tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67477685547036698662024-03-19T08:09:35.701-04:00The Dusty BookcaseA JOURNEY THROUGH CANADA'S FORGOTTEN, NEGLECTED AND SUPPRESSED WRITINGBrian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comBlogger1452125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-59017395218582709622024-03-18T06:30:00.725-04:002024-03-18T08:11:28.768-04:00Quick! To the Custom's House!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPG816eHrC-Ak1-iv6LU3cjmFJ6SzN0KM6whxkDarbSUGVQTpJtlj1h47Sf4voxlpWNviU1u8zUbJxpHrzUSeFwZQrZ0ajxlWy6vfqmtrzacXGPjnLX2sij1KWtJl9Le3Rps4HnzJy55DWBAx0w9Z8wFUNrKXCjdf4BQS1herznjxdKlmr_xYxfQwQAc/s360/105%20McGill%20Montreal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPG816eHrC-Ak1-iv6LU3cjmFJ6SzN0KM6whxkDarbSUGVQTpJtlj1h47Sf4voxlpWNviU1u8zUbJxpHrzUSeFwZQrZ0ajxlWy6vfqmtrzacXGPjnLX2sij1KWtJl9Le3Rps4HnzJy55DWBAx0w9Z8wFUNrKXCjdf4BQS1herznjxdKlmr_xYxfQwQAc/w366-h366/105%20McGill%20Montreal.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Montreal Customs House, <i>c.</i> 1916</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;">I've been on something of a Constance Beresford-Howe kick this past week, all to do with her 1947 novel <i>Of This Day's Long Journey</i>. It's a remarkable achievement from a young woman who was otherwise working on her MA and PhD. What struck most was the maturity of voice. Written by a twenty-four-old academic, it concerns a twenty-four-year-old academic, yet seems in no way autobiographical. Believe me, I've tried to find some sort of link between Constance Beresford-Howe and her heroine Cameron Brant; my first book, <i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/21948/character-parts-by-brian-busby/9780307368584" target="_blank">Character Parts</a></i>, dealt with characters modelled on real people.<br /><br />One resource I used in my search is Google's increasingly unstable, moribund News Archive. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHaBjTsU6vqEySN1IBVbolirPMp_OcFW91_xO-WDS5BZxCWvrmQlCDqGNiYNIudryASFqarJToaiZ8sKOOLaYKB03bV1IyJd64bRSDt2dUYASGvivw6_40YrCDU2t7EeOO41bvf1PqUVfYSkKqgKt5EZueIz6D4nZpETNlwPR20ieADcfqUQgzfXY9tk/s703/Constance%20Beresford-Howe%20McGill%20Night%20School.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="703" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHaBjTsU6vqEySN1IBVbolirPMp_OcFW91_xO-WDS5BZxCWvrmQlCDqGNiYNIudryASFqarJToaiZ8sKOOLaYKB03bV1IyJd64bRSDt2dUYASGvivw6_40YrCDU2t7EeOO41bvf1PqUVfYSkKqgKt5EZueIz6D4nZpETNlwPR20ieADcfqUQgzfXY9tk/w350-h150/Constance%20Beresford-Howe%20McGill%20Night%20School.png" width="350" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As might be expected, clicking "Petite, Pretty, Young Writer Teaches Mcgill Niaht School" brought me to this, in which I learned that the novelist was more than a mere cutie pie:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk6JkdQ3sBDE584PnwLpABWgg6qcrILpE3SX2iZ_8TWqP4AICwEgTncOFOxSL2ShrL3NQDVUCwaz0b74ixoDVeL00e66ByXGsFlio7tGOXvnBC3upiCoTJGddmiFrS2KBh7MECTGsgl3TF2EE_3P7nOFDPcdQu-02ukUvfDHVTuUIR4cLgVI5ZUw-sYo/s600/Constance%20Beresford%20Howe%20Night%20School.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="600" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk6JkdQ3sBDE584PnwLpABWgg6qcrILpE3SX2iZ_8TWqP4AICwEgTncOFOxSL2ShrL3NQDVUCwaz0b74ixoDVeL00e66ByXGsFlio7tGOXvnBC3upiCoTJGddmiFrS2KBh7MECTGsgl3TF2EE_3P7nOFDPcdQu-02ukUvfDHVTuUIR4cLgVI5ZUw-sYo/w361-h76/Constance%20Beresford%20Howe%20Night%20School.jpeg" width="361" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beresford-Howe taught "The Art of Shorter Fiction;" Somerset Maugham's "Rain" and Hemingway's <i>The Old Man and the Sea</i>, published just the previous year, were amongst the works discussed. One lecture was titled "Bad Fiction and How to Recognize It."<br /><br />According to the article, the petite, pretty, young successful novelist was at the time completing her most ambitious project, "Drink Thy Wine With Joy," a historical novel inspired by a 16th-century English divorce. I recognized it as 1955's <i>My Lady Greensleeves</i>:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I_YqmUGAWL7X3XSSLkD6TGLHRnPpbs6h-FvKG4PvHIVqCK55WBbnWwmGJdVAnMA7IGKCPgWJFiGsLrVmWFpVuxwXgJWYT6wgMWV0M0FbGsNz4RL5q0dlLpeqx5uASnCeQ6SVd-WQzmPK2JU5F-L1FAXjYrbxZHXvwhWvQJRdUmFF4nVbo9iEsHcFJOE/s600/My%20Lady%20Greensleeves%20-%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="368" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2I_YqmUGAWL7X3XSSLkD6TGLHRnPpbs6h-FvKG4PvHIVqCK55WBbnWwmGJdVAnMA7IGKCPgWJFiGsLrVmWFpVuxwXgJWYT6wgMWV0M0FbGsNz4RL5q0dlLpeqx5uASnCeQ6SVd-WQzmPK2JU5F-L1FAXjYrbxZHXvwhWvQJRdUmFF4nVbo9iEsHcFJOE/w245-h400/My%20Lady%20Greensleeves%20-%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br />This Google News Archive link was even more interesting. <br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WT6DAK6t0wlUfN-KEX8roVpI-iHQF9mOpbZtxJfa1_icFCVl-Z14ag1F7EfiW6zaxiP3aHKsmE4brA5HrnRN08_NTO7K3z8XiSkplwWWFDMddCXjZoHhrOHzLzUjs5XvExlrjnXKBSZK3imBNHm9-azdGKeA5dPq-gDaUeP__5LuhjXHE0yI7WSjaI0/s696/Gillian%20Consytance%20Beresford-Howe.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="696" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WT6DAK6t0wlUfN-KEX8roVpI-iHQF9mOpbZtxJfa1_icFCVl-Z14ag1F7EfiW6zaxiP3aHKsmE4brA5HrnRN08_NTO7K3z8XiSkplwWWFDMddCXjZoHhrOHzLzUjs5XvExlrjnXKBSZK3imBNHm9-azdGKeA5dPq-gDaUeP__5LuhjXHE0yI7WSjaI0/w375-h162/Gillian%20Consytance%20Beresford-Howe.png" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">'Facts Tout' brings to mind <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5990990/quebec-bonjour-hi-simon-jolin-barrette/" target="_blank">'Bonjour Hi!'</a> It's the very thing to get Premier François Legault's knickers in a twist. <br /><br />Speaking of knickers, are you not intrigued by "Panties Customs Dust?" I was! Clicking on the link brought some disappointment:</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrF381IU36oIxsyw9cq6etr2EiR5LSDVrw42MyyYgNdPX_6MRpe0FwR8ShVGmIimrhDqHb30Y0maOgUbxcy4v3UXskdHLbpod043EO9UlDpbKpfKf8S7Cx6OrhGcIZkfm8AF7SNUKbo2qu_JyCCL3bP9l9One9vWyeUeGxl58schlPjXPie3rPA2Bk8o/s864/Facts%20and%20Fancies%2015%20March%201955.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="864" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrF381IU36oIxsyw9cq6etr2EiR5LSDVrw42MyyYgNdPX_6MRpe0FwR8ShVGmIimrhDqHb30Y0maOgUbxcy4v3UXskdHLbpod043EO9UlDpbKpfKf8S7Cx6OrhGcIZkfm8AF7SNUKbo2qu_JyCCL3bP9l9One9vWyeUeGxl58schlPjXPie3rPA2Bk8o/w369-h128/Facts%20and%20Fancies%2015%20March%201955.jpeg" width="369" /></a></div><p>I shouldn't complain because columnist Harriet Hill's focus is Beresford-Howe's first, unpublished novel. In publicity material, publisher Dodd, Mead had teased of this bit of juvenilia, but provided few details. This is the most I've ever read about the manuscript:<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifc6o7fRoi-aiYvhds3WgRZXY4APFqzzJcbA3lr7Xd284zWYwpBDkNufn6WCE2QsS7l4deLH4OwQCNfaq2QbJrJfsVENlb9rFo-GPJqZY9mAv7bpjbAMn2mdcmqSX0PIpjweUQdQp7VPuEMj9ul4Pum_wui9OIOW5rSSHAwk4_YHo9rWFUtqpKsZKKWKQ/s941/Gillian%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="941" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifc6o7fRoi-aiYvhds3WgRZXY4APFqzzJcbA3lr7Xd284zWYwpBDkNufn6WCE2QsS7l4deLH4OwQCNfaq2QbJrJfsVENlb9rFo-GPJqZY9mAv7bpjbAMn2mdcmqSX0PIpjweUQdQp7VPuEMj9ul4Pum_wui9OIOW5rSSHAwk4_YHo9rWFUtqpKsZKKWKQ/w384-h280/Gillian%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><br />Where is "Gillian" today? By the time the manuscript would have landed there, the eight-story Custom's House had grown to take over an entire city block. It's occupied today by the Canada Border Services Agency, the descendant of the Department of Customs and Excise. I like to think that "Gillian" is somewhere in that building, perhaps close by seized copies of <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/12/hard-copy.html" target="_blank">The Temple of Pederasty</a></i> and <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/05/elizabeth-smart-burned-and-banned.html" target="_blank">By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept</a></i>.<br /><br />Who knows? Given Pierre Poilievre's announced intention to give away six thousand federal buildings to developers, it might just turn up in a dumpster on rue Normand.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLUb2dYeXa7wrktwGGvXrwnVeZ-lRwtnhX_pFOK2zvIlqRHeQCKTa24CT2jDKJ2LGwwhhXrImaF3kFeS6y2bk5rqyMgBK6VFuxTcsV0TwHb0lmA5xYD5Gy8tHkDJ_zkQfrI8wOpGY2axHCvjcNAHWhCTdDqesx8DyWDFCKhGdTSpJJrrMwSd9v9oEFTg/s776/CBSA%20Montreal.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="776" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLUb2dYeXa7wrktwGGvXrwnVeZ-lRwtnhX_pFOK2zvIlqRHeQCKTa24CT2jDKJ2LGwwhhXrImaF3kFeS6y2bk5rqyMgBK6VFuxTcsV0TwHb0lmA5xYD5Gy8tHkDJ_zkQfrI8wOpGY2axHCvjcNAHWhCTdDqesx8DyWDFCKhGdTSpJJrrMwSd9v9oEFTg/w355-h274/CBSA%20Montreal.png" width="355" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2024/03/destination-montreal.html" target="_blank">Destination: Montreal</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-dustiest-bookcase-b-is-for.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-dustiest-bookcase-b-is-for.html" target="_blank">The Dustiest Bookcase: B is for Beresford-Howe</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/12/hard-copy.html" target="_blank">Hard Copy</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/05/elizabeth-smart-burned-and-banned.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Smart Burned and Banned?</a> </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-65713084851760012052024-03-11T06:30:00.657-04:002024-03-11T18:51:35.721-04:00Destination: Montreal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxYW4o5kIBE9xSMyH42vFlIuTxg1IUsxcm6_yJCa9DrhExq92wCLE6ZS2fvgLd9-v8OdH9QQ4VLtvP6FYOoLeS73ixav7dIT_eT9nkk9TOYY4-7tv5VZ8fZzNtyFgGUmxuM9Ph7Lcad56NI7MNYtweqfSWZ_A2vfUZRyoMBjuhFQKYI3lpJ2pEjbOOlE/s400/Of%20this%20Day's%20Journey%20-%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="282" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxYW4o5kIBE9xSMyH42vFlIuTxg1IUsxcm6_yJCa9DrhExq92wCLE6ZS2fvgLd9-v8OdH9QQ4VLtvP6FYOoLeS73ixav7dIT_eT9nkk9TOYY4-7tv5VZ8fZzNtyFgGUmxuM9Ph7Lcad56NI7MNYtweqfSWZ_A2vfUZRyoMBjuhFQKYI3lpJ2pEjbOOlE/w325-h461/Of%20this%20Day's%20Journey%20-%20Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Of This Day's Journey<br /></i></span><span style="color: #990000;">Constance Beresford-Howe<br /></span><span style="color: #990000;">New York: Dodd, Mead, 1947<br /></span><span style="color: #990000;">240 pages</span></b></div><p><span>A second novel, <i>Of This Day's Journey</i> followed the author</span>'s debut by a little over a year, during which she earned her MA and had begun work on a PhD. Beresford-Howe was all of twenty-four years old when it was published.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmwTbOwNUIom70WQLrhIMhVLp79_KuIhPOPBuqFkfDVxqLYlDm3HdC0jvQ4A5YnVeqoB9hVTvNc6tseTrEis5kae9jdulsVVRdCu03Y2MYwPXRJhOm8KAB2MC2jGK-ktLUD-sl0INmpioC7jhWZYsI8uWzudt0IEPSYd7pwKqhCX5cENKTsyDhlPy7nk/s400/Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="277" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmwTbOwNUIom70WQLrhIMhVLp79_KuIhPOPBuqFkfDVxqLYlDm3HdC0jvQ4A5YnVeqoB9hVTvNc6tseTrEis5kae9jdulsVVRdCu03Y2MYwPXRJhOm8KAB2MC2jGK-ktLUD-sl0INmpioC7jhWZYsI8uWzudt0IEPSYd7pwKqhCX5cENKTsyDhlPy7nk/w298-h429/Constance%20Beresford-Howe.jpg" width="298" /></a></b></div><p><span>Camilla "Cam" Brant, the novel's protagonist, is also all of twenty-four</span>. The earliest pages take place as she's preparing to leave Blake University, somewhere in New England, for her Montreal home. Cam had been hired a year earlier as a seasonal lecturer in English and has been living with the wonderfully-named Olive Pymson, spinster secretary to Andrew Cameron, Blake's tall, lanky president.<br /><br /><i>Of This Day's Journey</i> is divided into three parts – Morning, Afternoon, Evening – each featuring a different narrator; plain Miss Pymson, the most endearing and attractive, is the first. It was quite unlike her to open up her home to Cam, but she'd been taken by a sudden urge to shake up her life. The two hit it off from their first meeting, an unlikely duo with a shared taste for dry humour.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5e8FMOyJDkd_yz6tQiVvbL633ZJqvZUB2_pb3P2VtYb8BJSA6ZzCcToM0uUcQcS6TNr-EAku95T8icHfCKQvWMynQU0np5zSw_E_mlCwc-Yrf3J59nQkST_2gtrHP43ZZE0ZEFNHt8e5HukC_junodiJGzGvQrjt1f9oxzMWZUSCOR2EcjYmxsKRjKs/s900/Of%20This%20Day's%20Journey%20dust%20jacket.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="378" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5e8FMOyJDkd_yz6tQiVvbL633ZJqvZUB2_pb3P2VtYb8BJSA6ZzCcToM0uUcQcS6TNr-EAku95T8icHfCKQvWMynQU0np5zSw_E_mlCwc-Yrf3J59nQkST_2gtrHP43ZZE0ZEFNHt8e5HukC_junodiJGzGvQrjt1f9oxzMWZUSCOR2EcjYmxsKRjKs/w187-h445/Of%20This%20Day's%20Journey%20dust%20jacket.jpeg" width="187" /></a></div>The second part, Afternoon, is told by Cam herself. The shift in perspective is an eye-opener. For example, Job Laurence, whom Olive had thought a good match for her new housemate is seen with fresh, younger eyes as a physically unattractive man who is much older than herself. It's to Beresford-Howe's credit, I think, that Cam's narration is slightly less engaging. She is, after all, a different person. In this middle part we learn that Cam's reason for leaving Blake has to do with her love for the older – but not Job Laurence old – Andrew Cameron. This should not come as a surprise to the reader; in Morning, Miss Pymson provided enough hints. The front flap of Dodd, Mead's dust jacket isn't nearly so subtle.<div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2a3vPzP5bJ2xZKAJ-N3MT8O-w1CECo30AKNoxE6cypUeI9vtZZZnJU1Y1zwuoDVjKw2sksGS6Jm9fTmCDOn_8zmwp9p5PPwhgTW_oOeZVHfEgd35Wczm2ym7scRPjtCT0Im9ZQwXgdFVkoZCdUm_lY7OTY4_GpfV0C-aihar-v8ps2wB6pWO4sd9r2Y/s1200/Montreal%20Gazette%2010%20May%201947.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2a3vPzP5bJ2xZKAJ-N3MT8O-w1CECo30AKNoxE6cypUeI9vtZZZnJU1Y1zwuoDVjKw2sksGS6Jm9fTmCDOn_8zmwp9p5PPwhgTW_oOeZVHfEgd35Wczm2ym7scRPjtCT0Im9ZQwXgdFVkoZCdUm_lY7OTY4_GpfV0C-aihar-v8ps2wB6pWO4sd9r2Y/w93-h400/Montreal%20Gazette%2010%20May%201947.png" width="93" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Gazette,<br /></i>10 May 1947</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Lastly, in Evening, we have Andrew – not as seen by Olive Plymson or Cam Brant – rather as how he is: a man exhausted by obligation and responsibility. He abandoned his academic pursuits and interests in order to steer Blake, an institution co-founded by one of his great-grandfathers. Homelife centres on care for his once-adulterous wife Marny. Her series of affairs was brought to an abrupt end by a car accident. Who knows whether the child she was carrying – the child she lost – was Andrew's. Now confined to a wheelchair, Marny refuses to leave the house, and so her husband must attend functions stag... functions also attended by Cam.</div><div><br />The only possible happy ending to such a scenario would have Marny succumb to her infirmity, thus freeing Andrew to be with Cam. But Beresford-Howe, all of twenty-four, was already too good a writer for such contrivance. <i>Of This Day's Journey</i> is far superior to her debut, <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2015/06/passion-over-reason-in-bland-bachelors.html" target="_blank">The Unreasoned Heart</a> </i>(1946).<br /><br />Beresford-Howe's third novel, <i>The Invisible Gate</i>, was published the month she turned twenty-seven. She'd almost completed her PhD by that point. Given her trajectory, I'm betting it's the best of the three.<br /></div><div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and Access: </span></b>A hardcover bound in grey boards with uncredited dust jacket. I purchased my copy, the American first edition, five years ago from a Rochester, New York bookseller. Price: US$9.94 (w/ US$18.00 shipping).<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Sswk053rqF5p4U1ZdBd78WMT3wO5GjN8p3ZpatxW4UOgGUohPw-wBogp9nhE-ahg1pdsSPA2NWxEznirbrYHDbkG6srD4EFXqppj4DD-TRosAiL1ywbek1rxgpMVajBEg-oY7eM5jgpsLrwm8bby-S-XtLMLFLPuYo_b7q6khXu29Lzws30taQzIsM0/s898/Of%20This%20Day's%20Journey%20-%20Hammond%20&%20Hammond.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="605" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Sswk053rqF5p4U1ZdBd78WMT3wO5GjN8p3ZpatxW4UOgGUohPw-wBogp9nhE-ahg1pdsSPA2NWxEznirbrYHDbkG6srD4EFXqppj4DD-TRosAiL1ywbek1rxgpMVajBEg-oY7eM5jgpsLrwm8bby-S-XtLMLFLPuYo_b7q6khXu29Lzws30taQzIsM0/w219-h325/Of%20This%20Day's%20Journey%20-%20Hammond%20&%20Hammond.png" width="219" /></a></div><p>A British edition was published in 1955 by Hammond & Hammond (above). There has never been a Canadian edition.</p><p>As of this writing, two copies are listed for sale online, the cheaper being a jacketless copy of the Hammond & Hammond being sold at £17.50. The other is an inscribed edition of the Dodd, Mead edition:</p><blockquote>Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Poor. 1st Edition. HARDCOVER W/dj; NF/poor, 240pp. SIGNED.inscribed by author ffep. Newspaper sad [<i>sic</i>] for this title laid in. First edition. Please email w/questions or to request picture(s); refer to our book inventory number.</blockquote>Tempting, but at US$49.00, with a further US$53.00 for shipping, I'm taking a pass.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/09/constance-beresford-howe-memorial-plaque.html" target="_blank">Constance Beresford-Howe Memorial Plaque</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/10/celebrating-constance-beresford-howe.html" target="_blank">Celebrating Constance Beresford-Howe</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2015/06/passion-over-reason-in-bland-bachelors.html" target="_blank">Passion Over Reason in a Bland Bachelor's Lap</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2015/06/about-those-butt-ugly-laurentian.html" target="_blank">About Those Butt-Ugly Laurentian Library covers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-89171683452650289902024-03-04T06:30:00.031-05:002024-03-07T06:46:19.204-05:00Too Soon?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGF-m_43HD7_1INT21KpTG6cpq6oSvD5ydhZFID-i8NgJaAuMDFG1lb7mYItcVjHc6T-pp_7RKDhxQMGj1f4qxsP0ggOJkS9cHiAtmUhtfsru_jyJ3xVH2aJte2ToQZb5MMgGqjBoJo_RcdKlISa3-fyG7DIWymQZOmQkvw7C0RsV45XMuf_-YUBueLU/s600/Breslin%20-%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="371" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGF-m_43HD7_1INT21KpTG6cpq6oSvD5ydhZFID-i8NgJaAuMDFG1lb7mYItcVjHc6T-pp_7RKDhxQMGj1f4qxsP0ggOJkS9cHiAtmUhtfsru_jyJ3xVH2aJte2ToQZb5MMgGqjBoJo_RcdKlISa3-fyG7DIWymQZOmQkvw7C0RsV45XMuf_-YUBueLU/w313-h504/Breslin%20-%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpeg" width="313" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Son of a Meech: The Best Brian Mulroney Jokes</i><br />Mark Breslin, ed.<br />Toronto: Ballantine, 1991<br />113 pages</span></b><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">News of Brian Mulroney's death last Thursday did not hit hard. I was no admirer. As a young man, I dismissed Mulroney as Ronald Reagan Lite. Simplistic, but not wrong. In 1984, the year he led his party to the second greatest electoral victory in this country's history, I was distrustful and skeptical. It came as no surprise when his government began selling off Crown assets at Fire Sale prices.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The Mulroney government spanned the better part of my twenties. He hung onto power, forcing the game into overtime, only to leave the political arena when it became clear he could not score a third victory. Mulroney all but destroyed the Progressive Conservative Party, leaving Kim Campbell and Peter Mackay to ensure its end. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Nostalgia.<br /><br />As I say, I was no admirer, though I've come to recognize the man's achievements. He somehow managed to convince Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher that Apartheid was wrong, which was no small feat. He wasn't quite as successful in pushing Reagan on acid rain, but he did get a treaty through with the first President Bush. Mulroney really was our "greenest prime minister," a title included in most of the obituaries.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />That he holds it still, three decades after he stepped down as PM, is a sad commentary on his successors.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMX4qoAKCSplENsMjg8EQnJvd5QhwWOAvib0BQA5pOq62GOWwaOHmiyvRgR79y-Vh2FNPoYjv1KUq7OAX60rnKMlEPcjRjcV9LGo7gA9-pOufoyAnvdrVjdiwAkuurMzjO2inmifUAb0xHTghv0Zot8eM7Cxe29iF_6SiBF23qUba9Yo4h-ZzN6p3Jns/s600/Andy%20Donato%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="461" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMX4qoAKCSplENsMjg8EQnJvd5QhwWOAvib0BQA5pOq62GOWwaOHmiyvRgR79y-Vh2FNPoYjv1KUq7OAX60rnKMlEPcjRjcV9LGo7gA9-pOufoyAnvdrVjdiwAkuurMzjO2inmifUAb0xHTghv0Zot8eM7Cxe29iF_6SiBF23qUba9Yo4h-ZzN6p3Jns/w264-h343/Andy%20Donato%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Son of a Meech</i><br />Andy Donato<br />Toronto: Key Porter, 1990<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Son of a Meech</i> is so obvious a pun that Breslin's book is the second to use it as a title. The Meech Lake Accord was Mulroney's greatest gambit, and his greatest defeat. I was against it at the time but have since changed my position. I won't go into my reasoning as it would add five thousand words to this post. I'd much rather focus on this collection of "<i>The Best Brian Mulroney Jokes</i>" because it anticipates the hate, homophobia, and misogyny spread by Ezra Levant, Jeff Ballingall's Proud pages, and <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/wishing-prime-minister-dead-tory-joke.html" target="_blank">the Conservative Party</a> itself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />And so, a warning to the reader, I will be quoting from this book.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTGMz-MBvbb1OIAp43XnwYErv_KkZQP1zLkXNlY5aBfK4RLTyxaFoYAYPvMksTne_5H_t91X3ovkKBxkfANh2REYXb-WyoeQiIDNaUcA_zxM2ozqo2ChHLl5fm-IM768AqHOde2VzIc3hyphenhyphentHY2kP3Do9aTeERppen6sVfn25vV0a7Xbc5baKWrCgvA1k/s900/Brian%20Mulroney%20Jokes.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="555" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTGMz-MBvbb1OIAp43XnwYErv_KkZQP1zLkXNlY5aBfK4RLTyxaFoYAYPvMksTne_5H_t91X3ovkKBxkfANh2REYXb-WyoeQiIDNaUcA_zxM2ozqo2ChHLl5fm-IM768AqHOde2VzIc3hyphenhyphentHY2kP3Do9aTeERppen6sVfn25vV0a7Xbc5baKWrCgvA1k/w246-h400/Brian%20Mulroney%20Jokes.jpeg" width="246" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's begin with stand-up comedian Mark Breslin's brief introduction, in which he describes how <i>Son of a Meech</i> was born:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>After each show, members of the audience would approach me with jokes about [Mulroney] – vicious, mean, brutal – my kind of jokes. They weren't, as my literary <i>sensei</i> Jack Kapiica observed, the usual anti-government barbs, but personal ad hominem attacks on the man's most private self. These jokes stepped over the line of good taste, and I got interested.</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;">Are these amongst the jokes he collected? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div></div><blockquote><div>Canadians no longer believe in the theory of trickle-down economics.</div><div> Mulroney's trickled down on them long enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not that the prime minister is crooked...</div><div> But last week he swallowed a nail and it came out a corkscrew.</div></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;">Perhaps not. They don't step over the line.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Variations of the trickle-down economics joke can be traced back to Reagan's first term. The corkscrew joke has iits origins in an insult General Sir Gerald Templer delivered to Lord Mountbatten.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The most interesting part of Breslin's introduction suggests that the jokes provided by his fans weren't quite so numerous as he claims:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>The collection got bigger, so I turned to Martin Waxman for help. He researched volumes of comedy material of all eras for jokes about despots and cruel or incompetent leaders. Sad to say, they fit.</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;">And so, we get these:</div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Did you hear the new Mulroney stamp has had to be recalled?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> People kept spitting on the wrong side.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What's the difference between the prime minister and yogurt?<br /><i> Yogurt has culture.</i><br /><br />Why would Mulroney never be eaten by cannibals?<br /><i> Because he's too hard to swallow.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What do you call an Irish Canadian with half a brain?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Mr. Prime Minister.</i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Take a tired old joke, insert a reference to Mulroney, and you're pretty much done, but not always. This one was made contemporary with a reference to yuppies:</div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">What's the only mediocre product yuppies will buy?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Brian Mulroney</i>.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">This one proved too difficult to update:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">What's the difference between Howdy Doody and Prime Minister Mulroney?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> You can't see Mulroney's strings.</i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">There are even a couple of blonde jokes:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>How do you make Brian Mulroney laugh on Monday?</div><div><i> Tell him a joke on Friday</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking to bolster his stodgy image, the P.M. spent the night at a rock club. And not wanting to be perceived as a square, he even snorted Sweet and Low. </div><div> <i>He thought it was Diet Coke.</i></div></blockquote><div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcRbnr5XQUnzkTGrnTMjFkDaHPxBjokgB3gZRT0nEuaNqJbnp0GmfuxXJOdoIcgDVBFKVU5TJH5dZ8qEDAKywFo_IWN_7jfFXHc6oy92HaHlE0pleIv8OnT7rOfabFZRFgrYMq5QNYg30HPZXb_a-ClGV_-Fu27pjV2gG5qS_BApZlCupdKtZRAkOXmg/s207/Breslin%20-%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcRbnr5XQUnzkTGrnTMjFkDaHPxBjokgB3gZRT0nEuaNqJbnp0GmfuxXJOdoIcgDVBFKVU5TJH5dZ8qEDAKywFo_IWN_7jfFXHc6oy92HaHlE0pleIv8OnT7rOfabFZRFgrYMq5QNYg30HPZXb_a-ClGV_-Fu27pjV2gG5qS_BApZlCupdKtZRAkOXmg/s16000/Breslin%20-%20Son%20of%20a%20Meech.jpeg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tame stuff, lame stuff, these can't be the "vicious, mean, brutal jokes" Breslin says he likes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've given an imprecise depiction of this book's content, choosing to not share jokes involving bestiality or golden showers. There's also a fair amount of racist and homophobic writing, the most extreme being a joke that combines the two and involves the PM receiving a black coffee enema. I won't be sharing it either, but because I feel there should be at least one example of Breslin's vicious, mean, brutal jokes, I present this:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">What's the difference between Rock Hudson and Brian Mulroney?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Brian's aides have not killed him yet.</i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Mark Breslin's book is unlike earlier Canadian political humour books. It has little in common with <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/10/sex-and-trudeaus-bachelor-canada.html" target="_blank">Sex and the Single Prime Minister</a></i>, <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/10/sex-and-trudeaus-bachelor-canada.html" target="_blank">The Naked Prime Minister</a></i>, <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/09/pierre-elliott-trudeau-ladies-man.html" target="_blank">I Never Promised You a Rose Garden</a></i>, <i><a href="http://P.E.T.">P.E.T.</a></i>, or even Andrew Donato's <i>Son of a Meech</i>, which seem gentle ribbing in comparison. Nowhere is this more apparent than in its treatment of the prime minister's wife, Mila Mulroney, to whom Breslin dedicates the book.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_sjNixc8eXNTIEqLXmujU8_lYln_2WnZQwunkcPyDZynTEsM-HWgbB3S-lqdxOPyJoIHpyARdSTvuhiZVfSefQyLwBJG5vC8W2_zAyXg7I0uZX_ZyYeXE88jJRtfhew7xwpm6i7GW947Q0FfWPiMGNkD4WBpzSm_osACgOirJMBwe5Bw84hCvA6V3nc/s600/Mila%20Mulroney.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_sjNixc8eXNTIEqLXmujU8_lYln_2WnZQwunkcPyDZynTEsM-HWgbB3S-lqdxOPyJoIHpyARdSTvuhiZVfSefQyLwBJG5vC8W2_zAyXg7I0uZX_ZyYeXE88jJRtfhew7xwpm6i7GW947Q0FfWPiMGNkD4WBpzSm_osACgOirJMBwe5Bw84hCvA6V3nc/s320/Mila%20Mulroney.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of the dozens of jokes in which she figures, this is the most tame:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Over dessert at 24 Sussex, Mulroney whispered to Mila, "Drinking makes you absolutely gorgeous."</div><div style="text-align: left;"> "I don't drink," Mila replied.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> "Yes, but I do."</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">The others feature fellatio, anal sex, adultery, and descriptions of a variety of sexual positions. Plumbers feature in four of them. 'The Unity Issue,' eighth of the book's ten sections, focusses exclusively on Brian and Mila Mulroney's sex life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Mark Breslin was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2017.</div><p>Was Brian Mulroney Canada's worst prime minister as Breslin claims? Of course not. <a href="https://macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/ranking-canadas-best-and-worst-prime-ministers/" target="_blank">The most recent <i>Maclean's</i> ranking</a> had him in eighth spot, just below Jean Chrétien, which seemed about right. But then I remembered that Mulroney accepted bribes and was a tax cheat. How about we place him in the very middle, just below eleventh place John Diefenbaker, but above Alexander Mackenzie.<br /><br />Seems more than fair.</p><p>Is Breslin's Canada's worst joke book?<br /></p>Beyond a doubt.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ig-5E73EN7b-pm2spj46AIbbHBJgLLkVTiBFcHxqv3suwqnQ9foMq25sfrE5CpwRYXEcufESZVl76RiwancY0RxDrfpIDf-M6edQPt1NIGKvsm52Sdz0m8EPeEDt0XrkL92FTCvZp-PMbWjkAJNqIlcsdTSd4uY15aB6dNeSROB0HF_kKn_DwYt_yoo/s400/Brian%20Mulroney.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ig-5E73EN7b-pm2spj46AIbbHBJgLLkVTiBFcHxqv3suwqnQ9foMq25sfrE5CpwRYXEcufESZVl76RiwancY0RxDrfpIDf-M6edQPt1NIGKvsm52Sdz0m8EPeEDt0XrkL92FTCvZp-PMbWjkAJNqIlcsdTSd4uY15aB6dNeSROB0HF_kKn_DwYt_yoo/w215-h320/Brian%20Mulroney.png" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Brian Mulroney<br />20 March 1939, Baie Comeau, Quebec<br />29 February 2024, Palm Beech, Florida<br /><br />RIP</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and Access:</span></b> A slim mass market paperback, I found my copy two years ago in a Kemptville, Ontario thrift store. Price: $1.00.</p><p><i>Son of a Meech</i> is held by seven Canadian libraries, the most surprising being the Legislative Library of British Columbia. St Francis-Xavier University, Brian Mulroney's alma mater, does not have a copy. </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/wishing-prime-minister-dead-tory-joke.html" target="_blank">Wishing the Prime Minster Dead</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/09/pierre-elliott-trudeau-ladies-man.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Ladies Man</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/10/sex-and-trudeaus-bachelor-canada.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sex and the Trudeaus: The Bachelor Canada</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/04/margarets-marriage-in-mass-market.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Margaret's Marriage in Mass Market</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-ugliest-canadian-book-cover-of-all.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Ugliest Canadian Book Cover of All Time</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/06/et-cash-in.html" target="_blank">E.T. Cash In</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-84587319533704462532024-02-19T06:30:01.262-05:002024-03-03T09:08:59.482-05:00My Mistake in Reading Richardson<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWFL7SORjvXSDNSdgkqwkvW84C2zu9hrJQFFGoo8Glcd2i1oI9sBqwov6wqRUQrfton4oNtVks3_bHtVB3o7liSWlmuH80511n0yx_TrWt5g28waOW-4wQve7T4Mm4pwTD_4IpmuvJJOVCaatwc73ERvnkObrHPm7dfvWkVM_rRyuUGbrqtY5BXLJ2OE/s900/Hardscrabble%20-%20John%20Richardson%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="650" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWFL7SORjvXSDNSdgkqwkvW84C2zu9hrJQFFGoo8Glcd2i1oI9sBqwov6wqRUQrfton4oNtVks3_bHtVB3o7liSWlmuH80511n0yx_TrWt5g28waOW-4wQve7T4Mm4pwTD_4IpmuvJJOVCaatwc73ERvnkObrHPm7dfvWkVM_rRyuUGbrqtY5BXLJ2OE/w300-h415/Hardscrabble%20-%20John%20Richardson%202.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>Hardscrabble; or, The Fall of Chicago</i><br /></b><b>Major [John] Richardson<br /></b><b>New York: Pollard & Moss, 1888<br /></b><b>113 pages</b></span></div><p>A forgotten novel about forgotten bloodshed, <i>Hardscrabble</i> isn't about the fall of Chicago because at the time there was no Chicago. It does concern an April 1812 assault on a farm, Hardscrabble, which was located south of the South Branch of the Chicago River. Winnebago warriors killed two men, while two others escaped.<br /><br />And so the fiction begins. In Richardson's imaginings, the farm belongs to a man named Heywood, who "by dint of mere exertion and industry" amassed a small fortune in the wilds of Kentucky. He then moved on to South Carolina, where he took as his wife a woman with an even greater fortune. After that, it was back to the Bluegrass State, where he killed a man just to watch him die.<br /><br />I jest.<br /><br />Heywood kills a lawyer from a prominent family in a duel – no cause of contretemps given – and then fearing retribution, flees west with his wife and daughter. In the Territory of Illinois they establish two homes, the nicer being a charming cottage across the river from Fort Dearborn. The other dwelling is, of course, the farmhouse at Hardscrabble.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmq26zKgjrNu4NtgBebnCioOzH7cJTElWR32vXSM_lmKoSppTF4kkcWmq_23MQ4XWM-P_QuGci0_E9YPMmZ-ItsS3RCM0FPnZ6x14IfXPyLxUu2AEzRpuZ6HRhau4iOiFoC1yxAHtMy0S8MkywqpOpBi-eC-mYGUVBeVDcpfm0NVS1dOFxrd6bwWegbU/s600/Hardscrabble%20%20John%20Richardson.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="402" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHmq26zKgjrNu4NtgBebnCioOzH7cJTElWR32vXSM_lmKoSppTF4kkcWmq_23MQ4XWM-P_QuGci0_E9YPMmZ-ItsS3RCM0FPnZ6x14IfXPyLxUu2AEzRpuZ6HRhau4iOiFoC1yxAHtMy0S8MkywqpOpBi-eC-mYGUVBeVDcpfm0NVS1dOFxrd6bwWegbU/s320/Hardscrabble%20%20John%20Richardson.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div>News of the attack on the farm is carried by a hired hand, but Captain Headley, fearing an attack on the stockade, decides against sending his men. This puts him at odds with "high-spirited Southerner" Ensign Harry Ronayne, who is in love with Heywood's daughter Maria. The smitten man disguises himself as a drunken Pottawattamie so as to be ejected from the fort and sets out to rescue the man he hopes will be his future father-in-law.<br /><br />As in many a historical novel, romance trumps fact. Hardscrabble existed, but it belonged to men named Russell and Lee, neither of whom were present at the time of the killing. Heywood, his wife, and his daughter are fictions. Ensign Ronayne too is a fiction, as is Captain Headley, though a strong argument may be made that the latter is modelled on Captain Nathan Heald, who was from 1810 to 1812 Fort Dearborn's commander.<p></p><p>This student of the War of 1812 expected Fort Dearborn to fall – something to do with the title, you understand – but this never happens. I suggest nothing ribald in writing that the climax comes during the July 4, 1812 wedding of Maria Heywood and Ensign Ronayne. I won't spoil anything either, except to say that there is strong implication that another man's love for Maria will lead to Fort Dearborn's destruction.<br /><br />The ending is abrupt, as if <i>Hardscrabble</i>, like Richard Rohmer's <i>Ultimatum</i>,<i> </i>is the first half of a longer novel. Sure enough, <i>Wau-nan-gee; or, The Massacre of Chicago</i>, followed its publication. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifK71-ahyBg8Ow4EcdtWqVLgsHdgvpNNZIQ68TWh4ohb6JS3vOtg4l7SsphOlUcCftqP6txicXc-vhczBYKQBDlJnDaRni833OJVPQkVmI6k4cSP-CnhfZQ6dxvXAjUcXyTU4ufvmvYbxHp514FvHG77uVL5MmUtgTfy9Rrnp79Qc3Hm0oED9xXeDwZSY/s600/Wau-nan-gee.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="396" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifK71-ahyBg8Ow4EcdtWqVLgsHdgvpNNZIQ68TWh4ohb6JS3vOtg4l7SsphOlUcCftqP6txicXc-vhczBYKQBDlJnDaRni833OJVPQkVmI6k4cSP-CnhfZQ6dxvXAjUcXyTU4ufvmvYbxHp514FvHG77uVL5MmUtgTfy9Rrnp79Qc3Hm0oED9xXeDwZSY/w264-h400/Wau-nan-gee.png" width="264" /></a></div><p>I've not read it, and likely never will.</p><p>Clearly, <i>Hardscrabble </i>is not the place to start in on Richardson. I read it only because I happened upon a copy being sold for a dollar and had long been intimidated by <i>Wacousta</i>. Richardson's big book in more ways than one, my Carleton University Press Centre for Editing Early Canadian Texts edition amounts to 688 dense pages. <i>The Canadian Brothers</i>, its sequel, is very nearly as long. <i>Hardscrabble </i>seemed much more manageable.<br /><br />My judgement is no doubt influenced by irritation over its bait and switch title. While the romantic dialogue between Maria and Ronayne is strained, <i>Hardscrabble</i> is well written. At the very least, it's interesting as a novel of the months leading up to the War of 1812 written by a man who had lived through the conflict. And so, I'm willing to read more Richardson.</p><p><i>Wacousta</i>?<br /><br />No, I'm more interested in his risqué <i>The Monk Knight of St. John</i>, which is set during the Crusades and features a countess Richardson scholar David Richard Beasley refers to as a "Fatal Woman."<br /><br />Now, if I can only find a copy for a dollar.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/susanna-moodies-bloomers_05.html" target="_blank">Bloomer:</a></b><br /><blockquote>At this early period of civilization, in these remote countries, there was
little distinction of rank between the master and the man – the employer and
the employed. Indeed the one was distinguished from the other only by the
instructions given and received, in regard to certain services to be performed.
They labored together – took their meals together – generally smoked together – drank together – conversed together, and if they did not absolutely sleep
together, often reposed in the same room.</blockquote></div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and Access:</span></b> A cheap, very delicate paperbound book. Mine is falling apart, revealing a glue remarkably similar in colour to that used on the front cover. It was was purchased five years ago.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE79EcD9tkfZ7LCfqE5VwxHlpB4azkDftULk3tPpRUXTzyyyIXdaLPAgZ6Cu2vwhvxWH9pP0kZ7QKeSjsfvzf4hCzF-iCmDiBNbIl8jyEkIFLM9T1ldFmJ5w2pAEVy9SlrFmzYazhCqOEsCrk1CoDLgAK7hxILKHI4Dv0ZVC4OY28uSOuBXRFlIzx3wRE/s533/Hardscrabble.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="533" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE79EcD9tkfZ7LCfqE5VwxHlpB4azkDftULk3tPpRUXTzyyyIXdaLPAgZ6Cu2vwhvxWH9pP0kZ7QKeSjsfvzf4hCzF-iCmDiBNbIl8jyEkIFLM9T1ldFmJ5w2pAEVy9SlrFmzYazhCqOEsCrk1CoDLgAK7hxILKHI4Dv0ZVC4OY28uSOuBXRFlIzx3wRE/w337-h253/Hardscrabble.jpeg" width="337" /></a></div><p>The novel first appeared serialized in <i>Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature and Art</i> (February - July, 1850). It was first published in book form in 1854 by DeWitt & Davenport, two years after Richardson's death. My 1888 Pollard & Moss edition appears to have been the last.<br /><br />As I write this, no copies of the first edition are listed for sale online, though two American booksellers are offering hardcover copies – in variant bindings – of the 1888 Pollard & Moss edition. At US$150.00 and US$159.50 respectively, War of 1812 obsessives may find them tempting.<br /><br />You're out there, right?</p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/susanna-moodies-bloomers_05.html" target="_blank">Susanna Moodie's Bloomers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-43442655696629266312024-02-14T06:30:00.058-05:002024-02-14T07:14:03.899-05:00You're on Your Own this Harlequin Valentine's<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIl7qNYe5U31Nb6nkZ6qot1Idoon99cIY8EuQAAaK0M8ljmTTV0iaK7qZNh6_cH05xidBqey5gyQYWRZ7yY81hRkP4DgeCETTgtNkUIjkfut8TpFKac-Zkl3aMs6Am7ammcSAEJP4OjP6hlwcsH8dHibDMimP0a4Kt2hEd9sbult9cR-tYl6j9Gw4488/s1180/Figure%20It%20Out%20for%20Yourself%20.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="737" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIl7qNYe5U31Nb6nkZ6qot1Idoon99cIY8EuQAAaK0M8ljmTTV0iaK7qZNh6_cH05xidBqey5gyQYWRZ7yY81hRkP4DgeCETTgtNkUIjkfut8TpFKac-Zkl3aMs6Am7ammcSAEJP4OjP6hlwcsH8dHibDMimP0a4Kt2hEd9sbult9cR-tYl6j9Gw4488/w292-h467/Figure%20It%20Out%20for%20Yourself%20.jpeg" width="292" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Figure It Out for Yourself</i><br />James Hadley Chase [René Raymond]<br />Toronto: Harlequin, 1957</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Cover copy informs that the plot has something to do with the disappearance of Lee Dedrick, "husband of the fourth richest woman in the world." The reader is told to expect a brunette who shoots from "a well-turned hip," so who's the blonde?<br /><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/02/before-romance.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Harlequin: Before the Romance</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-harlequin-valentine.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Another Harlequin Valentine</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/02/another-harlequin-valentine.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">This Year's Harlequin Valentine</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2012/02/harlequin-valentine-from-day-keene.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">A Harlequin Valentine from Day Keene</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2013/02/romance-harlequin-romance.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Romance… Harlequin Romance</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/02/a-harlequin-valentine-from-syd-dyke.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Harlequin Valentine from Syd Dyke</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/02/a-harlequin-valentine-just-for-you.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Harlequin Valentine Just for You</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/02/cmon-its-harlequin-valentine-time.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">C'mon, It's Harlequin Valentine Time</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2017/02/this-years-climacteric-harlequin.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">This Year's Climacteric Harlequin Valentine</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/02/a-weird-and-tense-harlequin-valentine.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">A Weird and Tense Harlequin Valentine</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/02/harlequin-eternal-valentines-day.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Harlequin & the Eternal Valentine's Day Question</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/02/nothing-says-romance-like-harlequin.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nothing Says Romance Like a Harlequin Romance</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-harlequin-harlot-romance-for.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Harlequin Harlot Romance for Valentine's Day</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-worst-harlequin-valentine.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Worst Harlequin Valentine</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-ruthless-harlequin-valentine.html" target="_blank">A Ruthless Harlequin Valentine</a><br /><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2013/02/harlequin-love-that-dare-not-speak-its.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Harlequin: The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2012/01/suggestive-harlequins-romantic.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Suggestive Harlequins: A Romantic Threesome</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/08/harlequin-librarians-so-many-secrets.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Harlequin Librarians: So Many Secrets</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/01/harlequins-filthiest-title.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Harlequin's Filthiest Title</a></div><div style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(20, 2, 1); color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-69924271449248211812024-02-12T06:30:00.657-05:002024-02-12T16:39:47.207-05:00Behold the Translation of a Savage on Film!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5s9vrw5OkTZGzR3zdF3uKINwxNVpnKyQbkWwhzBdl_Bj6Jn0Kb3Lfz_52P1wqVxrFXxorajkA_plhKOUn079Dwkh9CSUssrTeVpfpHoaFCAks-pxf3lB8Anci2ZyN9vjL91FPW88DxqAiq8y14tcgNsqvW4IRkaEcjI4JRLf1_6soHSQVd_mWzn-uv4/s600/Behold%20My%20Wife!.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="403" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5s9vrw5OkTZGzR3zdF3uKINwxNVpnKyQbkWwhzBdl_Bj6Jn0Kb3Lfz_52P1wqVxrFXxorajkA_plhKOUn079Dwkh9CSUssrTeVpfpHoaFCAks-pxf3lB8Anci2ZyN9vjL91FPW88DxqAiq8y14tcgNsqvW4IRkaEcjI4JRLf1_6soHSQVd_mWzn-uv4/w358-h533/Behold%20My%20Wife!.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Being an addendum to the <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2024/02/gilbert-parkers-savage-novel.html" target="_blank">recent post on <i>The Translation of a Savage</i></a> by Gilbert Parker.</span></p><p>Hollywood has blessed us with twenty-three adaptations of Gilbert Parker stories. I've managed to see just one, but not for want of effort. This post concerns the three adaptations of <i>The Translation of a Savage</i>, Parker's 1893 bestselling novel. As I'm intent on getting through all three in one post, criticism and snide comments will be kept to a minimum.</p><p>Promise.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWbll1SPQhilQC5gEB6s9vsHITpEdzX9uS0wrxd9DvpF1RaeBOpZurgit-HLjNnJIAWGQoT0QwAKzM17ObiDGDWevCddT5kf3cuqfplVlOZeX8xMcGiKCkHURY8aJ48uxcPLZthRGeb31pDiEuNShgFsweko2hVb5FsRIt-qQ9-Li5ch6a6AcWgoR8ZQ/s1414/Edison%20Films%20ad.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1414" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWbll1SPQhilQC5gEB6s9vsHITpEdzX9uS0wrxd9DvpF1RaeBOpZurgit-HLjNnJIAWGQoT0QwAKzM17ObiDGDWevCddT5kf3cuqfplVlOZeX8xMcGiKCkHURY8aJ48uxcPLZthRGeb31pDiEuNShgFsweko2hVb5FsRIt-qQ9-Li5ch6a6AcWgoR8ZQ/w332-h282/Edison%20Films%20ad.jpeg" width="332" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Translation of a Savage</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1913</b></div></div><p></p><p>A "short," but how short? Amongst lost silent films, <i>Translation</i> is so lost that even its run time is unknown. The Edison Films advert above from the May 1913 <i>Moving Pictures World</i> provides a glimpse of what we are missing. Do not be tempted by <i>Newcombe's Necktie</i>, it's <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> we're interested in here.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92Oi3uL07CybtRUUS28sJIIVLgH8EL5NXohdux7L-NRdwfgfRvT3seu8hmbF_jSvW-Klcnw-ntRAG5rANiF3PgyYfWNVsM2xgvCZK_OQglk11ctki4v6bhxhYb6kREekV4yHLQqsmLXXJnHbp_ga05QpBVQTcIltklJdiMAL9sPkQeFfAGS6t3yb65lY/s804/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201913.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="804" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92Oi3uL07CybtRUUS28sJIIVLgH8EL5NXohdux7L-NRdwfgfRvT3seu8hmbF_jSvW-Klcnw-ntRAG5rANiF3PgyYfWNVsM2xgvCZK_OQglk11ctki4v6bhxhYb6kREekV4yHLQqsmLXXJnHbp_ga05QpBVQTcIltklJdiMAL9sPkQeFfAGS6t3yb65lY/w333-h106/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201913.jpeg" width="333" /></a></div><p>The description, "little savage" included, is in keeping with Parker's novel. The very same issue of <i>Moving Picture World </i>issue provides this synopsis:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKioyo4DswW3ngvyoibZeF0ZPb0xunbwfXkYnHwkA72Ti8DtQal8YpPElX54LZ4T-B8U74NDVPM8AbztywN981TDrNhmf4imG3NOvr13BrLFo0lp4dKKLfYuGmj6qPFLOMMr55F1FJWQUixDreHPwiOc4DM_Oiy04giDEyLCEyfnaWFgkRF3V8YbxBUMw/s1049/The%20Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201913.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1049" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKioyo4DswW3ngvyoibZeF0ZPb0xunbwfXkYnHwkA72Ti8DtQal8YpPElX54LZ4T-B8U74NDVPM8AbztywN981TDrNhmf4imG3NOvr13BrLFo0lp4dKKLfYuGmj6qPFLOMMr55F1FJWQUixDreHPwiOc4DM_Oiy04giDEyLCEyfnaWFgkRF3V8YbxBUMw/w325-h243/The%20Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201913.jpeg" width="325" /></a></div><p>In Parker's novel, Greyhope, the Armour family home, is in Herefordshire, not Staffordshire; a minor, seemingly inexplicable change. Much more significant is the description of Lali as "the daughter of a primitive trapper" and not the offspring of an "Indian chief." The surviving credits include a character named "Henri - the Trapper," suggesting French Canadian or possibly Métis heritage. We may never know. What I do know is that in Parker's imaginings Lali never runs and hides in the hedges.</p><p>Oh, how I wish I could include an image of Lili "looking beautiful in the dress of a woman of to-day," but I've yet to find a single image related to this film.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1RNUtVZivyk_JkCw02s8o-zsJj4BbV1-41BTgCgJ7puv1Gh3h-5t06pmnOD5eOH91yx_hdHFpzDqmXdM5_h4lbljGrAhu3JKanBnqeQsA3ce3DRJ01s8OyZou-OfTELdXN6OW7kZrjYTQwff6cG1od_RHDdFNyRd62F5_b2GJQaXhqYa89HiaoxolNE/s900/Behold%20My%20Wife!%201920.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="856" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1RNUtVZivyk_JkCw02s8o-zsJj4BbV1-41BTgCgJ7puv1Gh3h-5t06pmnOD5eOH91yx_hdHFpzDqmXdM5_h4lbljGrAhu3JKanBnqeQsA3ce3DRJ01s8OyZou-OfTELdXN6OW7kZrjYTQwff6cG1od_RHDdFNyRd62F5_b2GJQaXhqYa89HiaoxolNE/w353-h372/Behold%20My%20Wife!%201920.png" width="353" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Behold My Wife!</i></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1920</b></div></b><br />A better title, would you not agree?<br /><br />This second adaptation holds no ambiguity; Lali is an "Indian." Of all the material attached to the film, this lobby card is my favourite by far:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFY0eh4HQWg3h-S1fXdVLIgIQjIJrrHn2PNVqL7qfLA3dmNqiIJFOXrOx9ts6z-wsNPaGYxFWqy1VSo4LAYtQjNZHnF7ltlJZBdmoju6R55heBk8jrSqQF2eiPlI75z-SdnCFokG5VobBBehZ1W2qMAzsIEUqslgkw9QEVk-QQ0W-MUH9vxkRcqTzmq8/s807/Behold%20My%20wife!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="807" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFY0eh4HQWg3h-S1fXdVLIgIQjIJrrHn2PNVqL7qfLA3dmNqiIJFOXrOx9ts6z-wsNPaGYxFWqy1VSo4LAYtQjNZHnF7ltlJZBdmoju6R55heBk8jrSqQF2eiPlI75z-SdnCFokG5VobBBehZ1W2qMAzsIEUqslgkw9QEVk-QQ0W-MUH9vxkRcqTzmq8/w345-h256/Behold%20My%20wife!.png" width="345" /></a></div><br /><div>Here we see Lali, as portrayed by Mabel Julienne Scott. Are those foothills in the background? If so, they're far from the novel's "Hudson's Bay country" setting. I'll add that cacti aren't native to Manitoba, northern Ontario or northern Quebec.<br /><br />The most detailed description I've read is found within a <i>Photoplay Magazine </i>review (January 1921):</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsqcHhZHv-TNadKpDHxtaZ7YuE_glnFNUoLyS2M7fygFklHpoD2lFreIoG0CWtUabnSe-RWHI_oGLErL-yy39RMMsinoSTbaEI2vHJ0vnFPbjB3wgJA-hmnx5P3AdKtsnAxHKzArBXptnwZ7OWu0nZHNKMYDAVewJ-dIwjC4F7H5gsiEfnFJs6v9qh2w/s900/Behold%20My%20Wife%201920.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="440" height="648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsqcHhZHv-TNadKpDHxtaZ7YuE_glnFNUoLyS2M7fygFklHpoD2lFreIoG0CWtUabnSe-RWHI_oGLErL-yy39RMMsinoSTbaEI2vHJ0vnFPbjB3wgJA-hmnx5P3AdKtsnAxHKzArBXptnwZ7OWu0nZHNKMYDAVewJ-dIwjC4F7H5gsiEfnFJs6v9qh2w/w317-h648/Behold%20My%20Wife%201920.png" width="317" /></a></div><div><br />The "two-fisted surveying gang foreman" aside, everything fits with Parker's story.</div><div><br /></div><div>What the reviewer picks out as the film's flaw is shared with the novel:<br /><blockquote>The only weakness the story reveals is in the lack of sufficient excuse for the English hero's determination to be revenged upon his family. He had little reason to believe they had conspired against him, which weakens his subsequent action and the effect of Lali's arrival in England.</blockquote><p>I wonder what's going on here: <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyeRvpssypi9n7xSZhULPnhmRDNOX1fu-usCuxMJ-5xFes74o2amEPNKWjN39vQc8KN8IqA4O4O0_PIeN3CN3FQTPdCIEBLjnd3zxAMGQe7dywHGDiQCPQOnjgogHPoyjCg_VPf0hGIcvvoq-WGnytoa9ivUOvgTXQeqpKc5nnfXhyK6whX35ArkTXN8/s776/Behold%20My%20Wife!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="776" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyeRvpssypi9n7xSZhULPnhmRDNOX1fu-usCuxMJ-5xFes74o2amEPNKWjN39vQc8KN8IqA4O4O0_PIeN3CN3FQTPdCIEBLjnd3zxAMGQe7dywHGDiQCPQOnjgogHPoyjCg_VPf0hGIcvvoq-WGnytoa9ivUOvgTXQeqpKc5nnfXhyK6whX35ArkTXN8/w330-h255/Behold%20My%20Wife!.png" width="330" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you think that's meant to be a Navajo hogan? In Hudson Bay country?<br /><br />Another lost film, alas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2J64Go7eUQxvQs5i8rC7WCOxi1s2srD8k6LvYuZmeMSe1VaWsyPtGedC9TdYFm5Egr6zfSx9P3ukbZgPJZmH2AzYQ2NyJljHY41p1Dm3f_OiO-1ms3Ja22G9mBwYDZLGwjiDN5ptc2zr3qzn2GaFyQZv27WD6s3tjVqQiswjEIzDk_yCkJ85foruyLw/s900/Behold%20My%20Wife1%201934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="588" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2J64Go7eUQxvQs5i8rC7WCOxi1s2srD8k6LvYuZmeMSe1VaWsyPtGedC9TdYFm5Egr6zfSx9P3ukbZgPJZmH2AzYQ2NyJljHY41p1Dm3f_OiO-1ms3Ja22G9mBwYDZLGwjiDN5ptc2zr3qzn2GaFyQZv27WD6s3tjVqQiswjEIzDk_yCkJ85foruyLw/w311-h477/Behold%20My%20Wife1%201934.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Behold My Wife!</i></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1934</b></div></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Not a lost film! In this final adaptation – I can't imagine that there will be another – the "Indian" wife is played by Sylvia Sidney, the New York-born blue-eyed daughter of Russian and Rumanian immigrants. I'm guessing I first saw her as Juno in <i>Beetlejuice</i>, though its just as likely that I caught Sidney in stray episodes of <i>My Three Sons</i>, <i>Eight is Enough</i>, <i>Magnum, P.I.</i>, and <i>WKRP in Cincinnati</i>. Her final role was as Clia in the Malcolm McDowell <i>fin de siecle</i> reboot of <i>Fantasy Island</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3zw16At5Y07WyuRU9w5mnRE8wWf15aXyqTk4ydm32uYI7u9bb3eNWIyxzCF6-YAvK0B86qKmUueEKgy0AbDl-yQS1cREnpMvYiVrwBbzUNdheLAoZcxD94YSHx7nzmKcHXdn-f331hula3z7WhXEa7nRUSzSFjrHmQdVw2TXFm6aiCo3m2tckqVZjw4/s533/Sylvia%20Sidney.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="533" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3zw16At5Y07WyuRU9w5mnRE8wWf15aXyqTk4ydm32uYI7u9bb3eNWIyxzCF6-YAvK0B86qKmUueEKgy0AbDl-yQS1cREnpMvYiVrwBbzUNdheLAoZcxD94YSHx7nzmKcHXdn-f331hula3z7WhXEa7nRUSzSFjrHmQdVw2TXFm6aiCo3m2tckqVZjw4/w332-h187/Sylvia%20Sidney.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The 1934 <i>Behold My Wife!</i> owes so little to <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> that it is pretty much unrecognizable. In this telling, the story takes place entirely in the United States. Frank Armour is reimagined as Michael Carter (Gene Raymond), a sauced son of the East Coast leisure class. His family are overly concerned with appearance, and so conspire to break his engagement to perfectly nice stenographer Mary White (Ann Sheridan). She commits suicide, which is <i>not</i> the result they expected.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXo-9GhpKQ0lasRXmvDXSR_oXTmBeGhN4t6hn65TdBSh_py_EuYlaP-mLT2ynCiRhfKiByKjbEhzHQr6RVb4Z73LNv504Eg1Z-H99NDoAbUbFbajlmf10CqWhWT8LfIrv-eD0dbpQGV4bq78W9UimTe2Pi8KvOennW1zgbSlYOrzO8SfTnGMbUTvjrADA/s544/Behold%20My%20Wife%201934!.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="544" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXo-9GhpKQ0lasRXmvDXSR_oXTmBeGhN4t6hn65TdBSh_py_EuYlaP-mLT2ynCiRhfKiByKjbEhzHQr6RVb4Z73LNv504Eg1Z-H99NDoAbUbFbajlmf10CqWhWT8LfIrv-eD0dbpQGV4bq78W9UimTe2Pi8KvOennW1zgbSlYOrzO8SfTnGMbUTvjrADA/s320/Behold%20My%20Wife%201934!.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />Michael is met with the awful news on what he'd thought would be his wedding day. Despite a hangover, he's sharp enough to recognize that his mother, father, and sister are to blame for the dive Mary took out of her apartment window. Michael sets off on a drunk driving tour of the United States, winding up in a New Mexico saloon, where he's shot – accidentally – by an Apache named Pete (Dean Jagger). Gentle beauty Tonita Storm Cloud, Pete's sister, removes the bullet, and gets off the best line: "My father sent me to school. I learned many things in college."</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW14upjay_d8Tk23QeurF-mIFxo736cAy-LZFPKChDOm4vJkIPXKs_LBMp1KSH5Nk4z72yK-Mv64QAiDZk2ve4uBOfOVbMUNbh8P3pvZgx5BQXTENWt9cABbBzFS4up0dD08lbsIVDUH5NJX2tAoBudwPiW7RCyvPBbQnWLAbL_X0lbQXMDNQ5AVAjEd4/s821/Behold%20My%20Wife!%201934.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="821" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW14upjay_d8Tk23QeurF-mIFxo736cAy-LZFPKChDOm4vJkIPXKs_LBMp1KSH5Nk4z72yK-Mv64QAiDZk2ve4uBOfOVbMUNbh8P3pvZgx5BQXTENWt9cABbBzFS4up0dD08lbsIVDUH5NJX2tAoBudwPiW7RCyvPBbQnWLAbL_X0lbQXMDNQ5AVAjEd4/s320/Behold%20My%20Wife!%201934.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />Somehow, Tonita falls in love with a man who is entirely unworthy. I've seen similar tragedies play out in real life.</div><div><br /></div><div>If anything, Michael Carter is even more dislikable than Frank Armour. In Parker's novel, an inebriated Frank marries Lali upon learning that his fiancée has married another. In <i>Behold My Wife!</i>, alcoholic Michael – sober, for once – is much more calculating. He marries the woman <i>who saved his life</i> as a means of revenge over his fiancée's suicide. Like Frank, he insists that Lali wear "Indian" dress when meeting her new in-laws, then sinks several levels further in asking her to do the same for a formal soirée intended to introduce her to "society." Here Tonita appears in a Parisian evening gown proves charming, clever, and quite a wit, particularly when confronting prejudice. In short, she is a sensation. Michael is enraged, revealing his motivation in marrying her.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIm4X0dtCVSnUkiczEx4QDE05o3n4tygCDS-fUgKKB6zbJHVDGkf5jzJoQwTmx86X5s_P72Jn_V_UCOxAe2dCg-5rrj7Q2NAgwLQTxHsfcCSElAC-lKGPOqSZ8UjOyIDuJM6-nxmLaYPLvoOb-wJWluPMgqA2_ssU-FGjxBGAgr1aW_uZYihpeHZh_ZQ/s818/Behold%20Tonita.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="818" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIm4X0dtCVSnUkiczEx4QDE05o3n4tygCDS-fUgKKB6zbJHVDGkf5jzJoQwTmx86X5s_P72Jn_V_UCOxAe2dCg-5rrj7Q2NAgwLQTxHsfcCSElAC-lKGPOqSZ8UjOyIDuJM6-nxmLaYPLvoOb-wJWluPMgqA2_ssU-FGjxBGAgr1aW_uZYihpeHZh_ZQ/s320/Behold%20Tonita.png" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>A remarkable scene, this is the film's climax. Others may disagree as there's still a murder to come.<br /><br />Yes, murder.<br /><br />As I say, this adaptation owes little to Parker's novel. It's a strange film, shifting abruptly between comedy, slapstick, pathos, and tragedy. The plot is absurd, but is held together by strong dialogue and Sylvia Sidney. I acknowledge my promise to keep criticism to a minimum, but her performance is so heartbreaking, when it is not comedic or endearing. <i>Behold My Wife!</i> and <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> have one important thing in common, that being that they are well-intentioned works with flaws flaws that become more evident with each passing decade.</div><div><br />Both <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7W_MOtpis0&t=0s" target="_blank">Behold My Wife!</a></i> (1934) and <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/translationofsav0parkuoft" target="_blank">The Translation of a Savage</a> </i>are available – <i>gratis</i> – online.</div><div><br /></div><div>I recommend them both.</div><div><br /></div><div>For good or bad, they are part of our heritage.</div><div><br /><b><span style="color: #990000;">Fun fact (personal):</span></b> In the 1920 version, Lali's father, Chief Eye-of-the Moon, was played by Englishman Fred Huntley, who was born one hundred years to the day before yours truly!</div><div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2024/02/gilbert-parkers-savage-novel.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2024/02/gilbert-parkers-savage-novel.html" target="_blank">Gilbert Parker's Savage Novel</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-58244878512458118662024-02-05T06:30:00.871-05:002024-02-12T06:41:34.559-05:00Gilbert Parker's Savage Novel<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtxi_XlcEfnhyphenhyphenl81M0NrOmTSr91Q9DPpMk16PrxEjp2H0IzinLhQrrp_OJifPLzIt_ftMjLhE215O5Wl04Lt3mw4bOrI8uSytTf1jXbEgqN204xzqdjw1Uw2s0FZdQSlSTSUXMXwesIEdMU2fdNXX1JlM8BVYK_dMTqnUTWTDVcxAt5uz2baxta-RsRQ/s600/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%202%203.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="412" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtxi_XlcEfnhyphenhyphenl81M0NrOmTSr91Q9DPpMk16PrxEjp2H0IzinLhQrrp_OJifPLzIt_ftMjLhE215O5Wl04Lt3mw4bOrI8uSytTf1jXbEgqN204xzqdjw1Uw2s0FZdQSlSTSUXMXwesIEdMU2fdNXX1JlM8BVYK_dMTqnUTWTDVcxAt5uz2baxta-RsRQ/w275-h400/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%202%203.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>The Translation of a Savage<br /></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #990000;">Gilbert Parker<br /></span></b><span style="color: #990000;"><b>London: Methuen, [<i>c.</i>1897]<br /></b></span><span style="color: #990000;"><b>240 pages</b></span></div><p>I'm writing this after having spent several hours shovelling heavy slushy snow and stacking firewood. It may not be the best time – the mind is less than sharp and the body is tired – but I can't put off sharing my discovery of <i>The Translation of a Savage</i>, which is by far the most unpleasant and problematic novel I've ever read.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOXs0SEh-2BjTF0EzegmfOLkYTDV0CGYv_Cf9CLglZKGbGm-JvPJbTj8tv9nsB0XFBB_3SIXpoMHgysaK7nFRYllz6GmhQ_kQ1EuD2WKwVowOhBnGhVWPi2wPlmvKLCB81e6ls1itXg94uJPCU0xslW-qxTeNx7wV9LAW3GOtqYYYNPuSOKIo0c-Vxm8/s1527/Camden%20Democrat%206%20October%201894.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="505" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOXs0SEh-2BjTF0EzegmfOLkYTDV0CGYv_Cf9CLglZKGbGm-JvPJbTj8tv9nsB0XFBB_3SIXpoMHgysaK7nFRYllz6GmhQ_kQ1EuD2WKwVowOhBnGhVWPi2wPlmvKLCB81e6ls1itXg94uJPCU0xslW-qxTeNx7wV9LAW3GOtqYYYNPuSOKIo0c-Vxm8/w144-h434/Camden%20Democrat%206%20October%201894.jpeg" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Camden Democrat</i><br />6 October 1894</span></td></tr></tbody></table>I mean discovery in a personal sense, of course; <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> was a bestseller in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. <i>Lippincott's Monthly Magazine</i> devoted much of its June 1893 edition to publishing the novel in full. It was serialized in newspapers throughout the United States, and was thrice adapted by Hollywood. In the introduction provided for his 24-volume <i>Works</i>, Parker remarks on the novel's "many friends – sufficiently established by the very large sale it has had in cheap editions."<p></p><p>Sadly, those friends are long dead, and there is precious little evidence the novel is being read today.*</p><p><i>The Translation of a Savage</i> begins in uninteresting fashion as yet another tale of the Canadian North. Frank Armour is a son of English privilege come to "Hudson Bay country" to further his fortune through mining. In doing so, he leaves behind his betrothed, beautiful Miss Julia Sherwood. The Armour parents aren't terribly keen on favourite son Frank's fiancée because she doesn't come from money; they'd much rather he marry Lady Agnes Martling, who "had long
cared for him, and was most happily endowed with wealth and good looks." In their son's absence, mama and papa conspire to prevent the union.<br /><br />Easily done! They invite Miss Sherwood to Greyhope, their Herefordshire home, then bring in young Lord Haldwell, and Bob's your uncle!<br /></p><p>It's quite a blow to Frank, who receives his "Dear John" letter <i>after</i> reading about Julia and Hopewell's wedding in the society pages. He knows to blame his parents for the broken engagement, though as I've suggested, they didn't put in much effort. Nevertheless, brandy in his belly and revenge in his heart, he looks to "bring down the pride of his family" by marrying Lali, daughter of Chief Eye-of-the-Moon. After a brief honeymoon, the bride is dispatched to Greyhope in buckskin dress.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-I4HREMCtz6pq1pYInU7qbtyIulXcBRt0WNOarcz2fFB6C1IewA_XRrPabK6q2gTs-CCfQQua-0hZfNjNhG3V7Og2OhrGOdar3672n6NC6WZMjKd_JBRdpPvJpFEuot6K8ipkLugN7S72mW58Uw5WRUuVkIsXH7a_2s0JIbFjOOoTw5NhvuC1QfWu_o/s900/The%20Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201920.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="900" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-I4HREMCtz6pq1pYInU7qbtyIulXcBRt0WNOarcz2fFB6C1IewA_XRrPabK6q2gTs-CCfQQua-0hZfNjNhG3V7Og2OhrGOdar3672n6NC6WZMjKd_JBRdpPvJpFEuot6K8ipkLugN7S72mW58Uw5WRUuVkIsXH7a_2s0JIbFjOOoTw5NhvuC1QfWu_o/w359-h209/The%20Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%201920.png" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lali, as portrayed by Mabel Julienne Scott, in <i>Behold My Wife!</i>, the 1920 Hollywood adaptation of <i>The Translation of a Savage</i>.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Lali's arrival in England is preceded by a well-crafted letter in which Frank acknowledges his parents' anxiousness that he wed "acceptably." He takes pains to note that Lali is of "the oldest aristocracy, in America." Because they'd wished him to marry wealth, he has sent them a wife rich in virtues, "native, unspoiled virtues." Frank trusts that they will take his bride to their hearts and cherish her, ever aware of their firm principles of honour. They will be kind to Lali until his return, "to share the affection which he was sure would be given to her."<br /><br />The letter lands in the second of the novel's fifteen chapters. Twenty-first-century readers familiar with Victorian literature and mores will anticipate the reaction. I did, but was taken aback by a racial epithet entirely new to me. As I'm not one for censorship, I present it here. If you want to read it, click on the image below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eHAiw48tOGVK04IHkvlLycpBxA3zDBKLn49u7lUA3EhgvpoG4sPwr0GFAnTcvS1pFHiSoxetXk9LTQsdkV0O4nRTij5ZmuZsADef9jm93QirtxLWVYUaBJ3Jf7SjPaAcQvU6OHLgpp-IFfnhG-Q5dG6xllrchPz13Hhh3H1_Y6sw8KFd2bQbZHqD8-U/s1200/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="786" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eHAiw48tOGVK04IHkvlLycpBxA3zDBKLn49u7lUA3EhgvpoG4sPwr0GFAnTcvS1pFHiSoxetXk9LTQsdkV0O4nRTij5ZmuZsADef9jm93QirtxLWVYUaBJ3Jf7SjPaAcQvU6OHLgpp-IFfnhG-Q5dG6xllrchPz13Hhh3H1_Y6sw8KFd2bQbZHqD8-U/w103-h157/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage.png" width="103" /></a></div><p>Richard Armour is the hero of this story. Frank's younger older-looking bookish brother, "not strong on his pins," has devoted his life to helping pensioners, the poor, and the infirm. Lali's acceptance at Hopewell is all Richard's doing. He is her defender. With gentle touch, he manipulates his family to her side, and provides the guidance she needs in navigating English society. <br /></p><p>Lali is the heroine. A young bride – her age is never disclosed – she wed Frank for love. Because that love is not blind, Lali quickly comes to recognize the awful truth behind her marriage.<br /><br />Frank is the villain. After marrying Lali, he remains in Canada, and never so much as writes. His ventures are unsuccessful, in large part because his wife's people come to question what has become of Lali. Frank's people – by which I mean his family – do not trust his judgement. By the time Lali gives birth to a son, seven or so months after arriving at Hopewell, she has won over the Armour family. They recognize how badly she has been treated, and so respect her wishes that they keep the child's existence a secret.</p><p>Four years pass before Frank's return, during which Lali has adapted to her new surroundings. The woman he encounters in the halls of Greyhope is very different than the "heathen" he married.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnfLeICoO0yEFsNjL6RJj0yhyvVPJAmC7HSuLICLBgVbLv0akXy2_8te4GnqqS9wsfqKUlHWMwl3q1QGBIEEUC9YMdulxs8BgFkIXuUM1lEGqHCRM_nWZHA2LBQfCW9e8romV-VsgLv_4oVtlVfAiqQtk60SoQssIWI03RdKOIxmTP3IKXSh7_IoqRkk/s661/Behold%20My%20Wife.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="661" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnfLeICoO0yEFsNjL6RJj0yhyvVPJAmC7HSuLICLBgVbLv0akXy2_8te4GnqqS9wsfqKUlHWMwl3q1QGBIEEUC9YMdulxs8BgFkIXuUM1lEGqHCRM_nWZHA2LBQfCW9e8romV-VsgLv_4oVtlVfAiqQtk60SoQssIWI03RdKOIxmTP3IKXSh7_IoqRkk/s320/Behold%20My%20Wife.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lali (Mabel Julienne Scott) and Frank (Milton Sills) are reunited in<br /><i>Behold My Wife! </i>(1920).</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>That word – "heathen" – is the used by Lali at the novel's climax, in which she is pushed to confront her husband:</p><p></p><blockquote>Years of indignation were at work in her. “I have had
a home,” she said, in a low, thrilling voice, — “a
good home; but what did that cost you? Not
one honest sentiment of pity, kindness, or solicitude. You clothed me, fed me, abandoned
me, as — how can one say it? Do I not know,
if coming back you had found me as you
expected to find me, what the result would have
been? Do I not know? You would have
endured me if I did not thrust myself upon you,
for you have after all a sense of legal duty, a
kind of stubborn honour. But you would have made my life such that some day one or both of
us would have died suddenly. For” — she looked
him with a hot clearness in the eyes — “for
there is just so much that a woman can bear.
I wish this talk had not come now, but, since it
has come, it is better to speak plainly. You see,
you misunderstand. A heathen has a heart as
another — has a life to be spoiled or made happy
as another. Had there been one honest passion
in your treatment of me — in your marrying me —
there would be something on which to base
mutual respect, which is more or less necessary
when one is expected to love. But — but I will
not speak more of it, for it chokes me, the insult
to me, not as I was, but as I am. Then it would
probably have driven me mad, if I had known;
now it eats into my life like rust!"</blockquote><p></p><p>Ultimately, of course, "heathen" is Parker's word, as is the measure of what a woman can bear. Lali existed only in his imagination, and remains with us today solely through the printed page.**</p><p>Frank tries to make amends, though His motivation is unclear. Is it, as Lali suggests, a sense of duty and a stubborn kind of honour? Might it have something to do with her "translation" to a woman who has been accepted by Society? Or is it simply because the two have a son? I have no answer, though will direct the curious to an associated theological question (below).</p><p>The very definition of a forgotten novel; <i>The Canadian Encyclopedia</i><span style="font-size: small;">, </span><i>The Encyclopedia of Canadian Literature</i><span style="font-size: small;">, </span><i>The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature</i><span style="font-size: small;">, and </span><i>The Cambridge Companion to Canadian Literature </i>don't so much as mention <i>The Translation of a Savage</i><span style="font-size: small;">. This old Canadian Studies, English, and History major always saw it as just another of the dozens of Parker titles. I knew nothing about the novel</span>, but feel I should have been made aware.<br /></p><p><i>The Translation of a Savage</i> begins as a story of the Canadian North. Aforementioned racial epithet aside, its attitudes and depictions of First Nations people are typical of Victorian literature; Lali's father, for example, is the very example of the "noble savage." What sets the novel apart is Lali and her translation.<br /><br />She receives love in the Old World, in the main from the Amour family, making life sufferable, but her story is terrible. The entire story is terrible. Lali would like to return to Hudson Bay country, but feels she is too much changed. The novel's final sentences hint at reconciliation with Frank, but it is in no way a happy ending.<br /><br />After all the time that has passed since reading those final words – some of it spent shovelling snow and stacking firewood – I'm still not sure what to think. What I can say, without hesitation, is that <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> should be read, studied, and discussed.<br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">* Highly unscientific I know, but I do note that Goodreads features one lone readers' rating (one star), whereas Parker's <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Right of Way</a> has fourteen (3.36 stars average).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">** I acknowledge that variations of Lali have appeared throughout the years on the silver screen – 1913, 1920, and 1934, to be precise – but Parker had no input in those depictions.<br /><br />The subject of a future post.</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Trivia:</span></b> Frank receives news of Julia's marriage at Fort Charles – twice "Fort St. Charles" – a Hudson Bay Company outpost not far from the Kimash Hills and the White Valley. All exist only in Parker's fiction, most notably <i>Pierre and His People</i> (1894) and <i>A Romany of the Snows </i>(1898).<br /><br />Interestingly, in 1907 poet Harmony Twichwell submitted an outline of an opera titled 'Kimash Hills' to her future husband Charles Ives.</p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Not trivia:</span></b> In <i>The Works of Gilbert Parker</i> the author writes that the story "had a basis of fact; the main incident was true. It
happened, however, in Michigan rather than in Canada; but
I placed the incident in Canada where it was just as true to the
life."<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #990000;">A theological question (spoiler):</span></b> The novel ends suddenly with a contrived <i>crise</i>, after which we learn that Lali accepts "without
demur her husband's tale of love for her." The suggestion is that this<i> </i>brings the couple together. Then come the last two ssentences:</p><p></p><blockquote>Yet, as if to remind him of the wrong he had
done. Heaven never granted Frank Armour
another child.</blockquote>If this is God's punishment is He not also punishing Lali?<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Criticism:</span></b> In his <i>Works</i> introduction, Parker notes that the novel was well-received. Despite the author's misgivings, Sir Clement Konloch-Cooke was eager to publish it in <i>The English Illustrated Magazine</i>. This was followed by enthusiasm from an unexpected source: <br /></p><blockquote>The judgment
of the press was favourable, – highly so – and I was as much surprised as pleased when Mr. George Moore, in the Hogarth Club
one night, in 1894, said to me: “There is a really remarkable
play in that book of yours, <i>The Translation of a Savage</i>.” I
had not thought up to that time that my work was of the kind
which would appeal to George Moore, but he was always making discoveries.</blockquote><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and </span></b><b><span style="color: #990000;">Access:</span></b> The novel made its debut in the June 1893 edition of <i>Lippincott's Monthly Magazine</i>. My copy was purchased online late last year from a French bookseller. Price: US$14.65. It was advertised as the 1894 first British edition; indeed the title page suggests as much, but the novel itself is followed by a 40-page catalogue of Methuen titles dated March 1897. Included are seven Parker novels and Robert Barr's disappointing <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/03/getting-to-fenian-raids.html" target="_blank">In the Midst of Alarms</a></i>.<br /><br /><i>Je ne regrette rien</i>.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZuduDh9I_t9WnRsjYZrt5K5xsogWHbGDvoH9B6cPTCbMWNdHld418lC5THQfTlcrpbspyjatK1DkcADzXcz6qUWyooi9fzCwcGquc4pL6dlBp1NL7479upMR3jtgXsOAVsJ7qQGlEigoIptGe3spZbZY0o2XscaGugKD3lIwsySoO3towW-dys8sIQs/s600/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%20title.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZuduDh9I_t9WnRsjYZrt5K5xsogWHbGDvoH9B6cPTCbMWNdHld418lC5THQfTlcrpbspyjatK1DkcADzXcz6qUWyooi9fzCwcGquc4pL6dlBp1NL7479upMR3jtgXsOAVsJ7qQGlEigoIptGe3spZbZY0o2XscaGugKD3lIwsySoO3towW-dys8sIQs/w272-h272/Translation%20of%20a%20Savage%20title.jpeg" width="272" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This copy, the copy that now rests in my Upper Canadian home, once belonged to Parker's fellow Tory Sir Henry Drummond Wolff, who from 1892 to 1900 was British Ambassador to Spain.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUiZoj9iM5PZuPlW8vXfxwwIK_wnRaQiZcQQZHzD02Klwy6WzxdFfNEKZXOGMZhJY5dALNLjwKxHWlf3Eh7w1Wo8Jiu27ycsgpK6vZzb9EX6rCxxeezAxoB1tleTmEXCkHbwXGqAVh0DSCZhUC-sdf4_GnKLUBqkE6GNApG9F8ZRKfhidW2-517rczOE/s438/Drummond%20Wolff%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="438" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSUiZoj9iM5PZuPlW8vXfxwwIK_wnRaQiZcQQZHzD02Klwy6WzxdFfNEKZXOGMZhJY5dALNLjwKxHWlf3Eh7w1Wo8Jiu27ycsgpK6vZzb9EX6rCxxeezAxoB1tleTmEXCkHbwXGqAVh0DSCZhUC-sdf4_GnKLUBqkE6GNApG9F8ZRKfhidW2-517rczOE/s320/Drummond%20Wolff%202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />Sir Henry was also the father of prolific novelist Anne Cleeve, author of <i>The Woman Who Wouldn't</i> (1895), written in response to Grant Allen's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/07/getting-to-know-woman-who-did.html" target="_blank">The Woman Who Did</a></i> (1895).<br /><br />In its first three decades, <i>The Translation of a Savage</i> went through plenty of editions from plenty of publishers. I'm betting most used booksellers can't be bothered listing them for sale online. Of those who have, the least expensive – an undated Nelson at £2.80 – is offered by a UK bookseller. The most expensive is a cocked copy of Appleton's 1893 American first edition at US$75.00.<p>Those with an aversion to previously-owned books – I knew one such person – will see that both Indigo and Amazon sell this Esprios World Classics print on demand edition. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH4U8xjEdgcGyJMFY-u8MaqmmpvldcRVRAZaQjqkHmrepPIpsXBqFh3OzH-qj-fHgoiYRs3ItuJVY8DuYWbx7Xe3p6sATUOAHM7qMUh5Nlr2bnWf8QOc0lYAzy-rmx1qFk1mFOpqUfJUzAzK5sX9G5OXur4xGe1i3yOr0-YrJfeua50UI0IB88ii5u8o/s974/Translationn%20of%20a%20Savage%20pod.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="672" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKH4U8xjEdgcGyJMFY-u8MaqmmpvldcRVRAZaQjqkHmrepPIpsXBqFh3OzH-qj-fHgoiYRs3ItuJVY8DuYWbx7Xe3p6sATUOAHM7qMUh5Nlr2bnWf8QOc0lYAzy-rmx1qFk1mFOpqUfJUzAzK5sX9G5OXur4xGe1i3yOr0-YrJfeua50UI0IB88ii5u8o/w229-h331/Translationn%20of%20a%20Savage%20pod.png" width="229" /></a></div><p></p>The photograph used on the cover was taken in 1902 at the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Wasco County, Oregon, adding further insult.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank">Born Again Infidel</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/03/getting-to-fenian-raids.html" target="_blank">Getting to the Fenian Raids</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/07/getting-to-know-woman-who-did.html" target="_blank">Getting to Know the Woman Who Did</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2024/02/behold-translation-of-savage-on-film.html" target="_blank">Behold the Translation of a Savage on Film!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-587283723582582732024-01-29T06:30:00.008-05:002024-01-30T12:35:31.324-05:00On the Modern Library Mrs. Spring Fragrance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRvWCNHCX_0sr0_6OGYvTFdlu-8PIHHIkPfmTDhtgDHmqRYCg3F1fJwWFiKhuVsU4G4myioq4WVXL0YKp-CJRAhmIVPtXugR97ZkRFcbpaJ0G7vgUdDqarRJmX5-zdDPmH5ATBFiAihsFQwwHaab9z5SjwrvOXD2HfuON5pVNbsLJesNQ1PDpaBKnzGA/s900/Mrs%20Spring%20Fragrance%20and%20Other%20Writings.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="581" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRvWCNHCX_0sr0_6OGYvTFdlu-8PIHHIkPfmTDhtgDHmqRYCg3F1fJwWFiKhuVsU4G4myioq4WVXL0YKp-CJRAhmIVPtXugR97ZkRFcbpaJ0G7vgUdDqarRJmX5-zdDPmH5ATBFiAihsFQwwHaab9z5SjwrvOXD2HfuON5pVNbsLJesNQ1PDpaBKnzGA/w291-h449/Mrs%20Spring%20Fragrance%20and%20Other%20Writings.png" width="291" /></a></div><br />The Modern Library is very dear to my heart. I discovered the imprint as an illiterate Kindergartner looking through his late father's books. He'd owned a small number of editions, including <i>Anna Karenina</i>, <i>Arrowsmith</i>, <i>Of Human Bondage</i>, and Eugene O'Neill's <i>Nine Plays</i>, each bearing his signature and a stamp with our Beaconsfield address. I liked that they were compact and uniform. I also liked the covers.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcSuTbMaD466K8TrgxvU-_iDBNkIJHfSEntZAonox8bAC_pAmc2ArswYxl691A6wNEcXuyFIPAyLZEMrPQwUw-W0F2pZgipn6XlWEp3mAZ3pn656sEErYdC75uHlufbp-P7ZSEA61mtjLv4liS02OAUNu09qxQi50WvEvC6NxZ8OLvzOv6jEsRJDJVcE/s600/M%20J%20Busby.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="589" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcSuTbMaD466K8TrgxvU-_iDBNkIJHfSEntZAonox8bAC_pAmc2ArswYxl691A6wNEcXuyFIPAyLZEMrPQwUw-W0F2pZgipn6XlWEp3mAZ3pn656sEErYdC75uHlufbp-P7ZSEA61mtjLv4liS02OAUNu09qxQi50WvEvC6NxZ8OLvzOv6jEsRJDJVcE/w246-h251/M%20J%20Busby.jpeg" width="246" /></a></div><div><p></p><p>As a young adult, Modern Library's founders Albert Boni and Horace Liveright, became personal heroes. <i>Firebrand</i>, Tom Dardis's 1995 biography of the latter, had something to do with this, though I was already in their camp. As a university student, I sought out Modern Library editions of assigned texts, snubbing the cheap mass market paperbacks sold at the campus bookstore.</p><p>During those years I kept my spare cash in <i>Winesburg, Ohio</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwgHQJpBS-P0lekRcPQSlnAJkSqyzkuz9u_4SHTK8OBODzQyga8mEoMqM0IXB-NbUyLO1WTdNTwMne8t6ALRRKfJ8RN2meaPd1xZ2naNavUTSq7XjEvHelKF89uplS_3ubeasfqn9FPfdB53QgoYheBggNGkjGpB1QLBS7rwPOGyEoAsUBNSeLcfC1NQ/s600/Winesburg%20Ohio%20Sherwood%20Anderson.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="416" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwgHQJpBS-P0lekRcPQSlnAJkSqyzkuz9u_4SHTK8OBODzQyga8mEoMqM0IXB-NbUyLO1WTdNTwMne8t6ALRRKfJ8RN2meaPd1xZ2naNavUTSq7XjEvHelKF89uplS_3ubeasfqn9FPfdB53QgoYheBggNGkjGpB1QLBS7rwPOGyEoAsUBNSeLcfC1NQ/s320/Winesburg%20Ohio%20Sherwood%20Anderson.jpeg" width="222" /></a></div><p><a href="https://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/bookshopdoor/signature.cfm?item=156" target="_blank">Ernest Boyd</a> wrote the introduction to <i>Winesburg, Ohio</i>. Ford Maddox Ford wrote the introduction to <i>A Farewell to Arms</i>. Famously, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the introduction to what was then the commercial flop known as <i>The Great Gatsby. </i></p><p>Because Modern Library's focus, like mine, is on the past, I've not kept up with the imprint, and so only recently became aware of its 2021 reissue of <i>Mrs. Spring Fragrance and Other Writings</i> by Sui Sin Far (Edith Eaton).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGYtQzdGcqTWKkFH5kRVLygCMLEwZvYm9MikxTd_B5YIwEm_ySSbIgL5YE98Mxwnf7v5T10scX49ZsG52AUwTrXtOA-SSWEm5sU5yXME5vJFF-xyucU1uYfqQSWDEz3us6y10ubc9wdsJ0D-na5qTMlmMBPKmBX8WCNqY0IRj1u-RYO12X-c6Oa1yc68/s600/Mrs%20Spring%20Fragrance.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="392" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGYtQzdGcqTWKkFH5kRVLygCMLEwZvYm9MikxTd_B5YIwEm_ySSbIgL5YE98Mxwnf7v5T10scX49ZsG52AUwTrXtOA-SSWEm5sU5yXME5vJFF-xyucU1uYfqQSWDEz3us6y10ubc9wdsJ0D-na5qTMlmMBPKmBX8WCNqY0IRj1u-RYO12X-c6Oa1yc68/w228-h349/Mrs%20Spring%20Fragrance.png" width="228" /></a></div><p>It made the heart proud for a second or two. <i>Mrs. Spring Fragrance</i> may be the only book by a Canadian on the today's Modern Library list, though you would not know this from C Pam Zhang's introduction. True, her contribution isn't large – roughly four pages in length – but you'd think that there might be room to mention of the author's birthplace (Prestbury, Cheshire, England) or the city in which she was raised, educated, lived most of her life, died, and is buried (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). She's instead presented as "North American."</p><p>The errors are egregious: Eaton’s mother was Chinese, not "Chinese British;" her "white American father" was in fact English. Sister Winnifred, who was inarguably the more successful writer, is ignored entirely.<br /><br />I end by noting that Mrs Spring Fragrance, whom Zhang describes as "a Chinese woman thriving in San Francisco," lives in Seattle.</p><p>It's right there – "Seattle" – in the very first sentence of the very first story.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/04/remembering-edith-eaton-and-darcy-mcgee.html" target="_blank">Remembering Edith Eaton and D'Arcy McGee</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/01/glasscos-9500-library-and-montreal.html" style="color: #463dde; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Glassco's $9500 Library and the Montreal Eatons</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/by-any-other-name-onato-watannas.html" target="_blank">By Any Other Name: Onoto Watanna's Hyacynth</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/08/beauty-ignored-and-neglected.html" style="color: #463dde; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Beauty Ignored and Neglected</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/03/alberta-gothic.html" style="color: #463dde; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Alberta Gothic</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-75468681820321065472024-01-10T06:30:00.327-05:002024-01-10T08:48:38.154-05:00O Lucky Man!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNiQ1eClLU-D86zbLsOSudT2nzitjO-jEyaWWsEKenoGJFADfrsBng46Fr_D8n1LNXUw4YQ1rLOefb8sBjyc2yE0bLPfnHCpRR-ABs5odFJZBQzQDS6BfR5mDkXTWD0vCWAKTWEJxGIbWlYmvCRZFqXa2ouIZYOqj-kWgIQl0spSXUBfbOOKFFvui4zg/s600/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20dustjacket.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNiQ1eClLU-D86zbLsOSudT2nzitjO-jEyaWWsEKenoGJFADfrsBng46Fr_D8n1LNXUw4YQ1rLOefb8sBjyc2yE0bLPfnHCpRR-ABs5odFJZBQzQDS6BfR5mDkXTWD0vCWAKTWEJxGIbWlYmvCRZFqXa2ouIZYOqj-kWgIQl0spSXUBfbOOKFFvui4zg/w344-h485/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20dustjacket.jpeg" width="344" /></a></div></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdRLNGuWZqUhz55saGTfXJ_67v1gy_PVqGX38-oC42Rhg3AdTW_KM41qyg0q4Tqi2MZE5GciSIct5XKcp7UJWgglOK4sQsO5jteSMLG-M6HXy_Rwr1ZlIz6M6RyW-zwHREVsAQ8wDrQ66hHwg4FE6KFw8l-rZcZkHf_KiqtyFxK8XoV3CbsgpLdARFVA/s600/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20back%20jacket%20copy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="423" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdRLNGuWZqUhz55saGTfXJ_67v1gy_PVqGX38-oC42Rhg3AdTW_KM41qyg0q4Tqi2MZE5GciSIct5XKcp7UJWgglOK4sQsO5jteSMLG-M6HXy_Rwr1ZlIz6M6RyW-zwHREVsAQ8wDrQ66hHwg4FE6KFw8l-rZcZkHf_KiqtyFxK8XoV3CbsgpLdARFVA/w345-h486/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20back%20jacket%20copy.jpeg" width="345" /></a></div><div><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>You Never Know Your Luck: Being the Story of a</i></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i> Matrimonial Deserter</i><br /></b><b>Gilbert Parker<br /></b><b>Toronto: Bell & Cockburn, 1914<br /></b><b>328 pages</b></span></div><p>The dust jacket invites comparison with <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank">The Right of Way</a></i>, Gilbert Parker's 1901 runaway bestseller, but I would have gone right ahead regardless. Both novels centre on married men who, brought down by vice, go missing. In <i>The Right of Way</i> that man is Charley Steele, Montreal's most feared lawyer and closet drunkard. Whatever you may think of him, Charley is <i>not</i> a matrimonial deserter. What happens is that he goes slumming, gets into a bar fight, and receives such a blow to the head that he loses his memory. It takes the talents of a world-renowned French surgeon to set things right, by which time the lawyer has been declared dead and his wife has remarried.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-Rg5MYV9KNoHTaHgIQ7_4Y0mTjoeYLOOcRMrp6OrNW8IPkCt0M0bWWguAJ6x68jnCm9WaNJW-vfPP39TyZd_QDBdGcz_COl86cAfRZq60oKf4sg1FYeditZbv_iUNf3NGfP4EM7Hm5i0YsE7gR4dZFV8r5n1_1wWlZFulb9ENELIAOP3xulQo1092t4/s569/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="404" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-Rg5MYV9KNoHTaHgIQ7_4Y0mTjoeYLOOcRMrp6OrNW8IPkCt0M0bWWguAJ6x68jnCm9WaNJW-vfPP39TyZd_QDBdGcz_COl86cAfRZq60oKf4sg1FYeditZbv_iUNf3NGfP4EM7Hm5i0YsE7gR4dZFV8r5n1_1wWlZFulb9ENELIAOP3xulQo1092t4/w284-h400/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><p>It is a story of redemption. Charley does not return to Montreal, his mansion, his vast wealth, and his beautiful wife. He'd married Kathleen for her looks, but she is now wed to a man who loves her back. Charley recognizes the private pain and public sensation that would result in reappearing Lazarus-like.<br /><br />Shiel Crozier of <i>You Never Know Your Luck</i> is a lesser man. He begins the novel as J.G. Kerry, living a modest life in an Askatoon (read: Saskatoon) boarding house run by young Kitty Tynan and her widowed middle-aged mother. Shiel's true identity, that of a married Irish baronet, is revealed through his testimony as witness to a murder involving the Macmahon Gang. Gus Burlingame, the lawyer for the defence, holds a grudge. He was turfed from the boarding house after Shiel caught him groping Kitty.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvZVVDpvkpawOCxpfk6eWtsoGVbe1Fsqt8yi6A6QTsNyy_fc6yYAGBYK2sMOeTyxNdrPq8ZnpJIlyPmlrAEvVtz8-xGzIlPJjNj8_K3q0Hh6KZQ91c7A1vKPQLnPhZkylOv_B1H7vm32A0vTlUPXjMvwA0sDH8mAvB1PXHch_47wBddmygaLpWAUjjIs/s600/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="291" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvZVVDpvkpawOCxpfk6eWtsoGVbe1Fsqt8yi6A6QTsNyy_fc6yYAGBYK2sMOeTyxNdrPq8ZnpJIlyPmlrAEvVtz8-xGzIlPJjNj8_K3q0Hh6KZQ91c7A1vKPQLnPhZkylOv_B1H7vm32A0vTlUPXjMvwA0sDH8mAvB1PXHch_47wBddmygaLpWAUjjIs/w208-h429/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.png" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Munsey's Magazine</i>, April 1914</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Pretty Kitty has a thing for Shiel. It's easy to see why. Handsome, personable, fun, and smart as a whip, he's seems the most eligible bachelor in Askatoon – that is until Burlingame gets him on the stand and has him disclose that he has a wife overseas. Before Kitty can digest the revelation the Macmahon Gang strikes again! This time, the target is Shiel himself. He survives a gunshot to the gut through the good work of the local physician, known affectionately as "the Young Doctor."</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOvHBd4LpPYCyzmzDoS1z06b4VMomAeNY1XcM2C0NCXxnYH5MRSBv-IWGyVyhe1Div62QPOHsIGyjeHIc5v66b-6qvh4Vsu1F4CB_bgpzQho_uvSYz5cT5LIBJMZ-Oo3_Qq18HjEQ-de1893lRSqX8aCpA2Z9V2flNx7FINuptV3QZVbblfBf6lkDrNA/s556/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20Crozier.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="556" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOvHBd4LpPYCyzmzDoS1z06b4VMomAeNY1XcM2C0NCXxnYH5MRSBv-IWGyVyhe1Div62QPOHsIGyjeHIc5v66b-6qvh4Vsu1F4CB_bgpzQho_uvSYz5cT5LIBJMZ-Oo3_Qq18HjEQ-de1893lRSqX8aCpA2Z9V2flNx7FINuptV3QZVbblfBf6lkDrNA/w327-h235/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker%20Crozier.png" width="327" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Munsey's Magazine</i>, April 1914</span></td></tr></tbody></table>While recovering, Shiel summons the doctor, Kitty, and Mrs Tynan to his bedside, where he expands upon the revelations revealed during the trial. The scene, which takes the entirety of the sixth chapter, is depicted in two not dissimilar illustrations by George Wright (above) and William Leroy Jacobs (below). <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWe_nJm8VuXrHxP0VCeBsKyZmxYzieokVVXy3cZTDA3Q5QpQtxZ_KiDIsfvOlxQ8lyjF56qg1Q5cWywLhvlZXf9Pkv_O2plhW_92IujQePopv5vlX0cAfs_T7vrid5Qa-vJEmLC4VRnvQrVOSVsaWZtym0F4Fjr9STQQoeWRJFW7Os1Yoaow1Kg6bbkI/s600/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Parker.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="405" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWe_nJm8VuXrHxP0VCeBsKyZmxYzieokVVXy3cZTDA3Q5QpQtxZ_KiDIsfvOlxQ8lyjF56qg1Q5cWywLhvlZXf9Pkv_O2plhW_92IujQePopv5vlX0cAfs_T7vrid5Qa-vJEmLC4VRnvQrVOSVsaWZtym0F4Fjr9STQQoeWRJFW7Os1Yoaow1Kg6bbkI/w298-h442/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20-%20Parker.png" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>You Never Know Your Luck</i><br />Toronto: Bell & Cockburn, 1914</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Shiel speaks of his privileged birth, his education at Eton, his education at Oxford, and his education at London's <a href="https://www.brooksclub.org/">Brooks's Club</a>, where he was introduced to the Crozier family's long history of placing wagers on just about anything. Taking up the tradition, Shiel starts on a track that will lead to the loss of his inheritance, but not before he marries heiress Mona (maiden name not provided). His bride had encouraged him to change his ways. Shiel promised he would, only to bet the last of his fortune on a horse named Flamingo at Epsom Downs. What happened next was tragedy, no doubt inspired by <a href="https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-37346" target="_blank">Emily Davison's death</a> at the 1913 running.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6WlF1_UbA4c5YhWVPiHKmEEhUXTzhpQ6IVuFJWi8oz7NFk7L_N6MuIn4H5yvQFWWUaqovpt4AvVVJek2GQ5v4X7kiUSHZc15CzRirDLH646cWTdM1heDEFMnuPm84uW6mD0_cA7SXQ1HbSOIhZa1XO5Ax32YRY_Bux9TWYyEXCfNhTCE0ONxhH8ssUM/s599/Daily%20Sketch%20June%207%201913.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="498" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6WlF1_UbA4c5YhWVPiHKmEEhUXTzhpQ6IVuFJWi8oz7NFk7L_N6MuIn4H5yvQFWWUaqovpt4AvVVJek2GQ5v4X7kiUSHZc15CzRirDLH646cWTdM1heDEFMnuPm84uW6mD0_cA7SXQ1HbSOIhZa1XO5Ax32YRY_Bux9TWYyEXCfNhTCE0ONxhH8ssUM/w321-h386/Daily%20Sketch%20June%207%201913.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Daily Sketch</i>, 7 June 1913</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Like George V's Anmer, Flamingo was brought down by a woman stepping onto the racecourse, though this action had nothing to do with the Suffragette cause.</p><p>In an instant, Shiel is rendered nearly penniless. Because he hasn't the fortitude to face his spouse, he makes for the colonies, but doesn't escape before receiving a letter from Mona. Shiel's been carrying it, unopened, ever since.</p><p><i>The Right of Way </i>ranked amongst the ten bestselling novels in the United States in both 1901 and 1902. It was adapted once by Broadway and thrice by Hollywood.</p><p><i>You Never Know Your Luck</i> didn't make nearly so big a splash, though there was a 1919 Sunset Pictures production starring House Peters and Mildred Southwick. Alas, 'tis another lost silent film. Very lost. The only image I've found comes courtesy of this advert in the 16 December 1919 edition of the Beaver, Pennsylvania <i>Daily Times</i>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUD-75H6cSw0kWdYg-KMFtu-R-j-zTpF8zQ6Av4EwQgCJfD0DqBW4Cfh6usofJ14Lp59TMEf60-LZaUsQQd7g_S_I8zeVYMHn7lqSaUBBxRXOQV_xlhS3Orc8N_p2MmDN2fIBUEwK5Vsp128WirVdPS3Vn0LgcdYQFgrz8MvY0YXO5FG0gW-cqGfF5EVc/s900/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="717" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUD-75H6cSw0kWdYg-KMFtu-R-j-zTpF8zQ6Av4EwQgCJfD0DqBW4Cfh6usofJ14Lp59TMEf60-LZaUsQQd7g_S_I8zeVYMHn7lqSaUBBxRXOQV_xlhS3Orc8N_p2MmDN2fIBUEwK5Vsp128WirVdPS3Vn0LgcdYQFgrz8MvY0YXO5FG0gW-cqGfF5EVc/w330-h414/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.jpeg" width="330" /></a></div><p>The reason <i>The Right of Way</i> did so well and <i>You Never Know Your Luck</i> not falls on Shiel's shoulders. He is a matrimonial deserter; there's no getting around this, it's right there on the title page.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx5pAPJUA6NJZMCiNFn0nnAsWtrZFGbu5NSTq66SDjY7enL_5m-x7dWaNHuHcAndr4TDp-Z6P2hDD79_dzNUjNKcDh_I1Q2gX0a6jmDCoNdRz39GQTicCGqamhyphenhyphenbty2fNOq1fvkv5ps2So-FZnxANurq45x5MmOJ-KQ4RvHthrTsTHx6AyZTOHBW-19U/s449/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20title%20page%20bell%20and%20cockburn.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="268" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx5pAPJUA6NJZMCiNFn0nnAsWtrZFGbu5NSTq66SDjY7enL_5m-x7dWaNHuHcAndr4TDp-Z6P2hDD79_dzNUjNKcDh_I1Q2gX0a6jmDCoNdRz39GQTicCGqamhyphenhyphenbty2fNOq1fvkv5ps2So-FZnxANurq45x5MmOJ-KQ4RvHthrTsTHx6AyZTOHBW-19U/w271-h454/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20title%20page%20bell%20and%20cockburn.jpeg" width="271" /></a></div><br />The appealing, charismatic character we encounter in the novel's early pages is exposed on the stand. Though he's portrayed as having got the better of Burlingame when on the stand, he never managed to restore his reputation with this reader. And yet, Kitty's love endures, as does Mrs Tynan's. The novel's most interesting passage involves an awkward exchange in which daughter and mother reveal to one another that they are in love with the same man. Parker really pushes things when the deserted wife, still very much in love with her husband, arrives in Askatoon.<div><br /></div><div>It is in Shiel that the fault lies.<br /><br />Parker treads terrain that is similar to that of<i> The Right of Way</i>, but here his footing is nowhere near as sure. This time out, his hero is far too flawed.<br /><br />The poorly composed seven-page epilogue – too wordy, too flowery – concludes with the marriage of the novel's most likeable character. It is not a happy ending. There's uncertainty, some of which stems from the fact that the groom has a vice of his own. And the bride? Well, she's in love with another man.</div><div><br />It's in these last few pages that the novel redeems itself.<br /><p><b><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/susanna-moodies-bloomers_05.html" target="_blank">Bloomer</a></b>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo8n4pvobQmInsaU-nIXsbllyo492c2zI-ESQecJV-kWzkXUHFtX-AWcaau_MDT4esE1HuVWbZbFfOBWlIdER4sRzX0ajolcPWorFtrfKOrTiJa2Cut1Kx45A2TVxbrHYXV0xRXHSLiPLkHeGY4ALjUJzQOHOLmReZlWnGxaLBCtRLTRTyJ3OV5_Olhg/s770/Gilbert%20Parker%20-%20You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="770" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo8n4pvobQmInsaU-nIXsbllyo492c2zI-ESQecJV-kWzkXUHFtX-AWcaau_MDT4esE1HuVWbZbFfOBWlIdER4sRzX0ajolcPWorFtrfKOrTiJa2Cut1Kx45A2TVxbrHYXV0xRXHSLiPLkHeGY4ALjUJzQOHOLmReZlWnGxaLBCtRLTRTyJ3OV5_Olhg/s320/Gilbert%20Parker%20-%20You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object:</span></b> Purchased seven years ago for six dollars, far more than I usually pay for a Parker; but just look at the thing!</p><p>First, there's the dust jacket, which has somehow managed to survive these last 110 years. Next we have four colour plates and illustrated endpapers by William Leroy Jacobs.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JPGgQcX2qGQAYQA771nRNQk9ceohl9Zq28CRDnjJBCnB9W8NSUHWmsLrDZ19cOtXPG5jTRTj2qSgJw95oyi9mS9HNDwt27swmB1WYSOAA8U5Y1BRxv1PU9N8kLS1FoxjTl-Y_hueYJ7UXuRBuqKt_EjBZ5XZrV1C0pPt1zNaT8q6crDlpU18AAyfPmA/s545/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20endpapers%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="545" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JPGgQcX2qGQAYQA771nRNQk9ceohl9Zq28CRDnjJBCnB9W8NSUHWmsLrDZ19cOtXPG5jTRTj2qSgJw95oyi9mS9HNDwt27swmB1WYSOAA8U5Y1BRxv1PU9N8kLS1FoxjTl-Y_hueYJ7UXuRBuqKt_EjBZ5XZrV1C0pPt1zNaT8q6crDlpU18AAyfPmA/w380-h279/You%20Never%20Know%20Your%20Luck%20endpapers%202.jpeg" width="380" /></a></div><p><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Access: </b></span><i>You Never Know Your Luck</i> first appeared in the April 1914 edition of <i>Munsey. </i>Much was made of it at the time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iafsy004iJvCP9UOYvIoz9cSy5ag3a1sA7sfikllfW_nCgNOi11SROZEL5PKqD766l_Fr4jYDI41wKDPjzNvInr00FWagx3J9iW35RavBFyGhX4hU8rUqUD-TUu7f59aPqxKL3x8htBA1W5nAIuL5j6DiCJpjHkpd7EhLnRcaFzGETEtYeRn8ioNutw/s600/Munsey%20April%201914.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="417" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9iafsy004iJvCP9UOYvIoz9cSy5ag3a1sA7sfikllfW_nCgNOi11SROZEL5PKqD766l_Fr4jYDI41wKDPjzNvInr00FWagx3J9iW35RavBFyGhX4hU8rUqUD-TUu7f59aPqxKL3x8htBA1W5nAIuL5j6DiCJpjHkpd7EhLnRcaFzGETEtYeRn8ioNutw/w261-h375/Munsey%20April%201914.jpeg" width="261" /></a></i></div><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Munsey</i> provides nineteen illustrations, the first depicting Kitty Tynan:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhaWffvkIujQtndQnle8OlgD-tHhOfMkjPdNJVvyNkbwRQz4SUxJw_zVvHp0k3u4oPpueggWYsfm79UoSf4PxTEE12CFVg-MI1I-Vx0hKmSWYXMao6rzUO2E-y__zDg1sy8IayzzBoowtkkVmUR7VOckn22_1Z4-MXslhnjvAylqmAe62f_Aqdg8L6LA/s600/Kitty%20Tynan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhaWffvkIujQtndQnle8OlgD-tHhOfMkjPdNJVvyNkbwRQz4SUxJw_zVvHp0k3u4oPpueggWYsfm79UoSf4PxTEE12CFVg-MI1I-Vx0hKmSWYXMao6rzUO2E-y__zDg1sy8IayzzBoowtkkVmUR7VOckn22_1Z4-MXslhnjvAylqmAe62f_Aqdg8L6LA/w208-h400/Kitty%20Tynan.png" width="208" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">My Bell & Cockburn edition is the Canadian first. Torontonian George H. Doran published the American first. Online seller <span style="text-align: center;">Babylon Revisited Rare Books, whom I've dealt with in the past <span style="text-align: left;">–</span> and so, can recommend <span style="text-align: left;">–</span> has the two best copies on offer. Both Doran firsts in uncommon dust jackets, they're going for US$85.00 and US$125.00. Condition is a factor. The only Bell & Cockburn edition is offered by a Manitoba bookseller. At US$6.00, it is also the least expensive. </span></p><p><i></i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank">Born Again Infidel</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-6371728872025637342024-01-08T06:30:00.287-05:002024-01-09T22:08:26.258-05:00Canadian Notes & Queries at 114, Véhicule Press at 50, and a Few Favourite Forthcoming Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr7ZgpN3aVSoRE7xXeG9oau6xaETrewlmjMycbVx7rZXHZjrjAoj_hCpuCnO89WV_UoYVDubJS4hIDv0IxnpmHyvz5ewNT-DvVLXUmFAPJ1VYRd0ZoDoJIbyK3uX-c88DSCKUrc6U3kCk6rv38cohfOqQfMydomL1khjhToa1Gg4afCMW3EZVkDuCo4E/s600/CNQ%20114%20Bibliophile.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="598" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKr7ZgpN3aVSoRE7xXeG9oau6xaETrewlmjMycbVx7rZXHZjrjAoj_hCpuCnO89WV_UoYVDubJS4hIDv0IxnpmHyvz5ewNT-DvVLXUmFAPJ1VYRd0ZoDoJIbyK3uX-c88DSCKUrc6U3kCk6rv38cohfOqQfMydomL1khjhToa1Gg4afCMW3EZVkDuCo4E/w383-h384/CNQ%20114%20Bibliophile.jpeg" width="383" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few days into the year and already a new issue of <i>Canadian Notes & Queries</i>. This one – <i>number 114!</i> – features writing by:</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">Noelle Allen</div><div style="text-align: center;">Tamara Faith Berger</div><div style="text-align: center;">Brian Bethune</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mark Bourrie</div><div style="text-align: center;">Randy Boyagoda</div><div style="text-align: center;">Kate Cayley</div><div style="text-align: center;">Steacy Easton</div><div style="text-align: center;">Alex Good</div><div style="text-align: center;">Brett Josef Grubisic</div><div style="text-align: center;">Canista Lubrin</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ian McGillis</div><div style="text-align: center;">Emily Mernin</div><div style="text-align: center;">John Metcalf</div><div style="text-align: center;">Vanessa Stauffer</div></blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">As always, the cover is by Seth.</div><br />I contribute 'Véhicule Press at Fifty,' an interview with publishers Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli. Together we discuss the history and future of the press through ten key titles, beginning with the very first: Bob McGee's <i>Three Sonnets & Fast Drawings</i>. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzE5tOvnKjK_AZwgCa-Xs-PdaHp0Fn9VPcYM6CM6jjPeqGJi9SmqqfbPJuOusQcICx_7nRAcbAltoelbOdyHUd6_0vKGhWnf8Ag-9dFZTRES30Ws6bn0jKVtWsp2o9Gn1iU0UAGWXk5fIoiM0wpB06BHRtKXFdxYxq5CmOlAy7pFT2qtCeO8SzvXX6QQ/s875/CNQ%20114%20Vehicule%20Press.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="875" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzE5tOvnKjK_AZwgCa-Xs-PdaHp0Fn9VPcYM6CM6jjPeqGJi9SmqqfbPJuOusQcICx_7nRAcbAltoelbOdyHUd6_0vKGhWnf8Ag-9dFZTRES30Ws6bn0jKVtWsp2o9Gn1iU0UAGWXk5fIoiM0wpB06BHRtKXFdxYxq5CmOlAy7pFT2qtCeO8SzvXX6QQ/w374-h256/CNQ%20114%20Vehicule%20Press.jpeg" width="374" /></a></div><p>Subscribers also receive the latest issue – <i>number 5!</i> –of <i>The Bibliophile</i>. Just look at the goodness it offers:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbzusIZomVMOkHpE-YLSFiAePcHdxUub-bEf3e0gGqFW50O-GNeHAx1-GcxcYa8MpXigkZX6V4oHbfLnCDWiUT39QRS7qkq7lfXhqK77fiYWBtPvrKeF9XAIshBU_-8xAlikKANUvP4VqLXPZqnpsP-UxRmZ0xYp2_1KHTwkAwev4srTy5p5M0Z9uf9M/s900/Bibliophile%205.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="476" height="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbzusIZomVMOkHpE-YLSFiAePcHdxUub-bEf3e0gGqFW50O-GNeHAx1-GcxcYa8MpXigkZX6V4oHbfLnCDWiUT39QRS7qkq7lfXhqK77fiYWBtPvrKeF9XAIshBU_-8xAlikKANUvP4VqLXPZqnpsP-UxRmZ0xYp2_1KHTwkAwev4srTy5p5M0Z9uf9M/w262-h497/Bibliophile%205.jpeg" width="262" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>So, why not subscribe!<br /><br />Here's <a href="https://www.notesandqueries.ca/number-114/" target="_blank">the link</a>.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-84121405498331768472024-01-02T06:30:00.004-05:002024-01-02T07:58:29.118-05:00Acadian Driftwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJstrgoh5LkdQQhw8Ksu4Rs8p5hSSO_LCJyRpfyo9Y6akDB8jT3nxipapDg-Ulq9oGcjfCmJzdzva7_7vKbBMJRh2LEyG4uA2bKO9A0k9x8YtiCNstDo2uMjDowNUWHv40AtMDLiT1WdKSy2hWslBVlBc7maVTut0c9DkC50-M5ppUtaykgP1N_BW_Ck/s600/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="408" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJstrgoh5LkdQQhw8Ksu4Rs8p5hSSO_LCJyRpfyo9Y6akDB8jT3nxipapDg-Ulq9oGcjfCmJzdzva7_7vKbBMJRh2LEyG4uA2bKO9A0k9x8YtiCNstDo2uMjDowNUWHv40AtMDLiT1WdKSy2hWslBVlBc7maVTut0c9DkC50-M5ppUtaykgP1N_BW_Ck/w356-h521/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%202.jpeg" width="356" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>The Lily and the Cross: A Tale of Acadia</i><br /></b><b>Prof. James de Mille<br /></b><b>Boston: Lee & Shepard, 1875<br /></b><b>264 pages</b></span></div><p>Like de Mille's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/01/james-de-milles-antarctic-death-cult.html" target="_blank">A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder</a></i>, reviewed here last January, <i>The Lily and the Cross</i> opens with a vessel adrift on a calm sea. The <i>Rev. Amos Adams (</i>known affectionately as the "Parson") is a New England schooner belonging to Zion Awake Cox (known affectionally as "Zac"). It has been chartered by his friend Claude Motier to voyage from Boston to Louisbourg. Père Michel, a newly-met Catholic priest, is along for the ride. Because the year is 1743, Zac is understandably anxious, considering the French as his natural enemies. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>"O, there’s no danger,” said Claude, cheerily. There’s peace now, you know — as yet.”<br /> Zac shook his head.<br /> "No,” said he, “ that ain’t so. There ain’t never
real peace out here. There’s on’y a kin’ o’ partial
peace in the old country. Out here, we fight, an’
we’ve got to go on fightin’, till one or the other goes
down. An’ as to peace, ’tain’t goin’ to last long, even
in the old country, ’cordin’ to all accounts. There’s
fightin’ already off in Germany, or somewhars, they
say.”
</blockquote></div><p>The plan had been to make quick, deposit Claude and Père Michel onshore not too far from Louisbourg, then hightail it back to New England. But the wind stopped blowing and a dense fog had moved in, making Zac all the more antsy. Who knows what's out there?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZj87M59iMykWzr8lOtJEkv362yzDigOgor7Rph4xK-Wa65EnvOu49J4viXD2oQtujYX8mv-ubfJfMojEa5tpxKWdRFsAQkSzYQ0zLrUU674hAV7D_HSU5E5-cmYMp-SwSJ3-5hbPd3dBlq_VUdVrPDx4umLdcpCGWOoKqzfiyP-ZOipRHy11TjoKuy4/s778/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20-%20James%20de%20Mille.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="778" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZj87M59iMykWzr8lOtJEkv362yzDigOgor7Rph4xK-Wa65EnvOu49J4viXD2oQtujYX8mv-ubfJfMojEa5tpxKWdRFsAQkSzYQ0zLrUU674hAV7D_HSU5E5-cmYMp-SwSJ3-5hbPd3dBlq_VUdVrPDx4umLdcpCGWOoKqzfiyP-ZOipRHy11TjoKuy4/w379-h293/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20-%20James%20de%20Mille.jpeg" width="379" /></a></div><br /><p>What's out there is a small portion of either a round-house or poop deck – de Mille is only so specific – upon which seven survivors of the shipwrecked French frigate <i>Arathuse </i>stand, sit, and kneel. As three of the seven belong to the French aristocracy, it can't be said that the group is representative of their home country. There's the Comte de Laborde, who isn't much more than a ghost. The sensitive reader will give the author a pass as the character is close to death. Laborde's gorgeous daughter Mimi is far stronger; from the moment of her introduction, we know that she will play a key role in what is to transpire. The other count, the Comte de Cazeneau, just happens to be new governor of Louisbourg. One would think he would be forever in gratitude to his rescuers, but Claude, Zac, and the crew of the "Parson" soon find themselves in imprisoned.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpfcxaf6yt4LWu2gEaxsTMb-_QjaRJXasWWSzGAt6O85rCuy1tfyAuHKemuo968a6gmGM38bIB4vpxmIGBwLf4s4SX8HdPqg1Qu02K0Ts_WkXhgNnQ4HfXhusMwHpHTRaNfmnTgo2SAUQ9e4UM9P8wJBg3GRV0vzQ33mfX3kYOBhSDD42y_IzXy7kl6I/s777/Lily%20and%20the%20cross%20James%20de%20Mille.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="777" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpfcxaf6yt4LWu2gEaxsTMb-_QjaRJXasWWSzGAt6O85rCuy1tfyAuHKemuo968a6gmGM38bIB4vpxmIGBwLf4s4SX8HdPqg1Qu02K0Ts_WkXhgNnQ4HfXhusMwHpHTRaNfmnTgo2SAUQ9e4UM9P8wJBg3GRV0vzQ33mfX3kYOBhSDD42y_IzXy7kl6I/w383-h295/Lily%20and%20the%20cross%20James%20de%20Mille.jpeg" width="383" /></a></div><p>Might the incarcerations have something to do with the comte having eavesdropped on an intimate conversation between Claude and the gorgeous Mimi; the<i> tête-à-tête</i> in which he shared his recent discovery that Jean Motier was not his real father, rather the Comte de Montressor?<br /><br />Describing<i> The Lily and the Cross</i> in further detail would invite spoilers, but not confusion. The web is tangled, but not so much that the reader cannot foresee the directions and intersections of every thread.<br /><br />This is not a criticism.<br /><br />De Mille deserves credit for his ability to keep things straight. <i>The Lily and the Cross</i> is one of those historical novels in which nearly all primary and secondary characters are connected by backstory, spoon-fed over the course of its twenty-six chapters.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb6S8XhzycVFmpc6e0hWA1RZ6Lf8Cku4F6S7WHlo6ysdcC-HGZ3FD-MGC6qiY3jOHr1Kz2guhGXB5kvUQcqHLcvGm4S8XHasKd3bfPk4DGMsvS7WeTZnFmmAs1riPtT-PR4W5gHBweNjz-fa0zsT1FzKPxK3-OdBSai3jdP-j3Ob7eOfCfkIeVNb8OHI/s600/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="385" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb6S8XhzycVFmpc6e0hWA1RZ6Lf8Cku4F6S7WHlo6ysdcC-HGZ3FD-MGC6qiY3jOHr1Kz2guhGXB5kvUQcqHLcvGm4S8XHasKd3bfPk4DGMsvS7WeTZnFmmAs1riPtT-PR4W5gHBweNjz-fa0zsT1FzKPxK3-OdBSai3jdP-j3Ob7eOfCfkIeVNb8OHI/w289-h452/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross.png" width="289" /></a></div><p>The Comte de Laborde and the Comte de Montressor were close friends until they became romantic rivals vying for the hand of the same woman. That woman would become the Comtesse de Montressor, who would in turn give birth to the young man introduced to the reader as Claude Motier. She and her husband fled France for New France, victims of a conspiracy orchestrated by the Comte de Cazeneau, but known to the Comte de Laborde. The latter did nothing to expose the malfeasance, not even after the villain Cazeneau seized Montressor's property for himself. Shortly after the ruined couple's arrival in Quebec, the Comtesse de Montressor died. Her grief-stricken husband wandered off into the wilderness, never to be heard from again. It is presumed he died. The Comte de Laborde's purpose in crossing to the New World had to do with finding the son of the Comte and Comtesse de Montressor so as to make amends. I'll add that the commandant of Louisbourg is an old acquaintance of the Comte de Montressor. As for Père Michel, <i>père</i> is enough to break that code.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbr0NSgSrTLfwFBkG5QQpaU3fRUebYTNSVP_kfgM5nXWl7zlH2y42uUUxLiysD0SUJb8diWgbHnF7WnPuU9H0LsLj0oo7HUK29IoRB0jHPBl0_ouUtTZFdBUET9c3qBN5qiPKVzBEjmw8Iru-av0AAJvAMlmhz9yB1MloU4Kd5YnqWFHe_0cBU1bF-YU/s768/James%20de%20Mille%20Lily%20and%20the%20Cross.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="768" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbr0NSgSrTLfwFBkG5QQpaU3fRUebYTNSVP_kfgM5nXWl7zlH2y42uUUxLiysD0SUJb8diWgbHnF7WnPuU9H0LsLj0oo7HUK29IoRB0jHPBl0_ouUtTZFdBUET9c3qBN5qiPKVzBEjmw8Iru-av0AAJvAMlmhz9yB1MloU4Kd5YnqWFHe_0cBU1bF-YU/w384-h301/James%20de%20Mille%20Lily%20and%20the%20Cross.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><p>C'mon, you knew. You can't say that was a spoiler.<br /><br /><i>The Lily and the Cross </i>is interesting enough, but nowhere near so much as <i>A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder</i>, the novel for which de Mille is best remembered. As a historical romance it is somewhat unusual in that its hero, Claude, is so often reliant on others, namely Zac and Père Michel. At the novel's climax, his execution is thwarted and his freedom gained through the chance arrival of a ship from France.<br /><br />Okay, that was a spoiler.<br /><br />At the end of the novel's 246 pages, what strikes most about <i>The Lily and the Cross</i> is de Mille's pandering to the American market. Its subtitle, <i>A Tale of Acadia</i>, echoing Longfellow's <i>Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie</i> (1847), is the least of it. Throughout the novel, France is invariably described as corrupt (which it was), while New England is depicted as pure (which it was not). Old England receives no mention and is therefore spared judgement.</p><p>Claude had hired Zac's schooner in an effort reconnect with his French heritage and return to the country of his mother and father, but in the final pages Père Michel, his surviving parent, advises against it (emphasis mine):</p><p></p><blockquote>"What can France give you
that can be equal to what you have in New England?
She can give you simply honors, but with these the
deadly poison of her own corruption, and a future full
of awful peril. But in New England you have a virgin
country. <i>There all men are free.</i> There you have
no nobility. There are no down-trodden peasants,
but free farmers. <i>Every man has his own rights, and
knows how to maintain them.</i> You have been brought
up to be the free citizen of a free country. Enough.
<i>Why wish to be a noble in a nation of slaves?</i> Take
your name of Montresor, if you wish. It is yours now,
and free from stain. Remember, also, if you wish, the
glory of your ancestors, and let that memory inspire
you to noble actions. But remain in New England,
and cast in your lot with the citizens of your own free,
adopted land.”</blockquote><p><span>Cut to the </span><i>Rev. Amos Adams</i> – the Parson – on which we find Jericho, very much a minor character:</p><blockquote>He was a slave of Zac’s, but,
like many domestic slaves in those days, he seemed to
regard himself as part of his master’s family, — in fact,
a sort of respected relative. He rejoiced in the name
of Jericho, which was often shortened to Jerry, though
the aged African considered the shorter name as a
species of familiarity which was only to be tolerated
on the part of his master. </blockquote><p></p><p>Would he? Would Jericho have regarded himself as part of the family? His master's family? Zac isn't shown to have a family, and does not treat Jericho as a brother.<br /><br />I will say this for Zac. He was right about the fighting in Germany.</p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and Access:</span></b> The novel first appeared in <i>Oliver Optic's Magazine</i> (January-June 1874), a Lee & Shepard publication.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEZUmJTKIGHGIjTv_l6zM0H03mgzjvzBUdrPmKBzbt8_wqG0XKq4sGLDt-o4riGE2r1mo-yF1S_s9oCaYLjeINY45SpuyVz6db4Zj73Th77-ayjynFL1X-6xoOLC3vxKt7uD8EG7qoKQnyZjwkvJ5LuVNM9aHy-OhLLodX_CaDoE6-cpfbw4aIfOeXwc/s776/Oliver%20Optic's%20Magazine.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="776" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEZUmJTKIGHGIjTv_l6zM0H03mgzjvzBUdrPmKBzbt8_wqG0XKq4sGLDt-o4riGE2r1mo-yF1S_s9oCaYLjeINY45SpuyVz6db4Zj73Th77-ayjynFL1X-6xoOLC3vxKt7uD8EG7qoKQnyZjwkvJ5LuVNM9aHy-OhLLodX_CaDoE6-cpfbw4aIfOeXwc/w328-h127/Oliver%20Optic's%20Magazine.png" width="328" /></a></div><p>Is my copy a second printing? A third? I ask because I've seen some bound in green boards. Mine features six illustrations credited to John Andrews & Son, a Boston firm that produced work for Lee & Shepard.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0wC6j0W3aedIbdzk3atAcfbIIKDN62egoZ9fJfwTt5EoD-SHwSGJRsjBN0DI5Lm3dkwNVdAPUjCoT8kJTQWlnvMqQzI1CZpuG8APcpfYdC9BweEbl9ODABaWBMxeu412jVSoRGgB1cE7qbRIlkmFiEO9jVKltVmOdodyG9wGsoiKxkCidgD5gMlSrrY/s600/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20Green.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="366" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0wC6j0W3aedIbdzk3atAcfbIIKDN62egoZ9fJfwTt5EoD-SHwSGJRsjBN0DI5Lm3dkwNVdAPUjCoT8kJTQWlnvMqQzI1CZpuG8APcpfYdC9BweEbl9ODABaWBMxeu412jVSoRGgB1cE7qbRIlkmFiEO9jVKltVmOdodyG9wGsoiKxkCidgD5gMlSrrY/w228-h374/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20Green.png" width="228" /></a></div><p>As far as I can determine, the novel enjoyed two further editions in the nineteenth century before falling out of print. It was revived in the twenty-first century – 2010 to be precise – as a Formac Fiction Treasures title. It benefits from an introduction by Michael Peterman. Copies can be purchased through <a href="https://formaclorimerbooks.ca/product/the-lily-and-the-cross/" target="_blank">this link</a>. At $16.95, they're a steal.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28oCVd5RbcM1Kd-TYzJarZQblT7P8tPcyFxmOoxrNIwzlRNOx3-2KRC0t1XqE91cwWYnNrZwLqsgIhEEP61np6PndGzynGr2Th7pTRmKbFJrDR6HKGJrpbwGi8jROH4sPocTZ4TI3FzsSAPpiLJQTT2m8ihzc42A7orBGG4k66_kzvsD0-WBkq0x7aGE/s600/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20Formac%20Treasures.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="408" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28oCVd5RbcM1Kd-TYzJarZQblT7P8tPcyFxmOoxrNIwzlRNOx3-2KRC0t1XqE91cwWYnNrZwLqsgIhEEP61np6PndGzynGr2Th7pTRmKbFJrDR6HKGJrpbwGi8jROH4sPocTZ4TI3FzsSAPpiLJQTT2m8ihzc42A7orBGG4k66_kzvsD0-WBkq0x7aGE/w227-h333/Lily%20and%20the%20Cross%20Formac%20Treasures.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />The edition I own can be read online <a href="https://archive.org/details/lilycrosstaleofa00demi_0/mode/2up" target="_blank">here</a> courtesy of the Internet Archive. I much prefer the green.<br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/01/james-de-milles-antarctic-death-cult.html" target="_blank">James de Mille's Antarctic Death Cult</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/04/a-very-acadian-scandal.html" target="_blank">A Very Acadian Scandal</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-81512752778967698612024-01-01T00:00:00.177-05:002024-01-01T06:49:51.897-05:00Start the Year with Stringer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO-PQcUxfvDBAChlT__GjQv-3PN24KIt89s1Yp079FvN35shRPm8xUDV4WxYI4-wVCZIkKUF1zqMZ_T5u6pVG-9a90lDK53V3OQ_r9rIX8Gy6Sve2XGXSNWIPm6begH2GplDbXEA8uwgbLzHv7xk7z2pCPEQafFl072CiCAnFKfrxvwrUyebLbbR9Zuo/s900/Maclean's%201%20January%201924.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="663" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO-PQcUxfvDBAChlT__GjQv-3PN24KIt89s1Yp079FvN35shRPm8xUDV4WxYI4-wVCZIkKUF1zqMZ_T5u6pVG-9a90lDK53V3OQ_r9rIX8Gy6Sve2XGXSNWIPm6begH2GplDbXEA8uwgbLzHv7xk7z2pCPEQafFl072CiCAnFKfrxvwrUyebLbbR9Zuo/w319-h432/Maclean's%201%20January%201924.png" width="319" /></a></div><p>The 1924 New Year's edition of <i>Maclean's</i>. What is suggested? A year of excitement? Terror? Is there not something disturbing in this child's expression? That is a child, right? </p><p>The issue's lead article, 'Saying "Success" With Flowers,' concerns T.W. Duggan, who "took hold of a bankrupt business — and made it worth half a million." The very thing one would expect in a periodical founded as <i>The Business Magazine</i>. After that comes fiction by Henry Holt, W. Michael Edwards, Stanley J. Weyman, and Canada's own Norma Phillips Muir. I was much more interested in this tempting advert. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mF0iwp-q067hqBASl6PGIw12PyLFZOPpdun2stxl47MLBsys9HuosG7BDECiu-Z0Gx0atHAJVEtTajPikqYYIJVPffyqoFqtAsS829SEwCmqZSHdSL3kciiHZuCHxCX9a294BQ7PlH4g0KqJEzDOTLDiydgKsXx7lMYTnCEoyCokoSrZ2unOivdFgoE/s1200/Arthur%20Stringer%20ad.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="919" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mF0iwp-q067hqBASl6PGIw12PyLFZOPpdun2stxl47MLBsys9HuosG7BDECiu-Z0Gx0atHAJVEtTajPikqYYIJVPffyqoFqtAsS829SEwCmqZSHdSL3kciiHZuCHxCX9a294BQ7PlH4g0KqJEzDOTLDiydgKsXx7lMYTnCEoyCokoSrZ2unOivdFgoE/w313-h409/Arthur%20Stringer%20ad.jpeg" width="313" /></a></div><p>I was reminded again of how much I enjoyed Arthur Stringer's 1915 novel <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/go-west-young-woman.html" target="_blank"><i>The Prairie Wife</i></a>, which I read last February. And it makes me think of giving the author another go this year. I don't know about <i>The Wire Tappers</i>, <i>Phantom Wires</i>, and <i>The Gun Runners</i> – I've never been much for Stringer's adventure novels – but maybe something else. After all these years, I still haven't read <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/04/did-arthur-stringer-incite-bolshevists.html" target="_blank">The City of Peril</a></i>. As a title, <i>Are All Men Alike</i> intrigues, in part because it lacks a question mark.</p><p>Rhetorical?<br /><br /><i>Wishing everyone a year of good books and fine reads!</i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/go-west-young-woman.html" target="_blank">Go West, Young Woman</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/04/did-arthur-stringer-incite-bolshevists.html" target="_blank">Did Arthur Stringer Incite the Bolshevists to Blow Up Wall Street?</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/04/did-arthur-stringer-incite-bolshevists.html" target="_blank"><i>Maclean's</i> Dares Ask the Question!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-29517364230695165662023-12-26T06:30:00.935-05:002023-12-26T07:10:17.687-05:00The Best Reads of 2023: Publishers Take Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWP3lQyRGKwq9MQFZM6nGpIW_8Nbjgr_VAC9Zoi1Y5s-UEOUlSsqeAF9SqG27E1rpt4IZ5tuWf_fFNO_N38ABbCYwCmPV6Niq_RKs3pS2RDlssGNXAws4NofdP5savID8rshyphenhyphenPXxkKZ_UgjR11DaAjd6FwYXNN46bEAdlH6zFIZNUIidruJoR16WWiF4/s1484/Best%20Books%20of%202023.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="660" height="802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWP3lQyRGKwq9MQFZM6nGpIW_8Nbjgr_VAC9Zoi1Y5s-UEOUlSsqeAF9SqG27E1rpt4IZ5tuWf_fFNO_N38ABbCYwCmPV6Niq_RKs3pS2RDlssGNXAws4NofdP5savID8rshyphenhyphenPXxkKZ_UgjR11DaAjd6FwYXNN46bEAdlH6zFIZNUIidruJoR16WWiF4/w356-h802/Best%20Books%20of%202023.jpeg" width="356" /></a></div><p></p><p>The season brings a flurry of activity, which explains why I haven't posted one review this month. Still, I did manage to tackle twenty-four neglected Canadian books in 2023, which isn't so small a number. James de Mille's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/01/james-de-milles-antarctic-death-cult.html" target="_blank">A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder</a> </i>(1888) was the oldest. Were I judging books by covers it would've been considered the finest. James Moffatt's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/james-moffatt-wins-race.html" target="_blank">The Marathon Murder</a></i> (1972) was the youngest and ugliest. But then, what can one expect of a book that went from proposal to printing press in under seven days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgLtXuD68NMrxPs1x8ZM5sBiqzCCwRIjonLEU5uaPFKH6AdPM8SMQ-gOyNR82jhzWSxGmrPK_nQL0DAcsKT9XSf0odTNYwuVNwYjivwqX1fp2ZDCks9ZJLSRz7zI11FxczptDVNkV2bEk0fFbnRfw-SrS4sVLXpH2IJspcMXYcicXGTSc8Ntq-tKmmtw/s788/James%20Moffatt.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="788" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgLtXuD68NMrxPs1x8ZM5sBiqzCCwRIjonLEU5uaPFKH6AdPM8SMQ-gOyNR82jhzWSxGmrPK_nQL0DAcsKT9XSf0odTNYwuVNwYjivwqX1fp2ZDCks9ZJLSRz7zI11FxczptDVNkV2bEk0fFbnRfw-SrS4sVLXpH2IJspcMXYcicXGTSc8Ntq-tKmmtw/s320/James%20Moffatt.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>De Mille's dystopian nightmare is <a href="https://www.mqup.ca/strange-manuscript-found-in-a-copper-cylinder--a-products-9780773521674.php?page_id=73&" target="_blank">available from McGill-Queen's University Press</a> as the third volume in the Centre for Editing Early Canadian Texts series. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Je1Ey9vyJ8Yz0C0JzG0oiMeKJGFCIuEXsyvhl_lOJ27RHmMD8G5pyPzCLRxI48p0EkSHcF2CznqTa28xSvhbL4uKkE3bn57sOYDQRmAReizibqnnAk36NEWjFAjrFFPaCdVtE5T53xAyMprS4x_Lr0Dm5xLD33cbEq8QBa4dKwEJbfCfHD32mkKT8_4/s529/A%20Strange%20Manuscript%20de%20Mille.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="529" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Je1Ey9vyJ8Yz0C0JzG0oiMeKJGFCIuEXsyvhl_lOJ27RHmMD8G5pyPzCLRxI48p0EkSHcF2CznqTa28xSvhbL4uKkE3bn57sOYDQRmAReizibqnnAk36NEWjFAjrFFPaCdVtE5T53xAyMprS4x_Lr0Dm5xLD33cbEq8QBa4dKwEJbfCfHD32mkKT8_4/w346-h262/A%20Strange%20Manuscript%20de%20Mille.png" width="346" /></a></div><p>I first read the novel back when it was a McClelland & Stewart New Canadian Library mainstay. New Canadian Library is no more; it was killed by Penguin Random House Canada. McClelland & Stewart – <i>"The Canadian Publisher"</i> – has been reduced to an imprint owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, but that hasn't prevented the German conglomerate from trying to make a buck – two bucks to be precise – selling it as an ebook.</p><p><i>Dystopia.<br /></i><br />Three other books covered here this year are also in print, but from American publishers:<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6efiSW_pbYJhLmffop-dFFpmNL8RTewZUyhYI1kJlwdeLiohqfCvbLlBdRXhc9_LmQaiW4Z20eav0wRaxpRMQjurflfGYCaUcl_EwBk0oj7i3TIR6kO_FEXaFNGkOPrVHD8UwpanpGHzjNgQu77zrZdKU638Wle7tyOtSoiVfCPbtA0BecIEWjbxzwLI/s554/Margaret%20Millar%20Weeak-Eyed%20Bat.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="554" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6efiSW_pbYJhLmffop-dFFpmNL8RTewZUyhYI1kJlwdeLiohqfCvbLlBdRXhc9_LmQaiW4Z20eav0wRaxpRMQjurflfGYCaUcl_EwBk0oj7i3TIR6kO_FEXaFNGkOPrVHD8UwpanpGHzjNgQu77zrZdKU638Wle7tyOtSoiVfCPbtA0BecIEWjbxzwLI/s320/Margaret%20Millar%20Weeak-Eyed%20Bat.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/01/margaret-millars-muskoka-murder-mystery.html" target="_blank">The Weak-Eyed Bat</a></i> - Margaret Millar<br />New York: Doubleday, 1942<br />New York: Syndicate, 2017<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZslFc-FlDALmHHTIye68Jxnd8EkOHeAWr4XHXgxqt-pt5rNMcMdUOtyjVqgF0YVr_AFdA49L7PErnlWV9q59TkhBQdz9Y9paINXm1brhwvUHnAnK1iYLD5Evda688D7ATZ-kSU1KX6XInAESV1eyo1FAPsyM_GsbykIMJiiw0GPG-pbCnzyPFg4xJQno/s540/Margaret%20Millar%20Cannibal%20Heart.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="540" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZslFc-FlDALmHHTIye68Jxnd8EkOHeAWr4XHXgxqt-pt5rNMcMdUOtyjVqgF0YVr_AFdA49L7PErnlWV9q59TkhBQdz9Y9paINXm1brhwvUHnAnK1iYLD5Evda688D7ATZ-kSU1KX6XInAESV1eyo1FAPsyM_GsbykIMJiiw0GPG-pbCnzyPFg4xJQno/s320/Margaret%20Millar%20Cannibal%20Heart.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-woman-cheated.html" target="_blank">The Cannibal Heart</a></i> - Margaret Millar<br />New York: Random House, 1949<br />New York: Syndicate, 2017</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05v1oy4FhRYuhJr-5_lHskmHLn7hJk1dKpupawhlri2J5bDaNrTmvwbj4cfYvuxe3yJZZ2fAzcsfWslWOFlbOPxTmTNAF8V86umnBpn2O2eI-GeU9AdPo25uCY7Wj-tHnfxIieZeZK_haAPylFogPMe31dOtISYt0NqCSs2swU_Nc-ZtQwLMo710MIC8/s515/The%20Heart%20of%20Hyacinth.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="515" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05v1oy4FhRYuhJr-5_lHskmHLn7hJk1dKpupawhlri2J5bDaNrTmvwbj4cfYvuxe3yJZZ2fAzcsfWslWOFlbOPxTmTNAF8V86umnBpn2O2eI-GeU9AdPo25uCY7Wj-tHnfxIieZeZK_haAPylFogPMe31dOtISYt0NqCSs2swU_Nc-ZtQwLMo710MIC8/s320/The%20Heart%20of%20Hyacinth.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/by-any-other-name-onato-watannas.html" target="_blank">The Heart of Hyacinth</a></i> - Onoto Watanna [Winnifred Eaton]<br />New York: Harper, 1903<br />Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2000</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I'm wrong, <i>The Heart of Hyacinth </i>is by far the best-looking book read this year; it was also the very best novel I read this year.<br /><br />Note to Canadian publishers: Winnifred Eaton's novels are all in the public domain. <br /><br /></div>What follows is the annual list of the three books most deserving of revival: <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUFinvqvwP1qrnGY0zpVJkfaWF1OAMgBsO_bKUB-MqlbF851w4rA2IbvH83xnW2jIQcBySa8ntGiaiJy_33veqGe6dK03bA4-Fr6ZCW14-BGTf7iRO5p9PTvApDmFLFw_f40r2q7hOP5X8z74uXPLUTT0gV7ngNqEWLVhTKglNGJrGkjln6k64r5WIYI/s289/Pagan%20Love.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="190" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUFinvqvwP1qrnGY0zpVJkfaWF1OAMgBsO_bKUB-MqlbF851w4rA2IbvH83xnW2jIQcBySa8ntGiaiJy_33veqGe6dK03bA4-Fr6ZCW14-BGTf7iRO5p9PTvApDmFLFw_f40r2q7hOP5X8z74uXPLUTT0gV7ngNqEWLVhTKglNGJrGkjln6k64r5WIYI/s1600/Pagan%20Love.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/09/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-self.html" target="_blank">Pagan Love</a></i><br />John Murray Gibbon<br />Toronto: McClelland &</b><div><b> Stewart, 1922</b><br /><br />A novel penned by a man who spent his working life writing copy for the CPR, <i>Pagan Love</i> provides a cynical look at public relations and the self-help industry. Add to these its century-old take on gender bending and you have a work unlike any other.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfk1NLembs3_oFlkwRS72bldh-Suok0Qz6DkFiAd9QPLMdB-JjRdAXKJ6RcpDKtIDFJ9iGS5QVJdLZiD1nEE-bd8CWXMLfK8a_8Z7VnT5YKhtCC3BPWq4uqL57AOs_4jy-VpyxoKaDxsOdH_h6Tx05FEpwlEdXw9msw6V0u_iBA3kMLcx8JoVCb75q9A/s295/Dove%20Cottage%20-%20Jan%20Hilliard%20jacketpeg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="190" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfk1NLembs3_oFlkwRS72bldh-Suok0Qz6DkFiAd9QPLMdB-JjRdAXKJ6RcpDKtIDFJ9iGS5QVJdLZiD1nEE-bd8CWXMLfK8a_8Z7VnT5YKhtCC3BPWq4uqL57AOs_4jy-VpyxoKaDxsOdH_h6Tx05FEpwlEdXw9msw6V0u_iBA3kMLcx8JoVCb75q9A/s1600/Dove%20Cottage%20-%20Jan%20Hilliard%20jacketpeg.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-crooked-cousin-in-cunning-cottage.html" target="_blank">Dove Cottage</a></i><br />Jan Hilliard [Hilda Kay</b><div><b> Grant]<br />London: Abelard-Schulman,</b></div><div><b> 1958 </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The fourth of the author's six novels, this once centres on a man, his wife, and his mother-in-law, whose lives are elevated by way of an inheritance. Black humour abounds!<br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vp9qP5V9IzkHnBlIqBkdFNwwBB1BJKHjmvBF0ElSXRZkJD4NNaqLlY5WYzrfwHDSAkXENXTw6opLTPGiVJUGONbcTbIPoq_OVEAoo6ywp3HFQfkVEvrZfLkD1KplWlGAO4PjynL1PW-GXkSqaevmuAgftiIwXjTJxZCcjxLFXV5z9Ckwl-CbLMF1mCU/s357/The%20Prairie%20Wife%20Hodder.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="219" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vp9qP5V9IzkHnBlIqBkdFNwwBB1BJKHjmvBF0ElSXRZkJD4NNaqLlY5WYzrfwHDSAkXENXTw6opLTPGiVJUGONbcTbIPoq_OVEAoo6ywp3HFQfkVEvrZfLkD1KplWlGAO4PjynL1PW-GXkSqaevmuAgftiIwXjTJxZCcjxLFXV5z9Ckwl-CbLMF1mCU/w190-h311/The%20Prairie%20Wife%20Hodder.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/go-west-young-woman.html" target="_blank">The Prairie Wife</a></i><br />Arthur Stringer<br />London: Hodder & Stoughton, [n.d.]</b><br /><br />The first novel in Stringer's Prairie Trilogy. Dick Harrison describes it as the author's "most enduring work," despite the fact that it hasn't seen print in over seven decades. I'd put off reading <i>The Prairie Wife</i> because I have a thing against stories set on "the farm." What a mistake! An unexpected delight!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-very-best-reads-of-2022-ladies-first.html" target="_blank">Last December's list of three</a> featured Grant Allen's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/01/spoiled-by-publisher.html" target="_blank">Philistea</a></i> (1884), Stephen Leacock's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/03/lunar-attractions-or-leacock-i-like.html" target="_blank">Moonbeams from the Larger Lunacy</a></i> (1915), and Horace Brown's <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/10/quebec-city-noir.html" target="_blank">Whispering City</a></i> (1947). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOvqLZjUMeHEUWGCy0KJdKaq3Kft6Z-v2AXM8WZ5va2I27swrjvY3xnM6Y9PHdLYFwmLkweb4qkqs04zxOiROwrhVywXCifYeTkji1CtrfWsYulgae5p35E8bm4OSwLQDpp42pdica9KefD0v9OIhTDqFSLT_xNuV6OGcUlkMowspd32qAc4yFJMZDpU/s422/Whispering%20City%20-%20Horace%20Brown.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="422" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOvqLZjUMeHEUWGCy0KJdKaq3Kft6Z-v2AXM8WZ5va2I27swrjvY3xnM6Y9PHdLYFwmLkweb4qkqs04zxOiROwrhVywXCifYeTkji1CtrfWsYulgae5p35E8bm4OSwLQDpp42pdica9KefD0v9OIhTDqFSLT_xNuV6OGcUlkMowspd32qAc4yFJMZDpU/w326-h309/Whispering%20City%20-%20Horace%20Brown.jpeg" width="326" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ten months later, <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/10/whispering-city-horace-browns-second.html" target="_blank"><i>Whispering City</i> returned to print as the eighteenth Ricochet Books title</a>. Yours truly provided the introduction. It can be ordered through the usual online booksellers, but why not from the publisher itself? Here's <a href="https://www.vehiculepress.com/q.php?EAN=9781550656381" target="_blank">the link</a>.<br /><br />As for the New Year... well, I'm back to making resolutions:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>More French books (and not only in translation).</li><li>More non-fiction (and not only the work of crazies). </li></ul>That's it.<br /><br />Keep kicking against the pricks!<br /><br /><i>Bonne année!</i></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:<br /></span></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-very-best-reads-of-2022-ladies-first.html" target="_blank">The Very Best Reads of 2022: Ladies First<br /></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-very-best-reads-of-second-plague.html" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Very Best Reads of the Second Plague Year (2021)<br /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-very-best-reads-of-plague-year.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Very Best Reads of a Plague Year (2020)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-very-best-reads-of-very-strange-year.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Very Best Reads of a Very Strange Year (2019)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/12/best-books-of-2018-none-of-which-are.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Best Books of 2018 (none of which are from 2018)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-years-best-books-in-review-ad-2017.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Year's Best Books in Review - A.D. 2017<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/12/the-years-best-books-in-review-ad-2016_12.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Year's Best Books in Review - A.D. 2016<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-years-best-books-in-review-ad-2015.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Year's Best Books in Review - A.D. 2015<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/12/the-christmas-offering-of-books-1914.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Christmas Offering of Books - 1914 and 2014<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2013/12/a-last-minute-slogan-give-books.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">A Last Minute Gift Slogan, "Give Books" (2013)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2012/12/grumbles-about-gumble-praise-for-stark.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Grumbles About Gumble & Praise for Stark House (2012)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2011/12/compliments-of-season.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Highest Compliments of the Season (2011)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2010/12/75-year-old-virgin-and-others-i.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">A 75-Year-Old Virgin and Others I Acquired (2010)<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2009/12/books-are-best.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Books are Best (2009)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/01/james-de-milles-antarctic-death-cult.html" target="_blank">James de Mille's Antarctic Death Cult</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/james-moffatt-wins-race.html" target="_blank">James Moffatt Wins the Race</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/01/margaret-millars-muskoka-murder-mystery.html" target="_blank">Margaret Millar's Muskoka Murder Mystery</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-woman-cheated.html" target="_blank">A Woman Cheated</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/by-any-other-name-onato-watannas.html" target="_blank">By Any Other Name: Onoto Watanna's Hyacinth</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/09/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-self.html" target="_blank">Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Self-Improvement</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-crooked-cousin-in-cunning-cottage.html" target="_blank">A Cunning Cousin in a Country Cottage</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/02/go-west-young-woman.html" target="_blank">Go West, Young Woman</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/01/spoiled-by-publisher.html" target="_blank">Spoiled by a Publisher</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/10/quebec-city-noir.html" target="_blank">Quebec City Noir</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/10/whispering-city-horace-browns-second.html" target="_blank"><i>Whispering City</i>: Horace Brown's Second Encore</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/03/lunar-attractions-or-leacock-i-like.html" target="_blank">Lunar Attractions; or, The Leacock I Like</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-6665995576674214032023-12-25T00:00:00.071-05:002023-12-25T00:00:00.132-05:00Bliss Carman's 'Christmas Song'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzoTT1siztxX88nLVXqmoBCDHjTRFhIhOYYVlLybQ6s8N7qVUXZjuPTYZsPUTEhAiDY-4a1u1KuisIBjvCwA7d0kGSiFmepcDo0l3DmQ1v3cMcsNEFwwy8B78a94uM_VJLhaQjFyfSD_w8WM0pLfKLpd5UsIse2a6tibfoQ3iZWfvucyZmnVfLJNECcA/s600/Later%20Poems%20Bliss%20Carman.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="419" height="487" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzoTT1siztxX88nLVXqmoBCDHjTRFhIhOYYVlLybQ6s8N7qVUXZjuPTYZsPUTEhAiDY-4a1u1KuisIBjvCwA7d0kGSiFmepcDo0l3DmQ1v3cMcsNEFwwy8B78a94uM_VJLhaQjFyfSD_w8WM0pLfKLpd5UsIse2a6tibfoQ3iZWfvucyZmnVfLJNECcA/w339-h487/Later%20Poems%20Bliss%20Carman.png" width="339" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Verse for the day from Bliss Carman's handsome <i>Later Poems</i> (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1921). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ogJdJcnIwdp1_Xo6IFSSl-12iiNg85o6Xj0T-n_TkbfCoDvrM5oNBPhwDKiFiw5oyHCGHM8FQGObgGQ2F8YutsxSVxSwpYvDAyxD7KJxD2wqWPgRFxHRre71ukpZG58vP-Heuaozz9pYTQBH_nkLxd7ikrdogIsq41D78eBYzzLI-vRm0adi-7g-bkw/s600/Bliss%20Carman%20Christmas%20Song.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="476" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ogJdJcnIwdp1_Xo6IFSSl-12iiNg85o6Xj0T-n_TkbfCoDvrM5oNBPhwDKiFiw5oyHCGHM8FQGObgGQ2F8YutsxSVxSwpYvDAyxD7KJxD2wqWPgRFxHRre71ukpZG58vP-Heuaozz9pYTQBH_nkLxd7ikrdogIsq41D78eBYzzLI-vRm0adi-7g-bkw/w339-h428/Bliss%20Carman%20Christmas%20Song.png" width="339" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i>Merry Christmas! Joyeux noël!</i> <div><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/12/christmas-by-s-frances-harrison.html" target="_blank">'Christmas' by S. Frances Harrison</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/12/a-childs-song-of-christmas-by-marjorie.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'A Child's Song of Christmas' by Marjorie Pickthall</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/12/a-mother-at-christmas-by-edna-jaques.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'A Mother at Christmas' by Edna Jaques</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-christmas-fantasy-by-bernard-freeman.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'A Christmas Fantasy' by Bernard Freeman Trotter</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/12/when-christmas-comes-by-virna-sheard.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">'When Christmas Comes' by Verna Sheard</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/12/great-war-christmas-verse-from-century.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Great War Christmas Verse from a Century Past</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/12/christmas-1916-by-robert-stanley-weir.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">'Christmas 1916' by Robert Stanley Weir</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/12/a-century-old-prayer-for-christmas.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Century-Old Prayer for Christmas</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/12/timely-verse-from-christmas-century-past.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timely Verse from a Christmas a Century Past</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christmas-greetings-from-gay-page.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Christmas Greetings from Gay Page</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2012/12/christmas-verse-by-isabel-ecclestone.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'Christmas in Heaven' by Isabel Ecclestone Mackay</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/12/arthur-stringer-pines-for-christmas-past.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Arthur Stringer Pines for Christmas</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/12/miss-machars-call-of-christmas-1914.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Miss Machar's 'The Call of Christmas - 1914'</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/12/christmas-verse-by-master-of-all-poets.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Christmas Verse by the Master of All Poets</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-53531692022276974472023-12-18T06:30:00.041-05:002023-12-23T06:49:49.369-05:00The Globe's Best Books of 1923: 'Canadian Authors Can Be Read With Pleasure, Profit and Pride'<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg906lQUQpvwcbbEq_zJHgwctYq_d8AlBf7GxepA0HeTFldjsRdpjN8uYlNP-ncmYTcuvHTTvXF0cuKEJoRn2ehLNDgBRVQsVCQ1s9mR8jBa78MJ_M8kE4Unn4AKdRtrlwfMBh8TLhYkVn9YyTk2gCMcYMd8GUcvS-Vv8HobuYHF_PLoOx1_3ZEL-f182Q/s900/Globe%20and%20Mail%2010%20December%201923.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="726" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg906lQUQpvwcbbEq_zJHgwctYq_d8AlBf7GxepA0HeTFldjsRdpjN8uYlNP-ncmYTcuvHTTvXF0cuKEJoRn2ehLNDgBRVQsVCQ1s9mR8jBa78MJ_M8kE4Unn4AKdRtrlwfMBh8TLhYkVn9YyTk2gCMcYMd8GUcvS-Vv8HobuYHF_PLoOx1_3ZEL-f182Q/w376-h465/Globe%20and%20Mail%2010%20December%201923.jpeg" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Globe</i>, 10 December 1923</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Three men feature on the first page of the 1923 'Recent Books and the Outlook,' the 'Globe 100' of its day. The first, Paul A.W. Wallace, is recognized for his debut, <i>Baptiste Larocque: Legends of French Canada</i>. The second man, W.J. Healy, wrote <i>Women of Red River, </i>which was "arranged and published under the Women's Canadian Club of Winnipeg by Russell, Land, and Company." Norris Hodgins, the third, was recognized for <i>Why Don't You Get Married.<br /></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrJLSuWp0q8teGUlDeeWYoLqtYhKraW1IyGu3CxKT0zqdnTgPsMn3t47JWBZLKD2vboozmX6uwnqWA0YbBxNc-gtqb5scUetDEwvQwnyhTs6MdTKGdYogEKf2mK50vndhPKNIR-h61Riy8Fc6SZ4N6mIewDterDPNJi01dH5dD1eiPKA6vzXmQVRu-_8/s600/Why%20Don't%20You%20Get%20Married%3F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrJLSuWp0q8teGUlDeeWYoLqtYhKraW1IyGu3CxKT0zqdnTgPsMn3t47JWBZLKD2vboozmX6uwnqWA0YbBxNc-gtqb5scUetDEwvQwnyhTs6MdTKGdYogEKf2mK50vndhPKNIR-h61Riy8Fc6SZ4N6mIewDterDPNJi01dH5dD1eiPKA6vzXmQVRu-_8/w266-h400/Why%20Don't%20You%20Get%20Married%3F.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><p></p><p>All three are Canadian and all three are new to me.</p><p>I've been following the <i>Globe's</i> century-old lists of best books for nearly a decade now, and so think I know what to expect. There will be a dour pronouncement – in this case, "there is a dearth of outstanding books, especially novels, at the present time" – which will, in turn, be counterbalanced by something of a positive nature:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBKZBb-EHxSUSA5kE_Fwsg-Qca-Of4YyAiVkFa1n-YzvemhzoV4S-pj98zdA4cWlv8WjPn8Ucotg3k-OP1UQXKpQ8qKiM4fRKfggOW3VLTofDNZNiK6gSOfNYMRji4mbCdJQGa6QxSvrAIGDnv4MGSmmmMpJ5y8tRME_R-X0Zfyx1kimTAqbbYZP1LlM/s600/Globe%20and%20Mail%20Best%20Books%201923.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBKZBb-EHxSUSA5kE_Fwsg-Qca-Of4YyAiVkFa1n-YzvemhzoV4S-pj98zdA4cWlv8WjPn8Ucotg3k-OP1UQXKpQ8qKiM4fRKfggOW3VLTofDNZNiK6gSOfNYMRji4mbCdJQGa6QxSvrAIGDnv4MGSmmmMpJ5y8tRME_R-X0Zfyx1kimTAqbbYZP1LlM/s320/Globe%20and%20Mail%20Best%20Books%201923.jpeg" width="274" /></a></div><p>Under the 'More Canadiana' banner are books by Americans LeRoy Jeffers, Charles Towne, John M. Clarke, Charles W. Stokes, Paul Leland Haworth, and Briton Wilfred Grenfell. The final ingredient in this messy mix is George King's self-published <i>Hockey Year Book</i>. Its inclusion marks the first ever mention of the sport in 'Recent Books and the Outlook.'</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeXZNLUH6-0glMXwnEFb9rSSYdbKXk1QcgFG5TSglGtaFJVA5mwa1ogSmlhvsQRZd2zaGDqHt8GrDDZK9wOmyDFY57FYdVArZFyvo__2332UzsreSPr65qOQBJQj_35KbRTAHqTegXSUc9XCoMxmJI75Y261R7SlG2sdNrOmGR0mB-egbSPQX8I7Ttjg/s671/Hockey%20Year%20Book.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="671" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFeXZNLUH6-0glMXwnEFb9rSSYdbKXk1QcgFG5TSglGtaFJVA5mwa1ogSmlhvsQRZd2zaGDqHt8GrDDZK9wOmyDFY57FYdVArZFyvo__2332UzsreSPr65qOQBJQj_35KbRTAHqTegXSUc9XCoMxmJI75Y261R7SlG2sdNrOmGR0mB-egbSPQX8I7Ttjg/w320-h124/Hockey%20Year%20Book.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I can't imagine how much it would fetch today. 84 Victoria Street itself is worth a bloody fortune.<br /><br />Despite the flag waving, Canadian writers don't fair all that well in the <i>Globe's</i> 1923 list, accounting for just 46 of the 196 titles featured. As in 1922, poets dominate: </p><div style="text-align: left;"><i></i><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ballads and Lyrics</i> - Bliss Carman</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Selected Poems</i><i> - </i>W.H. Davies*</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Morning in the West</i><i> - </i>Katherine Hale</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Flint and Feather</i><i> - </i>E. Pauline Johnson</div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Complete Poems of Archibald Lampman</i></div></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Shepard's Purse</i> - Florence Randal Livesay<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i> The Miracle Songs of Jesus - </i>Wilson MacDonald</span></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Complete Poems of Tom MacInnes</i></div></i><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">The Songs of Israfel and Other Poems</i><i> - </i>Marion Osborne</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">The Garden of the Sun</i><i> - </i>A.E.S. Smythe</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">The Empire Builders</i><i> - </i>Robert Stead</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Woman</i><i> - </i>Albert Durrant Watson</div></blockquote></div><p>That's twelve titles! From a nation of nine million! <i>The Globe</i> informs that the rest of the world produced just five collections of note!<br /><br />For the second year running, we have the inclusion of <i>The Complete Poems of Archibald Lampman</i>, of which there is no record. And so, for the second year, I'll suggest that what is being referred to is <i>The Poems of Archibald Lampman</i>, first published in 1900 by George N. Morang. As <a href="https://digitalcollections.mcmaster.ca/hpcanpub/case-study/archibald-lampman" target="_blank">Ryan Porter notes</a>, the collection enjoyed several reprints. Still, I see no evidence of a new edition in 1923, never mind 1922. I'll say the same of E. Pauline Johnson's 1912 <i>Flint and Feather</i>. There <i>was</i> a new edition of Robert Stead's <i>The Empire Builders, </i>which just happens to be the only poetry title I own.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPdl_ZJi-6Huzp1MjtNwH7M_U1ZxhIK6NsY6OYY7qjk45eLzb7NN-tqx81xrcDNf6LSBfB-ddNTeFbI_OsKEMRf9zGv8GiZRd9cBeovBcgVHYyAqI5WuXNdzEGhePl3WekBLSzVAwpaBcMGNRtBeL2NJe7JfiZhhbmfVwMO65vr3k_mE9-9jyoHlMPd4/s600/The%20Empire%20Builders%20Robert%20Stead%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="413" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPdl_ZJi-6Huzp1MjtNwH7M_U1ZxhIK6NsY6OYY7qjk45eLzb7NN-tqx81xrcDNf6LSBfB-ddNTeFbI_OsKEMRf9zGv8GiZRd9cBeovBcgVHYyAqI5WuXNdzEGhePl3WekBLSzVAwpaBcMGNRtBeL2NJe7JfiZhhbmfVwMO65vr3k_mE9-9jyoHlMPd4/w267-h389/The%20Empire%20Builders%20Robert%20Stead%202.jpeg" width="267" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Curiously, Wilson MacDonald's <i>The Song of Prairie Land</i> is singled out for mention in the introduction to the poetry list, yet only his <i>The Miracle Songs of Jesus </i>makes the cut.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzUJs-yKU9dIx78S0xlkkfhHZ4-BcgFvxg3JreCR0zDdY_qbSbXxi1HLMV7N1sxoNNnTy-1OYOP4Y0PqutR1ZG_g3E8gXlzhdcoMZub5eLDPorZdIqPfgpX7OCT1lohBBDy1QCSR0Hp6UM1NV53fJ4I7HHTd2U50wyxEYbqBWXhePdbfzyFFV347qNjY/s600/Wilson%20Macdonald.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="380" height="405" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzUJs-yKU9dIx78S0xlkkfhHZ4-BcgFvxg3JreCR0zDdY_qbSbXxi1HLMV7N1sxoNNnTy-1OYOP4Y0PqutR1ZG_g3E8gXlzhdcoMZub5eLDPorZdIqPfgpX7OCT1lohBBDy1QCSR0Hp6UM1NV53fJ4I7HHTd2U50wyxEYbqBWXhePdbfzyFFV347qNjY/w257-h405/Wilson%20Macdonald.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div><p>Our non-fiction writers fare the worst with just four of the fifty titles listed. I don't have a copy of even one, though I am interested in the <i>Marjorie Pickthall</i>, "a memorial volume edited by Helena Coleman," which does not seem to exist. </p><p>Our writers of fiction don't fare much better, contributing just eight titles to the list: </p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Gaspards of Pine Croft</i> - Ralph Connor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Lantern Marsh</i><i> - </i>Beaumont S. Cornell</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Why Don't You Get Married?</i><i> - </i>Norris Hodgins</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/12/cousin-basils-dickensian-christmas-gift.html" target="_blank">The Happy Isles</a></i><i> - </i>Basil King</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">When Christmas Crossed the Peace</i><i> - </i>Nellie L. McClung</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Emily of New Moon</i><i> - </i>L.M. Montgomery</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">The Viking Heart</i><i> - </i>Laura Goodman Salverson</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Spirit of Iron</i><i> - </i>Harwood Steele</div></div><p>There were twenty-one Canadian works of fiction on the 1922 list.</p><p>Here are some that made it:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpZbDWdX8qdUQq7FuxSnFEli_yHgbxpuhpBWOd1hjuLeYdNGaTG9lApoqaRKYunrtG2QOLFEoPvwS1nTQVFeVEQ3wfgfneIc4j6pdWMFrUvc9FEbyGGinVDYc12oDUHfbd9vnlI1bxWjQXrbMV87Uchgi1QXVqOmdqNouSM0fvIx3YreQg0Nqfu3ByZU/s666/Best%20Canadian%20Novels%20of%201923.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpZbDWdX8qdUQq7FuxSnFEli_yHgbxpuhpBWOd1hjuLeYdNGaTG9lApoqaRKYunrtG2QOLFEoPvwS1nTQVFeVEQ3wfgfneIc4j6pdWMFrUvc9FEbyGGinVDYc12oDUHfbd9vnlI1bxWjQXrbMV87Uchgi1QXVqOmdqNouSM0fvIx3YreQg0Nqfu3ByZU/s320/Best%20Canadian%20Novels%20of%201923.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And here are some that did not:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdcikXHBo9Ew9aN-RFL_ZkP4SuATDJzyWMvj6MoVvwYH3NXwdAnFd9d51gm0duyxR6DkePelshwhfcJxDfs-gAynF2l6p5JoxJ1YaBhPGuVvtfvN5U-7Nxkt_tYXGKH7IdCDvprpuQ3b5Y_s6IxpkvoFZp8AhffNa4dCIvdJHWKmGOHALn6GL6BGiA2E/s600/Best%20Books%20of%201923.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdcikXHBo9Ew9aN-RFL_ZkP4SuATDJzyWMvj6MoVvwYH3NXwdAnFd9d51gm0duyxR6DkePelshwhfcJxDfs-gAynF2l6p5JoxJ1YaBhPGuVvtfvN5U-7Nxkt_tYXGKH7IdCDvprpuQ3b5Y_s6IxpkvoFZp8AhffNa4dCIvdJHWKmGOHALn6GL6BGiA2E/s320/Best%20Books%20of%201923.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Frank L. Packard's<a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/09/entering-unknown-with-frank-l-packard.html" target="_blank"> <i>The Four Stragglers</i></a> is at the bottom of the pile, Stephen Leacock's <i>Over the Footlights</i> is at the top. Between the two is Winnifred Eaton's <i>"Cattle"</i> – or is it <i>Cattle</i>? – which may just be the best Canadian novel of 1923. </p><p><i>The Gaspards of Pine Croft</i>, which I've not read, is one of my <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-2-connor.html" target="_blank">$2 Connors</a>. <br /><br />I've long been on the lookout for Beaumont S. Cornell's lone novel <i>Lantern Marsh</i> because it's set in a thinly disguised Brockville, Ontario, which is where I do my weekly grocery shopping. </p><p>Basil King's novel <i>The Happy Isles</i> is praised as the best since his 1909 breakthrough <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-very-occult.html" target="_blank">The Inner Shrine</a></i>. I do like it, but nowhere near as much as <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-great-canadian-post-great-war-novel.html" target="_blank">The Empty Sack</a></i> (1921).</p><p>I was once engaged to a woman who knew a woman who had been engaged to Harwood Steele. </p><p>And so it goes.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #990000;">* Correction:</span></b> Roger Allen writes, "Are you sure the dozen poets are Canadian? The W.H. Davies nearly everyone thinks of - still in print - is the author of The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp. He only became a poet because he lost a leg jumping on a train in Canada and had to go back to Britain, but that doesn't make him Canadian."<br /><br />He's correct, of course. I can't explain the error, though it might have something to do with a bottle of Canadian Club sent by an aunt as an early Christmas gift. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/12/best-books-of-1922-amidst-flood-of.html" target="_blank">Best Books of 1922: Amidst a Flood of Mediocrity</a></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-1921-globe-100-206-dont-mention-war.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The 1921 Globe<span style="color: #463dde;"> </span><s style="color: #463dde;">100</s><span style="color: #463dde;"> 206: Don't Mention the War</span></a><span style="color: #140201;"> </span></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/12/globe-mail.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Best Books of 1920: Beware the Bolshevik Poets</a></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-globe-100-one-hundred-years-ago.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Globe 100 One Hundred Years Ago: Poets are Struck Dumb</a></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-globe-100-one-hundred-years-ago.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">and Capitalism Proves Embarrassing (1919)</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-globe-100-179-of-1918.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Globe <s>100</s> 178 of 2018</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-seasons-best-books-in-review-ad.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Season's Best Books in Review - A.D. 1917:</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-seasons-best-books-in-review-ad.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The String of Canadian Patriotism is Fingered</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/12/the-seasons-best-books-in-review-ad-1916.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Season's Best Books in Review - A.D. 1916</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-seasons-best-books-in-review-ad.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Season's Best Books in Review – A.D. 1915;</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-seasons-best-books-in-review-ad.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Featuring the Best Canadian Book Ever Published</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-very-occult.html" target="_blank">Not Very Occult</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/12/cousin-basils-dickensian-christmas-gift.html" target="_blank">Cousin Basil's Dickensian Christmas Gift</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-great-canadian-post-great-war-novel.html" target="_blank">The Great Canadian Post-War Great War Novel</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/09/entering-unknown-with-frank-l-packard.html" target="_blank">Entering the Unknown With Frank L. Packard</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/03/alberta-gothic.html" target="_blank">Alberta Gothic</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-2-connor.html" target="_blank">$2 Connors</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-57843140314595219592023-12-11T06:30:00.064-05:002023-12-11T19:06:44.343-05:00Eight Gifts to Last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscmXyXA-aP-Za_Zs-ppau30Fsh3qIIUJt1FaV3vN67mBy_6GLCViHucQYNtZJNvKodzieWUKRMQEr50weUXb75xa5E9HLfRBGgQq0LoeNtDgR1VXFJ61fAzBLEexqa5qROvIkLBB5q6E4EFeF1jGZEvAjcFeGY0zGYz08S_6n9Rl2-u-88qC5Cad4yhw/s684/2023%20gifts.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="684" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscmXyXA-aP-Za_Zs-ppau30Fsh3qIIUJt1FaV3vN67mBy_6GLCViHucQYNtZJNvKodzieWUKRMQEr50weUXb75xa5E9HLfRBGgQq0LoeNtDgR1VXFJ61fAzBLEexqa5qROvIkLBB5q6E4EFeF1jGZEvAjcFeGY0zGYz08S_6n9Rl2-u-88qC5Cad4yhw/w375-h329/2023%20gifts.jpeg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In past years I've noted gifts and donations to the Dusty Bookcase at the end of the annual list of Ten Best Book Buys. An exception is made here because of the shear volume, and because I wanted to add a personal note. <i>And We Go On </i>seems an appropriate title with which to start.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkm-fVDjTXLIDLowrQqh2aBZs9jWh04J38M_EbDnOTJRiRPyJdDdLiPzUiBPj01XKylr8W79Rxd99Y0NMKFumhszg50xgd9T2mybeco4FKns3Anj2dLiqIIK_S7iAFjccgu_W1nRVPNhpEIWiSLcSH5_LrTVQTTqrpZZWne4yLwGJqROPy17Q0YZTtWjU/s900/And%20We%20Go%20On%20-%20Will%20R%20Bird.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkm-fVDjTXLIDLowrQqh2aBZs9jWh04J38M_EbDnOTJRiRPyJdDdLiPzUiBPj01XKylr8W79Rxd99Y0NMKFumhszg50xgd9T2mybeco4FKns3Anj2dLiqIIK_S7iAFjccgu_W1nRVPNhpEIWiSLcSH5_LrTVQTTqrpZZWne4yLwGJqROPy17Q0YZTtWjU/w235-h320/And%20We%20Go%20On%20-%20Will%20R%20Bird.jpeg" width="235" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>And We Go On</i></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Will R. Bird</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Toronto: Hunter-Rose, 1930</b></div></b></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">A memoir of the Great War, this first edition was given to me by military historian James Calhoun, with whom I co-authored the introduction to <a href="https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459704237-all-else-is-folly#:~:text=Description,in%20the%20First%20World%20War." target="_blank">the 2014 Dundurn edition of Peregrine Acland's <i>All Else Is Folly</i></a>. Note the dust jacket description:<br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">A story of the War by a Private in</div><div style="text-align: center;">the Canadian Black Watch;</div><div style="text-align: center;">a Story Without Filth</div><div style="text-align: center;">or Favour.</div></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bird's memoir was inspired in part by his disgust at the portrayal of soldiers in <i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> and <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/02/freedom-to-read-week-generals-die-in.html" target="_blank">Generals Die in Bed</a></i>. He wouldn't have liked <i>All Else Is Folly</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczeJekWzQzxBMPZI3DwVZTp76KGmp-l7m4CvaT-zQcgSXClnlaRSxIssk_xg4tW-vjTZJQ97iDiRPpWQE9QD0OCTDDTgyVgw9e0upHcYzJpG21NZND2QpcO5tf7LXKqW6nzs8KsftOkon4mZIHwDnoF4p7kE1S7b23opFwVBLsRgLJ5UqkB9lo23usWM/s600/Outlaw%20Breed%20-%20William%20Byron%20Mowery.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="599" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczeJekWzQzxBMPZI3DwVZTp76KGmp-l7m4CvaT-zQcgSXClnlaRSxIssk_xg4tW-vjTZJQ97iDiRPpWQE9QD0OCTDDTgyVgw9e0upHcYzJpG21NZND2QpcO5tf7LXKqW6nzs8KsftOkon4mZIHwDnoF4p7kE1S7b23opFwVBLsRgLJ5UqkB9lo23usWM/w311-h312/Outlaw%20Breed%20-%20William%20Byron%20Mowery.jpeg" width="311" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><i>Outlaw Breed</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>William Byron Mowery</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Calabasas, CA: Cutting Edge, 2023</b></div></div></div><div><br />Novelist Lee Greenwood is doing God's work in reviving neglected novels. He reached out three years ago after I reviewed former <i>Vancouver Sun</i> scribe Tom Ardies' 1971 thriller <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-red-in-white-house.html" target="_blank">Their Man in the White House</a></i>. You'd like it. The novel tells the story of an American president who is beholding to the Russians. Oh, and he has an unusual – I suggest unhealthy – relationship with his blonde daughter. Lee was then in the process of returning all Ardies' novels to print.<br /><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Outlaw Breed</i> is not a political thriller. First published in 1936 under the title <i>Black Automatic</i>, it was written by a Buckeye known as the "Zane Grey of the Canadian Northwest." Starring Noel Irving, ex-RCMP, the action begins with a murder in Winnipeg, moves on to Fort McMurray, and then the Northwest Territories.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvoapatVWdx2NA40k49WUOWMsxZ50GMNfsAB9gWSsvhPh4wryRMTh80mMOjAWgEthzU7rwjyoC8BRk5_6loigzAkA4_4dXNyYOmBmhK9VpA9AbF4fiNtqxhdVMdUoEHTDmzgcuZk641mT-B7TQdxzgedcEeCNfgVqYYQy6mmvs6kfrJppWNz-OQ1BBXU/s900/Woman's%20Harvest.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="547" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvoapatVWdx2NA40k49WUOWMsxZ50GMNfsAB9gWSsvhPh4wryRMTh80mMOjAWgEthzU7rwjyoC8BRk5_6loigzAkA4_4dXNyYOmBmhK9VpA9AbF4fiNtqxhdVMdUoEHTDmzgcuZk641mT-B7TQdxzgedcEeCNfgVqYYQy6mmvs6kfrJppWNz-OQ1BBXU/w203-h335/Woman's%20Harvest.jpeg" width="203" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The Woman's Harvest</i></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Anna Floyd</b></div></b><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>London: T. Werner Laurie, 1916</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">An obscure novel by a forgotten English writer, set in England in and around the time of the Great War, <i>The Woman's Harvest</i> has nothing whatsoever to do with Canada, yet I was drawn to it after reading <a href="https://neglectedbooks.com/?p=9436" target="_blank">Brad Bigelow's Neglected Books review</a>. I just had to read it, but not a one was listed for sale online. Worse still, the nearest copy is found in the National Library of Scotland. Brad was generous in giving me his. I'll say no more because Brad's review says it all. You'll want to read it, too.<br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1xA2HJdexTpQxWoFhaJshmrCT_O7HMm4DDtAP-k4_RbSv-OevdC1A74nkPQ_22UubvrH8U5ASshF_tMVYNDfePBfq4KuySavKFvUNHNV9Q4x5jaINFgPx3d_kL6LAsobbKnrXLyo4K6pcl-PovM15T5OHmzt7hkmgAS1XQWXjLZ3FvzrnwEQhf9Xwp4/s900/Canada%20Speaks%20of%20Britain.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1xA2HJdexTpQxWoFhaJshmrCT_O7HMm4DDtAP-k4_RbSv-OevdC1A74nkPQ_22UubvrH8U5ASshF_tMVYNDfePBfq4KuySavKFvUNHNV9Q4x5jaINFgPx3d_kL6LAsobbKnrXLyo4K6pcl-PovM15T5OHmzt7hkmgAS1XQWXjLZ3FvzrnwEQhf9Xwp4/s320/Canada%20Speaks%20of%20Britain.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Canada Speaks of Britain</i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>and Other Poems of the War</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Charles G.D. Roberts<br />Toronto: Ryerson, 1941</b></div></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The River St. John and Its Poets</i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>L.M.B. Maxwell</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>[n.p.]: [n.p], 1946</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Two chapbooks donated by my friend Forrest Pass. The earlier, Sir Charles' <i>Canada Speaks of Britain </i>features seven "Poems of the War" (including 'Peace With Dishonour,' which was actually composed in September, 1938), along with three poems from the previous war, and three more poems thrown in for good measure. The longest in the collection is 'Two Rivers':<br /></div><blockquote><div> Two rivers are there in hold my heart<br /> And neither would I leave.<br /> When I would stay with one two long</div><div> The other tugs my sleeve.</div></blockquote><div>The two rivers are the Tantamar and the St. John, which ties in nicely to <i>The River St. John and Its Poets</i> by L.M.B. Maxwell, LL.D. It consists of a series of biographical sketches and sample poems of sixteen poets, including Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, LL.D., D. Litt.; Theodore Goodrich Roberts, D. Litt.; William Bliss Carman, M.A., LL. D.; and Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey, M.A., Ph.D. I was more interested in plain old Francis Sherman, Charles Boyle, and Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald, whose <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/11/blue-plaque-special-maritime-edition.html" target="_blank">home I visited last autumn</a>.<br /> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rdo0czyVxDP3Nzoq3if95gHM3eoaUFFmXa9IvwqhxJ6uxcPSTOUxOSdgFC8gkZQt3x25JoVBEjSMzCv_WUFNnHLDjAwpJZijvZRypNgsLTACeip1kULeFQc3m86nhf-G2zlmUmCVbVxDc0rj_sabfQwXcV0YX8eQs1uAtylQo_Bjl7x7XJC6CzjGxp0/s1006/Complete%20Adventures%20of%20Jimmie%20Dale%20-%20Volume%203.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1006" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rdo0czyVxDP3Nzoq3if95gHM3eoaUFFmXa9IvwqhxJ6uxcPSTOUxOSdgFC8gkZQt3x25JoVBEjSMzCv_WUFNnHLDjAwpJZijvZRypNgsLTACeip1kULeFQc3m86nhf-G2zlmUmCVbVxDc0rj_sabfQwXcV0YX8eQs1uAtylQo_Bjl7x7XJC6CzjGxp0/s320/Complete%20Adventures%20of%20Jimmie%20Dale%20-%20Volume%203.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Complete Adventures of Jimmie Dale, Volume Three</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Frank L. Packard<br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>[n.p.]: [n.p], </b><b>2022</b></div><br /></div>The final volume of Packard scholar Michael Howard's annotated compilation of Packard's Gray Seal novels, this one includes <i>Jimmie Dale and the Blue Envelope Murder</i> (1930), <i>Jimmie Dale and the Missing Hour</i> (1935), and the unfinished and previously unpublished <i>Jimmie Dale's Only Chance.</i> </div><div><br />But wait, there's more!</div><div><br /></div><div>Also included are four chapters that were cut from <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-further-frustrations-of-jimmie-dale.html" target="_blank">The Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale</a></i> (1919), the script for the first episode of the radio serial <i>The Adventures of Jimmie Dale</i>, the beginning of the British edition of <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2015/12/whatever-happened-to-jimmie-dale.html" target="_blank">The Adventures of Jimmie Dale</a></i> (in which our hero is an Englishman), and a family biography by the late Francis Lucius Packard. </div><div><br /></div><div>The author's grandson, Jeffrey Packard, provides the preface. <br /><br />All three volumes can be ordered through Amazon.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoIwczJXWbHpvPx6uJolWGR6X0etx8KojUr_jWqwqQwNHr8J6pTeDFvrWLTPGk5FarCpaJBpSYYs9CFM9GOnvjk8CVeETPE2N7UgAkHY3uWUSddDjPSeINRY9DY1sPBgpE1iW95djPgWtD2-OiCvySKKqRNjFYFMIfnGK_wJqc8mw81LrTm9l2tp3H6o/s1165/Jimmie%20Dale.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1165" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoIwczJXWbHpvPx6uJolWGR6X0etx8KojUr_jWqwqQwNHr8J6pTeDFvrWLTPGk5FarCpaJBpSYYs9CFM9GOnvjk8CVeETPE2N7UgAkHY3uWUSddDjPSeINRY9DY1sPBgpE1iW95djPgWtD2-OiCvySKKqRNjFYFMIfnGK_wJqc8mw81LrTm9l2tp3H6o/s320/Jimmie%20Dale.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>One last gift:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjME-8K97ByTY0SUzD-V11avyNcnfRPCVMv2lq8ZRtHhzoC6FaziOxPrWQZtZ19Byb4FsqjBSO3jBXYrTw6c7G_R8iFhMnIOa25X0lzKjcdiKHbcgdvxfZfHoMMw5TkBHpzdnxluNfoW-79o_EkCMbizDdJI0XuB1SvLHrxIsPpFgChZcpDNE7W24-_Y-8/s900/Self%20Condemned.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjME-8K97ByTY0SUzD-V11avyNcnfRPCVMv2lq8ZRtHhzoC6FaziOxPrWQZtZ19Byb4FsqjBSO3jBXYrTw6c7G_R8iFhMnIOa25X0lzKjcdiKHbcgdvxfZfHoMMw5TkBHpzdnxluNfoW-79o_EkCMbizDdJI0XuB1SvLHrxIsPpFgChZcpDNE7W24-_Y-8/s320/Self%20Condemned.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Self Condemned</i><br />Wyndham Lewis<br />Toronto: Dundurn, 2010</b></div><br />My friend Michael Gnarowski died on July 27th of this year. He'd taught at three universities, one of which I attended, but I was not one students. Still, I learned a great deal from Michael. We first met twenty years ago when I was working on <a href="https://www.mqup.ca/gentleman-of-pleasure--a-products-9780773538184.php" target="_blank">my biography of of <i>his</i> friend John Glassco</a>, that great practitioner of deceit. He and I were dogged in our pursuit of "the knowable truth." <br /><br />Our last days together started over pints in an Ottawa strip mall pub – the fish and chips wasn't terrible – after which we'd move on to apple pie and vanilla ice cream at the flat he shared with his wife Diana. In our second to last meeting, Michael pulled out this slightly battered copy <i>Self Condemned</i>, asking whether I had a copy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I lied.<br /><br />This edition is a Voyageur Classic, a series that followed the Carleton Library and the Centre for Editing Early Canadian Texts series, all of which Michael had overseen. I'd bought each Voyageur Classic upon release, and was honoured when he accepted my proposal to include <i>All Else Is Folly</i> (see above) in the series.<br /><br />And so, because I lied, I was able to accept his generosity. Michael signed my copy, explaining that his writing hand would not do what he wanted it to.</div><div> </div><div>I last saw Michael on Father's Day, which somehow seems appropriate. He ordered the fish and chips, and then we had pie and ice cream.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzeZkoC2Crdg2UWJMzgE7slNjeUiD6OoqLFKw4KC6Gkg95JlvlV3vvoHQxh60hjdAXnI1X_m2L-LfdveDf1SSAp2uxOvwJDUo0FrZ6RpH2PokKZ1Fd009wmfGrpBdyUhGDIUghlJSwwsytb6iFXFZCU6Rjj2csSZwRKP696spMCkSzzJts8l3f4NQx0A/s600/Michael%20Gnarowski.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="457" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzeZkoC2Crdg2UWJMzgE7slNjeUiD6OoqLFKw4KC6Gkg95JlvlV3vvoHQxh60hjdAXnI1X_m2L-LfdveDf1SSAp2uxOvwJDUo0FrZ6RpH2PokKZ1Fd009wmfGrpBdyUhGDIUghlJSwwsytb6iFXFZCU6Rjj2csSZwRKP696spMCkSzzJts8l3f4NQx0A/w305-h400/Michael%20Gnarowski.png" width="305" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">17 September 1934, Shanghai, China</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">July 27, 2023, Ottawa, Canada </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">RIP</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:</span></b><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/11/blue-plaque-special-maritime-edition.html" target="_blank">Blue Plaque Special: Maritime Edition</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-further-frustrations-of-jimmie-dale.html" target="_blank">The Further Frustrations of Jimmie Dale</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/03/alec-falcon-cest-moi.html" target="_blank">Alec Falcon, C'est Moi</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/02/freedom-to-read-week-generals-die-in.html" target="_blank">Freedom to Read Week: <i>Generals Die in Bed</i> (I)</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/02/freedom-to-read-week-generals-die-in_29.html" target="_blank">Freedom to Read Week: <i>Generals Die in Bed</i> (II)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-12735489809713505002023-12-04T06:30:00.731-05:002023-12-18T21:18:17.628-05:00The Ten Best Book Buys of 2023!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8VVThyNdwBSXu_WTTTsvHE9j5lYRTalg8eghwvomDQNFTmg3yOUU908J7onmO_WO36On4aduizMIkejb0hUTmsKNz6UWgkI6IfUCwmvA-FsrMK_jWIAxmZZBPNr4qDXiuIWp9MJb5eAZKWUtIzFWFoaIM-bexCJ1h3a_vLGMKrfI3GzrWsLZ9jLK7RM/s900/10%20Best%20Book%20Buys%202023.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="732" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8VVThyNdwBSXu_WTTTsvHE9j5lYRTalg8eghwvomDQNFTmg3yOUU908J7onmO_WO36On4aduizMIkejb0hUTmsKNz6UWgkI6IfUCwmvA-FsrMK_jWIAxmZZBPNr4qDXiuIWp9MJb5eAZKWUtIzFWFoaIM-bexCJ1h3a_vLGMKrfI3GzrWsLZ9jLK7RM/w344-h423/10%20Best%20Book%20Buys%202023.HEIC" width="344" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With sadness, I report that 2023 was another year in which all my favourite acquisitions were purchased online. This is not to suggest that every transaction was a good one. In March, I won a lot of twelve Marilyn Ross <i>Dark Shadows</i> books, three of which bear the signature of their true author, New Brunswick's W.E.D. Ross. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-V0JeSnQhN1TdzXitHZYRJQcj5HxAF6L_KvBuMpiUJ_6vlHdLjfJkw65lfBL8iHFHsOw0hJthYMk6f5R4eIgSgvdrg59yCGK8R6HIBtE7Dgt0UqOSL6byZZbs21MYVQzzdiqBCLaSsCa21Kqght2OXcLau03t5LGQlJ00d8wFovWwbIkZFRKACraX04/s739/Dark%20Shadows%20Marilyn%20Ross.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="739" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-V0JeSnQhN1TdzXitHZYRJQcj5HxAF6L_KvBuMpiUJ_6vlHdLjfJkw65lfBL8iHFHsOw0hJthYMk6f5R4eIgSgvdrg59yCGK8R6HIBtE7Dgt0UqOSL6byZZbs21MYVQzzdiqBCLaSsCa21Kqght2OXcLau03t5LGQlJ00d8wFovWwbIkZFRKACraX04/w338-h275/Dark%20Shadows%20Marilyn%20Ross.jpeg" width="338" /></a></div><p>My lengthy victory dance came to an abrupt end when they arrived loose in a recycled Amazon box. Most were in poor condition, some featured stamps from used bookstores, and one had a previous owner's name written on its cover. Added to all this was the shipping charge, which far exceeded the amount paid for the books themselves, and was several times greater than what Canada Post had charged the seller.</p><p>Had all gone well, this copy of <i>Barnabas, Quentin and the Frightened Bride</i> (New York: Paperback Library, 1970) would've surely made the cut.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovDgdWWzj7bwGTYt8L_eXWoLfiTcqzUhJD7NRHVa2d4j5yd8nn8dPV5cUXiKPHwAXH0WUSFeKyv9M0vvUC67rh2JdxyhhQVxbNSlSDt3hpy1eKqP5cbFU9DZFK4sY246K2-1U1-tafphO-yvPxNnv0ERr4WM7-zaYzSOdrcG9GtngmbXDRIRQCftKcyk/s900/Dark%20Shadows%20W%20E%20D%20Ross.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovDgdWWzj7bwGTYt8L_eXWoLfiTcqzUhJD7NRHVa2d4j5yd8nn8dPV5cUXiKPHwAXH0WUSFeKyv9M0vvUC67rh2JdxyhhQVxbNSlSDt3hpy1eKqP5cbFU9DZFK4sY246K2-1U1-tafphO-yvPxNnv0ERr4WM7-zaYzSOdrcG9GtngmbXDRIRQCftKcyk/w240-h320/Dark%20Shadows%20W%20E%20D%20Ross.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Enough negativity! It was a good year!</p><p>What follows is 2023's top ten:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s658Zy2UnU0DFUslyjEh0GrUB0ZO-KPQNgGFuddWtuOiwjGQWTVBYI4vsNtfC_HSo7Ha-SUS3aDbkGJOJDacRBH1jUfJHtZmr3rvyX2wmw81Osbb3Rft7HLh8SpOm7QbssLMoqg_5FzCjLCRkkc-edVVITw20vUlHujNMomr8LcCR0hMJUqkgy-_xeo/s355/In%20Nature's%20Workshop%20-%20Grant%20Allen%201.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s658Zy2UnU0DFUslyjEh0GrUB0ZO-KPQNgGFuddWtuOiwjGQWTVBYI4vsNtfC_HSo7Ha-SUS3aDbkGJOJDacRBH1jUfJHtZmr3rvyX2wmw81Osbb3Rft7HLh8SpOm7QbssLMoqg_5FzCjLCRkkc-edVVITw20vUlHujNMomr8LcCR0hMJUqkgy-_xeo/w197-h320/In%20Nature's%20Workshop%20-%20Grant%20Allen%201.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div>In Nature's Workshop</i><br />Grant Allen<br />London: Newnes, 1901</b><br /><br />I bought three Grant Allen books this year – the novels<b> </b><i>This Mortal Coil</i> (1888) and <i>At Market Value</i> (1895) being the others – but this is the one I like the most. The posthumously published second edition, it features over one hundred illustrations by English naturalist <a href="http://www.enockfamilyhistory.co.uk/Frederick_Enock_-_1845-1916.htm" target="_blank">Frederick Enock</a> (1845-1916).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-sex-and-drugs-and-montreal.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-sex-and-drugs-and-montreal.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5llK6-jtumBuIhIyI81xqWl7FYplrOYgZjpi6qSjdmnKeqx8DbVmY05Lm90eFkeu37D-KLtS5uGYtnYJZREcLmQATWgHVki-9q_tqI0HatpXXtq9JqZZp66JZipnCgmsTH_hipuXe630BEXIzDx6ynBT8PhwDkULBP9Mp09L-G0JsaIXLwUcCRHFaJIQ/s327/Hot%20Freeze%20-%20Martin%20Brett.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="219" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5llK6-jtumBuIhIyI81xqWl7FYplrOYgZjpi6qSjdmnKeqx8DbVmY05Lm90eFkeu37D-KLtS5uGYtnYJZREcLmQATWgHVki-9q_tqI0HatpXXtq9JqZZp66JZipnCgmsTH_hipuXe630BEXIzDx6ynBT8PhwDkULBP9Mp09L-G0JsaIXLwUcCRHFaJIQ/w198-h297/Hot%20Freeze%20-%20Martin%20Brett.jpeg" width="198" /></a></div><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-sex-and-drugs-and-montreal.html" target="_blank">Hot Freeze</a></i><br /></b><b>Martin Brett [Douglas</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> Sanderson]</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>London: Reinhardt, 1954<br /><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">For years I've been going on about <i>Hot Freeze</i> being the very best of post-war Canadian noir; it was one of the first novels <a href="https://www.vehiculepress.com/q.php?EAN=9781550654004" target="_blank">reissued as a Ricochet Book</a>. I was aware that there had been a UK edition, but couldn't find a copy with dust jacket.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Found it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqFEsgzMghgWi1LKjc_60Us8zCr7gcFddRkn2D4CIZNThmLqaz6F3kI1UbW5R_w498HJtYh3ftgREWl5IhPcDvUzLnu3XYWa9sskPzYAOGb13OsOJxo3k_Ge71z3Bf4zQLAgb6PpDsyi7qfva8T6tUSIgwejeJfcOy1XzpXDGXU5V7mLBdaKgJpNHHEg/s335/Hillary%20Randall%20-%20Horace%20Brown%201.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="219" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqFEsgzMghgWi1LKjc_60Us8zCr7gcFddRkn2D4CIZNThmLqaz6F3kI1UbW5R_w498HJtYh3ftgREWl5IhPcDvUzLnu3XYWa9sskPzYAOGb13OsOJxo3k_Ge71z3Bf4zQLAgb6PpDsyi7qfva8T6tUSIgwejeJfcOy1XzpXDGXU5V7mLBdaKgJpNHHEg/w199-h304/Hillary%20Randall%20-%20Horace%20Brown%201.jpeg" width="199" /></a></div>Hilary Randall: The Story</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> of The Town</i><br />Horace Brown</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Toronto: Voyageur, [n.d.]<br /></b><br />While working to return Brown's 1947 novel <i><a href="https://www.vehiculepress.com/q.php?EAN=9781550656381" target="_blank">Whispering City</a></i> to print, I learned that <i>Saturday Night</i> editor B.K. Sandwell had thought <i>Hilary Randall</i> just might be the great Canadian novel. Self-published roughly four decades after its composition, my copy is inscribed!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekZnW2gAKHyoPEmN_H5wueTXLDshiKkrdFMsepvjTV77exccZLEvE9GGTvAUzAikp9sGMksxzrQAO3sigsg6Yirqdu_UiRxQb6MQL-CbnGKcS7Rl3Umhoqbi8gyo96FVUCCardMa_rKcz_fwP-t87q5xiTDBXk4EFFKLxHTMGdwF4jowx0n8syRW7CfU/s332/Wedded%20for%20a%20Week%20-%20Fleming.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="219" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekZnW2gAKHyoPEmN_H5wueTXLDshiKkrdFMsepvjTV77exccZLEvE9GGTvAUzAikp9sGMksxzrQAO3sigsg6Yirqdu_UiRxQb6MQL-CbnGKcS7Rl3Umhoqbi8gyo96FVUCCardMa_rKcz_fwP-t87q5xiTDBXk4EFFKLxHTMGdwF4jowx0n8syRW7CfU/w200-h303/Wedded%20for%20a%20Week%20-%20Fleming.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Wedded for a Week; or, The</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> Unseen Bridegroom</i><br /></b><b>May Agnes Fleming</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>London: Milner, [n.d.]</b></div><p></p><p>As with Grant Allen, I can't let a year go by without adding more Fleming to my collection. <i>The Actress' Daughter</i> was the first, but I much prefer this 1881 novel, if only for its two titles.</p><p>Writing this I realize that I haven't read a Fleming in 2023. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6E0j01U87q8IOQ5m1MfJZYO-6-bz_m1yV193X-enJ6t4p6tOoejvKH_ZVJspJuTZgdRBQfbym-4-z_YnmnJIuPRkTa12ye1OfIJxDQmN2CVPiz3CF6mVr-Px6ajRdXq2vZXC5Zhi7x7r5SvaiNIYOGXUTQFV97Z0uFUEgt8JHAmn5hwjHKj-l_vabfmE/s338/A%20Self-Made%20Thief%20-%20Hulbert%20Footner.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="219" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6E0j01U87q8IOQ5m1MfJZYO-6-bz_m1yV193X-enJ6t4p6tOoejvKH_ZVJspJuTZgdRBQfbym-4-z_YnmnJIuPRkTa12ye1OfIJxDQmN2CVPiz3CF6mVr-Px6ajRdXq2vZXC5Zhi7x7r5SvaiNIYOGXUTQFV97Z0uFUEgt8JHAmn5hwjHKj-l_vabfmE/w201-h310/A%20Self-Made%20Thief%20-%20Hulbert%20Footner.jpeg" width="201" /></a></div>A Self-Made Thief</i><br /></b><b>Hulbert Footner</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>London: Literary Press,</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> [n.d.]</b></div><p>As <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/cheese-what-story.html" target="_blank">my old review of 1930's <i>The Mystery of the Folded Paper</i></a> suggests, I'm not much of a Footner fan, Still, at £4, this last-minute addition to a large order placed with a UK bookseller seemed a bargain. The dust jacket illustration, which I hadn't seen, is unique to this edition.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv__D5uZ4iWLHJUuTmu83vFAt1vtgO9lL-Lw7-45eOMi5Sw71b63DTWpXqj9nd4cAytw9Y2skGo4ToSeCXbkWy0EFd8Q3UkdmCwDg34K7_QpCZZAKkHovW6FgYls7dXjUTEC9zWqoYPF9Gy6qOR5OT71QaqbualZYYPxSCaFSp5RIFMpb65-uqDK3ruhI/s291/Pagan%20Love.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="190" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv__D5uZ4iWLHJUuTmu83vFAt1vtgO9lL-Lw7-45eOMi5Sw71b63DTWpXqj9nd4cAytw9Y2skGo4ToSeCXbkWy0EFd8Q3UkdmCwDg34K7_QpCZZAKkHovW6FgYls7dXjUTEC9zWqoYPF9Gy6qOR5OT71QaqbualZYYPxSCaFSp5RIFMpb65-uqDK3ruhI/w201-h308/Pagan%20Love.jpg" width="201" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/09/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-self.html" target="_blank">Pagan Love</a></i><br /></b><b>John Murray Gibbon<br />Toronto: McClelland &</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> Stewart, 1922<br /></b></div><p></p><p>Had I not read this novel, it's unlikely this wouldn't have made the list. <i>Pagan Love</i> entertained at every turn as a take-down of the burgeoning self-help industry and corporate propaganda. Odd for a man who spent most of his working life writing copy for the CPR.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3fqC0Gk2xJAUrOKZ8ViJ-MJCmv3Rh96k2hz7fli2n_0QKUnE8yff8aR-_EugzHNphiQDSOB-FicMOCbx9TQt_9GBytjzRXrkDzl9bRUkWnlnLX_OmuF8jSeRKHXoyF7N9hdESRBh97fXceUz50NMSBdEsz8GezE-p1mwtEwz4lt9b2wnvcgAxOwMAuQ/s295/Dove%20Cottage%20-%20Jan%20Hilliard%20jacketpeg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="190" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3fqC0Gk2xJAUrOKZ8ViJ-MJCmv3Rh96k2hz7fli2n_0QKUnE8yff8aR-_EugzHNphiQDSOB-FicMOCbx9TQt_9GBytjzRXrkDzl9bRUkWnlnLX_OmuF8jSeRKHXoyF7N9hdESRBh97fXceUz50NMSBdEsz8GezE-p1mwtEwz4lt9b2wnvcgAxOwMAuQ/w201-h312/Dove%20Cottage%20-%20Jan%20Hilliard%20jacketpeg.jpg" width="201" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-crooked-cousin-in-cunning-cottage.html" target="_blank">Dove Cottage</a></i><br /></b><b>Jan Hilliard [Hilda Kay</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> Grant]</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>London: Abelard-Schulman,</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> 1958</b></div><p></p><p>There are books that grow on you. Reviewing <i>Dove Cottage</i> this past March I likened it to an enjoyable afternoon of community theatre, but it has remained with me in a way that the local real estate agent's performance as George Gibbs has not.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXluAYy6KFHQQpHcjA73pdjFMROXH6z64cIxU5N5mhQmLW-Qc1tK-9FckOZQzgFZdSbASBBw3IrPLsA8KItFB-5PiBNMPL4dggZU1rGilmtl13iTQ_Ze4CTkYw6uh24dMCYUINXEZ_Ab2sb18pRUhXp_EmR8Uxt4uImWHsXBWfcldLhSrX8CTl1Sm3K0/s312/Three%20Dozen%20Sonnets%20&%20Fast%20Drawings%20McGee.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="219" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXluAYy6KFHQQpHcjA73pdjFMROXH6z64cIxU5N5mhQmLW-Qc1tK-9FckOZQzgFZdSbASBBw3IrPLsA8KItFB-5PiBNMPL4dggZU1rGilmtl13iTQ_Ze4CTkYw6uh24dMCYUINXEZ_Ab2sb18pRUhXp_EmR8Uxt4uImWHsXBWfcldLhSrX8CTl1Sm3K0/w200-h284/Three%20Dozen%20Sonnets%20&%20Fast%20Drawings%20McGee.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Three Dozen Sonnets &</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> Fast </i></b><b><i>Drawings</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bob McGee<br /></b><b>Montreal: Véhicule, 1973</b></div><p></p><p>This year marked the fiftieth anniversary of Véhicule Press. <i>Three Dozen Sonnets & Fast Drawings </i>was<i> </i>the press's very first book. A pristine copy with errata slip, it appeared to have been unread.<br /><br />No longer.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/06/maria-monks-immortal-book.html" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/06/maria-monks-immortal-book.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlFc8G4vaQuIxn3jS0gakAHl3gVbXXZV5QYhQ7msUzY9tZLTLgAJrZ-vlK9KA9EONirmjXpFq59muR6el6uMkzxAFaz7lKJUPZWfg3C1FMu2sgPEemZAQiRx_D1IneRp1i8YScXd8wFVyfUkljhqKavVkqqaGVR3hqyZ4f2gcv0qB-NQpc_YWduc3_S0/s335/Maria%20Monk%202.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="219" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlFc8G4vaQuIxn3jS0gakAHl3gVbXXZV5QYhQ7msUzY9tZLTLgAJrZ-vlK9KA9EONirmjXpFq59muR6el6uMkzxAFaz7lKJUPZWfg3C1FMu2sgPEemZAQiRx_D1IneRp1i8YScXd8wFVyfUkljhqKavVkqqaGVR3hqyZ4f2gcv0qB-NQpc_YWduc3_S0/w201-h307/Maria%20Monk%202.jpeg" width="201" /></a></div>Awful Disclosures of Maria</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> Monk</i><br /></b><b>Maria </b><b>Monk</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>New York: Howe & Bates,</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> 1836</b></div><p></p><p>A first edition copy of the text that launched an industry. Not in the best condition, but after 187 years, much of it being pawed over by anti-papist zealots, what can one expect.<br /><br />My work on the Maria Monk hoax continues. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicGoaoD_MxyKNW1YcjVTn4CRH3klciPC8MWlsb8pwyBd5o1H8ugk9JGOUq_vPgXhECFtruued9Px8cH6zlAeF6x_LPppXVZYyaPZeBT5oHbBtE9nVyJnknkP66nDt_qegtRRI9vuvFC9rTNafTNXrhOriuH3XzvViXhEb4mltn8oBmRQwnR6TIIpKRHY/s310/Crimes%20Vicars.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="219" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicGoaoD_MxyKNW1YcjVTn4CRH3klciPC8MWlsb8pwyBd5o1H8ugk9JGOUq_vPgXhECFtruued9Px8cH6zlAeF6x_LPppXVZYyaPZeBT5oHbBtE9nVyJnknkP66nDt_qegtRRI9vuvFC9rTNafTNXrhOriuH3XzvViXhEb4mltn8oBmRQwnR6TIIpKRHY/w202-h286/Crimes%20Vicars.jpeg" width="202" /></a></div>Crimes: or, I'm Sorry Sir,</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> But We Do Not Sell</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> Handguns to Junkies</i><br /></b><b>Vicar Vicars [Ted Mann]</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Vancouver: Pulp, 1973</b></div><p></p><p>As far as I know, <i>Crimes</i> is Ted Mann's only book. When published, he was an editor at <i>National Lampoon</i>. <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/07/b-is-for-bombardier-guide-to-canadian.html" target="_blank">The Bombardier Guide to Canadian Authors</a> was in his future, as were <i>NYPD Blue</i>, <i>Deadwood</i>. and <i>Homeland</i>.<br /><br /><br /></p><p>What to expect next year? More Allen and Fleming, I'm betting. Basil King seems likely.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-ten-best-book-buys-of-2022-plus.html" target="_blank">The Ten Best Book Buys of 2022 (plus gifts!)</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-ten-best-book-buys-of-2021-and-much.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Ten Best Book Buys of 2021... and much more!</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/12/ten-best-book-buys.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ten Best Book Buys of 2021 (& Three Great Gifts)</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-twenty-best-book-buys-of-2019.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Twenty Best Book Buys of 2019</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/12/ten-best-buys-of-2018-four-of-which.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Best Book Buys of 2018 (four of which were gifts)</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/01/10-best-book-buys-of-2017-one-of-which.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Ten Best Book Buys of 2017 (one of which was a gift)</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/12/the-ten-best-book-buys-of-very-bad-year.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">The Ten Best Book Buys of a Very Bad Year (2016)</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/12/ten-of-best-spanking-good-book-buys-of.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Ten of the Best; Spanking Good Book Buys of 2015</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/12/done-with-buying-books.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Done With Buying Books (2014)</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/08/cheese-what-story.html" target="_blank">Cheese! What a Story</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/09/life-liberty-and-pursuit-of-self.html" target="_blank">Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Self-Improvement</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-crooked-cousin-in-cunning-cottage.html" target="_blank">A Crooked Cousin in a Cunning Cottage</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/06/maria-monks-immortal-book.html" target="_blank">Maria Monk's Immortal Book</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/07/b-is-for-bombardier-guide-to-canadian.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">B is for the Bombardier Guide to Canadian Authors</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/01/of-sex-and-drugs-and-montreal.html" target="_blank">Of Sex and Drugs and Montreal</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-37323992707047356482023-11-30T06:30:00.248-05:002023-11-30T07:26:44.512-05:00Celebrating John Metcalf at 85
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8zZuAI8Ms_YTYiiDn6hCeSvjXqi1FXbWWxhYbkYctcCMpgRqKGsf5csIhCI_QU9VWOxAo0TqD51F6ZerzwkJ7niyriMcS8d-HcaulFXCh91qhaHbarUfuFzZEjWVG1XuB3GbAeDOkBAJWBSV28-kt07pFWgDgtNBFVhuwpFWKr8u3oojqkcRVSBLP30/s559/John%20Metcalf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="430" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8zZuAI8Ms_YTYiiDn6hCeSvjXqi1FXbWWxhYbkYctcCMpgRqKGsf5csIhCI_QU9VWOxAo0TqD51F6ZerzwkJ7niyriMcS8d-HcaulFXCh91qhaHbarUfuFzZEjWVG1XuB3GbAeDOkBAJWBSV28-kt07pFWgDgtNBFVhuwpFWKr8u3oojqkcRVSBLP30/w319-h415/John%20Metcalf.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div><p>This past Saturday, I joined a pubfull of people – yes, a pubfull – in downtown Ottawa to celebrate John Metcalf's 85th birthday. It was a glorious event with David O'Meara serving as host and Biblioasis publisher Dan Wells as MC. The fête began with Lisa Alward reading from 'Cocktail,' the title story of <a href="https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/fiction/short-fiction/cocktail/" target="_blank">her newly published debut collection</a>. Mark Anthony Jarman followed with 'Burn Man on a Texas Porch' from <a href="https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/fiction/short-fiction/burn-man-selected-stories/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Burn Man: Selected Stories</a>, also newly published. We were then treated to two passages from 'A Pearl of Great Price,' a new story by the man himself.</p><p>'Happy Birthday' was sung. There was cake!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbdsUjqKCOelTNwGi5-zG6gsn8eZVUopjZCArB2bidj-tNT70mArrMBLPogYo3Bh9kCKdD13jYsU4Oi-BqfNTiltBQs81oVoIlZ6PKP4tr-Khs1jVCOPI_nS9-yXwr49c7MlIEPwW-hcBTI142qJR4TErZG1UdwFDNNqTdSTAVBfTTUlATPwZh3J-B4g/s600/John%20Metcalf%20birthday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbdsUjqKCOelTNwGi5-zG6gsn8eZVUopjZCArB2bidj-tNT70mArrMBLPogYo3Bh9kCKdD13jYsU4Oi-BqfNTiltBQs81oVoIlZ6PKP4tr-Khs1jVCOPI_nS9-yXwr49c7MlIEPwW-hcBTI142qJR4TErZG1UdwFDNNqTdSTAVBfTTUlATPwZh3J-B4g/s320/John%20Metcalf%20birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>What with Covid and geography, it had been some time since I'd last seen John Metcalf. I brought <i><a href="https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/fiction/museum-end-world/" target="_blank">The Museum at the End of the World</a></i> (2016) and <i><a href="https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/non-fiction/literary-criticism/the-worst-truth/" target="_blank">The Worst Truth</a></i> (2022) for him to sign. The latter is a 61-page review of David Staines' <i>A History of Canadian Fiction</i>, a book I myself had read for the <i>Dorchester Review</i>. <a href="https://www.dorchesterreview.ca/blogs/news/what-is-a-canadian-fiction?_pos=1&_sid=0963bd0c0&_ss=r" target="_blank">'What Is A Canadian Fiction?'</a>, the title of my much shorter review<i> </i>is a nod to John's <i>What Is A Canadian Literature </i>(1988).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j6tUtbpKo8oWqsXk695_LajfW9TrVK0m51Cbq2zepFCbFhADgv9A_sMqSMGMvFKJ_PkRTloutP2Pnde5lW3o_ZjgKSU3YG6NT87MWw6uzhZjAe_uQppD1gP0ZfWVV2b0wZCLsTwfg_jRrauNWgdwodASXv4WRittR-w3HiGeF7WOViN1gi9RTii8fnk/s898/What%20is%20a%20Canadian%20Fiction%3F.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="639" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7j6tUtbpKo8oWqsXk695_LajfW9TrVK0m51Cbq2zepFCbFhADgv9A_sMqSMGMvFKJ_PkRTloutP2Pnde5lW3o_ZjgKSU3YG6NT87MWw6uzhZjAe_uQppD1gP0ZfWVV2b0wZCLsTwfg_jRrauNWgdwodASXv4WRittR-w3HiGeF7WOViN1gi9RTii8fnk/w310-h435/What%20is%20a%20Canadian%20Fiction%3F.png" width="310" /></a></div><div><br />We exchanged observations and opinions as members of a very small number who had actually read Prof Staines' latest.</div><div><br /></div><div>At $126.95, I don't expect I'll meet another. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqZSCuARf9fyz40r3fRRCWaG1d8c-geogDeh_I4Aazfx95aGL7n9HQN92Ad5yLP-DDp-ctcm8_W33GFoE_KqosGZR8UarKJv-wNxkJJhulijzT5ukBbJlUEguYOt8CUxgGOUgXTzPFJG1OvSq44nf2a22UuHoS9OGb-z9ERWhSmFj67lPtiNhnmM2Rig/s600/A%20Pearl%20of%20Great%20Price%20Metcalf%20.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqZSCuARf9fyz40r3fRRCWaG1d8c-geogDeh_I4Aazfx95aGL7n9HQN92Ad5yLP-DDp-ctcm8_W33GFoE_KqosGZR8UarKJv-wNxkJJhulijzT5ukBbJlUEguYOt8CUxgGOUgXTzPFJG1OvSq44nf2a22UuHoS9OGb-z9ERWhSmFj67lPtiNhnmM2Rig/s320/A%20Pearl%20of%20Great%20Price%20Metcalf%20.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Worst Truth: Regarding </i>A History of Canadian Fiction<i> by David Staines</i> can be purchased for eight dollars through <a href="https://www.biblioasis.com/shop/non-fiction/literary-criticism/the-worst-truth/" target="_blank">this link</a>. 'A Pearl of Great Price' is now available as the ninth number in the Biblioasis Short Fiction Series. Limited to one hundred numbered and signed copies, it is a thing of uncommon beauty.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:<br /></span></b><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-is-canadian-fiction.html" target="_blank">What Is A Canadian Fiction?</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-23047017342956635032023-11-20T06:30:00.927-05:002023-11-20T20:02:55.210-05:00An Alvin Schwartz Cover Cavalcade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GsO1WnL2uNYhISLeK6SOgx2bnKx-zcGJDybEL3brqvIE5gj12BOt5Yby1xu2zlMZ8gzm21r3ZrAcp6JNGzCamZAojKQCW8UX-HSXSwzeZ8hhx6ZV0Iq5EdSZi1ngQoqwbnXTgTZP2eyXtGKbjgGZZlI6onoRlFO1JBNgpDwE6MIBgVsZ3uTKyeqDUZM/s900/The%20Blowtop%20Alvin%20Schwartz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="592" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GsO1WnL2uNYhISLeK6SOgx2bnKx-zcGJDybEL3brqvIE5gj12BOt5Yby1xu2zlMZ8gzm21r3ZrAcp6JNGzCamZAojKQCW8UX-HSXSwzeZ8hhx6ZV0Iq5EdSZi1ngQoqwbnXTgTZP2eyXtGKbjgGZZlI6onoRlFO1JBNgpDwE6MIBgVsZ3uTKyeqDUZM/w305-h464/The%20Blowtop%20Alvin%20Schwartz.png" width="305" /></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A follow-up to <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/11/dick-tricks-chicks-into-hot-pix.html" target="_blank">last week's post on <i>Hot Star</i></a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>Alvin Schwartz's debut novel, <i>The Blowtop</i>, was published in 1946 by Dial Press. It followed dozens of shorter works, including: "His Lordship's Double" (<i>Batman</i> #21), "Superman's Search for Clark Kent" (<i>Superman</i> #32), "The Toughest School in the World" (<i>Superboy</i> #10), and at least eight comic romance stories titled "A Date With Judy" (<i>A Date With Judy</i> #1-3).</div><div><br />I've not read <i>The Blowtop</i>, but it sounds right up my alley:<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicio-VuQe3ZNQicQGlmbWff3WM139hTA3IKusErMoAT9JgR7uz62LbQRvDoroazXOpTaxXbq2lfwQPdkbDQzoEVtV2J0kgyRPzl77tpjVSVPNQuyY5TJK4XfTum3KstvfFPfMxipnmUFQ1h3DBw1fwM-cRXiDbUHaSPYMEwAz915uVuRP5IDpkKOqmQWE/s900/The%20Blowtop%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="436" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicio-VuQe3ZNQicQGlmbWff3WM139hTA3IKusErMoAT9JgR7uz62LbQRvDoroazXOpTaxXbq2lfwQPdkbDQzoEVtV2J0kgyRPzl77tpjVSVPNQuyY5TJK4XfTum3KstvfFPfMxipnmUFQ1h3DBw1fwM-cRXiDbUHaSPYMEwAz915uVuRP5IDpkKOqmQWE/w220-h454/The%20Blowtop%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpeg" width="220" /></a></div><div><br /><i>Le Cinglé</i>, its French translation, was a bestseller overseas.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDemeTVs4gmpUMCVQ1eyIFehpufb_8GZxY8SNHiG1C1-ZY4L9kcOOyrwGEtC3l79D9qBuVKt9HZAfGFFts6bFR4_-gM7odl5wVldlgs_DlZMquOwJTF7IzD31edHyMlSvu5kj9BUZEek_BcWs-FZVbS9WDm-ISxtLHL0_MV_mZTeA2WBYeyrWqB9fTrhw/s344/Le%20Cingle.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDemeTVs4gmpUMCVQ1eyIFehpufb_8GZxY8SNHiG1C1-ZY4L9kcOOyrwGEtC3l79D9qBuVKt9HZAfGFFts6bFR4_-gM7odl5wVldlgs_DlZMquOwJTF7IzD31edHyMlSvu5kj9BUZEek_BcWs-FZVbS9WDm-ISxtLHL0_MV_mZTeA2WBYeyrWqB9fTrhw/s16000/Le%20Cingle.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><i>Le Cinglé</i><br />Paris: L'élan, 1950</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Schwartz wrote or co-wrote six other novels, all of which were issued as "Sophisticates" by Arco, a publisher previously known for <i>The Handy Manual of House Care and Repair</i> (1949) and <i>How to Win Prize Contests</i> (1950). I've read and written about a couple of Schwartz's Sophisticates, <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" target="_blank">Touchable</a></i> and <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/11/dick-tricks-chicks-into-hot-pix.html" target="_blank">Hot Star</a></i>, but I'm not sure I'll bother with the others. They're becoming increasingly rare, increasingly expensive, and... well, truth be told, those I have tackled haven't been terribly interesting. To be frank, I'd much rather read "The Superwoman of Metropolis!", which Schwartz wrote for <i>Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane</i> #8. </div><div><br />Do not be fooled by the publisher's descriptions, Arco Sophisticates promise much more than they deliver: </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDimfRp9Ak0NiHzgGS1_KhI5X6G-cvLfJ3-WWlC8cLAHkN5p4TAwYpxbcYbed3olc_9LgdMNFyO-NI2lgi4F5Kz4LZAlWVdfejiGJUR69ThfOBrYSwvv7i4EyBAJrmYvT5Ln8IlWd6fwC_mXjwyclu0e4-bcdYcTcpx8znwN4gyeGNSOikizent5i_5zc/s336/Sinful%20Daughter%20Jack%20Wooford%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDimfRp9Ak0NiHzgGS1_KhI5X6G-cvLfJ3-WWlC8cLAHkN5p4TAwYpxbcYbed3olc_9LgdMNFyO-NI2lgi4F5Kz4LZAlWVdfejiGJUR69ThfOBrYSwvv7i4EyBAJrmYvT5Ln8IlWd6fwC_mXjwyclu0e4-bcdYcTcpx8znwN4gyeGNSOikizent5i_5zc/s16000/Sinful%20Daughter%20Jack%20Wooford%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sinful Daughter</i><br />New York: Arco, 1951</td></tr></tbody></table><div><blockquote>SINFUL DAUGHTER is <i>different</i>, unlike any book Jack Woodford has ever written. Sabra is the daughter who tries to tear herself away from her mother's wickedness because she fears her own weakness and voluptuous nature. Reared amid scenes of splendor and debauchery, she has never succumbed to temptation. To avoid trouble she submerges herself in mediocrity and through error finally discovers the right way of life for her. A very exciting book.</blockquote></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY9GOxeoyNDbWd2Zo13QsxWPG6iLbSvmHwGMhZZj9wUt20GuK-fW5TXkOhiO9ja69GTJ_6oy3taePiXjqOpWBBFP5EIdIjM1g5GNm8qrjMFn844cfJ2TlyNunb1uQfeQxa9_Gpz10PC6lQY9JWlQ8Uj3ivYKOuHmPZLg9cPFhWkHu03QTFAVx1h7tuzA/s329/alvin%20schwatrz%20touchable.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY9GOxeoyNDbWd2Zo13QsxWPG6iLbSvmHwGMhZZj9wUt20GuK-fW5TXkOhiO9ja69GTJ_6oy3taePiXjqOpWBBFP5EIdIjM1g5GNm8qrjMFn844cfJ2TlyNunb1uQfeQxa9_Gpz10PC6lQY9JWlQ8Uj3ivYKOuHmPZLg9cPFhWkHu03QTFAVx1h7tuzA/s16000/alvin%20schwatrz%20touchable.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" target="_blank">Touchable</a></i><br />New York: Arco, 1951</td></tr></tbody></table><div><blockquote>From young Arch Rader, Ruth learned of passion. From Blackie Dawson she learned of love. From Mike, the bartender, she learned of bestial lust, and its unexplainable allure. From Tony, the lesbian, she learned of the strange, exotic, frightening fasination of abnormal relations. From Bruno she learned the utter depths of degradation. And from Clare, she learned the terror, the hopeless despair of dope. And at the last, out of this <i>inferno</i>, which had her helpess in its grip, she learned the possibility of redemption... from herself.</blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr02tvu0NEnqvFteXhDXmQ3Wx7S11eWTkaQfFbdbeHEhvYCrONOY_idaHEkDktENTkscWnBi1yEZAQ7i3-4kS-ciaHIpMEK9VzNlNS19O-ALauVdgWRYAOesAONpu_E4skJSyXToNSnDkVREAAnG7szywUdIa9Til5DvMDZxi0ipfxPhgm6qux91-YnQ/s327/City%20Girl%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikr02tvu0NEnqvFteXhDXmQ3Wx7S11eWTkaQfFbdbeHEhvYCrONOY_idaHEkDktENTkscWnBi1yEZAQ7i3-4kS-ciaHIpMEK9VzNlNS19O-ALauVdgWRYAOesAONpu_E4skJSyXToNSnDkVREAAnG7szywUdIa9Til5DvMDZxi0ipfxPhgm6qux91-YnQ/s320/City%20Girl%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>City Girl</i><br />New York: Arco, 1951</td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote>You may know a number of girls in the city, but you've never met anyone like Clio Haven. Never, that is, unless you travelled with the bootlegging set of Prohibition Chicago. Clio was a bootlegger's girl; bootlegging was Clio's security. Then in walked Bob, Logan, and half the Chicago police force to help her change her mind. it would make any girl wonder if it's safe to be desirable.</blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><p></p></div></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dBgbV8r1XEeTP_IqAeR-wFij3pxjYl10GGdsHbA3BKgX-eHWUxGU6dQ59RbV_OsaV1OPXhrUGK9ncrh3NuUaloAQMwMWmtMdZWHZK7Ns2ThHjMpzd4VwUMGy1XqObBTCAmeaiYX98O1hZ7VuGF2CFz7prc2PsDG-qoGj-BsBVuFhdz9TLNQLJORHLEg/s310/Sword%20of%20Desire%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="219" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dBgbV8r1XEeTP_IqAeR-wFij3pxjYl10GGdsHbA3BKgX-eHWUxGU6dQ59RbV_OsaV1OPXhrUGK9ncrh3NuUaloAQMwMWmtMdZWHZK7Ns2ThHjMpzd4VwUMGy1XqObBTCAmeaiYX98O1hZ7VuGF2CFz7prc2PsDG-qoGj-BsBVuFhdz9TLNQLJORHLEg/s1600/Sword%20of%20Desire%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sword of Desire</i><br />New York: Arco, 1952</td></tr></tbody></table><div><blockquote>Big City corruption and gambling successfully withstand a Senate Committee investigation, until psychiatrist Dr. Varesi's mysterious power works to reveal the secrets of the women involved. The ironic result is as unusual as it is intriguing.</blockquote></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20xwz7lANG99s2Gjf1H00uk-dqPbc_N9Eyrpdc_P8tbbKgcW0zu2krj5jGWKPbLWCxwqKFB0Q-VGp-zhhqxvDIYCDcPU2aHeSUZpQXA0_Qou4JqqrvItJ1zcf1hOWnGYGr5huYny2yb2eOnAx_z3HNLGBhNQhWT3i7GcT9isWZYX85JFFgQ0LD4-gtIk/s330/Hot%20Star%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20xwz7lANG99s2Gjf1H00uk-dqPbc_N9Eyrpdc_P8tbbKgcW0zu2krj5jGWKPbLWCxwqKFB0Q-VGp-zhhqxvDIYCDcPU2aHeSUZpQXA0_Qou4JqqrvItJ1zcf1hOWnGYGr5huYny2yb2eOnAx_z3HNLGBhNQhWT3i7GcT9isWZYX85JFFgQ0LD4-gtIk/s16000/Hot%20Star%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/11/dick-tricks-chicks-into-hot-pix.html" target="_blank">Hot Star</a></i><br />New York: Arco, 1952</td></tr></tbody></table><div><blockquote>Maybe the thing that happened to Betty Frenck could happen to any young actress. She became a star of illegitimate pictures; became, too, a creature of desire and passion, caught in the magical spell of Director Perepoint's talent, and a victim of Producer Kern's contempt for all women. Whatever your opinion of her, you're sure to agree that there's never been a HOT STAR like Betty, either in or out of pictures. </blockquote></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoOa_KcCBXEtDdW_6nXTj4HzzOcLih9ynyRfM3-evEP1_EXE-1GIA54Q55-uiKLRbme0aZsYZqj31jta7vwXgfhGtpzdlE5xPuSlGSscMrBqyqRljGecUf_y9VsSiKDVn5d8C9psrzPBqTIcvjyXreZqHGM8U0EhT5-843tczgLjLeUPJ4yZudXpkm2k/s343/Man%20Maid%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoOa_KcCBXEtDdW_6nXTj4HzzOcLih9ynyRfM3-evEP1_EXE-1GIA54Q55-uiKLRbme0aZsYZqj31jta7vwXgfhGtpzdlE5xPuSlGSscMrBqyqRljGecUf_y9VsSiKDVn5d8C9psrzPBqTIcvjyXreZqHGM8U0EhT5-843tczgLjLeUPJ4yZudXpkm2k/s16000/Man%20Maid%20Robert%20W%20Tracy.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Man Made</i><br />New York: Arco, 1952</td></tr></tbody></table><div><i>Man Maid</i> is a bit of a mystery; all I've ever seen is its cover. <br /><br />I like to think that Alvin Schwartz made good money with Arco, but have my doubts. Late in life, he wrote two memoirs, of a kind, which may or may not support my skepticism. The first, <i>An Unlikely Prophet</i>, went through two editions. Originally self-published, the second edition replaces the subtitle and cover to emphasise his work with DC.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw5lER5y07nAsUcfBBbja7tKwcEoRyDKn_q5kTc-DwXItB9MVJTDZU8TbdkGWq3lBVcYwxtUQiVFJMYatqxSigZqHlx3MsuDlUC4RO1-DfYIQiVhWq9ycyoODsjQU4W9vbca8225Lo7gjAM2Lr0vYvkIk1rmU3TqeLluoHrNu16UrKGyMof6ikgrzmwI/s740/Unlikely%20Prophet.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="740" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw5lER5y07nAsUcfBBbja7tKwcEoRyDKn_q5kTc-DwXItB9MVJTDZU8TbdkGWq3lBVcYwxtUQiVFJMYatqxSigZqHlx3MsuDlUC4RO1-DfYIQiVhWq9ycyoODsjQU4W9vbca8225Lo7gjAM2Lr0vYvkIk1rmU3TqeLluoHrNu16UrKGyMof6ikgrzmwI/s320/Unlikely%20Prophet.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An Unlikely Prophet: Revelations on the Path Without Form</i><br />[np]: Divina, 1997<br /><i>An Unlikely Prophet:<br />A Metaphysical Memoir by the Legendary Writer of Superman and Batman</i><br />Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2006</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i>A Gathering of Selves: The Spiritual Journey of the Legendary Writer of Superman and Batman</i> (Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2006) was his last published work.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM9fEPOo7DdKI-7O8vrVOzpIdvjVWpaKsTJXigDO8fBJqPBhEpWeb9xHakMA4Cak_c7-RMsaLLQOctcpN-AaYXyp3xsPCt0ih9KGgu2m3ztKJVllZJWhi4lCMmow9v915cUXh19v50BxlInhmNwUlt8I3ZhM1X2P-QlJe-C4NngV73GBZYUI6eEZcv6c/s329/A%20Gathering%20of%20Selves.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM9fEPOo7DdKI-7O8vrVOzpIdvjVWpaKsTJXigDO8fBJqPBhEpWeb9xHakMA4Cak_c7-RMsaLLQOctcpN-AaYXyp3xsPCt0ih9KGgu2m3ztKJVllZJWhi4lCMmow9v915cUXh19v50BxlInhmNwUlt8I3ZhM1X2P-QlJe-C4NngV73GBZYUI6eEZcv6c/s320/A%20Gathering%20of%20Selves.png" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Alvin Schwartz died five years later. By all accounts, he left this world from his Chesterville home, roughly fifty kilometres southeast of downtown Ottawa. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJORpf3vbOGjuNHXqCDXrmD39kM8p-6sEFhh8nd6XZL3zFdXllxTh2LCXuocjtvMJPadnUQmq5kAnFQlkm7nMi72o0j7TB3bqYszfq4Oe9QiNtAc-8MIXN4bpGtiDaScDanIcBn3lVcGbHOLJfM2pU-Jgxh0NBwQ9uyjTKM8nDnNkVJkZy99qZALV4G8/s457/Alvin%20Schwartz.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="371" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJORpf3vbOGjuNHXqCDXrmD39kM8p-6sEFhh8nd6XZL3zFdXllxTh2LCXuocjtvMJPadnUQmq5kAnFQlkm7nMi72o0j7TB3bqYszfq4Oe9QiNtAc-8MIXN4bpGtiDaScDanIcBn3lVcGbHOLJfM2pU-Jgxh0NBwQ9uyjTKM8nDnNkVJkZy99qZALV4G8/s320/Alvin%20Schwartz.jpeg" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span>Alvin Schwartz<br />17 November 1919, New York, New York<br />28 October 2011, Chesterville, Ontario<br />RIP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div>Who am I kidding.<br /><br />Researching this piece, I happened upon a Minnesota bookseller who was selling a lot of twelve "erotic" books at a price that amounts to fifteen dollars apiece. <i>Sword of Desire</i> and <i>Man Maid</i> were two of the twelve.<br /><br />I bought the twelve for those two.<br /><br />You knew I would.<br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sexy Stuff from Bizarro Superman's Creator</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/11/dick-tricks-chicks-into-hot-pix.html" target="_blank">Dick Tricks Chicks Into Hot Pix!</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-3740040476279348322023-11-13T06:30:00.912-05:002023-11-15T14:08:51.081-05:00Dick Tricks Chicks Into Hot Pix!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxktlNBoxRiajB8BR2PyRBTYftyk6SRCR9KIMVSk5bxdr3r5_HcQUKigZx4xwlLnc4K2MpEa66M5Xfk1PczFCEkC_b6NZ7AT9cMg1_cHt7bM6_AVymiBWqhAHga7jtSIpKfGGmDPzd0aHL1O_oKJqhJDMoB81iN_KP2Jm1s_qJT_rYYF0bJmzw3m4SN4/s900/Hot%20Star%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="623" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxktlNBoxRiajB8BR2PyRBTYftyk6SRCR9KIMVSk5bxdr3r5_HcQUKigZx4xwlLnc4K2MpEa66M5Xfk1PczFCEkC_b6NZ7AT9cMg1_cHt7bM6_AVymiBWqhAHga7jtSIpKfGGmDPzd0aHL1O_oKJqhJDMoB81iN_KP2Jm1s_qJT_rYYF0bJmzw3m4SN4/w304-h438/Hot%20Star%20Alvin%20Schwartz%202.jpeg" width="304" /></a></div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Hot Star</i><br />Robert W. Tracy [Alvin Schwartz]<br />New York: Arco, 1952<br />179 pages</span></b><br /><br />Betty and Bob's honeymoon was a disaster, but don't blame the bride. Bob had been burned – their nuptial room didn't even feature a bath – yet he couldn't bring himself to complain to the front desk. The clerk had spotted him as a virgin, and Bob wasn't about to subject himself to further humiliation. Betty too had been a virgin. She'd imagined their wedding night as one of romance, sensuality, and tender passion, only to have her groom become a pouty, demanding man-child:</p><p></p><blockquote>"I thought when we talked it over you understood – that a man's got to... Oh why can't you be sensible about it, Betty? You – you act as though I'm not your husband. Haven't I got a right after all this waiting? What are you trying to do – torture me more?</blockquote>There would be no dinner, no dancing, and no time to change into something more comfortable.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWrGcFO94OzLg5W7HF8Iv5OFWsszxAizFaB7PPSRnQ1DAJ-xOJMQC450WuG9KEUDGp2WCsH-zPdYwDna9grkc-RGBQZ8YcxmEj8IzC7oosLo9WThqdBvsva-X5BR8bTFcXCtSI8sPxGjc8KelhuuNZT60hVu2R22teNvd0iimuxOC6g2slRAzEGKEGFs/s600/Arco%20Sophisticate.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWrGcFO94OzLg5W7HF8Iv5OFWsszxAizFaB7PPSRnQ1DAJ-xOJMQC450WuG9KEUDGp2WCsH-zPdYwDna9grkc-RGBQZ8YcxmEj8IzC7oosLo9WThqdBvsva-X5BR8bTFcXCtSI8sPxGjc8KelhuuNZT60hVu2R22teNvd0iimuxOC6g2slRAzEGKEGFs/s320/Arco%20Sophisticate.jpeg" width="181" /></a></div>Flash forward two weeks. The couple are still married, if not entirely happily. Bob works the assembly line at the Ross Machinery Company, while Betty spends her days keeping their tiny rented home. Her nights are spent warding off Bob's advances – often unsuccessfully – "wondering if that was all sex was; something for a <i>man</i> to enjoy."<br /><br />Betty's dreams of becoming a professional actress make life somewhat bearable – what's more, it gets her out of the house. Cast as the lead in a community theatre production of <i>Anna</i>, a drama about a boozy floozy, she researches the role by pulling up a stool at a local bar. Lest anything go wrong, Bob sits in the adjoining dining room.<p></p><p>A handsome man in brown gaberdine topcoat buys Betty a highball. Betty is certain he's trying to pick her up, until he introduces himself as Carl Perepoint, a director at Experimental Motion Picture Studios: "You don't mean you are interested in me as-as – Oh, no! I can't believe it."<br /><br />In fact, Perepoint <i>was</i> trying to pick her up, but Betty's mention of nearby Bob put an end to that.<br /><br />And what of Bob? What is his dream? Well, he hopes to one day leave the assembly line for a career as a comic strip artist. If anything, this is an even more uncommon occupation than professional actress, but it would've been familiar to Alvin Schwartz, who between 1942 and 1959 wrote for DC Comics. Bizarro Superman was one of his creations.</p><p>I make a point in mentioning this because the introduction of Perepoint propels <i>Hot Star</i> along a path in which we find tropes belonging to comics' Golden Age. Consider Experimental Motion Picture Studios, which is located in a failed amusement park and is owned by a mysterious crime syndicate.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-_blfWce0G_8GcmXKMV2yADxFIKHIIwlaly4LTg4WP5JWDv4MKiMR2hbW7vc6yLAmPgNUOc03ROeKQrq6QErBzNk7mkYixxt5J7zdT8KHGJ1v2G2glkv1Xom6MEyd_6MUv-AYcOhpBnVmuaVBQclVeM7RBswvhyphenhypheniVJe51a_vGMmIaprOvsmlZ155cLo/s784/Hot%20Star%20Robert%20W%20Tracey%20Arco.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="784" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-_blfWce0G_8GcmXKMV2yADxFIKHIIwlaly4LTg4WP5JWDv4MKiMR2hbW7vc6yLAmPgNUOc03ROeKQrq6QErBzNk7mkYixxt5J7zdT8KHGJ1v2G2glkv1Xom6MEyd_6MUv-AYcOhpBnVmuaVBQclVeM7RBswvhyphenhypheniVJe51a_vGMmIaprOvsmlZ155cLo/w382-h292/Hot%20Star%20Robert%20W%20Tracey%20Arco.jpeg" width="382" /></a></div><p>Perepoint would have Betty believe that Experimental is just that – experimental – and is the latest venture of an unnamed Hollywood studio. He takes advantage of the newlywed's naïveté to score footage of her in the flesh, assuring the actress that that this "professional screen test" is an industry standard: "It's very simple Betty... Before we invest money in a girl, we must know her figure as an artist would know it."</p><p><i>Hot Star</i> isn't exactly hot stuff, but then no Arco Sophisticate is. Ellipses serve to suggest.<br /><br />Perepoint provides Betty with coffee and cigarettes spiked with a drug that promotes sexual arousal. As the it takes effect, he puts on a record, <i>Festival of Aphrodite</i>, and Betty strips.<br /><br />The girl can't help it.<br /><br />From this point on, Betty acts as a Pavlovian bitch, becoming aroused whenever the music plays. <br /><br />Remove the sex and drugs from these dance scenes and you have an ideal tale for <i><a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Superman%27s_Girl_Friend,_Lois_Lane_Vol_1" target="_blank">Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane</a></i>. A better story, buried within the early chapters, involves Frank Legault, who works the assembly line beside Bob: "He was a powerfully built, blond young man of thirty-one and, despite he handicap of his artificial legs, could stand up at a bench or drilling press for hours."<br /><br />Frank lost his lower limbs in the war. He peddles pornographic photos on the side and has started screening spicy films at the local union hall with the goal of earning enough money to open a small novelty store. His wife wants to help, but her vision is failing. She's learning Braille.</p><p>Frank's is not as sophisticated a story as Betty and Bob's, but isn't it the one you'd rather read? Is it not more real?</p><p>I've always preferred Earth-One to Bizarro World.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti4wme0g1SH3plYAxBBbra0Qe4WfFmSpx4pioqHO-AGnP2m1U_rWHHaNvPg74JT37CAGLzYP8Lprcw8CmEDXtp0Vjv1kABMweliWgVRtCl5NBMql4TZn8Rh5HToy68FbEUjFBLbil_pwM-HxcsFKWppuntnen545E8fK7w3pl6iIW5r66_zhYUioFHj4/s600/Hot%20Star%20Robert%20W%20Tracey%20Arco%20ad.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="402" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti4wme0g1SH3plYAxBBbra0Qe4WfFmSpx4pioqHO-AGnP2m1U_rWHHaNvPg74JT37CAGLzYP8Lprcw8CmEDXtp0Vjv1kABMweliWgVRtCl5NBMql4TZn8Rh5HToy68FbEUjFBLbil_pwM-HxcsFKWppuntnen545E8fK7w3pl6iIW5r66_zhYUioFHj4/w262-h392/Hot%20Star%20Robert%20W%20Tracey%20Arco%20ad.jpeg" width="262" /></a></div><p><br /><span><b style="color: #990000;">Favourite passage: </b>Questions regarding punctuation, capitalization, and more are best left addressed to the Arco editor. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>He told her that he was going to star her in an adaptation of the Madame Bovary classic, with emphasis on nude love scenes. "especially that scene in the garden where Madame Bovary keeps a tryst with her new lover, while her husband is asleep inside. How does that appeal to you Betty?"<br /> "I've always wanted to play Madame Bovary," she said.</blockquote></div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Trivia:</span></b> Though <i>Hot Star</i> was published sixteen years before Alvin Schwartz left the United States for Canada, there is Canadian content. The second night of Betty and Bob's honeymoon takes place in Montreal: <br /></p><blockquote>Their so awfully disappointing second night, when they drank wine, and Bob, instead of becoming an exciting lover under its influence, only became silly and had burst out laughing even while he... until what might have been glorious fulfillment to their romance had become a joke... on her. This stranger, or that Frenchman, she felt sure, would have made her feel... feel.... </blockquote><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object:</span></b> Cheap paper bound in sturdy yellow boards. The novel proper is followed by nine pages of adverts for other Arco titles, beginning with <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" target="_blank">Touchable</a></i> (1951), co-written by Schwartz and </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIREKzNHKlG6iZyhmTpCLFY6WtF2wuKlV_9dv5si3GhWDZCUVL6Q9ZbkHYQGTtgw2zDhlUne1TAV60saQb-dVd5l_gMFizoQMLafNVgbcerj1Sdy9IgEa4DaGysO_VILOTqsFkggEKR30EvSvNGKahofr_y4Cvh8IjZR0K679ZRilVtOX1hbfGtnwR9hc/s900/Arco%20sophisticates.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="581" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIREKzNHKlG6iZyhmTpCLFY6WtF2wuKlV_9dv5si3GhWDZCUVL6Q9ZbkHYQGTtgw2zDhlUne1TAV60saQb-dVd5l_gMFizoQMLafNVgbcerj1Sdy9IgEa4DaGysO_VILOTqsFkggEKR30EvSvNGKahofr_y4Cvh8IjZR0K679ZRilVtOX1hbfGtnwR9hc/w252-h389/Arco%20sophisticates.jpeg" width="252" /></a></div><p><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Access:</b></span><b> </b>One copy is listed for sale online; at US$15.00, it's a steal. Evidence suggests that not even Library and Archives Canada has a copy.<br /><br />Go get it!<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related post:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/12/sexy-stuff-from-bizarro-supermans.html?m=0" target="_blank">Sexy Stuff from Bizarro Superman's Creator</a></div><p></p>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-80234988989600140392023-11-11T11:00:00.310-05:002023-11-11T11:00:00.134-05:00Remembrance Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMmbeknh4ePeOCEau439J5np8AUEYPCOv3ePuWm4TOEJX2OYzdgmjzZWMw8oXVxED3KFty3UzYuV7JjjgcZIdkYF2yDLafXw5YXhZaQndb0Oducv3pbk1R9EnNgC4oUD64jD5_kXYZ4HQiLXEXoVaO3yBPE7vnxX0s_iLv32ehH0l1KeBfdgI7lnM36U/s600/Daniel%20Isaac%20Vernon%20Eaton%20Great%20War.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="491" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMmbeknh4ePeOCEau439J5np8AUEYPCOv3ePuWm4TOEJX2OYzdgmjzZWMw8oXVxED3KFty3UzYuV7JjjgcZIdkYF2yDLafXw5YXhZaQndb0Oducv3pbk1R9EnNgC4oUD64jD5_kXYZ4HQiLXEXoVaO3yBPE7vnxX0s_iLv32ehH0l1KeBfdgI7lnM36U/w340-h415/Daniel%20Isaac%20Vernon%20Eaton%20Great%20War.png" width="340" /></a></div><p>Daniel Issac Vernon Eaton was the father of novelist Evelyn Eaton, whose 1940 international bestseller <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/04/a-very-acadian-scandal.html" target="_blank">Quietly My Captain Waits</a></i> was reviewed here this past April. Known as Vernon, he was born on 19 September 1869 at Salmon River, Nova Scotia. Eaton was a civil engineer, surveyor, typographer, and geologist, but believed military service to be his true calling. At twenty-six, he left a good position at the Geological Survey of Canada for a career as a soldier. Eaton served in the South African War and the Great War, during which he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwPlJmL7SW6NXr6wKzuEzFHG0YP7bmEZ5Rlki6u3gLKVIJnZ_gZ6pyziQNww1K_XkTHJiZ8Szfaz93fmjs9hXoiL-0NAJiRmNPSKE99JTWgtVrpCWO8_6kr3pY2sZliMzbTPnAU9WCXUroWm9fCX7lA6DBYq5SzoJOrLTngO_K4rm1CiI5_dzH3hHSg4/s900/eaton%20attestation%20paper.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="548" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwPlJmL7SW6NXr6wKzuEzFHG0YP7bmEZ5Rlki6u3gLKVIJnZ_gZ6pyziQNww1K_XkTHJiZ8Szfaz93fmjs9hXoiL-0NAJiRmNPSKE99JTWgtVrpCWO8_6kr3pY2sZliMzbTPnAU9WCXUroWm9fCX7lA6DBYq5SzoJOrLTngO_K4rm1CiI5_dzH3hHSg4/w319-h523/eaton%20attestation%20paper.png" width="319" /></a></div><p>Records indicate that during the latter conflict his wife, Myra Eaton (née Fitz Randolph), relocated from Kingston to London. It's possible, but not certain, that daughter Evelyn was living in the Big Smoke when news was received that her father had been killed whilst preparing to take Vimy Ridge.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRorCjsclMBZtvcPTLhN962brV1IXv9vnCoFyPaAhf5tSPv5YfOPbWKfF1pAQrnWXl-ClWU2MWUW5GL5pZBD8Q4P6B_HBgGtHt_7nLhkDU389At9OIsTl7jJ9X6QjXpzuYLYqKVfg7H55P87YUj5UKQ5FrDKQBKMZhwUyjuGDhm73lUolc67ErNWzFCw/s752/Vernon%20Eaton%20casulaty%20record.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="752" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRorCjsclMBZtvcPTLhN962brV1IXv9vnCoFyPaAhf5tSPv5YfOPbWKfF1pAQrnWXl-ClWU2MWUW5GL5pZBD8Q4P6B_HBgGtHt_7nLhkDU389At9OIsTl7jJ9X6QjXpzuYLYqKVfg7H55P87YUj5UKQ5FrDKQBKMZhwUyjuGDhm73lUolc67ErNWzFCw/s320/Vernon%20Eaton%20casulaty%20record.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/eaton_daniel_isaac_vernon_14E.html" target="_blank">Eaton's entry in the <i>Dictionary of Canadian Biography</i></a> is recommended. Written by Glenn Wright, it concludes:<br /></p><blockquote>Vernon Eaton was tall and handsome with steely grey eyes and a dark complexion. He was keenly aware of his Eaton family heritage and proudly wore a tattoo of the family crest on his right arm. Twice he was mentioned in dispatches for gallant and distinguished service in the field. In many ways he epitomizes the professional soldier in Canada in the period from the 1890s to World War I. With opportunities for training and for active service, Eaton carved out a promising career for himself as an experienced artillery officer of the first rank, only to lose his life on the eve of Canada’s greatest military achievement of the Great War.</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJPpeohXPTriCffEPPASHHQ1lV6433Db4DgEKhAeLAhB238KaZpvA8tyhCOP0dtGB3E2PAwQT3Kr7Ls3Nl7yvJQ4IRrQkgSOtLMzRMdgMNOcvzUWq7mt20mXLxKwoI3AdPTaETd6elto7r8EIDG0Q541tNyY7fWHWhsLoAg_paXCVTeYMx91RiKaz0Nk/s600/Eaton%20family%20crest.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="465" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJPpeohXPTriCffEPPASHHQ1lV6433Db4DgEKhAeLAhB238KaZpvA8tyhCOP0dtGB3E2PAwQT3Kr7Ls3Nl7yvJQ4IRrQkgSOtLMzRMdgMNOcvzUWq7mt20mXLxKwoI3AdPTaETd6elto7r8EIDG0Q541tNyY7fWHWhsLoAg_paXCVTeYMx91RiKaz0Nk/w201-h259/Eaton%20family%20crest.png" width="201" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Daniel Issac Vernon Eaton</div><div style="text-align: center;">19 September 1869, Salmon River, Nova Scotia, Canada</div><div style="text-align: center;">11 April 1917, Vimy Ridge, France</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">RIP</div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:<br /><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/11/remembrance-day.html" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2022<br />Henry Hutton Scott</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/11/remembering-calvin-dale-williamson.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2021<br />Remembering Calvin Dale Williamson</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2020</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">"He Sleeps in Flanders"</a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 1019</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">"In Flanders Now"</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2018</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Edward Maurice Busby and William Horace Humphreys</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/11/a-poet-remembers-fallen-great-war-poets.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2017</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/11/a-poet-remembers-fallen-great-war-poets.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Poet Remembers Remembers Fallen Great War Poets</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-man-with-no-face.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2016</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-man-with-no-face.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Man With No Face</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-man-with-no-face.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2015</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-man-with-no-face.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">William Horace Humphreys</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2014</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Maurice John Busby</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2013</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Reverend Canon Frederick George Scott</a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2012</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'A Kiss' - Bernard Freeman Trotter</a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/11/edward-maurice-busby.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2011</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/11/edward-maurice-busby.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Edward Maurice Busby</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2010</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">'A Gun Pit' - Wyndham Lewis</a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Remembrance Day 2009</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/remembrance-day.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><i>Canadian Twilight</i> - Bernard Freeman Trotter</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div></div><p></p></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-48401495711428461132023-11-02T06:00:00.063-04:002023-11-04T19:56:27.720-04:00Abraham's Bosom and the Great Change of Life<div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTpuTTSL43iNsQX7cL6SDlk9eQrHfzYiEEbXJMvjsEY5LT6oBkg2DXIKmcXkf6eBsZUlypYmXQRyA-HkcnSN_dDoJQ2LmAlAfMJJdrjhleCHMdqxeAWrtzEFtX-ubzoTh0pTk26zj5z66_TM7Vz0PEBaLLVDtrXWKFji7oKFm0WFxSkg2Ry9iw51Cfuw/s600/Abraham's%20Bosom%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="405" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTpuTTSL43iNsQX7cL6SDlk9eQrHfzYiEEbXJMvjsEY5LT6oBkg2DXIKmcXkf6eBsZUlypYmXQRyA-HkcnSN_dDoJQ2LmAlAfMJJdrjhleCHMdqxeAWrtzEFtX-ubzoTh0pTk26zj5z66_TM7Vz0PEBaLLVDtrXWKFji7oKFm0WFxSkg2Ry9iw51Cfuw/w283-h420/Abraham's%20Bosom%202.jpeg" width="283" /></a></div></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Abraham's Bosom<br /></i>Basil King<br />New York: Harper & Brothers, 1918<br />54 pages</span></b></div><p>A short story masquerading as a novella, <i>Abraham's Bosom</i> first appeared in the March 30, 1918 edition of <i>The Saturday Evening Post</i>. Its publication nearly coincided with Germany's devastating spring offensive, which resulted in more than 862,000 Allied dead and wounded. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh_WIPZ9-3_A6j_0bKBXTIJRACxLTTvQvVQqKQTtuhIAFlLTDi3BG4_sg91n_f8JvfwsbadyZdap18Tmi9LO1aN0791UTxDlUIaP-R8Pe23B81kyr_-kjZtEm_e4RphHNhJiHElewB4FP0Zf6kfzsBQfJjkCtpl3FtpYfJ1PKMaRXB4vx5HNItR3AlFc/s794/Saturday%20Evening%20Post%20-%20March%2030,%201918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh_WIPZ9-3_A6j_0bKBXTIJRACxLTTvQvVQqKQTtuhIAFlLTDi3BG4_sg91n_f8JvfwsbadyZdap18Tmi9LO1aN0791UTxDlUIaP-R8Pe23B81kyr_-kjZtEm_e4RphHNhJiHElewB4FP0Zf6kfzsBQfJjkCtpl3FtpYfJ1PKMaRXB4vx5HNItR3AlFc/s320/Saturday%20Evening%20Post%20-%20March%2030,%201918.jpeg" width="236" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i>Abraham's Bosom</i> begins in a doctor's office. Berkley Noone, first rector of St Thomas, is told that he is suffering from the very same rare disease that had afflicted organist Ned Angel. A "near-sighted fellow with a limp," Angel had trained the choir of St Thomas for forty years – "without salary" – only to be dismissed by Noone after sharing his diagnosis.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT7Xi-kZmhDKPnHhdlPfZP7ANO2Dpp2hd925G9YgCydNW4_mIx0v0AvZTAEnmwdXijeHScorE0GbD7h2puBQp88L_nJlOx2uv7czuLU2mWfTyz5MTlWHtcMIGLgU6pCm2qCdXD2fdnR5ko0e80HE9-yuePmWjXbaIERVy1xUaMQhh7QndLEXgE-qryjs/s600/Ned%20Angel.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiT7Xi-kZmhDKPnHhdlPfZP7ANO2Dpp2hd925G9YgCydNW4_mIx0v0AvZTAEnmwdXijeHScorE0GbD7h2puBQp88L_nJlOx2uv7czuLU2mWfTyz5MTlWHtcMIGLgU6pCm2qCdXD2fdnR5ko0e80HE9-yuePmWjXbaIERVy1xUaMQhh7QndLEXgE-qryjs/s320/Ned%20Angel.png" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Abraham's Bosom</i> frontispiece.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The organist died two months later.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe-dh69_0DJss-s0t-1wRFtTTlQ1Dnz5FFomf4b0vSft46SlvyIcJrXxeOtRkV7UcSVjX9RYmLV-Ar1KL4zCdtXFGJMpQGJOsiOYs_zI0daKKwCAKQwTdhq26PVDmJqoRayTyVve7F9ClqpcSXl8d8tpfY7Fy6n8cxjORY3Us1FKymXuKcFsU43qVL6E/s600/Hunt%20Light%20of%20the%20World%20Engraving.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe-dh69_0DJss-s0t-1wRFtTTlQ1Dnz5FFomf4b0vSft46SlvyIcJrXxeOtRkV7UcSVjX9RYmLV-Ar1KL4zCdtXFGJMpQGJOsiOYs_zI0daKKwCAKQwTdhq26PVDmJqoRayTyVve7F9ClqpcSXl8d8tpfY7Fy6n8cxjORY3Us1FKymXuKcFsU43qVL6E/s320/Hunt%20Light%20of%20the%20World%20Engraving.png" width="157" /></a></div>After receiving his own diagnosis, Noone walks about the city a bit before taking to his death bed. As he lies dying, the reverend reflects upon on his marriage and children. Wife Emily hovers about, propping him up in what she insists are the most comfortable positions. Their five children, whom he considers disappointments, visit from time to time. All are present during his final moments as the reverend gazes somewhat vacantly at an engraving of his favourite painting, William Homan Hunt's <i>The Light of the World. </i>His eyes see the lantern glowing brighter and brighter until it outshines the afternoon sun.<br /><br />It takes time for Noone to recognize his passing. He'd expected an instant in which his soul would "tear its way out of his body and
he should be thrust, a naked, quivering bundle
of spiritual nerves, before angels and archangels and principalities and powers, and a
God whose first question would be that
which was put to Cain: "What hast thou
done?"<br /><br />Instead, he's met by Ned Angel.</div><div><br />As a story, <i>Abraham's Bosom</i> is much shorter than it appears. The diagnosis, wandering, and death bed scenes are brief; the better part of the book involves theological discussion as Angel sets Noone straight on things theosophical and what the reverend may expect now that he has passed through the "great change." It was followed six months later by King's far superior <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/reverend-kings-great-war-novelette.html" target="_blank">Going West</a></i>, which concerns a ghostly journey shared by German and American soldiers who have killed each another in battle. </div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9utHyt357SERrUGWHkzNW3YxtjoSfcVszh7C8pu-SyKwHaQSKHYbwM-uqO_d4T7kE7BXkOjO1sSkjmJWMigx4MRwPARUGOhhvDQ7wqbO-SjW4mWek1QKjOGwMjDtmyfkz1KkfcZY0XI12eOreHeyMn3pDz_9rQKNMLCbdfRzpEzCaZ18L_5TTQqMV6A/s856/going%20west%20basil%20king.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="856" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9utHyt357SERrUGWHkzNW3YxtjoSfcVszh7C8pu-SyKwHaQSKHYbwM-uqO_d4T7kE7BXkOjO1sSkjmJWMigx4MRwPARUGOhhvDQ7wqbO-SjW4mWek1QKjOGwMjDtmyfkz1KkfcZY0XI12eOreHeyMn3pDz_9rQKNMLCbdfRzpEzCaZ18L_5TTQqMV6A/w377-h264/going%20west%20basil%20king.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Both are products of the author's growing interest in spiritualism, sown in Flanders and other bloody fields. In this respect, he was far from alone amongst bestselling authors – Arthur Conan Doyle, for example – but he did stand out as a popular Anglican minister who challenged church doctrine. Reverend King did not believe in death, rather the continuance of life. In Reverend Noone's case, as with everyone, there is no sudden tearing of the soul from the body, rather a gentle imperceptible "great change."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUa-tRH_s5zfQUoxsbtms4jUht2goUs9XHHjU6pLPhdZ9E1_6DMBzVNFwokCFKFKi49iwJrAugs5hjSA9yHY9ecqBkaMilMgETfDivJDpWl24Vvl5-PeO17IihqFpkLGNnG00GVZTUtgZwEcGGmLV1W9jGxFcEo4Kt2pecPk8XvkNl4F7Qg3YYbPTWqc/s600/Basil%20King%20Abraham's%20Bosom%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="399" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUa-tRH_s5zfQUoxsbtms4jUht2goUs9XHHjU6pLPhdZ9E1_6DMBzVNFwokCFKFKi49iwJrAugs5hjSA9yHY9ecqBkaMilMgETfDivJDpWl24Vvl5-PeO17IihqFpkLGNnG00GVZTUtgZwEcGGmLV1W9jGxFcEo4Kt2pecPk8XvkNl4F7Qg3YYbPTWqc/w255-h383/Basil%20King%20Abraham's%20Bosom%201.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br />That term – "great change" – features three times in the text, and on the first of <i>three</i> different dust jackets Harper used to sell book (above). I suspect King himself wrote its words. Note the second paragraph:</div><div><blockquote>This story will bring Comfort and Consolation to many who are in trouble of mind about the Hereafter.</blockquote>In the Hereafter, as King believes it to be, those who have passed through this great change see things with different eyes. Berkley Noone sees his wife and children as themselves but themselves glorified:<br /><blockquote>Emily was again the dryad of their youthful days; but a dryad with ways of light and tenderness he had never known her to possess. Each of the children was bathed in the same beautifying radiance. He knew them – and yet he didn't know them. All he could affirm of them exactly was that his doubts and worryings and disappointments on account of them were past. He felt what Angel had just been telling him, that he was waking from some troubled dream on their behalf.</blockquote></div><div>Noone's familial relationships will continue. As with the soldiers in <i>Going West</i>, he will be able to visit and even communicate. </div><div><br /></div><div>If anything, Reverend King's<i> <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/03/retired-reverend-king-on-abolishing.html" target="_blank">The Abolishing of Death</a></i> (1919), an account of his experiences communicating with nineteenth-century chemist Henry Talbot – <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-mission-of-sex-canadians-do-your.html" target="_blank"><i>but not really</i></a> – would've brought further comfort and consolation to the greiving.<br /><br />Knowing the date of composition, some nine months before the Armistice, what struck me most about <i>Abraham's Bosom</i> is its disconnect from the Great War. The conflict, which plays such a part in his novels <i>The High Heart</i> (1917), <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/reverend-kings-great-war-novelette.html" target="_blank">Going West</a></i> (1918), <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-man-forgets-his-identity-but-not-his.html" target="_blank">The Thread of Flame</a></i> (1920), <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-great-canadian-post-great-war-novel.html" target="_blank">The Empty Sack</a></i> (1921) is not so much as mentioned. Or might it be that the allusion is subtle? Here's Ned Angel:<br /><blockquote>"How are the Children of Dust making
use of the knowledge they've gained during
the last fifty years of their counting? Is it
to help one another? Is it to benefit themselves? Is it to make the world happier, or
more peaceful, or more prosperous? Haven't
they taken all their new resources, all their
increased facilities, all their approximations
to Truth, all their approaches to God – the
things which belonged to their peace, as
Jesus of Nazareth called them – and made
them instruments of mutual destruction?
Aren't they straining their ingenuity to
devise undreamed-of methods for doing one
another harm?''</blockquote></div><div>I write this nine days short of the 105th anniversary of that Armistice. <br /></div><div><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">Object and Access:</span></b> My copy, which is in pretty rotten shape, was purchased seven years ago as one title in a box containing twenty or thirty old Canadian books. Price: $20.<br /><br />The frontispiece featuring afflicted organist Ned Angel is one of four Walter H. Everett illustrations commissioned for <i>The Saturday Evening Post</i>. Interestingly, no matter the placing, all depict scenes and from the first third of the story. This image, with caption from the opening pages of the story, appears at on the final page of its <i>Post</i> debut:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtTmHZtRKqHfHGJxywzWt1L8N0vTNbJroWwagp8y8h-aNvRVtEMzJlqCOeP7cPJoIFAYQj8eS6DIfNN18sCmgVQevieBXa88qIc9tj2_BwFIizzjExBMu5cRkUot8fTEFEZDn3yj2JdzoP15FLTp8Yocot77w3LMWQyewrL7z5DJEWeecStz8blioeEI/s600/Saturday%20Evening%20Post%20Basil%20King%20.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="335" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtTmHZtRKqHfHGJxywzWt1L8N0vTNbJroWwagp8y8h-aNvRVtEMzJlqCOeP7cPJoIFAYQj8eS6DIfNN18sCmgVQevieBXa88qIc9tj2_BwFIizzjExBMu5cRkUot8fTEFEZDn3yj2JdzoP15FLTp8Yocot77w3LMWQyewrL7z5DJEWeecStz8blioeEI/w238-h425/Saturday%20Evening%20Post%20Basil%20King%20.png" width="238" /></a></div><p>The "timid, wild-eyed nymph of a thing who had incarnated for him all that was poetry in the year when he was twenty-eight" is Reverend Noon's wife. She's a cutie!<br /><br />Online booksellers list copies beginning at five American dollars, but they'll demand a further US$30 or US$35 for shipping. Some have dust jackets, some do not. The one you want to buy is offered by a Massachusetts bookseller who promises an inscribed copy at US$75.<br /></p><p>All claim to be offering the first edition, but as I've discovered, there are at least three variants.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/reverend-kings-great-war-novelette.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/reverend-kings-great-war-novelette.html" target="_blank">Reverend King's Great War Novelette</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/11/basil-kings-silent-unseen-world.html" target="_blank">Basil King's Seen and Unseen World</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-mission-of-sex-canadians-do-your.html" target="_blank">The Mission of Sex: Canadians, Do Your Duty!</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-man-forgets-his-identity-but-not-his.html" target="_blank">A Man Forgets His Identity (but not his manners)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-great-canadian-post-great-war-novel.html" target="_blank">The Great Canadian Great Post-War Novel?</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/03/retired-reverend-king-on-abolishing.html" target="_blank">The Retired Reverend King on Abolishing Death</a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-62671680428651259792023-10-31T00:00:00.310-04:002023-10-31T07:02:04.144-04:00Harlequin Halloween Horror: So Much Satan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasybdBqK0t_hZafuHgFoOApwtkd9Q1kjELRu46EBZ5GkucyvZhDnsSfaUxbYHQjdygWmdh4q7hEXaMaZkLU19Px-J6SXcxuGS1rkoGLRcESbkD5RqfdgcwKat4lb1ZNReeVjzrzxlhwTHraDAtttBp77IpjlpRRh5rQkIVeczu6ekL8vhJvywv7A8vqM/s600/Daughter%20of%20Satan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="374" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasybdBqK0t_hZafuHgFoOApwtkd9Q1kjELRu46EBZ5GkucyvZhDnsSfaUxbYHQjdygWmdh4q7hEXaMaZkLU19Px-J6SXcxuGS1rkoGLRcESbkD5RqfdgcwKat4lb1ZNReeVjzrzxlhwTHraDAtttBp77IpjlpRRh5rQkIVeczu6ekL8vhJvywv7A8vqM/w286-h459/Daughter%20of%20Satan.png" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jean Plaidy – <a href="https://royal-intrigue.net/" target="_blank">not her real name</a> – wrote 191 novels. <i>Daughter of Satan</i> may be number 23, but I expect the authoress herself wouldn't have known for certain. What I know for certain is that it was the 203rd Harlequin Book, but only because the number appears on its cover. <br /><br /><i>Daughter of Satan</i> concerns a young woman, Tamar, who is believed to be the spawn of the devil. This has something to do with her mother having attended a midsummer coven of witches. Tamar's conception in no way dissuades her male suiters, not even puritan Humility Brown.<div><br /></div><div>And here I'd thought Humility was a girl's name.<br /><br /><i>Daughter of Satan</i> was the first Harlequin book to feature Satan in its title. I've found seven others, but I suspect there are more. What I find most interesting is the uptick during the Satanic Panic.<br /><br />Make of that what you will. <br /><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIh_53Zo4n4SIsRsGfq5VeQxARNm_boeRhAmBYer8__8ZpIDy2FSqOhLqNX0plMgntDebS2Z0qgREhOMlDsfrb1Yp8cnDF0WD9gDqNxYEtTNKzgq65sXE2FDxw04eGNM_3E-bc4VqjRsWAsv5aQm3t7XouZXFv2G_iRVWchGiivt6guxj_D_QtFqJ3LQ/s600/Satan's%20Range%20-%20Al%20Cody.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIh_53Zo4n4SIsRsGfq5VeQxARNm_boeRhAmBYer8__8ZpIDy2FSqOhLqNX0plMgntDebS2Z0qgREhOMlDsfrb1Yp8cnDF0WD9gDqNxYEtTNKzgq65sXE2FDxw04eGNM_3E-bc4VqjRsWAsv5aQm3t7XouZXFv2G_iRVWchGiivt6guxj_D_QtFqJ3LQ/w199-h320/Satan's%20Range%20-%20Al%20Cody.png" width="199" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan's Range</i><br />Al Cody<br />1955<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRM067yp2mkWzMtX82Jk3ij1wzhG7AgHXzIVoYXaRGMk_-HV4dMA8CY_pGWF-A70IxtgUpO_QUgstabwVPOB6OF2yyXWGtC1E3l6oLFCSms2ocI_P-4TCozk6W6JbqzLNYA0mzZqxR35kCsTUJ7Go67SI3xdsd-2CtY87dGkfFWX2cuhRtAebwywhB0VQ/s681/Kiss%20from%20Satan.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRM067yp2mkWzMtX82Jk3ij1wzhG7AgHXzIVoYXaRGMk_-HV4dMA8CY_pGWF-A70IxtgUpO_QUgstabwVPOB6OF2yyXWGtC1E3l6oLFCSms2ocI_P-4TCozk6W6JbqzLNYA0mzZqxR35kCsTUJ7Go67SI3xdsd-2CtY87dGkfFWX2cuhRtAebwywhB0VQ/s320/Kiss%20from%20Satan.png" width="195" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A Kiss from Satan</i><br />Anne Hampson<br />1973</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkmeVqy0hzzhxQtQxFmrZxYpLtp5xDWTFvsquLnFwbC_n8NS2EccPoVx3bzzI8x0LaLBPqKQIbzmRsCknDfWgFq5R2z_5XQpChfJoajMfF2_TzXbuw7Xo0NyRWQE1HtHZpRkTOzr8AlNImPEctd1ynG8bm-zTaNhymIZjtNrsKuImNKDJOS4dm7LJWvk/s600/Satan%20Took%20a%20Bride%20-%20violet%20winspear.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkmeVqy0hzzhxQtQxFmrZxYpLtp5xDWTFvsquLnFwbC_n8NS2EccPoVx3bzzI8x0LaLBPqKQIbzmRsCknDfWgFq5R2z_5XQpChfJoajMfF2_TzXbuw7Xo0NyRWQE1HtHZpRkTOzr8AlNImPEctd1ynG8bm-zTaNhymIZjtNrsKuImNKDJOS4dm7LJWvk/s320/Satan%20Took%20a%20Bride%20-%20violet%20winspear.png" width="193" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan Took a Bride</i><br />Violet Winspear<br />1976<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2u0jGZ73A5bYbQ0978mFnV6fD0SlEx-TjkNEaH-93trleIFTHuM8iKwGLYj2fq0DhGFzSKuqjN_awaeaNsHKd-pCCWIQIYARUtL9X7u4HSFN_V4iEgFnsipPoOuSGutAo7qrpbROPt_RcFrh6DAGqWn_mSCU7aJcSQLqb3R6ABNfrVTuEmiJdzInWv8/s600/Satan's%20Angel%20-%20Kristin%20James.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2u0jGZ73A5bYbQ0978mFnV6fD0SlEx-TjkNEaH-93trleIFTHuM8iKwGLYj2fq0DhGFzSKuqjN_awaeaNsHKd-pCCWIQIYARUtL9X7u4HSFN_V4iEgFnsipPoOuSGutAo7qrpbROPt_RcFrh6DAGqWn_mSCU7aJcSQLqb3R6ABNfrVTuEmiJdzInWv8/s320/Satan's%20Angel%20-%20Kristin%20James.png" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan's Angel</i><br />Kristin James<br />1988<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlnLpsnM8cxHtOXKha9vzmQ_9hT1pOBQ3L_sEo78FJpGq5aq64pv3YXOgklYoyIuSdcdRBGbdZPk9pItHIpG8jkTZovxlby0hjiXo2zRtNX7xcIyOYLUS5oKA0o3HcBn8G3ISOK3FUOoQ2Xl1o1AOuHGZZwDkSh_6GqJeVzqi9fV8HYiCDTkMdhHQyX8/s600/Satan's%20Island%20-%20Sally%20Wentworth.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="369" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlnLpsnM8cxHtOXKha9vzmQ_9hT1pOBQ3L_sEo78FJpGq5aq64pv3YXOgklYoyIuSdcdRBGbdZPk9pItHIpG8jkTZovxlby0hjiXo2zRtNX7xcIyOYLUS5oKA0o3HcBn8G3ISOK3FUOoQ2Xl1o1AOuHGZZwDkSh_6GqJeVzqi9fV8HYiCDTkMdhHQyX8/s320/Satan's%20Island%20-%20Sally%20Wentworth.png" width="197" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan's Island</i><br />Sally Wentworth<br />1989</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPfLjffRIv10pcHPidldAcD48SRKF_fMFMrlRcPK9cuNbKa1vO_Qec_GJ3kcgiLr3JUBG6PbTzjM5hrtSW5YhjdahSFDJGGnkmqntKpTSQJKikXWGRxi-gJiOXucNwPiA3DvDPCYJjVJCebw0Ax0da74Ak7AnLyXvetS231m1W6bBSb2C4mtJqZ0ct94/s597/Satan's%20Contract.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPfLjffRIv10pcHPidldAcD48SRKF_fMFMrlRcPK9cuNbKa1vO_Qec_GJ3kcgiLr3JUBG6PbTzjM5hrtSW5YhjdahSFDJGGnkmqntKpTSQJKikXWGRxi-gJiOXucNwPiA3DvDPCYJjVJCebw0Ax0da74Ak7AnLyXvetS231m1W6bBSb2C4mtJqZ0ct94/s320/Satan's%20Contract.png" width="197" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan's Contract</i><br />Susanne McCarthy<br />1994</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhvWJmuigAGK9lDoQcCBLLxg-VjVXaC4BZw99iWATMqpQHtPjRtHPaUnJAokOSyYXXxDa_PCCNwDg5T22aPSVirqY-SvJaLxXT0y8aye9AZbacC-gfyAN753iraHhwYPOLl5bzfrvuZAGD7KFNnqNoIXc8iZB70lLqMgQBRuk6-Egcl2RRZpA44Rjixc/s498/Satan's%20Master%20Carole%20Mortimer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhvWJmuigAGK9lDoQcCBLLxg-VjVXaC4BZw99iWATMqpQHtPjRtHPaUnJAokOSyYXXxDa_PCCNwDg5T22aPSVirqY-SvJaLxXT0y8aye9AZbacC-gfyAN753iraHhwYPOLl5bzfrvuZAGD7KFNnqNoIXc8iZB70lLqMgQBRuk6-Egcl2RRZpA44Rjixc/s320/Satan's%20Master%20Carole%20Mortimer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satan's Master</i><br />Carole Mortimer<br />2018</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Happy Halloween!</i></span></div><div style="color: #140201;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="color: #140201; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/10/harlequin-halloween.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">A Harlequin Halloween</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2010/10/another-harlequin-halloween.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Another Harlequin Halloween</a></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2011/10/its-harlequin-halloween-time.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">It's Harlequin Halloween Time!</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-horror-harlequin-horror.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Horror! The Harlequin Horror!</a><br /><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2013/10/the-harlequin-horror-that-just-wont-die.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Harlequin Horror That Just Won't Die!</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2014/10/the-most-horrifying-harlequin-halloween.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Most Horrifying Harlequin Halloween Ever!</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2015/10/night-of-living-harlequin-horror.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Night of the Living Harlequin Halloween Horror</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.ca/2016/10/harlequin-halloween-horror-confusion.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Harlequin Halloween Horror Confusion</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2017/10/will-harlequin-halloween-horrors-never.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Will Harlequin Halloween Horror Never End?</a></div><div><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-harlequin-halloween-horror-will.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">No, Harlequin Halloween Horror Will Never End</a><br /><a href="http://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2019/10/who-can-deny-harlequin-halloween-horror.html" style="color: #0d0694; text-decoration-line: none;">Who Can Deny the Harlequin Halloween Horror!</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2020/10/an-unholy-harlequin-halloween.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">An Unholy Harlequin Halloween</a></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2021/10/a-harlequin-halloween-hobo.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">A Harlequin Halloween Hobo</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-wtf-harlequin-halloween.html" target="_blank">A WTF Harlequin Halloween</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-77426806923738449262023-10-26T06:30:00.003-04:002023-10-26T07:26:49.172-04:00Whispering City: Horace Brown's Second Encore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpeq5wD84meGbVjJXvFQOgeLar9WVoRtoi_N2b4U3x7ltaOVtW5Q9lswvM0dkfk4Xf7hqBpr8aOCCvGqRp2tDsAMhC1J6FhxhXolhI8UGMFvcBt_xKdh-mbaVl1TriIYtegsXP5dCtgzg6SrzxXHuKLhkQiYL5nsGeo_9aXqe4rZiiGpYcR3Ae2v6NLg/s900/Whispering%20City%20-%20Horace%20Brown.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="812" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpeq5wD84meGbVjJXvFQOgeLar9WVoRtoi_N2b4U3x7ltaOVtW5Q9lswvM0dkfk4Xf7hqBpr8aOCCvGqRp2tDsAMhC1J6FhxhXolhI8UGMFvcBt_xKdh-mbaVl1TriIYtegsXP5dCtgzg6SrzxXHuKLhkQiYL5nsGeo_9aXqe4rZiiGpYcR3Ae2v6NLg/w361-h400/Whispering%20City%20-%20Horace%20Brown.jpeg" width="361" /></a></div><p></p><p>Arriving in bookstores as I write, the eighteenth Ricochet Books title. <i>Whispering City</i> is based on the Quebec City film noir of the same name. First published in 1947, it is one of the most sought after post-war Canadian paperbacks. A lone copy of that only other edition is listed online at $305.90.</p><p>The new Ricochet edition will set you back $15.95.</p><p>I provide a new intro.</p><p>Copies can be purchased through the usual online booksellers and at the <a href="https://www.vehiculepress.com/q.php?EAN=9781550656381" target="_blank">Véhicule Press website</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHiU_jcVASpbIWugY6ddQA35BOjImPHbDKW6eYoGxGgYKwfrreka6LAgTjR-mgf0_ugSIn4oWG7Qf-LPib_vETXzzO1dtGk7bpYioximOqVggyYCq_ALKEzVeTXvl2ge3JEgxCb9kBRRVjbBJAItrZ0IOORpBFSXLemJBVPwY951KqCigZpzQMAy3qIU/s1197/Ricochet%20Books%201-12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="772" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHiU_jcVASpbIWugY6ddQA35BOjImPHbDKW6eYoGxGgYKwfrreka6LAgTjR-mgf0_ugSIn4oWG7Qf-LPib_vETXzzO1dtGk7bpYioximOqVggyYCq_ALKEzVeTXvl2ge3JEgxCb9kBRRVjbBJAItrZ0IOORpBFSXLemJBVPwY951KqCigZpzQMAy3qIU/w278-h431/Ricochet%20Books%201-12.png" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ-sDySGUs4qqVdREXtRpSp6KEUL9UTOyRqWXqu19iQVKmj4dfenmBlvoESxj9dElRiJmZk8laqgqWu2EmxelDTcxcLzIzlJMYfKbyVxBqNY1s8YNSDxtVASdCnGbVtwThGWa9jJ7qXX00K6TI6nNiG9mQw11XglkU_RDuUyfIMG-cmk_53q6d8phyphenhyphenuA/s1195/Ricochet%20Books%2013-18.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="775" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQ-sDySGUs4qqVdREXtRpSp6KEUL9UTOyRqWXqu19iQVKmj4dfenmBlvoESxj9dElRiJmZk8laqgqWu2EmxelDTcxcLzIzlJMYfKbyVxBqNY1s8YNSDxtVASdCnGbVtwThGWa9jJ7qXX00K6TI6nNiG9mQw11XglkU_RDuUyfIMG-cmk_53q6d8phyphenhyphenuA/w278-h428/Ricochet%20Books%2013-18.png" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #140201; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/10/quebec-city-noir.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Quebec City Noir</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2011/05/horace-brown-saturday-matinee.html" style="color: #463dde; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Horace Brown: Saturday Matinee</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-legs-of-mary-roberts.html" target="_blank">The Legs of Mary Roberts</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-20979955940634964912023-10-23T06:30:00.475-04:002024-01-09T16:33:17.095-05:00Whither the Canadian American Bestseller?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJh2WlHq6c-zVgUJacGe35-a-HSvJ9nvb2-80ohrs-kEJoiPsPMdF1rs_Kz6BWiV1xTyOtUYQBapcu3sQOcnrq2zjIyrb_To8BzfeMUCuzc69rq8q1u4JpCiZjLu0EobJUt1Jhzx7zAXSuQ7_Gk2Dx7wHFoGTMJnGSZrdtWz2UYbDD225EY63fGgoDhw/s842/American%20bestsellers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="627" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJh2WlHq6c-zVgUJacGe35-a-HSvJ9nvb2-80ohrs-kEJoiPsPMdF1rs_Kz6BWiV1xTyOtUYQBapcu3sQOcnrq2zjIyrb_To8BzfeMUCuzc69rq8q1u4JpCiZjLu0EobJUt1Jhzx7zAXSuQ7_Gk2Dx7wHFoGTMJnGSZrdtWz2UYbDD225EY63fGgoDhw/w322-h431/American%20bestsellers.jpg" width="322" /></a></div><p>Earlier this month, I tried to sell a friend on Basil King, as is my habit. I mentioned that in 1909 his novel <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-very-occult.html" target="_blank">The Inner Shrine</a></i> outsold every other book in the United States, adding that he very nearly repeated that accomplishment the following year, and again the year after that. In this regard, King bested fellow Prince Edward Islander L.M. Montgomery, who never once made the annual top ten.</p><p>The annual top ten?<br /><br />I refer here to lists compiled by <i>The Bookman</i> and <i>Publisher's Weekly</i>. The former cobbled together the first in 1895, the year Scotsman Ian Maclaren's <i>Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush</i> was all the rage. It didn't take long for a Canadian to appear. In 1896, Gilbert Parker's <i>The Seats of the Mighty</i> placed third, blocked from the top spot by Francis Hopkinson Smith's <i>Tom Grogan</i> and <i>A Lady of Quality</i> by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which I'm sure you've all read.<br /><br />Gilbert Parker – later, Sir Gilbert Parker – was a publisher's dream. Scribner's 1912 twenty-four volume <i>Works of Gilbert Parker</i> is a beautiful thing. The more expensive editions come with a tipped in handwritten autographed letter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLu_6eVkKJhEjqoBxiCQHzKyIA7-mC8OEbVrbozVpiGKpzcI4XSN8R48WDqNZGK-MPhlTt1dn6IYA6IzpBEZfx_uaNFwEyjNsCfKkKJHtYOHIWtIKSNh8vla0rxfdW47YQTSzZ9XgS_5-9L9JJ905VXvLhFlP_ea4pq1QGJg2nFzKhwSf_acctmtD6-Q/s961/Works%20of%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="961" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLu_6eVkKJhEjqoBxiCQHzKyIA7-mC8OEbVrbozVpiGKpzcI4XSN8R48WDqNZGK-MPhlTt1dn6IYA6IzpBEZfx_uaNFwEyjNsCfKkKJHtYOHIWtIKSNh8vla0rxfdW47YQTSzZ9XgS_5-9L9JJ905VXvLhFlP_ea4pq1QGJg2nFzKhwSf_acctmtD6-Q/s320/Works%20of%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And there was more to come! In 1914, Sir Gilbert's <i>The Judgement House</i> ended up as the republic's fourth best-selling book.</div><p style="text-align: left;">Parker is one of eight Canadians to hit the American year-end top ten. What follows is a year-by-year list of those authors and their titles, beginning with Parker's <i>The Seats of the Mighty</i>. Some may question the inclusion of Saul Bellow and Arthur Hailey. My position on both men is simple. Saul Bellow was born in Lachine, Quebec. He was a nine-year-old when his family left Canada for the United States. Arthur Hailey immigrated to this country after the Second World War and became a Canadian citizen.</p><p>Long-time Toronto resident John Irving's <i>The Hotel New Hampshire</i>, which placed second in 1981, is not included because it wasn't until 2019 that he became a Canadian citizen.</p><p>W.H. Blake's translation of <span style="text-align: center;">Louis Hémon's</span> <i style="text-align: center;">Maria Chapdelain</i><span style="text-align: center;">, which in 1922 was the eighth </span><span style="text-align: center;">bestselling book in the United States is excluded. Though the novel has been described as a <a href="https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2021/9/23/maria-chapdelaine-latest-adaptation-of-classic-quebec-novel-a-visual-marvel" target="_blank">"a classic of French-Canadian literature,"</a> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Hémon was French, not French-Canadian. His visit to this country lasted months, not years. </span><span style="text-align: center;">My late friend Michael Gnarowski argued that </span><span style="text-align: center;">Hémon would've become a citizen had he not been </span><span style="text-align: center;">struck and killed by a train whilst walking the tracks outside Chapleau, Ontario. On this we disagreed.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1896</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3j2duK0lyp9wubufZa38B0KWMnlUdHMAKi2LyicdaWoJtR8L682FKwrpXME3QSUnKxS8m-ChLJYfUvcYRk1iWZCCMJaRrzFtMX2UHF5lyYmcoYQnrZUrhJCE_5y8_I0o7PfVZGDdKNpJ6gn_I-TvMcaQaM7oqwCRqwhX84ZbqSA_FJmNlBeqdB5wiV8/s400/The%20Seats%20of%20the%20Mighty%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="271" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3j2duK0lyp9wubufZa38B0KWMnlUdHMAKi2LyicdaWoJtR8L682FKwrpXME3QSUnKxS8m-ChLJYfUvcYRk1iWZCCMJaRrzFtMX2UHF5lyYmcoYQnrZUrhJCE_5y8_I0o7PfVZGDdKNpJ6gn_I-TvMcaQaM7oqwCRqwhX84ZbqSA_FJmNlBeqdB5wiV8/w136-h200/The%20Seats%20of%20the%20Mighty%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" width="136" /></a></div><b>#3 – <i>The Seats of the Mighty </i>by Gilbert Parker</b><div><b><br /></b><div style="text-align: left;">"A Romance of Old Quebec" with cameos by Wolfe and Montcalm, <i>The Seats of the Mighty</i> was the only Parker novel to been adopted as a New Canadian Library title. <a href="https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/T/The-Seats-of-the-Mighty" target="_blank">It's available today through Wilfrid Laurier Press.</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1901</u></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></p></blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fymlWJT-bHRg19732V3mwturgKuYJfXXKOSU8ik0YQmfw9T71VqhJnbEWEdwjCsdYx_3tAdod0mal7aVKbwwqn8NRpfmVatUpDOGjXyqfcQLd9f9gc0BQJvlvKCqXLIvdnbSXgavOfjxLmnkBLbSKkLc28zzGq06Sl2hAz0Jv_6jB4T1fIgDRt2GHJs/s600/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="#4 – The Right of Way by Gilbert Parker" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="417" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fymlWJT-bHRg19732V3mwturgKuYJfXXKOSU8ik0YQmfw9T71VqhJnbEWEdwjCsdYx_3tAdod0mal7aVKbwwqn8NRpfmVatUpDOGjXyqfcQLd9f9gc0BQJvlvKCqXLIvdnbSXgavOfjxLmnkBLbSKkLc28zzGq06Sl2hAz0Jv_6jB4T1fIgDRt2GHJs/w139-h200/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" title="#4 – The Right of Way by Gilbert Parker" width="139" /></a></div><p></p><blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>#4<i> – <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank">The Right of Way</a> </i>by Gilbert Parker</b></div><p></p></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">A Montreal melodrama involving amnesia, murder, drinking, romance, and false identity, I raced through <i>The Right of Way</i> last year. Recommended.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Two spots down from Parker – at #6 – we find <i>The Visits of Elizabeth</i>, the debut novel by one-time Guelph girl Elinor Glyn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1902</u></b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fymlWJT-bHRg19732V3mwturgKuYJfXXKOSU8ik0YQmfw9T71VqhJnbEWEdwjCsdYx_3tAdod0mal7aVKbwwqn8NRpfmVatUpDOGjXyqfcQLd9f9gc0BQJvlvKCqXLIvdnbSXgavOfjxLmnkBLbSKkLc28zzGq06Sl2hAz0Jv_6jB4T1fIgDRt2GHJs/s600/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="#4 – The Right of Way by Gilbert Parker" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="417" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fymlWJT-bHRg19732V3mwturgKuYJfXXKOSU8ik0YQmfw9T71VqhJnbEWEdwjCsdYx_3tAdod0mal7aVKbwwqn8NRpfmVatUpDOGjXyqfcQLd9f9gc0BQJvlvKCqXLIvdnbSXgavOfjxLmnkBLbSKkLc28zzGq06Sl2hAz0Jv_6jB4T1fIgDRt2GHJs/w139-h200/The%20Right%20of%20Way%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpeg" title="#4 – The Right of Way by Gilbert Parker" width="139" /></a><b>#6 –<i> </i><i>The Right of Way </i>by Gilbert Parker</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Right of Way</i> again, and why not! It's a hell of a story, as evidenced by the fact that it was adapted for Broadway. Hollywood took it on three times!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1907</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2MkJ2ivTUWJQhfOKllk5LGfINC8pbJv5QuHHl3_YuM3yP2fmWcLT6tA9xcEqt2n_TIxx3GGWE-qmRWS8KebN0IgLGRQvM5RV5Xyw7IQAwDw8wico1i1MLG0VGRi3gTIUlH427PYhuuhurE5Lg-zfL2S4A7TZThJ3pX4cXnXudhJdciLtYEOEFCgzpyw/s300/The%20Weavers%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2MkJ2ivTUWJQhfOKllk5LGfINC8pbJv5QuHHl3_YuM3yP2fmWcLT6tA9xcEqt2n_TIxx3GGWE-qmRWS8KebN0IgLGRQvM5RV5Xyw7IQAwDw8wico1i1MLG0VGRi3gTIUlH427PYhuuhurE5Lg-zfL2S4A7TZThJ3pX4cXnXudhJdciLtYEOEFCgzpyw/w137-h206/The%20Weavers%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" width="137" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>#2 </b><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">–</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Weavers </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">by Gilbert Parker</span></span></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"A Tale of England and Egypt of Fifty Years Ago," this one concerns a young Quaker who brings the Gospel to the Land of the Pharaohs. Must admit that each time I see this title I hear "Goodnight, Irene." <br /><br /></div></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpbdAUXMUmHtpJP489KJaUwWS4pcRdmQiqDggTza6ELsXhRGxa8CW6tk2VQ_aSjAS-njZCm1WUvgBafwcW2QbBaOuhme75mJjD9kJrqIeX6vq8ggEFjOsYXO9_pdQt9nA_W-UPquat8_Gt-OGBM0pBW-gwo5sWoew9DCNPupygzHDcDyjUpndDeBpJZk/s300/The%20Doctor%20-%20Ralph%20Connor.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="206" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpbdAUXMUmHtpJP489KJaUwWS4pcRdmQiqDggTza6ELsXhRGxa8CW6tk2VQ_aSjAS-njZCm1WUvgBafwcW2QbBaOuhme75mJjD9kJrqIeX6vq8ggEFjOsYXO9_pdQt9nA_W-UPquat8_Gt-OGBM0pBW-gwo5sWoew9DCNPupygzHDcDyjUpndDeBpJZk/w137-h200/The%20Doctor%20-%20Ralph%20Connor.png" width="137" /></a></div></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: center;">#9 </b><b>– <i>The Doctor</i> by Ralph Connor [Charles W. Gordon]</b><b> </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've not read this Connor, but Ron Scheer did. <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2015/04/remembering-ron-scheer-on-friday.html" target="_blank">Sadly, Ron is no longer with us.</a> I miss his scholarship and astute criticism. Happily, <a href="https://buddiesinthesaddle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">his blog</a> survives. <a href="https://buddiesinthesaddle.blogspot.com/2013/10/ralph-connor-doctor-tale-of-rockies-1906.html" target="_blank">Ron's review of <i>The Doctor</i></a> is a fine example of his work.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>1908</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2MkJ2ivTUWJQhfOKllk5LGfINC8pbJv5QuHHl3_YuM3yP2fmWcLT6tA9xcEqt2n_TIxx3GGWE-qmRWS8KebN0IgLGRQvM5RV5Xyw7IQAwDw8wico1i1MLG0VGRi3gTIUlH427PYhuuhurE5Lg-zfL2S4A7TZThJ3pX4cXnXudhJdciLtYEOEFCgzpyw/s300/The%20Weavers%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2MkJ2ivTUWJQhfOKllk5LGfINC8pbJv5QuHHl3_YuM3yP2fmWcLT6tA9xcEqt2n_TIxx3GGWE-qmRWS8KebN0IgLGRQvM5RV5Xyw7IQAwDw8wico1i1MLG0VGRi3gTIUlH427PYhuuhurE5Lg-zfL2S4A7TZThJ3pX4cXnXudhJdciLtYEOEFCgzpyw/w137-h206/The%20Weavers%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.png" width="137" /></a><b>#10 </b><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">–</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Weavers </i><span style="font-weight: bold;">by Gilbert Parker</span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Weavers </i>again, yet unlike <i>The Right of Way</i>, this one never made Broadway, nor was it adapted by Hollywood.<br /><br /></p><div>Seems an opportunity.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></div></blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1909</u></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div></blockquote></blockquote><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sotIOqr3lsahOVUBDSmY0HoKvr56bzQBloxxoqiN8MDmEJUBK2gTd_d5Qw8mJcI_uI2PB_SUjgkGMHSIDpE1CQTr5L7S-UzgvEWTCgtJDCvqaaHtSrTDUSBvCj2uDXASPFXCpwGvosgxS8R-U3yMloeJDFYQSQ31AJJQgQ3f2U2MDImrPuGM5oNAJrw/s300/The%20Inner%20Shrine%20-%20Basil%20King.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="190" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sotIOqr3lsahOVUBDSmY0HoKvr56bzQBloxxoqiN8MDmEJUBK2gTd_d5Qw8mJcI_uI2PB_SUjgkGMHSIDpE1CQTr5L7S-UzgvEWTCgtJDCvqaaHtSrTDUSBvCj2uDXASPFXCpwGvosgxS8R-U3yMloeJDFYQSQ31AJJQgQ3f2U2MDImrPuGM5oNAJrw/w137-h216/The%20Inner%20Shrine%20-%20Basil%20King.jpg" width="137" /></a><b>#1 – <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-very-occult.html" target="_blank">The Inner Shrine</a></i> by Anonymous [Basil King]</b></p><p>Reverend King's sixth novel, T<i>he Inner Shrine</i> was the year's literary sensation. I think that much of the interest had to do with questions over authorship. Did it come from the pen of Edith Wharton? Henry James? How about the daughter of Willian Dean Howells?</p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u></u></b></div><p> </p><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1910</u></b></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsJRk_oRNv6QZA8LJIn2XLuopkQk5NakInjiDh42sy8gCxelWQRdv1D5ihDI3khSsJq6Wg15cKt92J4wwvudwPjn8LGvhgiCVqui3SMQaZNq6Syv2pNj3-T7OmjDWXUOikHoh8GI6cs4OmZY3hR4inKiVvOJpcaDFrcaMq-LxHQnBZLtmOSODyOMyNWQ/s300/Wild%20Olive%20-%20Basil%20King.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="205" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsJRk_oRNv6QZA8LJIn2XLuopkQk5NakInjiDh42sy8gCxelWQRdv1D5ihDI3khSsJq6Wg15cKt92J4wwvudwPjn8LGvhgiCVqui3SMQaZNq6Syv2pNj3-T7OmjDWXUOikHoh8GI6cs4OmZY3hR4inKiVvOJpcaDFrcaMq-LxHQnBZLtmOSODyOMyNWQ/w137-h200/Wild%20Olive%20-%20Basil%20King.jpg" width="137" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><b>#3 – <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-barefoot-fugitive-and-other.html" target="_blank">The Wild Olive</a></i> by the author of <i>The Inner Shrine</i> [Basil King]</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Publisher Harper maintains the mystery.<br /><br />I once described <i>The Wild Olive</i> as the best Basil King novel I'd ever read. Ah, but that was seven years ago and I was so young; <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-great-canadian-post-great-war-novel.html" target="_blank">The Empty Sack</a></i> and <i><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-man-forgets-his-identity-but-not-his.html" target="_blank">The Thread of Flame</a></i> are even better.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1912</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nPg0qsuivBKqQPFG-wqP1kS8OZ2vBRawKXpknMX8nnZecD9b65ck8nKaOEyoOBAszVJL_w91mzGhe0Z1j4KpHThj5r_yxFOiBfcHOW3MEVEcokwVb4OMT4yqnJqgSdFyHs0hadgrmjOndqTNu8FLtqIgJR2ULtW45vu0lPGERX9hFwy6McalZpfQR_w/s300/The%20Street%20Called%20Straight%20-%20Basil%20King.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="202" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nPg0qsuivBKqQPFG-wqP1kS8OZ2vBRawKXpknMX8nnZecD9b65ck8nKaOEyoOBAszVJL_w91mzGhe0Z1j4KpHThj5r_yxFOiBfcHOW3MEVEcokwVb4OMT4yqnJqgSdFyHs0hadgrmjOndqTNu8FLtqIgJR2ULtW45vu0lPGERX9hFwy6McalZpfQR_w/w135-h200/The%20Street%20Called%20Straight%20-%20Basil%20King.png" width="135" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b>#2 <span><i>– The Street Called Straight</i> by the author of </span></b><b><i>The Inner Shrine</i> [Basil King]</b></div></span><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Shortly after <i>The Street Called Straight</i> was published, Reverend King revealed himself as the author of all three books. He continued to have success commercially, but his books never again appeared in the year-end top ten.</span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1913</u></b></div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwlhDXS990cCuvyROLe5d6rwFyiW26BYZ6sSQ03fpYMnek__1yIyfjy9fKLxK-2AfIVfrI2Yiv8y9PB43VpPcvj6vOem4Hh8hkw5y12mX_fvaEYhyphenhyphenRBVwDxEWwomGGYyEVLPGe5hwVw8qhyphenhyphenMDAcpvEP8Zp5jiPZCK3jui-cDGsIBrr4SCPu9umzdLZn0/s300/The%20Judgement%20House%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="204" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwlhDXS990cCuvyROLe5d6rwFyiW26BYZ6sSQ03fpYMnek__1yIyfjy9fKLxK-2AfIVfrI2Yiv8y9PB43VpPcvj6vOem4Hh8hkw5y12mX_fvaEYhyphenhyphenRBVwDxEWwomGGYyEVLPGe5hwVw8qhyphenhyphenMDAcpvEP8Zp5jiPZCK3jui-cDGsIBrr4SCPu9umzdLZn0/w136-h200/The%20Judgement%20House%20-%20Gilbert%20Parker.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b>#4 </b><b style="text-align: center;">–<i> </i></b><b><i>The Judgement House</i> by Gilbert Parker</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lesser-known today – but then isn't Parker himself? – <i>The Judgement House</i> is set against the backdrop of the Boer War. Apparently, a <i>femme fatale</i> features. You can bet I'll be ordering a copy!</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u>1918</u></b><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-evfVeHB_aoZf3_WIRX8y0yroN9lfHWinG1OSNevsP7lBTsuOKvfQ6mwFSY2NkGzN713-6Gdj276Tx5ZfdpewyH5NTyraEAnQD2rGbKlYSexZDBleE2-Xhfc8VMCZAXDns6T55YU0F8VNU5rZvlVwdLDzcaLYErqfmfPrPc4TuNGHnX_RaheZoBonSjI/s300/The%20Major%20-%20Ralph%20Connor.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="205" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-evfVeHB_aoZf3_WIRX8y0yroN9lfHWinG1OSNevsP7lBTsuOKvfQ6mwFSY2NkGzN713-6Gdj276Tx5ZfdpewyH5NTyraEAnQD2rGbKlYSexZDBleE2-Xhfc8VMCZAXDns6T55YU0F8VNU5rZvlVwdLDzcaLYErqfmfPrPc4TuNGHnX_RaheZoBonSjI/w137-h200/The%20Major%20-%20Ralph%20Connor.png" width="137" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>#7 <span style="text-align: center;">–<i> </i></span><span style="text-align: center;"><i>The Major</i> by Ralph Connor </span></b><b>[Charles W. Gordon]</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />One of Connor's Alberta novels, as expected, it was heavily influenced by the Great War. Germans and their country's imperialist aspirations don't come off nearly so well as settlers establishing themselves on the Prairies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1919</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7xEgbjY3rKNsL1Dx6Scr6IXmSVnPSBSO3fvcbeXqvu20bMUOx0GKFA0vHM006M2ibn8RFPtGoe6ItDATWD4c_n0JXEuWicoecR4zW9HvRlp556vA83b5wIByhr0twaIEKdhJIsfZDzHV2AFaiOfzCtjS8VzNq4Md6UjYiS4XwwG5lUs2sFWjPn1qVF0/s300/The%20Sky%20Pilot%20in%20No%20Man's%20Land.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="210" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7xEgbjY3rKNsL1Dx6Scr6IXmSVnPSBSO3fvcbeXqvu20bMUOx0GKFA0vHM006M2ibn8RFPtGoe6ItDATWD4c_n0JXEuWicoecR4zW9HvRlp556vA83b5wIByhr0twaIEKdhJIsfZDzHV2AFaiOfzCtjS8VzNq4Md6UjYiS4XwwG5lUs2sFWjPn1qVF0/w140-h200/The%20Sky%20Pilot%20in%20No%20Man's%20Land.png" width="140" /></a></div></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>#5 –<i> </i><i>The Sky Pilot in No Man's Land</i> by Ralph Connor [Charles W. Gordon]</b><br /><br />A Great War novel, complete with horrors. The author served as Chaplain in the 43rd Cameron Highlanders. I have more to say on this in <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/11/about-those-old-new-canadian-library.html" target="_blank">an old post on New Canadian Library intros</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1927</u></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_T_V2-I1leWEbGZgalvhrTjfOJ_8Dk-AOTtrtCKtTC2XYCp4Fk9JfdYWgNDNpLbA0rVTlJhGKLiviFOxx7qLBtw0rhl05TrqiiQcmlop7M0jmb8M8vKw4oZxP6K0C1Sswl3IHhWz4fO9N-Or10kDtSCmu1eiwVH8zDT7DABf_sqhP1Y9C5M0uLiNMiQ/s300/Jalna%20First%20edition.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="199" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_T_V2-I1leWEbGZgalvhrTjfOJ_8Dk-AOTtrtCKtTC2XYCp4Fk9JfdYWgNDNpLbA0rVTlJhGKLiviFOxx7qLBtw0rhl05TrqiiQcmlop7M0jmb8M8vKw4oZxP6K0C1Sswl3IHhWz4fO9N-Or10kDtSCmu1eiwVH8zDT7DABf_sqhP1Y9C5M0uLiNMiQ/w145-h218/Jalna%20First%20edition.png" width="145" /></a></div>#5 </b><b>– </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Jalna</i><b> by Mazo de la Roche</b><br /><br />The book that launched the longest running series of novels in Canadian history. Sixteen in total! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><u><b>1928</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKTzJLu1BTQP3b5kmehllQxP64cB7wOUjoQa5GrOZgKsWTcSMoDV0z82QmdLoMbdQItwLfndZNItjfboAwb3oyo_FUbkAnZ46Vu_whFw1JSCLUEUkBrhAaxaXEomQRhHge5Yc-65a7vlctiltGElRBPVLgLCIhpfY_7VhGSyR9FxzbBadR6CD7Ps5OEM/s300/Jalna%20First%20edition.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="199" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKTzJLu1BTQP3b5kmehllQxP64cB7wOUjoQa5GrOZgKsWTcSMoDV0z82QmdLoMbdQItwLfndZNItjfboAwb3oyo_FUbkAnZ46Vu_whFw1JSCLUEUkBrhAaxaXEomQRhHge5Yc-65a7vlctiltGElRBPVLgLCIhpfY_7VhGSyR9FxzbBadR6CD7Ps5OEM/w145-h218/Jalna%20First%20edition.png" width="145" /></a></div>#9 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Jalna</i> by Mazo de la Roche</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Jalna.</i> Of course, <i>Jalna</i>. Do not get me started on the CBC's disastrous<i> The Whiteoaks of Jalna</i>, which at age ten served as my introduction to the works of Mazo de la Roche, and nearly killed my interest in Canadian literature.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><br /><u>1931</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FX88J5uvCFHr-ME2-NUnjflcTf2TILX2eaq5aleNX2jb6JcPAeGFIFHdkjzFXDIKJL3coICWP2xgwVkYblpDI4LDIsa59IyhlvuNByjptpVVhqmtqRHphSchGdhjJZWHmG68TETkFXIFOVdlMmxUjxqKRvQKszrz8v3Q5GGy46SXNBP5nMdoxdjZDBI/s267/Finch's%20Fortune%20Mazo%20de%20la%20Roche.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="188" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FX88J5uvCFHr-ME2-NUnjflcTf2TILX2eaq5aleNX2jb6JcPAeGFIFHdkjzFXDIKJL3coICWP2xgwVkYblpDI4LDIsa59IyhlvuNByjptpVVhqmtqRHphSchGdhjJZWHmG68TETkFXIFOVdlMmxUjxqKRvQKszrz8v3Q5GGy46SXNBP5nMdoxdjZDBI/w144-h204/Finch's%20Fortune%20Mazo%20de%20la%20Roche.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>#8 </b><b>– </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Finch's Fortune</i><b> by Mazo de la Roche</b><br /><br />Interestingly, <i>Finch's Fortune</i> is the third volume in the Jalna saga; <i>Whiteoaks of Jalna</i>, the second, failed to make the year-end top ten.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1933</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXixNfu3XosbS4-Kch0BQcbhuju5tCc1DmtK5XS4ohE3PSZitRFrOxO-YdEgrpzYfPau-J2zcpJiDflmgFqeijGZCvXUCpsZ4T_3LnCVlKeUItQo0FYfCHYAOtTo5TFOhxAdHs7-Npl5p_48Dk8Ctjv4curBVUVLyGMBddZrXOcoV5hO_BpRluUuDiF4U/s300/The%20Master%20of%20Jalna%20Mazo%20de%20la%20Roche.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="211" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXixNfu3XosbS4-Kch0BQcbhuju5tCc1DmtK5XS4ohE3PSZitRFrOxO-YdEgrpzYfPau-J2zcpJiDflmgFqeijGZCvXUCpsZ4T_3LnCVlKeUItQo0FYfCHYAOtTo5TFOhxAdHs7-Npl5p_48Dk8Ctjv4curBVUVLyGMBddZrXOcoV5hO_BpRluUuDiF4U/w141-h200/The%20Master%20of%20Jalna%20Mazo%20de%20la%20Roche.png" width="141" /></a></div><b>#7 – </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Master of Jalna</i><b> by Mazo de la Roche</b><br /><br />The last in the series make the year-end top ten, which is not to say that Jalna was abandoned by the reading public. The surprisingly brief <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mazo-de-la-roche" target="_blank">de la Roche<i> Canadian Encyclopedia</i> entry</a> reports: "Jalna novels have sold 9 million copies in 193 English- and 92 foreign-language editions."</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1945</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRkbE7bmDmHdKukvR6t3P0OySzF0MBzWC3lh9xzH1QoRIsldwKGGGnNX_3N2t251yYepZm6lfbR2AeJgqcCxViKEeBH74EcOLD6kYr_AkiT6a8spP8PVINio9mwBQckHgPZaoxpTPtMeN7Gb696yQv4BiJPExltrwxW0Cpuxz_7wuNHWuurg-2dJ-hnk/s300/The%20Black%20Rose.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="206" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRkbE7bmDmHdKukvR6t3P0OySzF0MBzWC3lh9xzH1QoRIsldwKGGGnNX_3N2t251yYepZm6lfbR2AeJgqcCxViKEeBH74EcOLD6kYr_AkiT6a8spP8PVINio9mwBQckHgPZaoxpTPtMeN7Gb696yQv4BiJPExltrwxW0Cpuxz_7wuNHWuurg-2dJ-hnk/w144-h211/The%20Black%20Rose.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>#3 – </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Black Rose</i><b> by Thomas B. Costain</b><br /><br /><i>The Black Rose</i> sold over two million copies. I learned this courtesy of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thomas-b-costain" target="_blank"><i>The Canadian Encylopedia's </i>entry on Costain</a>,<i> </i>which is even shorter than de la Roche's!<br /><br />More anon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWUUj9UN2kjl1FNJ1kLqN1jpGHzneAbM83Y89u_wDfxkJTi_2MmRnUV3ygWiL-TADDz6o81cZENBJtpEiS8kGcbFc64TUpreZ07MKWu-8MnRvF4AqEVAl7kivU9b1Y01VUM_h-NKT5VZqQpj-zxYi7h8LPmSXrODWrd_YqRHzFAsgZIolB3ERBAhI04U/s356/Earth%20and%20High%20Heaven%20Graham.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="246" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWUUj9UN2kjl1FNJ1kLqN1jpGHzneAbM83Y89u_wDfxkJTi_2MmRnUV3ygWiL-TADDz6o81cZENBJtpEiS8kGcbFc64TUpreZ07MKWu-8MnRvF4AqEVAl7kivU9b1Y01VUM_h-NKT5VZqQpj-zxYi7h8LPmSXrODWrd_YqRHzFAsgZIolB3ERBAhI04U/w144-h208/Earth%20and%20High%20Heaven%20Graham.jpg" width="144" /></a></div>#9 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Earth and High Heaven</i> by Gwethalyn Graham</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The author's second and final novel, <a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-paralyzing-success-of-gwethalyn.html" target="_blank">I've made the argument that its success had a paralyzing effect</a>. <i>Earth and High Heaven</i> was to have been a film starring Katherine Hepburn, but <i>Gentleman's Agreement</i>, which deals with similar material, put an end to all that.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><u style="font-weight: bold;">1946</u><br /><br /><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahsVXe0NuzWx6guMveAvNS4L9BEd6iXFosvxvT_PaDTsmvd2zYw0Byja85o-UHvn28PMJiMMOQH0rgrT_bhLqpqcozre_MVLGGEFwYJUsbTLmsW1gJ4EozeIbPQXDmta7XWRRv6x60T_sCd9inqS_DQHW3X_Ivz9WCpNyE5hDPr4o8ZzrZtnWc8YLw1c/s300/The%20Black%20Rose.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="206" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahsVXe0NuzWx6guMveAvNS4L9BEd6iXFosvxvT_PaDTsmvd2zYw0Byja85o-UHvn28PMJiMMOQH0rgrT_bhLqpqcozre_MVLGGEFwYJUsbTLmsW1gJ4EozeIbPQXDmta7XWRRv6x60T_sCd9inqS_DQHW3X_Ivz9WCpNyE5hDPr4o8ZzrZtnWc8YLw1c/w146-h213/The%20Black%20Rose.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>#8 – </b><b><i>The Black Rose</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Black Rose</i> is a historical novel about a young Saxon's adventures in thirteenth-century China. I'm not much taken by the idea, but millions were. To be frank, I'm much more interested in the Hollywood adaptation starring Orson Welles, Tyrone Power, and Cécile Aubry, but not so much that I've seen it.</div><b><br /><u>1947</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-DlV9NY7F79EPT8hkkULi9gxPakGH2gKmYK9Ax9uOrCCb_S-O827HXrsORUpHwRFumPWqvh7li4251GkRrUewteE7WhDEuSGmCdR1BhciYxAkzmL560fK5oUxplFDKnZAtgG65LMPM7mv8NvQbpmKn5ww_mokGJ8azI1RaKYo5_wl2MWAaLHvInDNLQ/s300/The%20Moneyman%20-%20Costain.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="206" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-DlV9NY7F79EPT8hkkULi9gxPakGH2gKmYK9Ax9uOrCCb_S-O827HXrsORUpHwRFumPWqvh7li4251GkRrUewteE7WhDEuSGmCdR1BhciYxAkzmL560fK5oUxplFDKnZAtgG65LMPM7mv8NvQbpmKn5ww_mokGJ8azI1RaKYo5_wl2MWAaLHvInDNLQ/w146-h214/The%20Moneyman%20-%20Costain.png" width="146" /></a></div>#2 </b><b>– </b><b><i>The Moneyman</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Apparently, Thomas B. Costain wrote four unpublished historical novels in high school, one of which focussed on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/summary/Maurice-stadholder-of-The-Netherlands" target="_blank">Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange</a>. <i>The Moneyman</i> takes as its inspiration the life of Jacques Couer, royal banker to Charles VII of France.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1949</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqqhQZ8wJVQPFEvHmjaMihcS1BYj4hZhF9zV6zlFQ-88zUEjaTE974b8Q_inF86bYjDBjovPaBO-F8UYNnhcCRFX7VvraNc5MH-XMEFG2nT6lWbGQzZcavr9ToeN5LcU8bmRhaDAYO2sypV1FEn_h1vKN3-mFHvOQCUtYg4nB_FFvTk47Q2Dht_rwlh0/s300/Thomas%20B%20Costain%20High%20Towers.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="196" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqqhQZ8wJVQPFEvHmjaMihcS1BYj4hZhF9zV6zlFQ-88zUEjaTE974b8Q_inF86bYjDBjovPaBO-F8UYNnhcCRFX7VvraNc5MH-XMEFG2nT6lWbGQzZcavr9ToeN5LcU8bmRhaDAYO2sypV1FEn_h1vKN3-mFHvOQCUtYg4nB_FFvTk47Q2Dht_rwlh0/w145-h221/Thomas%20B%20Costain%20High%20Towers.png" width="145" /></a></div>#7 </b><b>– <i>The High Towers</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of two historical novels Costain set in what is now Canada; the other being <i>Son of a Hundred Kings</i> (1950). It was through my father's copy of the 1950 Bantam paperback edition that I was introduced to Costain. and so I share its cover and not Doubleday's bland and predictable jacket illustration.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><b><br /><u>1952</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5OymuRr1sPftUXy8bpE_kj6qWG6IAFV86RIWBaeTZo6GLlZJrRZrS7VDb8LHH4Krd-fHBIfcTOtHLCbCz2JDZofzMVoi9vHPg96vzUdeBXE8fiR-N0eg1iqJNbPPkPDpLzjxge6UZIJ0frj8p6jgyi-W5TGWeOGTeAb1UGKiiqmHuEAP0bKC5dxK5ds/s274/Silver%20Chalice%20Thomas%20B%20Costain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="183" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5OymuRr1sPftUXy8bpE_kj6qWG6IAFV86RIWBaeTZo6GLlZJrRZrS7VDb8LHH4Krd-fHBIfcTOtHLCbCz2JDZofzMVoi9vHPg96vzUdeBXE8fiR-N0eg1iqJNbPPkPDpLzjxge6UZIJ0frj8p6jgyi-W5TGWeOGTeAb1UGKiiqmHuEAP0bKC5dxK5ds/w142-h212/Silver%20Chalice%20Thomas%20B%20Costain.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>#1 </b><b>– </b><b><i>The Silver Chalice</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here Costain enters Lloyd C. Douglas territory with the tale of Basil of Antioch, a sensitive silversmith who is commissioned to decorate the chalice used by Christ in the last supper.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /><u>1953</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LICbYufZhSknCC27QAAS3Kg_nBBhBDkScn47rlkjhsPO4Hapyzp1Pe5GJAMKLq515q7IiJv8YZv3yvgTNt7UHIxkuPmhl8m736xtjrprT4MhCzFhUiVsMElB3ZaWSVXDD0arQk7yBJWZ3kv26YoxCiSzhXNqelNCKkqXOZTGGgPBLgFgIfNlFeABlmw/s274/Silver%20Chalice%20Thomas%20B%20Costain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="183" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LICbYufZhSknCC27QAAS3Kg_nBBhBDkScn47rlkjhsPO4Hapyzp1Pe5GJAMKLq515q7IiJv8YZv3yvgTNt7UHIxkuPmhl8m736xtjrprT4MhCzFhUiVsMElB3ZaWSVXDD0arQk7yBJWZ3kv26YoxCiSzhXNqelNCKkqXOZTGGgPBLgFgIfNlFeABlmw/w145-h217/Silver%20Chalice%20Thomas%20B%20Costain.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>#2 </b><b>– </b><b><i>The Silver Chalice</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The novel continued to sell, but I wonder whether Costain missed the opportunity to write a sequel inspired by the burial of the Holy Grail on Oak Island by the Knights Templar.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">1955</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriex2zkF_S0ImFydxdnMTFRtwhRz3hPbeEivHpK5PGkrHUeLZ6tZBzPWedGwLTrEH48_bzBTWG0QTZ-xF_MpSfXU4YWNZEenu3XolUr-yo6ApbgWAx9ShkeHzUs5CSpTGpcAXVDAjD3z7bKDOXmXwBLNJdZBO8W3QMboudTeGNgamcD5-AbxAFeIAh1U/s300/The%20Tontine%20Thomas%20B%20Costrain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="198" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriex2zkF_S0ImFydxdnMTFRtwhRz3hPbeEivHpK5PGkrHUeLZ6tZBzPWedGwLTrEH48_bzBTWG0QTZ-xF_MpSfXU4YWNZEenu3XolUr-yo6ApbgWAx9ShkeHzUs5CSpTGpcAXVDAjD3z7bKDOXmXwBLNJdZBO8W3QMboudTeGNgamcD5-AbxAFeIAh1U/w145-h220/The%20Tontine%20Thomas%20B%20Costrain.jpg" width="145" /></a></div><b>#9 </b><b>– </b><b><i>The Tontine</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Book of the Month Club copies once littered every church rummage sale. The same might be said of many BOMC selections, but what set <i>The Tontine</i> apart was that it was published in two volumes, meaning that there were twice as many seemingly identical books. I never managed to pair volumes one and two. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>1957</u><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVejJFF0_muNIWebkmG-vtntGuaU1-NvCVZyF3Ip63kbXUpMpjNPo8jyigdKo_q2oO7dkzPxZ7zWXMsRZh-CNzWzvuOndp9nBN6RUeTOvEw6bDA1eqp6CzYD6xAAj_9xea_b_V0I-FMLBQH5SocgN6OCqetl3nQN4_MJ-o4oIkJZ1ETiwBmUwUKlfUGU/s300/Below%20the%20Salt.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="201" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVejJFF0_muNIWebkmG-vtntGuaU1-NvCVZyF3Ip63kbXUpMpjNPo8jyigdKo_q2oO7dkzPxZ7zWXMsRZh-CNzWzvuOndp9nBN6RUeTOvEw6bDA1eqp6CzYD6xAAj_9xea_b_V0I-FMLBQH5SocgN6OCqetl3nQN4_MJ-o4oIkJZ1ETiwBmUwUKlfUGU/w146-h218/Below%20the%20Salt.png" width="146" /></a></div>#9 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Below the Salt</i> by Thomas B. Costain</b></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">New to me, <i>Below the Salt</i> marked a bit of a departure for Costain. It relies on the theory of reincarnation, linking a modern-day senator (American) to a thirteenth-century serf (English).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><u style="font-weight: bold;">1964</u><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEret8tDK9DgNLM_jHZ7ofE7pvW9BBej5rfvVLtxK2mQrY96J3lYzQ7h69a6WDYe5hXiSgkV5BthPPnp_sebZoXJSinkic3dHFmJbbxYvD9mYRmFTes3-AaJIwHWtcku_-rWYJpN-hMKkkT5eCPpYEY1lCclLWFashbiU-0LJasIF0bCNbl_G2gBhgiA/s300/Herzog%20-%20Saul%20Bellow.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEret8tDK9DgNLM_jHZ7ofE7pvW9BBej5rfvVLtxK2mQrY96J3lYzQ7h69a6WDYe5hXiSgkV5BthPPnp_sebZoXJSinkic3dHFmJbbxYvD9mYRmFTes3-AaJIwHWtcku_-rWYJpN-hMKkkT5eCPpYEY1lCclLWFashbiU-0LJasIF0bCNbl_G2gBhgiA/w146-h220/Herzog%20-%20Saul%20Bellow.png" width="146" /></a></div>#3 </b><b>– </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Herzog</i><b> by Saul Bellow</b><br /><br />How to explain <i>Herzog's </i>presence? It was awarded the National Book Award, but so had <i>The Adventures of Augie March</i>, and so would <i>Mr. Sammler's Planet</i>, and they didn't make the year-end top ten.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><br /><u>1965</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSvhkoLP37qFSEWUFaBqVG5nfP2Krz0wmSTkOlBl7tCu1DijAGRVRWwwTrxZkt4TFVGpqBepXjQVBJ-b5LpeqUAB3-93r4ZsMAVbExmRJsduDu2FycA7_tt2uHWF6EFMQHHPsTzjhiDGmXamJaUnquFT9KhHoPqbvNq_hy6laYERb3yZ3l1eqjpKDqQM/s300/Herzog%20-%20Saul%20Bellow.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSvhkoLP37qFSEWUFaBqVG5nfP2Krz0wmSTkOlBl7tCu1DijAGRVRWwwTrxZkt4TFVGpqBepXjQVBJ-b5LpeqUAB3-93r4ZsMAVbExmRJsduDu2FycA7_tt2uHWF6EFMQHHPsTzjhiDGmXamJaUnquFT9KhHoPqbvNq_hy6laYERb3yZ3l1eqjpKDqQM/w146-h219/Herzog%20-%20Saul%20Bellow.png" width="146" /></a></div>#3 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Herzog</i> by Saul Bellow</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my first year of university I found a very nice first edition in dust jacket. I've carried it from home to home ever since, but it was only in putting this piece together that I saw the face in the cover.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That perfect font is so distracting.</div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizYpBcLmmIX4pJkw1Jk87gpcHXPD-3dKx5xlnvMcxxBvq0Jorb0PHYQyKr6d4SBwsOk_nPPzXZoVAS7R651s60t_1-S8c7cNkA9I_EPESCd3fV8GmU5q3QDnNzajhX0q6LHqkGgDXxVAzNRiWOgVexgimrXrrTaGfrVhKt01VuHaY4lSL52krvxywI-c/s300/Hotel%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="196" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizYpBcLmmIX4pJkw1Jk87gpcHXPD-3dKx5xlnvMcxxBvq0Jorb0PHYQyKr6d4SBwsOk_nPPzXZoVAS7R651s60t_1-S8c7cNkA9I_EPESCd3fV8GmU5q3QDnNzajhX0q6LHqkGgDXxVAzNRiWOgVexgimrXrrTaGfrVhKt01VuHaY4lSL52krvxywI-c/w145-h221/Hotel%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>#8 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Hotel</i> by Arthur Hailey</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">In Hailey's bibliography,<i> Hotel</i> follows <i>In High Places </i>(1962), a political thriller centred on challenges both domestic and international faced by Canadian prime minister James McCallum. <i>Hotel</i> doesn't sound nearly so interesting, though it did inspire a 1967 feature film and the ABC prime time soap of the same name starring James Brolin. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><u style="font-weight: bold;">1968</u><br /><br /><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg6bcP0lPNORHqSGNJH6ohwlIbd86QnbUpbauTLCCil-2lvX9xOSj66D0IiWXtSPnBTzdi7eipQ9Mh1U6NzxSfB9hjZQmkyYqgp-mMekhDRX5xPyDK0Jb5Pke0NDVNmm5m2MVaw6BOb-Axi-Jxq4_s0xKPTZZym0RMzSoCnAbV4KqcJr8Lralpk8yOo4/s300/Airport%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="199" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg6bcP0lPNORHqSGNJH6ohwlIbd86QnbUpbauTLCCil-2lvX9xOSj66D0IiWXtSPnBTzdi7eipQ9Mh1U6NzxSfB9hjZQmkyYqgp-mMekhDRX5xPyDK0Jb5Pke0NDVNmm5m2MVaw6BOb-Axi-Jxq4_s0xKPTZZym0RMzSoCnAbV4KqcJr8Lralpk8yOo4/w146-h219/Airport%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>#1 </b><b>– </b><b><i>Airport</i> by Arthur Hailey</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The novel that spawned <i>Airport, Airport 1975</i>, <i>Airport '77</i>, <i>The Concorde - Airport '79</i>, <i>Airplane!</i>, and <i>Airplane II: The Sequel, Airport</i> was the second Canadian novel I ever read. I think there were some sexy bits, but I'm not sure. If they existed, they weren't so memorable as the stuff in Harold Robbins' <i>The Carpetbagger</i>s.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">1971</u><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy9u_RyDZwcanchGUBLutUDTQH5k6szUqFjlZJ7zr_0MN5x_vkGOAjohAmcgg1FLFIA54P4rBFAccgqa08hORta95RbkHc4RIpNVayUKOrQcK5T0evRP_PbGDNasXXkaXIXxXTeWPAwo96RWIQfPGZLiH0ULRpYt9OHCYgLeW8YEUCj-M1fcRosulwZU/s300/Wheels%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="203" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy9u_RyDZwcanchGUBLutUDTQH5k6szUqFjlZJ7zr_0MN5x_vkGOAjohAmcgg1FLFIA54P4rBFAccgqa08hORta95RbkHc4RIpNVayUKOrQcK5T0evRP_PbGDNasXXkaXIXxXTeWPAwo96RWIQfPGZLiH0ULRpYt9OHCYgLeW8YEUCj-M1fcRosulwZU/w145-h215/Wheels%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>#1 </b><b style="font-weight: bold;">– </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">Wheels</i><b> by Arthur Hailey</b><br /><br />A novel set inside the Detroit auto industry. Interestingly, the ten-hour five-part 1978 NBC mini-series starring Rock Hudson and Lee Remick is set in the 'sixties. It's a period piece, though you wouldn't know it. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">1975</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><br /></u></b><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDEXPQBX-T6ltoJuBErpOWS1l69f6M84NpNDlKhDf7NdZVTHFk9XSdVsWZtB3tAc4BxG_41Afe0cx-SHVQWLNhEMUw7LqMhCnBUcvvD_i8LS-gPNOkfdfjurKIXEf7xtqd8sQl8-7OzFGi_kMWEmYgY0lDD5vnk-g3pAe09bdFrEXtysY90f-3A3qdbo/s300/The%20Moneychangers%20-%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="202" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDEXPQBX-T6ltoJuBErpOWS1l69f6M84NpNDlKhDf7NdZVTHFk9XSdVsWZtB3tAc4BxG_41Afe0cx-SHVQWLNhEMUw7LqMhCnBUcvvD_i8LS-gPNOkfdfjurKIXEf7xtqd8sQl8-7OzFGi_kMWEmYgY0lDD5vnk-g3pAe09bdFrEXtysY90f-3A3qdbo/w146-h217/The%20Moneychangers%20-%20Arthur%20Hailey.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>#2 </b><b>– </b><b><i>The Moneychangers</i> by Arthur Hailey</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The idea of a novel centring on banking, finance and investing doesn't sound nearly so interesting as one about a sleek and powerful car, which may explain why <i>The Moneychangers</i> failed to land at #1. It was kept from top spot by E.L. Doctorow's <i>Ragtime</i>. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">1979</u><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoeLNLG3EW7-BOeBhK1RPcGa7ATQpJs8YOV-dcdbYdz3Mt4PVsY5zolGVj5H_C_KiMOyyItGvaob9rdRdvua_lNNUXPiflsoR6Pwf66AyW2YTK6DgMU9FFnNQgIyejlT9JvyziGWGSacgycY_jAMGukwpi3J9UmgsLvRcLLVn7JdhESchsOhVowrEMmA/s372/Overload.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="254" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoeLNLG3EW7-BOeBhK1RPcGa7ATQpJs8YOV-dcdbYdz3Mt4PVsY5zolGVj5H_C_KiMOyyItGvaob9rdRdvua_lNNUXPiflsoR6Pwf66AyW2YTK6DgMU9FFnNQgIyejlT9JvyziGWGSacgycY_jAMGukwpi3J9UmgsLvRcLLVn7JdhESchsOhVowrEMmA/w150-h220/Overload.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>#3 </b><b style="font-weight: bold;">– </b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Overload</i> by Arthur Hailey<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Here the author whose previous novels were set in the hospitalty industry, the aviation industry, the automotive industry, and the banking industry, presents a 512-page novel focussed on a California utility company.<br /><br />There will be brownouts!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />And that's it.<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Arthur Hailey went on to write three more novels: <i>Strong Medicine</i> (1984), <i>The Evening News</i> (1990), and <i>Detective</i> (1997). All were bestsellers, but not so much that they dominated the bestseller lists. He</span></span> died in 2004, the eighth and last Canadian to have written a book that landed in the year-end top ten.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Between 1896 and 1979 eight Canadians wrote twenty-seven novels in the annual list of top American bestsellers. Six of the twenty-seven titles appeared two years running. These figures are impressive, until one realizes that all happened within an eighty-three-year span, and that it's been forty-three years since any Canadian writer has done the same. Margaret Atwood? Not even <i>The Testaments</i>. <i>Life of Pi</i> didn't make the cut, nor did <i>The English Patient</i>.<br /><br />Why is that?<br /><br />All my theories have fallen flat.<br /><br />Any ideas?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Related posts:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2022/09/born-again-infidel.html" target="_blank">Born Again Infidel</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2009/11/not-very-occult.html" target="_blank">Nor Very Occult</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-barefoot-fugitive-and-other.html" target="_blank">The Barefoot Fugitive and Other Mysteries</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/03/aka-frank-tarbeaux.html" target="_blank">a/k/a Frank Tarbeaux</a><br /><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2012/11/about-those-old-new-canadian-library.html" target="_blank">About Those Old New Canadian Library Intros</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-paralyzing-success-of-gwethalyn.html" target="_blank">The Paralyzing Success of Gwethalyn Graham</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Brian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.com2