Contrary to what might it appear like on my blog, I don't in fact read exclusively Governor-General's award winners. That's actually why some of these books seem to take a very long time. The G-G project is a definite long term multiyear thing.
In any case, I recently read a nice Canadian political humour novel, The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. The book has an interesting history. Fallis, tired of rejection, recorded the whole novel as a series of podcasts on his website. Between the podcasts and self-publishing, Fallis managed to attract the attention of a commercial publisher, and in 2008 The Best Laid Plans won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour.
The Best Laid Plans follows the improbable campaign, election, and service of Scottish-born engineering professor Angus McLintock as a federal member of parliament. McLintock is in many ways a classic "straight shooter" candidate, who is determined to do what he thinks is best for the country irrespective of polls, politics, and party. His election only comes by way of unintentional accident (I will leave the particulars unspoiled), but he comes to grow into and even revel in his new position.
The Best Laid Plans is resminiscent of other works, such as Bulworth, but it is truly Canadian through and through. It even delves into the intricacies of parliamentary procedures. The novel is very enjoyable on the whole, although the last third is too optimistic for my own tastes. Nevertheless, the Canadian political humour novel isn't exactly a bestselling, prolific genre, so if the description interests you, I highly recommend giving it a read (or at least a listen).
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Unguarded Frontier
1942 had 2 winners of the Governor-General's Award for Literary Merit in nonfiction. Edgar D. McInnis also won the award for The Unguarded Frontier : A History of American-Canadian Relations. The title really says it all with this one. McInnis describes the history of the U.S./Canada border. In particular, he does a nice job of illustrating the complex dynamic between Britain, Canada, and the United States. In this respect, he traces the development of Canada from colony to independent state (within the framework of the Commonwealth) very effectively. Additionally, McInnis delves into a variety of specific border disputes. He conveys how the border was often determined well before any exploration, which often resulted in a final, haphazard boundary based more on negotiations than geography. It is in these sections, that I find his writing and expertise the strongest and his voice at its most unique. In fact, I found myself wanting more details as to the particulars of each boundary dispute.
Overall, I recommend The Unguarded Frontier as a nice survey of the history of Canada/U.S. relations.
Overall, I recommend The Unguarded Frontier as a nice survey of the history of Canada/U.S. relations.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Unknown Country : Canada and Her People
The Unknown Country : Canada and Her People by Bruce Hutchison is a good, but unexceptional narrative of a his trip across Canada. In each chapter, Hutchison presents a small amount of local colour and a brief history of the location. It was one of two Governor-General's Award winners for non fiction in 1942.
The book is well done, and Hutchison provides some nice local snapshots, but overall, it's more of a compendium than a unified work. Plus, Hutchison depends a lot on his own impressions and perceptions rather than trying to weave together a variety of perspectives. As such, it's closer to a travelogue.
It's hard to see why The Unknown Country was so well-regarded as to merit the Governor-General's Award. It's a decent book, but nothing extraordinary.
The book is well done, and Hutchison provides some nice local snapshots, but overall, it's more of a compendium than a unified work. Plus, Hutchison depends a lot on his own impressions and perceptions rather than trying to weave together a variety of perspectives. As such, it's closer to a travelogue.
It's hard to see why The Unknown Country was so well-regarded as to merit the Governor-General's Award. It's a decent book, but nothing extraordinary.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
'Little Man' by G. Herbert Sallans
Little Man by G. Hervert Sallans won the 1942 Governor General's Award for Fiction. The novel focuses on the life of George Battle largely from his time in the First World War with an artillery unit in the trenches to the beginning ot the Second World War. The bulk of the novel takes place in the Interwar period when George raises a family and attempts to survive the Great Depression.
Little Man is reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald's and Hemingway's novels in a sense. The time period is similar, and while George raises a family, the novel is concerned primarily with George, his wife Joy, their close friend Bo, and George's cousin Pitch. While the four friends are not quite the rollicking characters of Tender is the Night, the dynamic is reminiscent of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway, though not stylistically.
The quartet of Bo, George, Joy, and Pitch drive the novel and Sallans does an excellent job of developing them strongly. In particular, George emerges as very true, possessing both strengths and insecurities and often vascillating rapidly between them. He speaks for the 'little man' because he is one, and yet he shows signs of being able to grow beyond.
Little Man deals with deep issues such as love, war, loss, and (in)equality. However, it does so in a deft touch that never bogs down. It is serious and compelling and too ambiguous to be overly pessimistic. In case it isn't obvious yet, Little Man is an excellent novel, and I highly recommend it.
Little Man is reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald's and Hemingway's novels in a sense. The time period is similar, and while George raises a family, the novel is concerned primarily with George, his wife Joy, their close friend Bo, and George's cousin Pitch. While the four friends are not quite the rollicking characters of Tender is the Night, the dynamic is reminiscent of both Fitzgerald and Hemingway, though not stylistically.
The quartet of Bo, George, Joy, and Pitch drive the novel and Sallans does an excellent job of developing them strongly. In particular, George emerges as very true, possessing both strengths and insecurities and often vascillating rapidly between them. He speaks for the 'little man' because he is one, and yet he shows signs of being able to grow beyond.
Little Man deals with deep issues such as love, war, loss, and (in)equality. However, it does so in a deft touch that never bogs down. It is serious and compelling and too ambiguous to be overly pessimistic. In case it isn't obvious yet, Little Man is an excellent novel, and I highly recommend it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Klee Wyck by Emily Carr
The 1941 Governor General's Award winner for non fiction is Emily Carr's Klee Wyck, a collection of vignettes of Carr's interactions with native peoples in British Columbia.
The vignettes are done in a style that I would term local colour, and frankly, they're interesting, but nothing special. Perhaps the most significant stories are the ones in which Carr documents the racism that natives faced at this time period. Overall, though, the book is rather unimpressive, and the stories quite simple. I must wonder if they would have even been published had they not been written by Emily Carr.
The vignettes are done in a style that I would term local colour, and frankly, they're interesting, but nothing special. Perhaps the most significant stories are the ones in which Carr documents the racism that natives faced at this time period. Overall, though, the book is rather unimpressive, and the stories quite simple. I must wonder if they would have even been published had they not been written by Emily Carr.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Review of ''Three Came to Ville Marie''
Next on the list, Three Came to Ville Marie by Alan Sullivan, winner of the 1941 Governor-General's Award for fiction.
Three Came to Ville Marie is set during the reign of Louis XIV. The novel opens in France, but the three main characters all end up in New France (as the title indicates). The titular 3 spend most of the novel as a sort of love triangle. In the beginning of the book, Paul and Jacqueline are going to be married. They both supposedly love each other, but their relationship seems unromantic (but safe) at best. However, their fates change rapidly when Paul's childhood friend, the dashing captain Jules, shows up. Unsurprisingly, Jacqueline is smitten, and she quickly brushes off Paul to marry Jules.
I won't go too much further into the plot, as generally speaking, it's fairly formulaic. There are no real surprises (shock, Jacqueline comes to regret choosing Jules over Paul). Stylistically, it's a good novel. Sullivan has an engaging, yet descriptive style. And, the historical details, particularly Sullivan's depiction of various historical personnages (most notably Frontenac) is quite interesting. It's also hard to get a read on Paul's virulent racism. Eventually, he becomes an Iroquois killing machine, while refusing to kill any Europeans. It is disturbing to say the least.
I would say that overall, Three Came to Ville Marie is an enjoyable summer read, but I'm a bit surprised that it won a literary award. Perhaps good Canadian fiction was hard to come by during the war?
Three Came to Ville Marie is set during the reign of Louis XIV. The novel opens in France, but the three main characters all end up in New France (as the title indicates). The titular 3 spend most of the novel as a sort of love triangle. In the beginning of the book, Paul and Jacqueline are going to be married. They both supposedly love each other, but their relationship seems unromantic (but safe) at best. However, their fates change rapidly when Paul's childhood friend, the dashing captain Jules, shows up. Unsurprisingly, Jacqueline is smitten, and she quickly brushes off Paul to marry Jules.
I won't go too much further into the plot, as generally speaking, it's fairly formulaic. There are no real surprises (shock, Jacqueline comes to regret choosing Jules over Paul). Stylistically, it's a good novel. Sullivan has an engaging, yet descriptive style. And, the historical details, particularly Sullivan's depiction of various historical personnages (most notably Frontenac) is quite interesting. It's also hard to get a read on Paul's virulent racism. Eventually, he becomes an Iroquois killing machine, while refusing to kill any Europeans. It is disturbing to say the least.
I would say that overall, Three Came to Ville Marie is an enjoyable summer read, but I'm a bit surprised that it won a literary award. Perhaps good Canadian fiction was hard to come by during the war?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Slava Bohu by J.F.C. Wright
Slava Bohu: The Story of the Dukhobors by J.F.C. Wright won the Governor-General's Award for Non Fiction in 1940. As the subtitle implies, the book traces the history of a specific Russian Christian religious sect from its birth in 1665 to 1940.
Wright's narrative moves from an idealistic Christian splinter group to a twentieth-century immigrant group that fits into some of the patterns of a cult. For example, among a large number of the faithful, there is an unquestioning loyalty and belief in the leader.
Wright does a good job of describing the complex process of bringing the Dukhobor's to Canada, and most importantly, he makes it clear that despite later claims by the Dukhobors, the Canadian government made the terms of immigration (such as following Canadian law) explicit from the outset.
I could go on for a while, but I'm tired and I've been delaying this blog post long enough. If you want to learn more about the Dukhobors, this book is highly recommended, otherwise I'm not sure it adds a lot.
Wright's narrative moves from an idealistic Christian splinter group to a twentieth-century immigrant group that fits into some of the patterns of a cult. For example, among a large number of the faithful, there is an unquestioning loyalty and belief in the leader.
Wright does a good job of describing the complex process of bringing the Dukhobor's to Canada, and most importantly, he makes it clear that despite later claims by the Dukhobors, the Canadian government made the terms of immigration (such as following Canadian law) explicit from the outset.
I could go on for a while, but I'm tired and I've been delaying this blog post long enough. If you want to learn more about the Dukhobors, this book is highly recommended, otherwise I'm not sure it adds a lot.
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