Cockroach, by Rawi Hage. An immigrant, with poor coping skills to begin with, from a warm climate, in Montreal in the winter. His take on the city, its culture, the establishment and the marginalized, is like holding a mirror up to ourselves that shows us as we are, not how we think we are or want to be seen.
You've really struck a chord, Ken. I've never seen so many comments to your excellent articles. My heart was warmed to see your favourite was Mordecai's Solomon Gursky Was Here. I loved that novel, and his other works, such as St. Urbain's Horseman that I do not think was mentioned.
Thanks for the post. A similar attempt at ranking Canadian novels happened in Calgary back in February 1978 at the Conference on the Canadian Novel. It too sparked a great deal of excitement as well as bad feelings in the then even smaller CanLit world. Jack McClelland was involved as was Malcolm Ross, editor of M & S’s New Canadian Library. Stirred up lots of press coverage (and bad feelings) at the time — and even resulted in a book — Charles Steele’s TAKING STOCK in 1982. Top 5 Canadian novels in 1978? Laurence’s THE STONE ANGEL, Roy’s THE TIN FLUTE, Richler’s THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ, Ross’s AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE and Davies’ FIFTH BUSINESS.
With the rate AI is progressing, William Gibson's Neuromancer may only be a few years away from meeting your criteria of reflecting the Canadian experience. I'm loving the list of books this is making me add to my reading list. Thank you!
Novels immensely important for Francophones in Canada:
Bonheur d'occasion, Prix Femina 1947 (Gabrielle Roy); Une saison dans la vie d’Emmanuel, Prix Médicis 1966 and, Soifs, a literary cycle in 10 volumes (Marie-Claire Blais);
Les Plouffe (Roger Lemelin);
Pélagie-la-Charrette, Prix Goncourt 1978 (Antonine Maillet);
Les fous de bassan, Prix Femina 1982 (Anne Hébert);
Chroniques du Plateau Mont-Royal (in 8 volumes, Michel Tremblay).
I recently read The Magpie by Douglas Durkin and was struck by its profound Canadianness. Its narrative scatters a bit toward the end but it’s definitely on my list.
I could have added a local, the late Howard Engels, author of possibly Canada's best known detective Benny Cooperman who 'lived' in St. Catharines. wonderful works made into TV series. Howard was special, also the ex of Marion mentioned in your posting today. Late lamented Howard, a local activist, not just an author.
I expect backlash and can take it. Alice Munro's stories about Ontario are so spot on, no matter her personal life. Richard Wright also, so very very Canadian and was a personal friend from my city; his other friend Isabel Huggan, and my close friend won the 2004 Charles Taylor prize for writing about her Canadianism while abroad. All her few books are worthy of reading. Toews and St. John Mandell, of course. And novels, well I have to add another acquaintance -- George Bowering. Yes, first Cdn Poet Laureate, but also novelist of note, all Canadian.
Heaven knows I enjoy these parlour games and could happily concur with some of the titles already offered up (Away, No Great Mischief, Colony of Unrequited Dreams). I might even add a few more (Broken Ground by Jack Hodgins, Deafening by Frances Itani, A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay). There are, in fact, any number of worthy Canadian candidates.
But what is the point? Why the need to canonize authors or their works? Let us remain Canadian - which is to say, modest. We don’t need to trumpet these books as great, we just need to read them.
Shout out to Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright, All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews; both excellent and deeply rooted in Canada, and also The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel (the Canadian who leaves to the US, with dire results; St. John Mandel beautifully captures remote BC island life)--and then Michael Crummy does the same with Newfoundland--perhaps his River Thieves. Luckily we don't have to choose only four. And yes, Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony is a novel that will endure--so good! I'll stop myself now before I get carried away...
I'm not sure this counts as a novel, but it's not non-fiction and it's not a series of short stories, so novel seems to be the default: Paul Hiebert's wonderful Sarah Binks. It's certainly about Canada, it's certainly memorable and it's arguably popular.
Cockroach, by Rawi Hage. An immigrant, with poor coping skills to begin with, from a warm climate, in Montreal in the winter. His take on the city, its culture, the establishment and the marginalized, is like holding a mirror up to ourselves that shows us as we are, not how we think we are or want to be seen.
You've really struck a chord, Ken. I've never seen so many comments to your excellent articles. My heart was warmed to see your favourite was Mordecai's Solomon Gursky Was Here. I loved that novel, and his other works, such as St. Urbain's Horseman that I do not think was mentioned.
Thanks for the post. A similar attempt at ranking Canadian novels happened in Calgary back in February 1978 at the Conference on the Canadian Novel. It too sparked a great deal of excitement as well as bad feelings in the then even smaller CanLit world. Jack McClelland was involved as was Malcolm Ross, editor of M & S’s New Canadian Library. Stirred up lots of press coverage (and bad feelings) at the time — and even resulted in a book — Charles Steele’s TAKING STOCK in 1982. Top 5 Canadian novels in 1978? Laurence’s THE STONE ANGEL, Roy’s THE TIN FLUTE, Richler’s THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ, Ross’s AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE and Davies’ FIFTH BUSINESS.
My first instinct would be to nominate W. O. Mitchell's Who Has Seen the Wind which very effectively captures life on the prairies.
Cabbagetown by Hugh Garner is an oldie but a goodie.
With the rate AI is progressing, William Gibson's Neuromancer may only be a few years away from meeting your criteria of reflecting the Canadian experience. I'm loving the list of books this is making me add to my reading list. Thank you!
Novels immensely important for Francophones in Canada:
Bonheur d'occasion, Prix Femina 1947 (Gabrielle Roy); Une saison dans la vie d’Emmanuel, Prix Médicis 1966 and, Soifs, a literary cycle in 10 volumes (Marie-Claire Blais);
Les Plouffe (Roger Lemelin);
Pélagie-la-Charrette, Prix Goncourt 1978 (Antonine Maillet);
Les fous de bassan, Prix Femina 1982 (Anne Hébert);
Chroniques du Plateau Mont-Royal (in 8 volumes, Michel Tremblay).
I always add Paul Quarrington’s great tragicomic hockey novel King Leary to these lists.
I recently read The Magpie by Douglas Durkin and was struck by its profound Canadianness. Its narrative scatters a bit toward the end but it’s definitely on my list.
There is no "e" at the end of Maud
I could have added a local, the late Howard Engels, author of possibly Canada's best known detective Benny Cooperman who 'lived' in St. Catharines. wonderful works made into TV series. Howard was special, also the ex of Marion mentioned in your posting today. Late lamented Howard, a local activist, not just an author.
I expect backlash and can take it. Alice Munro's stories about Ontario are so spot on, no matter her personal life. Richard Wright also, so very very Canadian and was a personal friend from my city; his other friend Isabel Huggan, and my close friend won the 2004 Charles Taylor prize for writing about her Canadianism while abroad. All her few books are worthy of reading. Toews and St. John Mandell, of course. And novels, well I have to add another acquaintance -- George Bowering. Yes, first Cdn Poet Laureate, but also novelist of note, all Canadian.
So many choices!
Gail B, St. C.
Heaven knows I enjoy these parlour games and could happily concur with some of the titles already offered up (Away, No Great Mischief, Colony of Unrequited Dreams). I might even add a few more (Broken Ground by Jack Hodgins, Deafening by Frances Itani, A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay). There are, in fact, any number of worthy Canadian candidates.
But what is the point? Why the need to canonize authors or their works? Let us remain Canadian - which is to say, modest. We don’t need to trumpet these books as great, we just need to read them.
Shout out to Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright, All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews; both excellent and deeply rooted in Canada, and also The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel (the Canadian who leaves to the US, with dire results; St. John Mandel beautifully captures remote BC island life)--and then Michael Crummy does the same with Newfoundland--perhaps his River Thieves. Luckily we don't have to choose only four. And yes, Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony is a novel that will endure--so good! I'll stop myself now before I get carried away...
I'm not sure this counts as a novel, but it's not non-fiction and it's not a series of short stories, so novel seems to be the default: Paul Hiebert's wonderful Sarah Binks. It's certainly about Canada, it's certainly memorable and it's arguably popular.
omg who is on your short list of the ppl you shared your ideas for the novel with KEN