A Fine and Private Place

by Morley Callaghan

Book by Callaghan, Morley

Genres: Fiction

213 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Edward Morley Callaghan was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, and TV and radio personality.

Reviews

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that touches on some of the myths of our time: writers are immortal, relationships are based on power balances, the police are never wrong.

Al is doing his PhD on Mailer that he never seems able to finish, drives a taxi to make ends meet, and falls in love with Lisa (rather casually and rather fast, I thought - but these were the '70's). She is a researcher living off Daddy's generous monthly allowance and believes in focusing and smothering her man, poor Al. Eugene Shore is a hitherto unknown writer who lives in their Toronto neighbourhood, who suddenly keeps appearing in news releases and being mentioned by Al and Lisa's acquaintances. Al gets fascinated by this enigmatic author who calls a spade a spade, and switches his thesis to a study of Shore. However, Al is again unable to finish his work, much to Lisa's chagrin, as he continues to see "vistas of possibilities" but never closure.

The plot then veers off into Shore having a brush with the law that exposes the rusty underbelly of our upholders of the peace, Al and Lisa breaking up due to Shore's invisible but polarizing presence in their lives, and a psychotic policeman taking the law into his own hands - ingredients that lead to tragic results. Everyone (even Shore, by gaining immortality) achieves their goals in the end, but with what consequences!

I found the painting of Toronto and the literary scene in the 70's rather quaint: Al walks into a publisher's office, pitches his book idea verbally and walks out with a contract and an advance. Wow, times have indeed changed!

The writing is dated: characters talk too much and think too much, and the pace is slow. If this book was raved about when it was first published in the '70's, it is a testament to how far literary tastes have grown in the intervening years and how short our attention spans have shrunk, and how more graphic our expectations for violence, sex and human drama have become.

[Caleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have time to review this right now, but since no one else seems to have done so yet either, I'll at least snag this description off of Chapters:

""I've probably had more rave reviews of this book in Canada than for anything else I've written." -Morley Callaghan When this fascinating novel was published in 1975 it was welcomed as a new masterpiece by one of Canada's fines novelists. Jamie Portman of the Calgary Herald wrote that "Morley Callaghan's first novel in fourteen years is such a superb work that one scarcely knows where to begin extolling its virtues." And Canadian Forum described it as "a deeply absorbing summation of the author's career, and at the same time a startling venture into new territory." This is vintage Callaghan. The central character is Eugene Shore, an elderly and intensely private novelist living in Toronto. His chance meetings with a young graduate student, Al Delaney, and his love Lisa, and later with a bitterly disillusioned policeman, set in train a series of events that eventually destroys all four characters. Over the action hovers the bemused intelligence of Shore, a presence which forces the reader to reconsider for himself the relation of art to life, and of the individual to society - the powerful themes that have always intrigued Callaghan and his many devoted readers."

[Dennis P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another MC novel that begins with a decent story to tell, to which the reader brings a 'willing suspension of disbelief', and then MC proceeds through leaps, inferences, and assumptions. As usual, MC leads this guided tour and some leaps have a logic to them but some do not.
MC's characters here are his usual fare - as though faceted by a master diamond cutter. There are always edges but they are straight, for which MC will have his reasons and provide some of them. His best work is on display however, when his characters have some room to breathe, and he trusts his story, and just tells it.
This novel also includes enough references in the character of Eugene Shore as being a not so thinly veiled MC alter ego, who can refer to himself as 'that writer who wrote that book about that priest and those two hookers', and the author who ought to have gotten out of that hick town, so he could be a big fish in a big pond, rather than a small one. MC is free to add his ideas when he wishes through conversations between ES and Al.
Perhaps this novel shows MC's method in novel writing- decide on the story to tell, then after dividing it into 3 or 4 short stories, connect the dots. When he's on, it works, but when the dots don't connect, or connect but don't flow, not even laser sharp characters and wonderfully described locations can save him.
Still not a bad read though.

[Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Morley Callaghan I have read this week and both have been sad and morbid with authors being obsessed with their work and their fellow authors' work. I suppose it is true that authors become so involved and obsessed with their work that nothing else makes sense to them; at least that's how Callaghan's authors appear.

This book takes place in Toronto, Ontario during the 1960's I would guess. It was written in 1975 and involves Lisa Tolen, a beautiful lady who falls in love with Al Delaney who has few funds so moves in with her and lets her pay all the bills. The 3rd person is Eugene Shore, a little-known author in the area; he keeps a low profile but does try to help Lisa and Al solve their problems.

But there is a 4th person, a policeman by the name of Jason Dunford who plays more than a major part in the story; one that is upsetting to law-abiding people and justice for all.

[ana inés · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun read

as a genshin player i read this whole book thinking of lisa from genshin and it actually worked because in a sense she really is al's waifu

[Keaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only giving this a 2 star because of the way it ended. It finally reached a point of substance but abruptly halted before any meaningful climax.