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95th out of 95 books
—
161 voters
A Century of November
Winner of the 2004 Michigan Literary Fiction Award for novel
A haunting story of the power of death, the pain of loss, and the possibility of hope.
"Gripping, damning, and transfixing."
---Entertainment Weekly
" . . . possesses a time-bending gravity. . . . [A] small classic of graceful language and earned emotion."
---San Francisco Chronicle
". . . a beautifully written novel o...more
A haunting story of the power of death, the pain of loss, and the possibility of hope.
"Gripping, damning, and transfixing."
---Entertainment Weekly
" . . . possesses a time-bending gravity. . . . [A] small classic of graceful language and earned emotion."
---San Francisco Chronicle
". . . a beautifully written novel o...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
October 3rd 2005
by University of Michigan Press
(first published 2004)
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I really enjoyed this book.
***SPOILER***
It was a very poignant portrayal of grief and loss. It depicted a part of war that I hadn't read about before - the masses of fathers, mothers and wives who went to the battle sites after the war to find the last resting place of their loved ones. I found Wetherell's portrayal of the grieving masses quite tragic at times. The contrast between the joy of the masses when peace was declared with the silent, sorrowful, black clad individuals was particularly...more
***SPOILER***
It was a very poignant portrayal of grief and loss. It depicted a part of war that I hadn't read about before - the masses of fathers, mothers and wives who went to the battle sites after the war to find the last resting place of their loved ones. I found Wetherell's portrayal of the grieving masses quite tragic at times. The contrast between the joy of the masses when peace was declared with the silent, sorrowful, black clad individuals was particularly...more
This was a second read of this book, published in 2004. My earlier opinion remains, that this is a gem, a must-read for those who appreciate outstanding writing, a gripping, heart-breaking story of a father's search for the exact place where his son Billy died in Belgium, one of the millions of WWI casualties. Charles Marden, still numbed by the death of his wife only three weeks earlier, a victim of Spanish influenza, makes his way from Vancouver Island, to the deadly killing fields of Gheluvel...more
This book made me fall in love with fiction again. After a long stretch of non-fiction reading, I'd forgotten how powerful the art of the written word can be-- the turn of phrase, the rich evocation of images, of atmosphere, of emotion that bring you into a different world.
The story begins near the end of WWI. Marden, recently widowed by the Spanish influenza epidemic, learns that his son-- his only child-- has been killed on the Western Front. He leaves his home on a secluded island in Vancouve...more
The story begins near the end of WWI. Marden, recently widowed by the Spanish influenza epidemic, learns that his son-- his only child-- has been killed on the Western Front. He leaves his home on a secluded island in Vancouve...more
I loved this short novel, which was only about 160 pages long - a good counterpoint to "Life and Fate," which wieghed in at 870 pages. "A Century of November" is a novel about a Canadian father's trip to Belgium, to see where his son died during WWI; it is a darkly beautiful story of despair and, ulitmately, hope. Its spare, wonderful prose and story reminded me of two other short novels that I greatly admire: Helen Humphreys' "The Lost Garden," and J. L. Carr's "A Month in the Country."
This is a short but stunning tale about a straightforward, strong and insightful man who sets out from British Columbia to seek the site in Belgium where his son was killed at the very close of World War I. His quest occurs within days of the end of hostilities in November, 1918, giving Wetherell the opportunity to describe the horrors of the aftermath. And he exploits this opportunity with searing power. Rarely has the futility of war been more succinctly articulated.
Another good example of how book clubs extend ones reading choice as I wouldn't have normally picked this one up.
This is a deeply moving tale of a Canadian fathers need to understand his only sons death which comes close on the heels of his wife's death from the Spanish influenza. It is set in the closing stages of WW1 - after hearing of his sons death he spontaniously travels to Belgium (half a world away).It is well written with concise narrative that makes one stop and consider the huge scale...more
This is a deeply moving tale of a Canadian fathers need to understand his only sons death which comes close on the heels of his wife's death from the Spanish influenza. It is set in the closing stages of WW1 - after hearing of his sons death he spontaniously travels to Belgium (half a world away).It is well written with concise narrative that makes one stop and consider the huge scale...more
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I loved this book immediately - powerful, epic, moving - I loved it so much, I pursued the film rights with my co producing partner Nicolas Awde - I am happy to say that the script, adapted by Jay Wolpert (The Count of Monte Cristo/Pirates of the Caribbean:Curse of the Black Pearl) has done a brilliant job in maintaining the integrity of this great work. We are in the latter stages of development and about to embark on the pre-production stage. Marden's journey continues!
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How does one deal with two powerful events? Mr Marden must endure both the crushing loss of his wife and the equally devastating loss of his son. Alone in the world, Mr Marden travels cross-country and transatlantically to walk in his son's footsteps. It is in his son's final place of existence that Mr Marden anticipates burying the hope of ever embracing his son and putting to rest his expectations of a life with his son. But, just a life takes away Mr Marden's hopes and dreams, so it returns t...more
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The overall tone of the novel was melancholy, which is to be expected given the plot. I really liked Wetherell's wording/phrasing in this story, and how he paid great attention to adding extra details that added to the emotion. Overall, I really liked his writing style in this novel. A powerful and very moving story.
What a beautiful, powerful read. The gift the author has to create an atmosphere without a lot of "speaking" was really wonderful. Sometimes I prefer books with a lot of 'discussion' because you can fly through them, but this one was one of those books to savour and reflect upon. A very poignant (thanks Kathy) 4 star read for me.
Wow, quite the emotional read. Fantastic writing, explains things so well that you feel you are there. Very haunting, deep emotions. A new appreciation for what parents went through when their children were taking part in war. My words certainly cannot do this book justice. I think it is a must read and I am so grateful we read this as a bookclub read, if it wasn't nominated I may have missed out.
Good read.
Started out slow, but turned into an unexpectedly good read.
At the close of World War I, a man travels from Canada to France in order see the place where his son lost his life. He discovers along the way that his son had a fiancé and his search for this place becomes a search for her too. This character is written so well that I felt like Wetherell had inhabited this man while composing this book.
This was an awesome read; A relatively short novel, I can envision this as a great movie.
Incedibly sad, but awesome!
Apr 17, 2013
Natalie
marked it as to-read
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