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7th out of 118 books
—
23 voters
Lament for a Nation
Canadians have relatively few binding national myths, but one of the most pervasive and enduring is the conviction that the country is doomed. In 1965 George Grant passionately defended Canadian identity by asking fundamental questions about the meaning and future of Canada's political existence. In
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
November 11th 2005
by McGill-Queen's University Press
(first published 1965)
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George P. Grant bringing down the mid-sixties nationalist hammer with a fury even as he conceded that this fine northern nation was doomed to subsumption within the United States, that North American dynamo forever drawing its lesser neighbors within by the centripetal forces of its Lockean-based liberalism and continental preponderance. Grant, a prototypical Red Tory, had been a strong supporter of John Diefenbaker, the populist Conservative politician from Saskatchewan who, in an unlikely sequ...more
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Ok, the book's title is a little bit misleading. Yes, a lot of it is about events in Canada's recent history. However, it offers a rich perspective on what American imperialism is like from someone who is not American and doesn't agree with the homogenization of the world. Also, chapter 5 is one of the greatest perspectives on political philosophy that has come out of the 20th century. Plus, Grant offers some perspective as a Christian on how the age of progress should be viewed from a religious...more
"Lament for Nation" is considered a Canadian classic and is frequently read in first year Political Science courses. Although the book evoked two hours of excellent discussion in the New Horizon book club, we all found the book a difficult read. It has been many years since I've read a book in which I have had to reread a sentence several times before I thought I understood what the author was saying.
Grant was a philosophy professor and he approaches the subject of Canadian domination by the U....more
Grant was a philosophy professor and he approaches the subject of Canadian domination by the U....more
An important text in the history of Canadian thought and how we construct the nation. It is however, a bit dated. Grant's 'lament' for the nation is one that comes from the white-male construction of what a society should look like. He laments the loss of his Canada....as women were gaining more rights and freedoms and as the population of minorities in Canada increased, Grant was becoming uncomfortable with this. The nation was changing around him.
That isn't to say this book is without value....more
That isn't to say this book is without value....more
A very interesting examination of Canadian nationalism....I found myself both agreeing and disagreeing with Grant and most often found myself in amazement how the 2 parties have changed over the years! It is interesting to note that this book written by the very conservative Grant was an influential document on the New Left in the 70`s.
I read an earlier edition, obviously, but I like this cover. A fascinating read, to tell the truth, but not of my political striping.
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