A Father's Kingdom: The Complete Short Fiction

by Sheila Watson, Glenn Willmott (Afterword)

This small collection of stories that were published between 1938 and 1980 includes a remarkable narrative range, from the closely observed realism of “Rough Answer,” Sheila Watson’s first story, through four stories which represent members of the family of Sophocles’ Oedipus as contemporary and naturalized, to the ritualized mystery of “And the Four Animals.” A Father’s Kingdom is an original New Canadian Library collection.

112 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 18, 2004

About the author

Born Sheila Martin Doherty, she grew up on the grounds of the provincial mental hospital where her father, Dr. Charles Edward Doherty, was the superintendent until his death in 1922. After studying at Vancouver's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Sheila Doherty finished her university studies at the University of British Columbia in 1933. She then worked as an elementary and high school teacher throughout British Columbia – including two years in Dog Creek (1935–1937), which served as a basis for her first novel, Deep Hollow Creek. She married Canadian poet Wilfred Watson in 1941.

Watson wrote The Double Hook between 1952 and 1954 in Calgary and revised it during a year-long stay in Paris. It was published in 1959 and was instantly recognized as a modern classic.

In 1976, she and her husband moved to Nanaimo, where they died in 1998.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Antigone" is an excellent short story - the lower rating is because I wasn't into the other works so much. Perhaps this deserves a re-read.

[Kevin Kindred · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slim volume of short stories was literally a random pull from the library shelf, looking for a short read to fill some time. It was an introduction to a minor Canadian author I wasn't familiar with, and a genre of post-modernist mythical story-telling that I don't really have a sound appreciation for. The author was clearly a very smart writer, but this is a book I found more interesting than enjoyable.

[Canlit4ever · Rating 2 out of 5]

“We contented ourselves with learning to pronounce the name [Oedipus]; and, as children will, we called him Old Puss and sometimes in more playful mood Puss-Puss or Boots.” I’m sure these stories were cutting edge post-modernism in their day but sweet mother of pearl they have not aged well. After realizing there was more than one Oedipus story, I stopped and admitted defeat.

[Juanita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I may read again.

[Ibis3]

NCL.2006-10-01