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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Sentimental wordy and mixed. Vanity and self-importance mixed with impotence and frustration. Something to read on rainy day with a beside amount of Scotch
To leave or not leave, and having left, to stay away or to go back home. I knew of Newfoundlanders who had gone to their graves without having settled the question, some who never left but were forever planning to and some who went away for good but were forever on the verge of going home. Page 144
As the daughter of a Newfoundlander who left as a young man, and as I have only visited a handful of times, this title filled in some of the vital history necessary to understand this place. I wish I had read it before my grandparents died so I could ask them more about the times described by the author.
As the daughter of a Newfoundlander who left as a young man, and as I have only visited a handful of times, this title filled in some of the vital history necessary to understand this place. I wish I had read it before my grandparents died so I could ask them more about the times described by the author.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wayne Johnston is a master of storytelling that weaves dark humour into bleak circumstances. Using real and fictional people, he takes you on a tour of Newfoundland history that feels as though it's happening right in front of you. The story is bold, not sugarcoating anything. Political conflicts, environmental and economic struggles: they're all laid out bare in these pages. Those who know Newfoundland history will also appreciate the familiarity of the events and locations as they appear throughout.
I didnt know much about Joey Smallwood and while this book is fiction it did have me on Google looking for more information about him. I was sad that Sheilagh Fielding is a fictional character as she is an interesting woman.
The meshing of a few real life people mixed with fictional was a intriguing concept
The meshing of a few real life people mixed with fictional was a intriguing concept
Wayne Johnston's descriptions brought the beauty of Newfoundland to life. I could hear the grinding and booms of the ice, see the beauty of the fjords and more.
I learned so much about the history of the province and it's people. Which is one of the best reasons to recommend a book.
It was a tad long. For the last 10% of the book I did start to skim. I was just weary from the two stories being told.
I learned so much about the history of the province and it's people. Which is one of the best reasons to recommend a book.
It was a tad long. For the last 10% of the book I did start to skim. I was just weary from the two stories being told.
Too long, too slow - a novel of unrequited expectations.
Started this book many years ago and didn't finish it. However, finally got there and it was worth the read. Joey Smallwood was a fascinating figure in Canadian History one I'm sure many children in school nowadays know nothing about, and as such his life deserves reviewing. Told from the perspective of Joey himself for the most part, this book takes you through his childhood, his struggles towards adulthood and his monumental failures for the better part of his life, until he manages to bring Newfoundland into Confederation and becomes the first premier of Newfoundland. Funny, touching, self deprecating at times Joey tells an interesting (if not always honest) tale. The counterpoint to Joey is a fictional character named Sheilagh Fielding, a kind of drunken Jiminy Cricket to Joey's often wobbly conscience and political commitment. She haunts his whole life and in many ways gives insight to the man Joe Smallwood becomes by pointing out some of his glaring omissions and questionable justifications.
Sentimental wordy and mixed. Vanity and self-importance mixed with impotence and frustration. Something to read on rainy day with a beside amount of Scotch