood to 1947. She and her brother lived with their aloof parents and grandfather in a small town in the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. She and her brother, Jesper, form a close bond. The protagonist dreams of one day traveling by rail to Siberia. During the German Occupation, her idealistic brother joins the resistance. She and her brother are separated, leaving her to wonder what life would have been like if it had not been derailed by WWII.

This is a quiet, character-driven novel with a melancholy tone. It is beautifully written. It was easy to envision the stark, frigid environment. I am not quite sure what to make of the ending. I can also recommend this author’s outstanding novel: [b:Out Stealing Horses|398323|Out Stealing Horses|Per Petterson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1317791439l/398323._SY75_.jpg|3321103]. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
Told from the perspective of an unnamed woman looking back on her teenage years in Norway, Petterson gracefully captures the bond between brother and sister as they navigate the suicide of their grandfather, neglect of their parents, corruption of their uncle, and the coming of Germans to their doorstep in the early years of World War II. Petterson's descriptive language had me remembering my own adolescence: nights when it was so pitch-black dark I couldn't see hand in front of my face. I remember waiting for the sweeping beam from the lighthouse before dashing ahead a few yards, only to stop and wait for the light again. Such is the fog that rolled off the Norwegian harbor, obscuring residents' view.
As I have often said before, I have trouble with translations. Like this line, for example: "One day my road is suddenly blocked and the train trapped in a wall of Bibles" (p 54-55). Does someone want to explain that one to me? The protagonist has been talking about becoming a missionary and traveling to far off countries. Does she mean that religion dashed her dreams?
To Siberia was so haunting. The language is sparse, but the unknown protagonist's love and unwavering devotion to her brother, even when he disappears in Morocco, is beautiful. ( )
  SeriousGrace | Jul 17, 2022 |
Something is missing from this novel... While the historical setting is fascinating, the prose was muddled and confusing and the characters were undeveloped. However, I'm not going to give up on Per Petterson- I'll read [b:Out Stealing Horses|398323|Out Stealing Horses|Per Petterson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317791439s/398323.jpg|3321103] before I make my final judgment on this author. ( )
  bookishblond | Oct 24, 2018 |
The story of a brother and sister in Denmark and their love for each other against the background of family conflicts, struggle and World War 2. I found the writing very engaging and loved the character development, but the novel feels unfinished. ( )
  Tonstant.Weader | Nov 22, 2015 |
Showing 1-5 of 42 (next | show all)
Til Sibirien er en skøn lille roman, der suger læseren til sig.
added by 2810michael | editBørsen, Christa Leve Poulsen
 
Det er alt sammen fint og enkelt skildret, en række mesterligt fortalte, præcise forløb uden den mindste rysten på hånden. Det er egentlig svært at sige noget dybsindigt om Til Sibirien, for den er så let at læse. Til gengæld forstår man godt, at den lille roman har været indstillet til Nordisk Råds pris, og at den er begyndt at gå sin sejrsgang i de store lande. Læs den - og læs den igen, for der er varme under dens usentimentale blufærdighed.
added by 2810michael | editPolitiken, Søren Vinterberg
 
Det er alt sammen fint og enkelt skildret, en række mesterligt fortalte, præcise forløb uden den mindste rysten på hånden. Det er egentlig svært at sige noget dybsindigt om Til Sibirien, for den er så let at læse. Til gengæld forstår man godt, at den lille roman har været indstillet til Nordisk Råds pris, og at den er begyndt at gå sin sejrsgang i de store lande. Læs den - og læs den igen, for der er varme under dens usentimentale blufærdighed.
added by 2810michael | editFyens Stiftstidende, Henrik Schovsbo
 
Som altid, fristes man til at sige, er det sproget og persontegningerne, der gør, at Til Sibirien ikke er nogen kliché. Den er blændende skrevet, og Per Petterson blev da også indstillet til Nordisk Råds Litteraturpris… Til Sibirien er solgt til udgivelse i de store lande som England, Tyskland, Frankrig og Rusland. Det er nemt at forstå. For den er en fin ambassadør for det nordiske tungsind og den klassiske nordiske 1900-tals-roman.
added by 2810michael | editAktuelt, Flemming Andersen
 
I sin nørrejyske hoveddel er Til Sibirien ikke kun et barsk og underholdende tidspanorama. Romanen giver først og fremmest et indlevet portræt af de to unge, der begge er stædige overlevere med lykkedrømmen indtakt. Også sprogligt er det en rig bog. Den er realistisk uden at være troskyldig, og den er præget af den type understatement, som man finder hos "rigtige" vendelbo-forfattere som Erik Aalbæk Jensen og Knud Sørensen. Tonen er hemingwaysk - og ravjysk: Man buser ikke ud med sine synspunkter, men pakker dem ind i tilforladelige bemærkninger om vind og vejr. Til Sibirien blev i 1996 - fortjent - indstillet til Nordisk Råds Litteraturpris. Bogen er oversat til hovedsprogene, og det kan undre, at denne skildring af drømmere i den nordjyske provins ikke for længst foreligger på dansk. Annelise Ebbes fine oversættelse har været værd at vente på
added by 2810michael | editWeekendavisen, Søren Schou
 
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To Morit and Mona
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When I was a little girl of six or seven I was always scared when we passed the lions on our way out of town.
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In the years before the Nazis arrive, two young people growing up in Danish Jutland have dreams of leaving their frigid coastal town while coping with distant parents, eccentric family members, and the cold winds. In the aftermath of their grandfather's suicide, the arrival of puberty and most tragically, the German invasion, their idyllic childhood changes forever.

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