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2nd out of 118 books
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23 voters
Who Has Seen the Wind
When W.O. Mitchell died in 1998 he was described as “Canada's best-loved writer.” Every commentator agreed that his best – and his best-loved – book was Who Has Seen the Wind. Since it was first published in 1947, this book has sold almost a million copies in Canada.
As we enter the world of four-year-old Brian O’Connal, his father the druggist, his Uncle Sean, his mother,...more
As we enter the world of four-year-old Brian O’Connal, his father the druggist, his Uncle Sean, his mother,...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
September 14th 2001
by New Canadian Library
(first published 1947)
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Brian O'Connal is a little boy living on the Canadian Prairies with his parents, his grandmother and younger brother Bobbie. This is a gentle and touching look at his early years in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and it's hard for a boy to get away with anything.
The authour takes us inside Brian's home life and school life, his ups and downs with friends, neighbours and a new puppy, and then (spoiler alert) the tragedy of losing his father when Brian is still a young boy. His fa...more
The authour takes us inside Brian's home life and school life, his ups and downs with friends, neighbours and a new puppy, and then (spoiler alert) the tragedy of losing his father when Brian is still a young boy. His fa...more
It’s odd how one gets involved in things some times. I have a Canadian son-in-law who gave me this and two other books by Canadian writers for Christmas/Birthday with the idea that I might enjoy and profit by a deeper acquaintance with Canadian things literary. Every literate Canadian, he says, has read Who Has Seen The Wind at some point.
I’m glad that Mr. Mitchell gained success with this book and that he has enjoyed a long and distinguished career. I’m glad also that Canadians have a bondin...more
I’m glad that Mr. Mitchell gained success with this book and that he has enjoyed a long and distinguished career. I’m glad also that Canadians have a bondin...more
My mother tried to have this book removed from the curriculum in the Christian high school I went to.
After she failed, I could hardly wait to read the book. I was very disappointed. There was absolutely nothing any reasonable person could have objected to, and very little to titillate a typical boy in grade 10.
According to my mother, the word damn appeared too often, and there was a religious fanatic who wasn't portrayed in a positive light.
I love my mom, but she was way off base on this one. Th...more
After she failed, I could hardly wait to read the book. I was very disappointed. There was absolutely nothing any reasonable person could have objected to, and very little to titillate a typical boy in grade 10.
According to my mother, the word damn appeared too often, and there was a religious fanatic who wasn't portrayed in a positive light.
I love my mom, but she was way off base on this one. Th...more
Dec 28, 2012
Caitlin
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-ive-rated,
books-ive-reviewed
I read this about 10 years ago in high school. Here are the 4 things about it that have stuck with me:
(1) Set in the Prairies.
(2) My classmates dubbed it Who Has Dealt the Wind.
(3) They ripped the tails off gophers. At least, I think it was gophers. But I remember the scene quite explicitly, because it disturbed the hell out of me. They picked up the gopher by the tail, spun in a circle, and threw it hard--without letting go.
(4) I hated it. Hated it. I can't even remember the story, just the ove...more
(1) Set in the Prairies.
(2) My classmates dubbed it Who Has Dealt the Wind.
(3) They ripped the tails off gophers. At least, I think it was gophers. But I remember the scene quite explicitly, because it disturbed the hell out of me. They picked up the gopher by the tail, spun in a circle, and threw it hard--without letting go.
(4) I hated it. Hated it. I can't even remember the story, just the ove...more
One of the most amazing bboks ever I loved the way w.o. mitchell showed so much love and passion for what he belived in through his writting and The search for god was touching.
Oct 28, 2010
Sue Jackson
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-group-book,
realistic-fiction
I just read this novel for my neighborhood book group, and everyone enjoyed it. It's considered a Canadian classic (though I'd never heard of it before), originally published in 1947. It's a sweet coming-of-age story set in the Saskatchewan prairie in the early 1930's. Brian is only four years old when the novel opens, and it ends as he enters adolescence. In between are joys and sorrows, just like in real life, along with tender moments, plenty of humor, and some surprising insights from a youn...more
It was high time I caught up on this Canadian classic; while I'm glad I read it, it isn't going to go down as one of my favourites. The themes of loss and freedom were well-handled, but there was a seriousness - almost a bleakness - to the book that didn't particularly appeal to me. In that sense I suppose it did reflect the time and place in which the story was set -the Prairies during the Great Depression. I wonder perhaps if I had a hard time getting into it because the story is told from a m...more
As anticipated, I'm glad I read this in order to grade the ONE student's paper. Granted I was a little bitter, as I've got a lot of work to complete in a short time period, but this was a quick, interesting and quirky read. Brian grows up a bit throughout the novel, starting his narration at 4 and progressing through late childhood. His perspective on life's ordinary and extraordinary events is telling and refreshing. While I don't completely buy the tie to Huck Finn, I do see some similarities....more
When I was in high school, my favourite English teacher asked me to review this book, which apparently the school board wanted him to teach instead of Lord of the Flies. I'm not going to say this book is superior to Golding's work - it's not even an apt comparison. Lord of the Flies might as well be zombie fiction. I'm not certain it isn't. Who Has Seen The Wind should rather be compared to Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. A very enjoyable book, unfortunately little known outside of Canada.
Given the enormous reputation of the author and of this book in particular, I found it diappointing. Certainly, the imagery and lyricism are outstanding; so as a book of prose it sits at the head of the class. And Mitchell's portrayal of the socially oppressive environment of a prairie town rang true -- perhaps a Western variant of Davies' Deptford with all its local petty tyrants and their victims.
But that failed to make it an enjoyable story -- in fact there's not much story at all, just a set...more
But that failed to make it an enjoyable story -- in fact there's not much story at all, just a set...more
Jan 29, 2010
Brittany
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Can Lit fans
How I Came To Read This Book: I believe this is the first book I read in my Canadian fiction course in first year university.
The Plot: Brian is four years old when we’re introduced to our protagonist, growing up on the prairies with his father the druggist, along with his mother and Scottish grandmother. As a baby boomer, the adult world is still reeling post-WW2 but Brian is simply exploring it – from the wonders of prairie wildlife and weather to his relationships with friends and family memb...more
The Plot: Brian is four years old when we’re introduced to our protagonist, growing up on the prairies with his father the druggist, along with his mother and Scottish grandmother. As a baby boomer, the adult world is still reeling post-WW2 but Brian is simply exploring it – from the wonders of prairie wildlife and weather to his relationships with friends and family memb...more
Nov 02, 2008
bookyeti
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own,
reviewed,
books-that-effected-me,
classics,
favorites,
book-i-read-growing-up,
canadiana
Aa coming-of-age during the Great Depression
If it be a no-brainer adventure or a plot full of relentless debauchery you’re looking for, I suggest you avoid this book entirely. However, if you seek a deeply touching novel of intelligence and substance, indeed I urge you to read Who Has Seen The Wind.
It tells the story of a prairie boy’s initiation into the mysteries of life, as he discovers death, God, and the spirit that moves through everything: the wind.
The plot details the little things in...more
If it be a no-brainer adventure or a plot full of relentless debauchery you’re looking for, I suggest you avoid this book entirely. However, if you seek a deeply touching novel of intelligence and substance, indeed I urge you to read Who Has Seen The Wind.
It tells the story of a prairie boy’s initiation into the mysteries of life, as he discovers death, God, and the spirit that moves through everything: the wind.
The plot details the little things in...more
I thought it was good. It was annoying at times because it was so hard to read and understand the very unique dialect in which a westerner (Canadian westerner) that works and lives in the praires might speak. Not only that!, but it was mixed with a very unique writing style that was at times quite nice. However a bit too cumbersome.
HOWEVER!
I do recommend this book to anyone that is not familiar with the outdoors or is a city type of person. I was expecting a cozy, catcher in the rye type of rea...more
HOWEVER!
I do recommend this book to anyone that is not familiar with the outdoors or is a city type of person. I was expecting a cozy, catcher in the rye type of rea...more
An evocative, lyrical novel about a young boy growing up on the Canadian prairie around the time of the Great Depression. The first section, in which the boy is 4, really captured the world from the point of view of a child, from the jealousy that his baby brother (ill with pneumonia) gets a "tent" and he doesn't, to his imaginary friend R.W. God. As the book progressed and the character got older, the book lost some of its magic for me, but it was still a satisfying read.
I had resisted reading this book for a very long time just out of rebellion I suppose but in the end I think that I read it at the perfect time. The Saskatchewan that he wrote about is my home and he portrayed it with such skill and tenderness that I was proud to be a part of that heritage. He was more than a writer, he was a skilled craftsman who loved his subject and had an amazing mastery of the English language. Thank you for the book W. O. Mitchell.
Set in Saskatchewan during the depression and wind storms, we follow the O’Callan family who live in a smaller town. Brian is the main character in the tale and we watch him, as well as his closest friends, growing up with all the angst that entails. The characters were diverse, from the formidable Mrs. Abercrombie to the town still maker. His description of the plains and the unending winds was awesome.
I read this when I was 16 and hated every page of it (I had to read it for English class).
In the last 13 years I've developed an appreciation for the prairies that I didn't have back then.
The book is a love letter to the prairies, and anyone who has ever stopped to hear the grasshoppers, or smell the heat, or watch the sunset should pick up this book and read it.
In the last 13 years I've developed an appreciation for the prairies that I didn't have back then.
The book is a love letter to the prairies, and anyone who has ever stopped to hear the grasshoppers, or smell the heat, or watch the sunset should pick up this book and read it.
Again, I lived next door to the Mitchell family in High River, AB. Knowing the author as a neighbour was an amazing add-on to reading his novels. The autobiographical story of Brian coming of age, and the prairie that surrounded him was haunting, wistful and ultimately familiar to all of us who lived where "it was the lowest common denominator of land and sky".
A book bathed in the golden sunshine of a sepia-tinted childhood. This is a novel touched with a magic few authors can compete with. Whatever world Mr. Mitchell inhabited, we are all blessed that he translated it to the printed page for all of us to enjoy. It made even the early-teenaged me weep with sadness and joy.
This is a touching Canadian classic about a young boy who grows up in the prairies of Saskatchewan and learns about mortality, freedom, nature, and his place in the world. Nicely written, but I would have preferred the story to be entirely about the life of the young boy, and less about some of the town’s characters.
A story of growth and personal discovery about a young boy growing up on the Prairies during the 20's and 30's. The story covers the formative years of Brian O'Connal's life and the events happening around him in his small town. He is surrounded by a cast of simple but heart-warming characters that many might identify from memories of their own childhoods. The narrative is very visual and descriptive, and almost reads like poetry when describing some of the scenes on the Prairies. It doesn't mov...more
Was a little disappointed by this since it is one of the "Great WOrks of Canadian Literature"....the plot/story itself is good, I was just a little put-off in the manner it was told. I found the many perspectives to be more of a turn off since I couldn't stay with and get to know one character for the whole book.
it's been a long time--i read this in high school. but it was a real yawner. a classic...probably i shouldn't have even rated it, as i can hardly remember anything but how happy i was to finish it. who has passed wind, more like (oh, isn't that an awful thing to type about a canadian classic? ;)
"Feathering lazily, crazily down,loosed from the hazed softness of the sky, the snow came to rest in startling white bulbs on the dead leaves of the poplars, webbing in between the branches. Just outside the grandmother's room, where she lay quite still in her bed, the snow fell soundlessly, flake by flake piling up its careless weight. Now and again a twig would break off suddenly, relieve itself of a white burden of snow, and drop to earth."
The prose is absolutely beautiful; you are in the sc...more
The prose is absolutely beautiful; you are in the sc...more
As a child of the prairies I found lot of familiar people and landscapes in this book including the dog. I think the prose is quite beautiful. I was given a special copy of the book illustrated with beautiful art. What's not to like?
A good ol' Canadian classic novel about a boy growing up on the Prairies.
What could be more Canadian than that? A poignant tale that follows Brian's
growing up years, written in an almost short-story style. Wonderful
vignettes....and the ever-present prairie wind blowing through the landscape
(and through the story) ties it all together quite neatly. Originally
published in 1947, I do feel that it has aged a little, or perhaps that's
just that I've aged a little. ;-) The prose certainly reminded me o...more
What could be more Canadian than that? A poignant tale that follows Brian's
growing up years, written in an almost short-story style. Wonderful
vignettes....and the ever-present prairie wind blowing through the landscape
(and through the story) ties it all together quite neatly. Originally
published in 1947, I do feel that it has aged a little, or perhaps that's
just that I've aged a little. ;-) The prose certainly reminded me o...more
A school read... so hard to get through... the only good thing I can remember about it is that it is Canadian - I will attempt to read it again in the future, since I think it deserves a second chance
Great book about the small town Saskatchewan in the 1800's. The vivid descriptions of the prairie, the caragana trees etc. took me back to my childhood summers in a small prairie town in Alberta.
A story of a young boy growing up in rural Saskatchewan. Very descriptive and poetic, a little hard to understand at times but I thoroughly enjoyed it and got choked up at times.
listened to the audio book as I read, which was hard since the audio leaves a lot of details and chapters out. But got a better understanding of who was who. There were some sad parts that made me cry. It was a strange book to me. Prairie setting but from long ago and I thought it would be more with farming or the land but focused a lot on the little boy growing up and dealing with death on multiple occasions.
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William Ormond Mitchell was an author of novels, short stories, and plays. He is best known for his 1947 novel Who Has Seen The Wind, which has sold close to a million copies in North America, and a collection of short stories, Jake and the Kid, which subsequently won the Stephen Leacock Award. Both of these portray life on the Canadian prairies where he grew up in the early part of the 20th centu...more
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I haven't heard of this one either. I love this type of "gentle" story (great description). I usually refer to them as "good stories, simply told"...more
Oct 29, 2010 12:10pm