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The Tragedy of Eva Mott
Literary legend David Adams Richards follows the epic Miramichi Trilogy with a startling standalone novel of concentrated power.
The Raskin brothers were once proud to be producers of a much sought-after material of great benefit to society--asbestos. But now their mine is under close scientific scrutiny, with reports of serious illness linked to the place. The world is changing, no doubt for the better...
But in the shadow of the mine, the values of a whole community are transforming, in more sinister ways. The Raskins' nephew Byron, a war hero and man of wealth, urges the brothers to look for other, less toxic minerals to extract. But meanwhile his own world is unravelling in ways that are unlikely ever to be fixed. His wife Carmel, whom he vaingloriously believed he was rescuing with his marriage proposal, has become an intellectual and political poseur. She and her son Albert are contemptuous of the values of Byron and his kind, while still finding use for his wealth and property. Carmel and Albert, it seems, are heralds of a new world addicted to mimicry and empty self-promotion, to delusions and temptations. Its victims are growing in a college professor in town is falsely accused of sexual harassment; a young woman is slipped an hallucinogen at a party with appalling consequences for her and two boys. And what of poor, naive Eva Mott, the captivating beauty who wished to be like her talented cousin Clara? Her story and the book that bears her name will haunt you.
The Tragedy of Eva Mott has all the power and brilliance--and many flashes of wry humour--of David Adams Richards at the very top of his form. It will attract controversy but its fierce authenticity cannot be denied.
The Raskin brothers were once proud to be producers of a much sought-after material of great benefit to society--asbestos. But now their mine is under close scientific scrutiny, with reports of serious illness linked to the place. The world is changing, no doubt for the better...
But in the shadow of the mine, the values of a whole community are transforming, in more sinister ways. The Raskins' nephew Byron, a war hero and man of wealth, urges the brothers to look for other, less toxic minerals to extract. But meanwhile his own world is unravelling in ways that are unlikely ever to be fixed. His wife Carmel, whom he vaingloriously believed he was rescuing with his marriage proposal, has become an intellectual and political poseur. She and her son Albert are contemptuous of the values of Byron and his kind, while still finding use for his wealth and property. Carmel and Albert, it seems, are heralds of a new world addicted to mimicry and empty self-promotion, to delusions and temptations. Its victims are growing in a college professor in town is falsely accused of sexual harassment; a young woman is slipped an hallucinogen at a party with appalling consequences for her and two boys. And what of poor, naive Eva Mott, the captivating beauty who wished to be like her talented cousin Clara? Her story and the book that bears her name will haunt you.
The Tragedy of Eva Mott has all the power and brilliance--and many flashes of wry humour--of David Adams Richards at the very top of his form. It will attract controversy but its fierce authenticity cannot be denied.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2022
5 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
David Adams Richards
46 books205 followersDavid Adams Richards (born 17 October 1950) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet.
Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.
Richards has received numerous awards including 2 Gemini Awards for scriptwriting for Small Gifts and "For Those Who Hunt The Wounded Down", the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Canadian Authors Association Award for his novel Evening Snow Will Bring Such Peace. Richards is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General's Award. He won the 1988 fiction award for Nights Below Station Street and the 1998 non-fiction award for Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the Miramichi. He was also a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for Mercy Among the Children.
In 1971, he married the former Peggy MacIntyre. They have two sons, John Thomas and Anton Richards, and currently reside in Toronto.
John Thomas was born in 1989 in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick administers an annual David Adams Richards Award for Fiction.
Richards' papers are currently housed at the University of New Brunswick.
Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.
Richards has received numerous awards including 2 Gemini Awards for scriptwriting for Small Gifts and "For Those Who Hunt The Wounded Down", the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Canadian Authors Association Award for his novel Evening Snow Will Bring Such Peace. Richards is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General's Award. He won the 1988 fiction award for Nights Below Station Street and the 1998 non-fiction award for Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the Miramichi. He was also a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for Mercy Among the Children.
In 1971, he married the former Peggy MacIntyre. They have two sons, John Thomas and Anton Richards, and currently reside in Toronto.
John Thomas was born in 1989 in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick administers an annual David Adams Richards Award for Fiction.
Richards' papers are currently housed at the University of New Brunswick.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 27, 2022
I was delighted to learn that literary awards winner, David Adams Richards, had a new book just published. He has written several of my favourite modern novels: Mercy Among the Children, Crimes Against My Brother, and Friends of Meagre Fortune. His stories are set in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick. They focus on the divisions between the impoverished and oppressed and the few wealthy citizens. They are stories of profound sadness and anguish involving the downtrodden, disadvantaged, and dispossessed.
This was not a smooth read for me. About halfway through, I was tempted to start over and take notes. The book was populated by many diverse characters that could have filled an entire series. I found it uneven and had difficulty keeping all the connections in mind. To recall the family relationships, their forebears and ancestry, friendships, casual acquaintances, affairs, rivalries, hatreds, schemes, ideas and ideals required much concentration. I kept plodding along with the thought that this should have been, would have been, a 5 Star book.
The characters were fascinating, and their stories intertwine over the years. There were deception, financial and legal skullduggery, murder, mayhem, blackmail and tragic losses.
Eva Mott is only a small player in the accumulation of tragedies. Many were of her own making, blamed on her innocence and beauty. The story included two very wealthy older gentlemen who were brothers. They had become rich from their asbestos mines before asbestos was known to cause disease and death among their workers. They claim they tried to stop production as soon as medical reports came out, but the government refused an earlier shutdown. Their nephew is now a University professor living off grants from the mine. He had participated in demonstrations in the USA in the 1960s, and the spirit of protest was now prevalent in the local University, so he participated.
New ways of thinking, considered politically correct, emerged from the University, causing confusion and dissent. There was the tendency to protest anything from the old way of life, now regarded as wrong, but stabilized the community. Among their demonstrations were protests against the two older men who ran the asbestos plant and for environmental awareness and improvements, feminist protests to enable more rights for women. There were also demonstrations to support the nearby Native population in their claim for some valuable land for logging and fishing rights. There was controversy as to whether the land had ever been ceded to them by treaty. Some of these disputes had a trickle-down effect disrupting people's lives.
Add to this mixture two criminal brothers and the murderous girlfriend of one of them. She led around an impetuous Native man who was the victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, willing to commit any violence he thought she wanted. A valuable, hidden antique pistol and a stolen bracelet may further the mayhem or resolve the mystery of some killings. Have the right culprits been blamed?
There was an excellent story here but perhaps on too many levels. I am at a loss to decide which of the many intriguing characters could be eliminated to make it a smoother read.
This was not a smooth read for me. About halfway through, I was tempted to start over and take notes. The book was populated by many diverse characters that could have filled an entire series. I found it uneven and had difficulty keeping all the connections in mind. To recall the family relationships, their forebears and ancestry, friendships, casual acquaintances, affairs, rivalries, hatreds, schemes, ideas and ideals required much concentration. I kept plodding along with the thought that this should have been, would have been, a 5 Star book.
The characters were fascinating, and their stories intertwine over the years. There were deception, financial and legal skullduggery, murder, mayhem, blackmail and tragic losses.
Eva Mott is only a small player in the accumulation of tragedies. Many were of her own making, blamed on her innocence and beauty. The story included two very wealthy older gentlemen who were brothers. They had become rich from their asbestos mines before asbestos was known to cause disease and death among their workers. They claim they tried to stop production as soon as medical reports came out, but the government refused an earlier shutdown. Their nephew is now a University professor living off grants from the mine. He had participated in demonstrations in the USA in the 1960s, and the spirit of protest was now prevalent in the local University, so he participated.
New ways of thinking, considered politically correct, emerged from the University, causing confusion and dissent. There was the tendency to protest anything from the old way of life, now regarded as wrong, but stabilized the community. Among their demonstrations were protests against the two older men who ran the asbestos plant and for environmental awareness and improvements, feminist protests to enable more rights for women. There were also demonstrations to support the nearby Native population in their claim for some valuable land for logging and fishing rights. There was controversy as to whether the land had ever been ceded to them by treaty. Some of these disputes had a trickle-down effect disrupting people's lives.
Add to this mixture two criminal brothers and the murderous girlfriend of one of them. She led around an impetuous Native man who was the victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, willing to commit any violence he thought she wanted. A valuable, hidden antique pistol and a stolen bracelet may further the mayhem or resolve the mystery of some killings. Have the right culprits been blamed?
There was an excellent story here but perhaps on too many levels. I am at a loss to decide which of the many intriguing characters could be eliminated to make it a smoother read.
November 17, 2022
I won’t miss the opportunity to read a new novel by David Adams Richards since I’ve enjoyed so many of his books like Darkness (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/...), Mary Cyr (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/...), The Lost Highway (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/...), and Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/... ). This latest one, however, left me less impressed.
Set in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick, the plot focuses on a community where the asbestos mine owned by the Raskin Brothers is the main employer. When reports emerge about the health effects on workers, the brothers want to stop mining asbestos, but the government does not allow them to shut down. Albert, a nephew, who lives on the proceeds of the mine, becomes involved in protests against his uncles. Choices Albert makes as a young man have a devastating impact on him and many others, especially after two criminal brothers, Mel and Shane Stroud, become involved and further complicate matters.
Shortly after I began reading, I decided to make notes on the various characters and their connections to each other. There are many characters and their stories are intertwined so it is important to keep track of their relationships; the backgrounds of these many characters are also significant. The title is appropriate in that Eva Mott is the person whose life is touched by virtually all the other characters.
Eva, however, is not the only person to suffer tragedy. There are many who suffer because they are deprived, oppressed, and exploited. The message seems to be that “suffering is the human condition” so the book is anything but a light read. For instance, there are eight deaths that are the result of murder or criminal negligence. Sexual assault, drug addiction, and blackmail all feature in the narrative. The book includes infidelity, theft, beatings, heartbreak, loneliness, family disintegration, suicide, government ineptitude, environmental degradation, and swindling. The book ends with the promise that the world is filled with love, there is “a fulsome chance at a new life, a new beginning, a new and holy destiny, here as well as in all the world,” and “honour follows virtue like a shadow,” but the number of characters who are loving and virtuous is far outnumbered by those who are motivated by self-interest and manipulate others. And the virtuous seldom receive their just rewards.
In many ways, the book reads like a critique of many groups. Academics are a target: “he had a trait that was widespread among professors: he was petty and jealous.” Politicians are portrayed as hypocrites; the government won’t let the Raskins close the asbestos mine even after reports emerge about the effects of asbestos. Scientists “wore white coats and told white lies.” First Nations people have suffered much for too long, but the author believes there should be less talk about “how much they were owed and how much was taken”; a Mi’kmaq argues his people must “decide their own lives by their own conscience” and says, “’I know you want to protect the land but remember some of us exploit it just as much as others.’” Protestors, whether environmentalists, women’s rights activists, or supporters of First Nations claims, are described as an “ignorant army . . . ready to clash by night.” The author even takes a swipe at his detractors who have dismissed him as “a journeyman writer from New Brunswick . . . [whose writing shows a] backward regionalism.” The author seems angry at everyone.
I wanted to like this book, but it is full of countless tragedies, despair, and darkness. A re-reading would perhaps result in an appreciation of its layers; unfortunately, I cannot see myself re-reading it very soon. It is too depressing, and I need to find something more uplifting after this heartbreaking tale.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Set in the Miramichi region of New Brunswick, the plot focuses on a community where the asbestos mine owned by the Raskin Brothers is the main employer. When reports emerge about the health effects on workers, the brothers want to stop mining asbestos, but the government does not allow them to shut down. Albert, a nephew, who lives on the proceeds of the mine, becomes involved in protests against his uncles. Choices Albert makes as a young man have a devastating impact on him and many others, especially after two criminal brothers, Mel and Shane Stroud, become involved and further complicate matters.
Shortly after I began reading, I decided to make notes on the various characters and their connections to each other. There are many characters and their stories are intertwined so it is important to keep track of their relationships; the backgrounds of these many characters are also significant. The title is appropriate in that Eva Mott is the person whose life is touched by virtually all the other characters.
Eva, however, is not the only person to suffer tragedy. There are many who suffer because they are deprived, oppressed, and exploited. The message seems to be that “suffering is the human condition” so the book is anything but a light read. For instance, there are eight deaths that are the result of murder or criminal negligence. Sexual assault, drug addiction, and blackmail all feature in the narrative. The book includes infidelity, theft, beatings, heartbreak, loneliness, family disintegration, suicide, government ineptitude, environmental degradation, and swindling. The book ends with the promise that the world is filled with love, there is “a fulsome chance at a new life, a new beginning, a new and holy destiny, here as well as in all the world,” and “honour follows virtue like a shadow,” but the number of characters who are loving and virtuous is far outnumbered by those who are motivated by self-interest and manipulate others. And the virtuous seldom receive their just rewards.
In many ways, the book reads like a critique of many groups. Academics are a target: “he had a trait that was widespread among professors: he was petty and jealous.” Politicians are portrayed as hypocrites; the government won’t let the Raskins close the asbestos mine even after reports emerge about the effects of asbestos. Scientists “wore white coats and told white lies.” First Nations people have suffered much for too long, but the author believes there should be less talk about “how much they were owed and how much was taken”; a Mi’kmaq argues his people must “decide their own lives by their own conscience” and says, “’I know you want to protect the land but remember some of us exploit it just as much as others.’” Protestors, whether environmentalists, women’s rights activists, or supporters of First Nations claims, are described as an “ignorant army . . . ready to clash by night.” The author even takes a swipe at his detractors who have dismissed him as “a journeyman writer from New Brunswick . . . [whose writing shows a] backward regionalism.” The author seems angry at everyone.
I wanted to like this book, but it is full of countless tragedies, despair, and darkness. A re-reading would perhaps result in an appreciation of its layers; unfortunately, I cannot see myself re-reading it very soon. It is too depressing, and I need to find something more uplifting after this heartbreaking tale.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
December 8, 2022
David Adams Richards is a brilliant and powerful author. At times, I loved this book. At times, I was mired in the moral dilemmas and tragedies of so many characters in a time of changing values. Richards takes on several institutions, especially the university, as the lives of the rural, “disadvantaged” characters are juxtaposed with the “intellectual” elite. Beneath it all, are the themes of morality and soul.
Read
February 26, 2023Many challenges. Mostly bleak, with a flash of redemption or two towards the end. Lots of pettiness, crime, abuse, shame, misplaced loyalty, ignorance, betrayal, love and generosity. I find it incredibly ironic, personally, that but for a university English department I probably never would have heard of Richards.
March 2, 2023
Much to love about the moody New Brunswick setting and the ethically diverse characters. But the story seemed to be a grab bag of tragic circumstances with not enough connective tissue. Coincidentally I was rereading East of Eden at the same time and I kept getting the plots confused. Same sad legacies of
generational trauma, themes of good and evil, women of
little conscience taking advantage of naive men. None of them very likeable.
Adams can describe a trailer park and a fancy mansion and make them both seem deplorable. Neither wealth nor poverty are heroic. All the characters are equally flawed.
At the end of the book, your own sad life looks pretty damn good.
generational trauma, themes of good and evil, women of
little conscience taking advantage of naive men. None of them very likeable.
Adams can describe a trailer park and a fancy mansion and make them both seem deplorable. Neither wealth nor poverty are heroic. All the characters are equally flawed.
At the end of the book, your own sad life looks pretty damn good.
Read
March 20, 2023So disappointed… Mercy Among the Children holds a place up near the top of my list of all time favourite Canadian novels. This one will not be joining it.
I am up to page 82 and this is just asking way too much of the reader to plod along with the heavy handed prose and the oft times generally confusing narrative.
There is way too much on my TBR pile to carry on with this one.
I am up to page 82 and this is just asking way too much of the reader to plod along with the heavy handed prose and the oft times generally confusing narrative.
There is way too much on my TBR pile to carry on with this one.
February 16, 2023
The Tragedy of Eva Mott opens with a Solzhenitsyn quote “The line separating good from evil passes through every human heart” and thereby aptly sets the scene for the story that follows. At first glance, the novel may present as a polemic against modern day progressivism, but I think that would be wrong. Instead, what David Adams Richards seems to be doing here is highlighting the superiority of the Christian worldview over others.
DAR very much believes in the notion of sin which puts him squarely in the camp of the Christian worldview. Meanwhile, over in the progressive camp, there is no sin -- only oppression. The progressive camp includes the academic activists and their students as well as a criminal element. The people in this group have no stable, consistent sense of right and wrong. All is relative to them. Resentment and blame figure large here as does a myopic vision which shows a lack of concern for society as a whole. What becomes quickly apparent is that this group strives for power and control above all else and lacks any genuine compassion, good intent or concern for truth. Everything is theatre and a drive to power. The progressive group also includes some innocent victims. These are individuals who are vulnerable for one reason or another and who long for a better life and for acceptance by those they perceive as successful. The people in this group succumb easily to the lies and deception of the progressives. They are good hearted and believe in the good intentions of others, but in their innocence perpetuate evil. Eva Mott, the tragic figure at the heart of the story falls into this category.
The Tragedy of Eva Mott is not an easy read. The cast is huge and the story spans several decades. I had to read it twice to do the story justice. It is easy to be sidetracked by the endless pain and suffering, but I believe it is a good news story in the end. Eva loses her child, her property, and all her earthly possessions. She is filled with self loathing and driven to murder. Yet, Eva is purified through her suffering. She comes to see the evil in her ways and repents. She is redeemed through the love of her husband (who figures as a kind of Christ figure) whose commitment to her is steadfast.
DAR very much believes in the notion of sin which puts him squarely in the camp of the Christian worldview. Meanwhile, over in the progressive camp, there is no sin -- only oppression. The progressive camp includes the academic activists and their students as well as a criminal element. The people in this group have no stable, consistent sense of right and wrong. All is relative to them. Resentment and blame figure large here as does a myopic vision which shows a lack of concern for society as a whole. What becomes quickly apparent is that this group strives for power and control above all else and lacks any genuine compassion, good intent or concern for truth. Everything is theatre and a drive to power. The progressive group also includes some innocent victims. These are individuals who are vulnerable for one reason or another and who long for a better life and for acceptance by those they perceive as successful. The people in this group succumb easily to the lies and deception of the progressives. They are good hearted and believe in the good intentions of others, but in their innocence perpetuate evil. Eva Mott, the tragic figure at the heart of the story falls into this category.
The Tragedy of Eva Mott is not an easy read. The cast is huge and the story spans several decades. I had to read it twice to do the story justice. It is easy to be sidetracked by the endless pain and suffering, but I believe it is a good news story in the end. Eva loses her child, her property, and all her earthly possessions. She is filled with self loathing and driven to murder. Yet, Eva is purified through her suffering. She comes to see the evil in her ways and repents. She is redeemed through the love of her husband (who figures as a kind of Christ figure) whose commitment to her is steadfast.
February 16, 2025
I would not be surprised if David Adams Richard struggled to settle on a title for this novel. It is a complex, multi-character novel touching on many social and psychological issues. No one title can accurately depict all that it contains.
“The Tragedy of Eva Mott” takes place in Richards usual setting of rural New Brunswick at a time of societal turbulence. The asbestos mine, which has made the Raskin brothers rich but is now the source of controversy as scientific scrutiny reveals the health risk of asbestos, is the backdrop.
Against this backdrop, a large cast of characters play out overlapping dramas – some naïve and helpless victims (including Eva Mott), some unrepentant manipulators and opportunists and some raging hypocrites. The social issues dealt with span poverty, ignorance, drugs, First Nations land rights, sexual exploitation, internal politics of academic institutions and social revolution.
David Adams Richards weaves together a complex array of moving parts in this epic work of literary fiction.
“The Tragedy of Eva Mott” takes place in Richards usual setting of rural New Brunswick at a time of societal turbulence. The asbestos mine, which has made the Raskin brothers rich but is now the source of controversy as scientific scrutiny reveals the health risk of asbestos, is the backdrop.
Against this backdrop, a large cast of characters play out overlapping dramas – some naïve and helpless victims (including Eva Mott), some unrepentant manipulators and opportunists and some raging hypocrites. The social issues dealt with span poverty, ignorance, drugs, First Nations land rights, sexual exploitation, internal politics of academic institutions and social revolution.
David Adams Richards weaves together a complex array of moving parts in this epic work of literary fiction.
April 13, 2023
I pretty much love everything that D.A.R has written, including this latest novel. As usual, Richards brilliantly captures the highs and lows of the human condition within small town New Brunswick. I would have given this 5 stars except for the following:
- For some reason, the narrator shows up halfway through the book out of nowhere. Other than the fact that they're a painter, we don't really learn much else about the person or their relations to other characters.
- One of the central events in the story - the death of a young girl by drug overdose- gets kinda glossed over. Although it eventually gets resolved, it seems like there was more to explore in this situation, especially as it relates to some of the main characters.
There's probably a couple other things, but I won't bother getting into them. Overall, it's a good story, but it seems like Richards may not have fully fleshed out the plot entirely. In short, there's too much going on here than is necessary.
- For some reason, the narrator shows up halfway through the book out of nowhere. Other than the fact that they're a painter, we don't really learn much else about the person or their relations to other characters.
- One of the central events in the story - the death of a young girl by drug overdose- gets kinda glossed over. Although it eventually gets resolved, it seems like there was more to explore in this situation, especially as it relates to some of the main characters.
There's probably a couple other things, but I won't bother getting into them. Overall, it's a good story, but it seems like Richards may not have fully fleshed out the plot entirely. In short, there's too much going on here than is necessary.
December 6, 2022
I received a copy of The Tragedy of Eva Mott in a Goodreads Giveaway - thank you Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House Canada for the copy.
I really wanted to love The Tragedy of Eva Mott. I love inter-generational family drama and Atlantic Canadian settings, but I've finished this novel with mixed feelings. David Adams Richards captures the essence of rural New Brunswick so well (I especially appreciated the regional idioms present in the dialogue) but there is just so much going on in this novel it was hard to keep track of what was happening and how each plot point related to the others. That's not to say the many characters weren't interesting. There were a lot of side characters that I found were intriguing, particularly some of the professors at the university, and Clara Bell, who we didn't really get to know but could have carried a storyline on their own.
3.5 stars
I really wanted to love The Tragedy of Eva Mott. I love inter-generational family drama and Atlantic Canadian settings, but I've finished this novel with mixed feelings. David Adams Richards captures the essence of rural New Brunswick so well (I especially appreciated the regional idioms present in the dialogue) but there is just so much going on in this novel it was hard to keep track of what was happening and how each plot point related to the others. That's not to say the many characters weren't interesting. There were a lot of side characters that I found were intriguing, particularly some of the professors at the university, and Clara Bell, who we didn't really get to know but could have carried a storyline on their own.
3.5 stars
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December 14, 2022I have attended four David Adams Richards events and have always admired his quiet sincerity and integrity. His insight into the lives of rural people without wide experience of the world is profound, and his characters achingly real.
In spite of the title, Eva Mott’s is not the only tragedy in this book, and I felt there was too much detail about the lives of periferal characters. There are so many that I had trouble keeping them straight. The plot is heartbreaking and almost unrelentingly grim, and I do wish he had found a way to inject just a glimmer of humour or light here and there. Having said that, Eva Mott feels like a real person and will stay with me which is one hallmark of a good book, in my opinion.
I can’t assign ‘stars’ this time because how much I ‘liked’ the book or didn’t like it does not seem important.
In spite of the title, Eva Mott’s is not the only tragedy in this book, and I felt there was too much detail about the lives of periferal characters. There are so many that I had trouble keeping them straight. The plot is heartbreaking and almost unrelentingly grim, and I do wish he had found a way to inject just a glimmer of humour or light here and there. Having said that, Eva Mott feels like a real person and will stay with me which is one hallmark of a good book, in my opinion.
I can’t assign ‘stars’ this time because how much I ‘liked’ the book or didn’t like it does not seem important.
January 15, 2023
p. 191 exchange between Oscar Peterson and his adopted son Torrent:
“It makes me think of Shakespeare——“
“In what way, Dad?”
“There are more devils in hell. They have all escaped to earth.”
>>
There’s a lot going on, little of it good, in this gripping story. Richards is a master.
“It makes me think of Shakespeare——“
“In what way, Dad?”
“There are more devils in hell. They have all escaped to earth.”
>>
There’s a lot going on, little of it good, in this gripping story. Richards is a master.
January 22, 2023
The Canadian government putting financial gain above health of Canadians, what?? Not surprised at all. Drugs can have horrible affects, what??? Again, not surprised. Make good choices, be careful not to hurt others.
February 8, 2023
Actually 2.5 stars rounded up. Didn’t really like the style of this novel especially the narrator voice that was sometimes present but not consistent. The end bumped it up from a 2 to a 3 star rating—or maybe I’m just feeling generous today…
January 13, 2025
Not an easy, or for everyone type of book. Still worth it
May 4, 2025
I enjoy David Adams Richards' distinctive approach to storytelling, which made this novel a thoroughly entertaining read. Richards is in a class by himself.
August 8, 2023
I almost gave up. Wondering about tragedy and especially anything with tragedy in the title. Quick turn around to five stars yes indeed. David Adams Richards you did it again!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews