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rosafb's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved the passages about BC geography - she captures the landscape brilliantly. Her description of fishing, the lakes, the rivers, the wildlife were all brilliant.
The writing is relatable and maybe a bit ahead of its time.
The plot is a bit patchy, the transitions are not smooth and some sections seem a bit random.
Very enjoyable. Particularly for a BC Classic.
The writing is relatable and maybe a bit ahead of its time.
The plot is a bit patchy, the transitions are not smooth and some sections seem a bit random.
Very enjoyable. Particularly for a BC Classic.
emmkayt's review
4.0
A Canadian classic from 1954 I’d not read before. A contemplative read that I enjoyed a lot during a few days away. The protagonist is Maggie Lloyd, who at the outset of the novel escapes an unhappy second marriage that she entered into in haste after personal tragedy. I loved the description of her exit - you get a feel for how she must have begun to rebuild her sense of self to put everything in place in order to take that step. A very deliberate, quiet character. She heads out of the Vancouver area by bus with her fishing rod, intending to settle near Kamloops. There she finds a job at a fishing lodge. Around her are various folks and their different unhappinesses, joys, and complications. Wilson describes landscapes so beautifully, I re-read some of the descriptions with great enjoyment as soon as I'd finished them, my favourite probably being the road out of the city along the Fraser River. Wonderful. Her writing style in general was distinctive, elipptical (and actually features a lot of elippses!), and even a little odd somehow: old-fashioned in some respects but she also sometimes phrases things in unexpected ways, and I think there's an underlying sophistication to it.
pavlinas's review
5.0
"...but now I am alone and, like a swimmer, I have to make my way on my own power. Swimming is like living, it is done alone." (99)
Love that.
Love that.
nanajo's review against another edition
3.0
There were moments in this novel when I would be captured by lovely prose and I would feel hope that I was about to be rewarded by a deeper connection to the story. Hope kept me reading but I never made the connection I was looking for.
spencerbmiller's review
4.0
A book about ideas and human relationships, and probably a number of other things to. I am so impressed by Canadian writing. I was happy to read about the highly featured elements of the British Columbia landscape (including Vancouver City) that were familiar to me. Wilson offers deep and complicated insight into the way we meet people, make friends, and find home.
qiaosilin's review
3.0
Read for a class on British Columbian lit.
Not particularly fond of this novel, I'll admit. There are certain things about it that I do like, such as the awesomeness of our protagonist, Maggie, who decides she's had enough of her abusive second husband and splits on up to the BC interior; a decidedly heroic and brave thing to do in the 1950s for a woman. I liked that the other characters got their little backstories before they were even introduced into the timeline of Maggie's narrative. I also liked that there was a fairly positive representation of Chinese-Canadians, especially when Maggie's in Chinatown and when Wilson writes about their family life. Although, I would have to say that [a:Wayson Choy|151703|Wayson Choy|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1243212827p2/151703.jpg] does it better in [b:The Jade Peony|9704016|The Jade Peony|Wayson Choy|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328691032s/9704016.jpg|251588] because of obvious ethnic and personal reasons.
I didn't find the character of Vera very likeable, but I think she was meant to be pitiable anyway. I didn't see or find the connection between Maggie and Mrs Severance to be of particular importance or even interest. Hilda can keep on rockin' though.
I think what carries the novel, overall, is the beautiful prose. Wilson writes with extreme technical skill, but also with love: the way she writes about the BC landscape is a great reminder of how gorgeous a province this is, in case you forget. The interactions people have or view between nature, flora and fauna are a delight to read about (in particular, the kitten and the fawn scene), and the relationships these characters develop is kind of a nice view on how human relationships really work. It's sweet and endearing, but also eye-opening (especially in regards to chapters focused on Edward Vardoe).
Well worth the read, but not if you want an exciting plot. We're clearly all relaxed British Columbians here.
Not particularly fond of this novel, I'll admit. There are certain things about it that I do like, such as the awesomeness of our protagonist, Maggie, who decides she's had enough of her abusive second husband and splits on up to the BC interior; a decidedly heroic and brave thing to do in the 1950s for a woman. I liked that the other characters got their little backstories before they were even introduced into the timeline of Maggie's narrative. I also liked that there was a fairly positive representation of Chinese-Canadians, especially when Maggie's in Chinatown and when Wilson writes about their family life. Although, I would have to say that [a:Wayson Choy|151703|Wayson Choy|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1243212827p2/151703.jpg] does it better in [b:The Jade Peony|9704016|The Jade Peony|Wayson Choy|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328691032s/9704016.jpg|251588] because of obvious ethnic and personal reasons.
I didn't find the character of Vera very likeable, but I think she was meant to be pitiable anyway. I didn't see or find the connection between Maggie and Mrs Severance to be of particular importance or even interest. Hilda can keep on rockin' though.
I think what carries the novel, overall, is the beautiful prose. Wilson writes with extreme technical skill, but also with love: the way she writes about the BC landscape is a great reminder of how gorgeous a province this is, in case you forget. The interactions people have or view between nature, flora and fauna are a delight to read about (in particular, the kitten and the fawn scene), and the relationships these characters develop is kind of a nice view on how human relationships really work. It's sweet and endearing, but also eye-opening (especially in regards to chapters focused on Edward Vardoe).
Well worth the read, but not if you want an exciting plot. We're clearly all relaxed British Columbians here.
kunstudios's review against another edition
5.0
Continuing my current trend of reading rural BC type books, this one was recommended on the radio and I had forgotten all about it. Excellent, nuanced, simple but complex.
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