Men in My Situation : A Novel

A tender, merciless portrait of a life going to pieces by the internationally acclaimed author of Out Stealing Horses.


Arvid Jansen is in a tailspin, unable to process the grief of losing his parents and brothers in a tragic ferry accident. He spends his time drinking, falling into fleeting relationships with women, and driving around in his Mazda. A year ago, his wife Turid took their three daughters and left him. When Turid unexpectedly calls for a ride home from the train station, he faces the life they've made without him.

Now in paperback, Per Petterson's latest novel, which has been hailed by critics as the equal of his international best seller Out Stealing Horses, explores Arvid's dark night of the soul. In this moment of faltering hope and despair, his daughter Vigdis-who he's always felt understood him best-has a crisis of her own and reaches out to him. He must find a way to respond to someone who, after everything, still needs him. Reaching the heights of Petterson's best work, Men in My Situation is a heartrending, indelible story from a major international writer.

A tender, merciless portrait of a life going to pieces by the internationally acclaimed author of Out Stealing Horses.


Arvid Jansen is in a tailspin, unable to process the grief of losing his parents and brothers in a tragic ferry accident. He spends his time drinking, falling into fleeting relationships with women, and driving around in his Mazda. A year ago, his wife Turid took their three daughters and left him. When Turid unexpectedly calls for a ride home from the train station, he faces the life they’ve made without him.

Now in paperback, Per Petterson’s latest novel, which has been hailed by critics as the equal of his international best seller Out Stealing Horses, explores Arvid’s dark night of the soul. In this moment of faltering hope and despair, his daughter Vigdis—who he’s always felt understood him best—has a crisis of her own and reaches out to him. He must find a way to respond to someone who, after everything, still needs him. Reaching the heights of Petterson’s best work, Men in My Situation is a heartrending, indelible story from a major international writer.