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July 2016:

 The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

The Shipping News
by Annie Proulx.

First Published: 1992


Book Club Review:
Friday 8th July



The Shipping News
by Annie Proulx.

An excellent evening again, with much lively discussion prompted by the book. Most people agreed about the essential features of the book, but the effect that the style of writing, the characters and the descriptions had upon people varied tremendously.

All commented on the staccato style of writing at the beginning of the novel with some finding it more irritating than others. Once the novel progressed to Newfoundland, the style became far more expansive and florid. Some delighted in the descriptions of the environment and the characters, but for others, the descriptions were so detailed that they left little to the imagination. Some adored the descriptions of nature but others felt that they did the Newfoundland Tourist Board no favours! It is an excellent descriptive novel, however, capturing the nature of the place and the people and getting their accent right.

The novel depicted an area at a time of change with a close knit community where everyone knew everyone’s business, moving from the traditional skills to a more mechanised era. The book is very well researched with excellent descriptions of “how to”: how to make a boat, build a house, tie knots, write a very local newspaper and upholster a yacht. These practical skills, reinforced by the knots printed at the top of the page were slowly disappearing with the arrival of the oil tankers and other technological developments of the modern age. Quoyle progressed as a character throughout the novel, overcoming his difficult child hood to give his children a much better upbringing. As the family house collapses, Quoyle escapes the legacy of the Quoyles and goes on to make a happy life with Wavey. Most people thoroughly disliked Herold and Petal, but delighted in the characters that populated the novel; the newspaper men, neighbours and restaurant owners and in particular the aunt. Their characters were depicted in delightful vignettes.

It is an optimistic novel.

JC 4 ****

More information at:
Goodreads.com

Awards:

AA Book Club
Four stars