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A review by pmwals09
Shipping News by Annie Proulx
4.0
Quoyle is the middle-aged protagonist of the novel; considered a failure by just about everybody he knows (his parents, his brother, most of his co-workers, his wife). Then, all at once, several deaths occur in quick succession, which prove to be a significant windfall for the floundering Quoyle. He moves to Newfoundland, his ancestral home, and begins life anew.
My first impression of this novel was a very negative one. Ms. Proulx writes in a very clipped, brief style that I was not terribly fond of. However, as I worked my way through the book, I found the story so compelling that I did not notice the style any more. It became secondary to the story.
The story itself I found very confusing until the very end. Perhaps I am just not very perceptive, but I had no idea that it was about the different types of love until the last couple of chapters. Ms. Proulx hints at this overall theme, but it is not until the very end that the main character experiences a small revelation that unifies the novel. Much like the style in which the book is written, I found this very frustrating until the very end of the book. The lesson here: even if you don't really like a book, you should still read it. It might surprise you, as this one did me.
Now that I know that the novel is about love, the storyline makes more sense. It seems very hodgepodge and pointless for the majority of the book, and I think this is intentional. The fact that just about every chapter begins with an excerpt about knots and rope is also telling. It is about the old, hackneyed theme of the "ties that bind us," but presented in a new way. Rather than romanticizing the theme, as so often happens, Ms. Proulx brings it down. She sets the majority of the story in a fishing community in Newfoundland, filled with rough and quirky "characters" (both in the literal and euphemistic sense of the word). The protagonist works at a newspaper that is dominated by ads, rather than news. It is a quiet, boring place. And yet, this is the setting to explore relationships. I think this provides the opportunity for a more in-depth examination of these relationships.
I think what struck me most about this novel is the transformation of the main character. He starts off living in a trailer with a wife that was hardly home for all her sexual adventures, two children, working seasonally at best. He was living a life that led nowhere, stayed in filth. By the end, he is the head of a newspaper, owns a house, helps build his own boat, and provides for his two daughters. The change is remarkable, and I think it is a testament to the effects love - both good and bad - have on our character.
I won't say much more, because I think a lot of the book is explained in the final few chapters. So, read it.
My first impression of this novel was a very negative one. Ms. Proulx writes in a very clipped, brief style that I was not terribly fond of. However, as I worked my way through the book, I found the story so compelling that I did not notice the style any more. It became secondary to the story.
The story itself I found very confusing until the very end. Perhaps I am just not very perceptive, but I had no idea that it was about the different types of love until the last couple of chapters. Ms. Proulx hints at this overall theme, but it is not until the very end that the main character experiences a small revelation that unifies the novel. Much like the style in which the book is written, I found this very frustrating until the very end of the book. The lesson here: even if you don't really like a book, you should still read it. It might surprise you, as this one did me.
Now that I know that the novel is about love, the storyline makes more sense. It seems very hodgepodge and pointless for the majority of the book, and I think this is intentional. The fact that just about every chapter begins with an excerpt about knots and rope is also telling. It is about the old, hackneyed theme of the "ties that bind us," but presented in a new way. Rather than romanticizing the theme, as so often happens, Ms. Proulx brings it down. She sets the majority of the story in a fishing community in Newfoundland, filled with rough and quirky "characters" (both in the literal and euphemistic sense of the word). The protagonist works at a newspaper that is dominated by ads, rather than news. It is a quiet, boring place. And yet, this is the setting to explore relationships. I think this provides the opportunity for a more in-depth examination of these relationships.
I think what struck me most about this novel is the transformation of the main character. He starts off living in a trailer with a wife that was hardly home for all her sexual adventures, two children, working seasonally at best. He was living a life that led nowhere, stayed in filth. By the end, he is the head of a newspaper, owns a house, helps build his own boat, and provides for his two daughters. The change is remarkable, and I think it is a testament to the effects love - both good and bad - have on our character.
I won't say much more, because I think a lot of the book is explained in the final few chapters. So, read it.