French-Canadian Fiction
Meeting Summary:
Children of My Heart by Gabrielle Roy (Kathryn and Susan) ***
Kamouraska by Anne Hebert (Frances) ***
The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny (Linda) *
Bury your Dead by Louise Penny (Wendy) **
The Breakwater House by Pascale Quiviger (Kerry) **
Road past Altamont by Gabrielle Roy (Antoinette) ***
Mile End by Lise Tremblay (Ada) ***
Mad Shadows by Marie Claire Blais (Teresa) 1/2 *
Charles the Bold by Yves Beachemin (Pat)
This was a mixed bag as far as positive books reviews were concerned. Gabrielle Roy, Anne Hebert and Lise Tremblay came out on top, with Marie Claire Blais (whom I also attempted to read) took last place. However, a very good time was had by all, and, after a certain amount of bickering, we actually decided on one title for all of us to read for the next meeting. It's a teen novel - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The meeting will be at Linda's on August 26th. See you there.
Labels: French Canadian literature, Quebec
posted by Kathryn at 8:36 PM
3 Comments:
Children of My Heart (Ces enfants de ma vie)
Based on Roy's own experience teaching in Manitoba, this is the story of a young teacher and her mostly French Canadian students in an isolated prairie town during the Depression. The English translation was published in 1977; the story was made into a movie in 2000. An simple and engaging read.
Mile End by Lise Trembly won the 1999 Gov. Generals award for fiction. I found out that Mile End is the name of the suburb in Montreal where the unnamed narrator lived. It's a deep, dark and depressing story, about an obese pianist who has few friends, and explores her family relationship problems. It's written very crisply, sentences are like staccato notes on a piano. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
Charles the Bold is the first in a trilogy which tells the story of young Charles Thibodeau beginning with his birth and ending in his teen years. It is reminiscent of Dickens' Oliver Twist. When Charles' mother dies, his life takes a turn for the worse but he proves to be resilient in the face of adversity. His adventures make for a good read. 3.5 stars!
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