Setting

The plot of All the Pretty Horses is set in an isolated town in Norway. The scenery described in the book stays somewhat the same, even though Trond will have flashbacks to his childhood. Trond is the kind of character that fits the remote feeling portrayed in the novel. He likes to keep to himself a lot, so that he can reflect on his past. The house that he stayed at during the summers of his childhood was located in a peaceful wooded area with a pond nearby that connected to a ranch. This kind of landscape is similar to when Trond grows up and lives by himself with his dog, in a forested surrounding. The setting where the book takes place, not only allows Trond time to immerse himself into his past, but it gives him the opportunity to rethink his actions and ponder over all of the little details. The way the author, Per Petterson describes the setting is picturesque. He is able to include little details that the reader won't notice right away, but will help give them an idea of exactly what everything looked like. For example he writes, "...hard strokes straight into the stream, let the boat drift a stretch and rowed again until we reached the opposite shore about fifty meters down". (pg 18) Petterson uses an aproximate length in his description of the pond, that most authors wouldn't include because it can make stories uninteresting, but he has a good skill at including small facts that fit into the story seamlessly.