Ibis3’s Comments (group member since Sep 06, 2010)

Ibis3’s comments from the CanLit Challenge group.

I'll let you know if I come up with something.

How is this going for people who are reading it? What do I have to look forward to?

I had to take a short break from this to read something else. I like Ranald and the clan, but I can take only so much preaching. A church chapter followed by a funeral chapter was just a bit too much. Philip Marlowe is as far away from Glengarry as one can get really.

It looks like a snowy winter wonderland out there now. Much better than the rain we've been having.

Okay, so is anyone here doing anything for Grey Cup? Or is everyone like me and basically ignores the whole shebang?

I think they should just ditch Mike Milbury. He's such a jerk.

:( Leafs losing again. And to the Sens (booo!).

Happy Thanksgiving to our southern neighbours!

The list of books and defenders is out.

Sara Quin defends The Complete Essex County by Jeff Lemire

Lorne Cardinal defends Unless by Carol Shields

Georges Laraque defends The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou

Debbie Travis defends The Birth House by Ami McKay

Ali Velshi defends The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

Oh, and this one stuck out at me: "But his wife [Mrs. Murray] came to the table with a sweeter serenity than usual, and a calm upon her face that told of hidden strength."

Um. Mrs. Murray is already portrayed as a saint upon the earth (or perhaps she walks just above it). How can she possibly be even better on Sundays? LOL.

p. 110: "When Maimie realized that the service was really over, she felt as if she had been in church for a week."

So did I by the time I finished reading about it!

I did my Honours thesis on eighteenth century sermons, so either my patience for this kind of thing has thinned considerably or this treacly Christianity is, for some reason more difficult to bear for me.

**spoilers for chapter 8**
It is very difficult for me to wrap my head around the concept that the danger of fire is just nature being itself (i.e. "don't get too close, the wind blows out the flames"), Ranald actually saves Maimie from injury by his quick action, but all the credit goes to God, that they all have to stand around and pray to. In my book, if God is responsible for sparing the girl injury, he's responsible for putting her in danger. If the fire acts as a result of physics, it's human intervention that saves her and it's Ranald and he alone who deserves praise. (In fact, I take door number 2). This worldview where God is responsible for "miracles" or good events and nature or accident or humans are responsible for the danger and the suffering that takes place makes no sense whatsoever (201 people die in plane crash. Miracle child survives!).
**end spoilers**

John wrote: "Global warming my butt! I live in balmy Victoria and we are currently getting snow for the second time in three day. Well before many of my eastern relatives. It guess this means we truly are Canad..."

Obviously, the weather gods did not want everyone to forget what winter is supposed to feel like in the Great White North.

I'll let you know about the religiosity of School Days when I get there.

Did you get the "making of Ranald" = "making of a nation" metaphor that I keep hearing about? I'm still in the first quarter of the book, but I think I'll finish it off quickly & I'll be able to chat about it some more.

Oh man, that Pat Burns tribute made me cry.

I just finished & can't wait to talk about it. Won't now because I don't want to risk spoilers.

I said in the thread for The Man From Glengarry that as far as I was aware, this was a stand alone. However, we do meet up with characters form the previous book, namely Hughie Murray and his family who are supporting characters in that one.

I should be starting this one soon, but feel free to jump in with your thoughts at any time.

Kirsten wrote: "Settling in for a weekend of hockey and hanging out with my brother. He's back from school for the holiday, and I wasn't here when he left. Should be a good one!"

Sounds like fun. Let's see, who's on the sked....Toronto & Montreal, Chicago & Vancouver. Sweet.

This was a really great Gothic adventure story. There was plenty of graphic violence, melodramatic romanticism, and quite a bit of sadomasochism just under the surface. On top of that it was a fun adventure story set in a time when Detroit and Michillimackinac were the far outposts in a string of French turned British fortifications along what later became the border between the U.S. and Canada of which Quebec City was the most established and powerful. Neither the Europeans or the Odawa come off as being either wholly good & civilised or wholly evil & savage. Both groups contain elements of moral duality and so John Richardson, writing even at this very early time in our history, provides us modern readers with a very sophisticated story (but one has to look for it beneath all the ‘reeking scalps’ and swooning women). There were times when I had to laugh because the writing was so melodramatic, and I felt a kind of glee when reading the almost homoerotic description of Charles & his relationship with Valletort. Richardson is also a master at suspense. Once you get past the interesting introduction to the geography and history of the setting he draws you in and as soon as your suspense is turned up he changes gears and starts off on a digression or switches to another plotline in almost comic book fashion.

I remember feeling rather annoyed with Stacey at the beginning—reading about someone else’s depression and desperation is not exactly fun. But by the time I got to the Superware party I had changed my attitude. I got to really like the rebellious spirit that Stacey was still holding on to. I ended up reading from the Richalife party straight through to the end.

This book is as topical today as in 1969, despite the advances of feminism. This would make a good book for a book club to read.

The winners of this year's GGs:

Fiction: by Dianne Warren

Nonfiction: by Allan Casey

Poetry: by Richard Greene

Drama: by Robert Chafe

Children's (text): by Wendy Phillips

Children's (illos.): by Caroline Stutson (Joe Klassen, illustrator)

French to English: by Wajdi Mouawad (Linda Gaboriau, translator), a translation of the play, Forêts

The French winners can be found here: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla/2010/fh129301723208454965.htm