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Sweetland - General Discussion, No Spoilers (Nov 2017)
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https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts...
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/bo...
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment...
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment...
http://nationalpost.com/entertainment...
... and an interview:
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/cul...
Hi Doug & Hugh, I'm two thirds of the way through the book so will finish in the next day or two and will save my comments for the spoilers thread. I haven't looked at the reviews above yet but am looking forward to them.
Interesting questions, Doug. And it is interesting for a poet to write such spare prose. Think it fits with the setting, though. I get the sense of a quite "sparse" island with interesting but "sparse" characters--particularly Sweetland himself.
I finished the book about a week ago and really liked it. Your questions, Doug, have me thinking. I'm going to take a shot at a couple of them --3. Usually I am not a fan of 'magical realism' (which destroyed 'Exit West' for me). How did the, for lack of a better word', increasingly 'paranormal' incidents here fit with the rest of the book.
I thought the way that Moses increasingly found himself somewhere else - either dreaming or slipping into another world - worked well. It seemed to fit his character. Moses was a warm, loving man who worked hard to avoid attention while at the same time helping people in a myriad of ways.
4. The book's structure, with the long chapters set in the present and the shorter intersperses from the past, is unusual. And there is an abrupt and distinct division in style between the two main sections. Did this work for you?
I did not even notice this, neither the long and short nor the differences in style so I guess it worked for me! I quickly became invested in the characters and liked the way the characters were fleshed out.
Thanx, Linda ... see you gave it 5 stars also - so glad you liked it!
I have been really busy the last two months, so am finally able to participate this month and lucked out to get this book from the library immediately. Interested to see why you like this book, Doug - have never read Crummey before.
Gr8, Kay.... I hope you like it too! Not sure I can really articulate WHY I love this book, which is one reason I nominated it - I want to see what others think of it! .... it just resonated with me, which is strange, since my life is NOTHING like anything that is depicted in the book! Eager to get your thoughts/opinions! I do think Crummey is an unfairly neglected talent - I just read his collection of short stories, which were equally compelling (IMHO!).
I'm up to around p. 200. Doug, so far I haven't seen Magical Realism elements. I do like the novel though. It describes a life quite different from my own as well. Perhaps that's part of why I like it. Perhaps I identify with the solitariness of Sweetland (or Sweitlund). I could never live on an island by myself however!There is a sweet (no pun intended) sentimentality to the character and to the story in general that has quite a bit of charm. Sweetland strikes me as one of those people who doesn't make friends easily but feels very deeply for those he allows to become close.
And again, the starkness of the prose gives one (or me) a sense of the starkness of the island and the life one lives on it.
I had to read this novel twice to realize how strange and extraordinary it was--I kept trying to fit it into my idea of a "curmudgeonly but lovable geezer learns the value of life" trope and it's something so original instead.Jan, the odd non-reality elements become more pronounced as the book progresses. I wouldn't call it magical realism myself since it's not clear to me whether it is instead a reflection of Sweetland's mental state, or alternatively a way for the author to say something brilliant about the need to remember the past. Once the ending is reached the beginnings of the story reflected new meanings for me, to the point where I turned around and read it over again...even the first sentence vibrated with new meanings.
I don't think anyone has linked to this article about the novel yet, which includes information about recent history about this part of the world, and how the novel reflects/refracts current realities:
https://www.torontoreviewofbooks.com/...
poingu wrote: "I had to read this novel twice to realize how strange and extraordinary it was--I kept trying to fit it into my idea of a "curmudgeonly but lovable geezer learns the value of life" trope and it's s..."Very interesting article, Poingu, thanks.
Sorry, Jan... I realize I wasn't quite clear - it ISN'T magical realism, per se (although the article indicates he does use this in his previous novel) - rather, as poingu states, more non-natural elements. And thanx poingu for the fascinating article (and to Hugh for his links also!) ... Crummey's own article linked within the Toronto one is also quite interesting: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news....
I am glad everyone seems to be enjoying the book, so far. I also heartily recommend his short story collection Flesh & Blood: Stories, and will eventually make it through his entire back catalog.
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Thanx for your contributions, and so glad you enjoyed the book as much as I did... I am planning on getting through all of Crummey's back catalog also... eventually!
Hugh wrote: "I must apologise for not participating in this discussion - the paper book is currently not easy to get hold of in the UK..."Hugh - I know you are also inundated with books in your TBR pile, but just in case others in the UK might want the book, it IS available at Books Depository for a reasonable price!:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Sweetl...
:-)
Doug wrote: "Thanx for your contributions, and so glad you enjoyed the book as much as I did... I am planning on getting through all of Crummey's back catalog also... eventually!"Doug, please keep us posted as you make your way through Crummy's backlist. I enjoyed reading Sweetland—if "enjoy" is quite the right word—and I would be interested in reading more by Crummey, especially those that you recommend.
Thanx, Dan - will do! My only other, so far, is his short story collection 'Flesh & Blood' which I also really enjoyed... and I am NOT usually a fan of that format. Be aware there are TWO different editions, one of which has three additional stories!
It is such a pleasure to revisit this novel after a couple of years. It keeps getting better. Thanks Doug.
Doug wrote: "Thanx, Dan - will do! My only other, so far, is his short story collection 'Flesh & Blood' which I also really enjoyed... and I am NOT usually a fan of that format. Be aware there are TWO different..."Doug, do you know which edition of Flesh and Blood has the three additional stories? I do enjoy short stories, and I look forward to reading Crummey's. Unfortunately, it's scarce and even my excellent local public library network doesn't have it.
Yes, I had to BUY my copies on the secondary market - and they weren't cheap... the one with the painting of the house on it is the fuller edition. I actually bought the OTHER one, before finding that out, but the first one is a signed edition! :-) All of the stories take place in a small mining town in NF ... it reminded me of Strout's 'Anything is Possible', since, as in that, minor characters in one story, become the focus in another...
Doug wrote: "Yes, I had to BUY my copies on the secondary market - and they weren't cheap... the one with the painting of the house on it is the fuller edition. I actually bought the OTHER one, before finding t..."Thanks, Doug. I just ordered the 2003 edition from a bookshop in Canada. Please do keep me posted on your recommendations of any other Crummey fiction that you read. For whatever reasons, I think that Newfoundland may be an excellent setting for fiction. Ahh, I wish that we could have an M&G field trip.
Let me know how you like F & B... I think Galore is going to be my next Crummey.
1. One of the things I really liked about the book is its evocation of an unfamiliar setting - the only other book I can think of set in Newfoundland is Proulx's 'The Shipping News'. How did Crummey's depiction influence your view of the book?
2. Crummey started his writing career as a poet, but his prose style here is stark and spare. Does this enhance or detract from the story?
3. Usually I am not a fan of 'magical realism' (which destroyed 'Exit West' for me). How did the, for lack of a better word', increasingly 'paranormal' incidents here fit with the rest of the book.
4. The book's structure, with the long chapters set in the present and the shorter intersperses from the past, is unusual. And there is an abrupt and distinct division in style between the two main sections. Did this work for you?
5. There are increasing numbers of characters now that are 'on the spectrum'. How well does the depiction of Jesse fit here?