That Just Happened!

Maclennan, Hugh.  Two Solitudes.  McClelland and Stewart.  (2008, originally 1945). 

Two Solitudes, by Hugh MACLENNAN(Toronto, New York and Des Moines, 1945), is a novel whose title has become emblematic of Canada’s most troubling legacy: the relations between English and French Canadians. Using historical settings within a mythological framework, MacLennan explores the tensions in these relations from WWI to 1939. The French Canadian realities are set in the parish of Saint-Marc-des-Érables, which is dominated by its priest, Father Beaubien, and by Athanase Tallard, a powerful but tragic figure ostracized by his church for trying to industrialize the village. Montréal, on the other hand, is dominated by characters such as Huntley McQueen, a Presbyterian businessman from Ontario. Tallard’s son Paul, at home in both languages but alienated from both cultures, embarks on an Odyssean quest for his own identity and for a vision of Canada as he struggles to write a novel which will define his own Canadian experience. It has been translated into French, as Deux solitudes (Paris, 1963), and Spanish, Swedish, Czech, Dutch and Estonian.

The Canadian Encyclopedia Online

This book is provides deep insight into the French/English divide that has occurred in Canada, and still continues to affect relations today.  The Conscription Crisis further divided the country by “race” and we are still seeing the scars.  For those who are not from Canada, there has been a lot of talk over the years about some nationalists wanting to separate Quebec from the rest of Canada.  There is just too much politics to go into here (I don’t have the energy to tackle it), but you can go here   and here  if you are interested in reading more about what it means to be French or English Canadian and here  if you want to read more about the Parti Québécois. 

What I really appreciated about this novel is the ability of Maclennanto write from both sides of the debate, although I must say the English-Canadians were presented in a more disapproving light.  The book itself is written in 4 parts and follows a family over 2 generations, WWI and the beginning of WWII.  The prejudices of the characters are definitely accurate and continue even today (by some, but not a majority).  There was also a strong human element to the characters.  Not everyone is defined by one characteristic and the ability to make connections with others is representative of that, especially in the younger generation.  Canada is a very large country and there is difficulty uniting the population for a common cause because it is so vast and there are so many cultural influences.  Paul, half French and half English, represents this divide as he has difficulty reconciling it in himself.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about Canadian history from a people’s point of view.  Although it is a piece of fiction, the underlying themes and causes are real.  I would also recommend this to anyone who likes books with a strong male perspective, well-developed characters and books that span generations.

I read this as part of my personal Governor General Award for Fiction Challenge and I am giving it

I liked it, but it was a bit dry in parts.  Overall, an excellent choice for GG winner.

Halpern, Adena.  29.  Touchstone (2010).

What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles and your wish came true?

Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart 75-year old who relates more to her 25-year old granddaughter Lucy than to her 55-year old daughter Barbara.  Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day.  But who expects a wish like that to come true?

From the Author’s Website

When I read the review by Jen @ Devourer of Books, I was excited, because this seemed like just the kind of book I was looking for.  Light, fluffy, all in all a nice summer read.  I totally agree with her assessment of the book.  I also liked the author’s ability to write the character as though she were a 75 year old in a 29 year old’s body and kept it consistent through out the novel.  I was totally surprised by the last part of the book, though.  I know Jen mentioned that it was deeper than she thought, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so sad.  I ultimately came to like the ending, so that made up for it.  I found that I really could empathize with the characters and the book did evoke some verbal reactions from me.  Some, “oh, come on!“‘s and “Oh, for pete’s sake!”‘s definitely came out of my mouth, especially when reading scenes involving Ellie’s daughter. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice (end of…boo!)  summer read, anyone who likes reading books from a different perspective, and anyone who enjoys the story line of Freaky Friday and all variations thereof.  Put it on Your TBR list.  You can read Jen’s review of the book here.

Shulman, Polly.  The Grimm Legacy.  The Penguin Group (2010).

Lonely at her new school, Elizabeth takes a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository, hoping to make new friends as well as pocket money. The Repository is no ordinary library. It lends out objects rather than books—everything from tea sets and hockey sticks to Marie Antoinette’s everyday wig.

It’s also home to the Grimm Collection, a secret room in the basement. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales:  seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles and has a will of its own.

When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth and her new friends embark on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before they’re accused of the crime themselves—or the thief captures them.

From the Author’s Website

I first heard of this book over at Amanda’s A Patchwork of Books.  She gave it 4 out of 5 stars and I was immediately intrigued when I read that this involved fairy tales and magic items.  To read her review go here.

I love fairy tales (though usually the Disney kind).  I love a good mystery.  I love books that sound plausible.  I loved everything about this book!  It was easy to read and I felt, quite suspenseful.  I appreciated how the author acknowledged that all fairy tales focus on good and evil.  Not everything has a happy ending and not everything is as lovely as it seems, and how these objects are used reflects that.  Being a bibliophile, I can totally appreciate the awesomeness that would be working in a library, even if it is a “Material Repository”.  The characters are really well-written and it was easy to see the continuity of the good and evil theme.  I don’t want to say too much about this book because I really want you to discover it for yourself.  From the obvious parallel of Cinderella to Elizabeth’s family, to the quest to save a princess, this is a book that I feel would appeal to everyone.  I am totally going to check out the first book by this author, Enthusiasm.

I say this one is a Must Read!!  If you do, let me know what you thought!