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From Amazon
Toronto writer Catherine Bush made quite a splash with her first novel, Minus Time, which was shortlisted for the Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Toronto Book Award in 1994. Like its predecessor, The Rules of Engagement advertises its author as a savvy inhabitant of the global village. Arcadia Hearne, the protagonist, an expert on war, sits in a nice little institute and her cozy London flat pontificating on the world's trouble spots. Enter her sister Lux, a globetrotting celebrity VJ, with an appeal to help an actual refugee, and Arcadia's world is turned upside down. Could she be hiding from life? For Arcadia, friends and lovers are fellow duellists from whom one always eventually withdraws. We follow her back to Toronto and to her youth, to the origin of this emotional block.
In this well-crafted, even gripping read, Bush draws us inexorably through a web of beautiful vistas and clever wordplay toward the denouement. It is, however, a risky exercise--the writing and the plot teeter between great art and utter pretension. The writer might have pulled it off, were said denouement anywhere near as fulfilling as she leads us to believe. Unfortunately writing is a bit like sex (an activity well covered here): without a real climax, the most brilliant foreplay is nothing but a tease. --Robyn Gillam --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Eloquent and thoughtful, Bush's second novel (after Minus Time) uses the twin motifs of war and intervention to explore the nature of trust, responsibility and personal risk. The protagonist, Arcadia Hearne, is a 31-year-old Canadian expatriate now residing in London, where she works for the Centre for Contemporary War Studies. Arcadia receives a visit from her younger sister, Lux, host of a world music show seen globally. Lux introduces her to Basra Alale, a beautiful Somalian refugee and songwriter, who in turn introduces Arcadia to Amir Barmour, an Iranian teacher/translator/print-shop-worker. As Arcadia enters into a cautious relationship with Amir, flashbacks reveal details of her past romances. We learn that during her college years in Toronto, Arcadia had two lovers: the passionate, nihilistic Evan Biederman and Neil Laurier, a free-spirited but pretentious philosophy student. When Arcadia leaves Evan for Neil, an embittered Evan challenges his rival to a duel. Inexplicably, the laid-back Neil accepts. Arcadia learns of her lovers' mad plans, but finds herself unable to bring herself to intervene. The duel goes ahead as planned, Neil is badly wounded and a grief-stricken Arcadia flees the country, intent on putting as much distance as possible between herself and the source of her guilt. In heavy-handed fashion, Bush draws provocative parallels between Arcadia's war-related work at the Centre and the more immediate violence that she has experienced in her own life. Although the novel is gracefully written, pensive and dignified, it is hurt by Arcadia's cool, often aloof personality, which prevents the reader from engaging emotionally with her. Consequently, what could have been a devastating look at the symbolic confluences of personal and global conflict never catches fire.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Flawed Novel,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Rules of Engagement (Hardcover)
This novel has several flaws (it made me want to grab a great big red pen and get to work). The "duel" scene wasn't worth dragging up to - it shouldn't have been in the last pages. The relationship with the father didn't further the plot in any way and tag-lined somewhere on the edge of the story (To make the book longer? What was the point of this? It added nothing to the main character). Several times in the novel the main character is off on her own doing some task that inevitably fails (finding Basra, finding Evan, etc) and after awhile I wished she would stop bringing us all along with her. The relationship with Amir is left hanging in the middle of the novel after we have spent the first have of the novel meeting him (Why, WHY, does she stay in Toronto??? Why did we meet Amir at all???). My worst pet peeve: Several times in the story Arcadia "bumps" into people in huge, bustling cities. The first time this happens, I can deal with it. The second time it happens, the author points it out; it's not believable, but I give her the benefit of the doubt. However, Catherine Bush does it a THIRD TIME later in the novel with Evan . . . c'mon now. It's no longer a coincidence. It's just contrived. I did enjoy the revelation in the end. . . if only it were better handled and I didn't have to suffer the whole book to get to it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reminiscent of Kundera,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Rules of Engagement (Hardcover)
In "The Rules of Engagement", Catherine Bush creates a nearflawless meditation of the nature of war and the nature of love. Arcadia Hearne, the main character, flees from Canada (and two lovers), then emigrates to England, where she excels at hiding from the past, allowing only her sister and parents sporadic contact. Over Bush is a masterful writer, with insights and meditations This is an incredibly intelligent novel, and a highly
5.0 out of 5 stars
This One Will Keep You Thinking,
By
This review is from: The Rules of Engagement (Hardcover)
The Rules of Engagement is a fabulous novel. Catherine Bush has given us a terrific story that will make you think about the nature of love and war, of bravery, cowardice and risk. Arcadia Hearne is a Toronto native living in self-imposed exile in London. As the novel unfolds, we learn, little by little, about why seh left, and what she has done in London. She left because two of her lovers had a duel over her. The pain of the consequences of the duel was too overwhelming for her, so she fled, escaping to London. Her story, and how she finally addresses her past and deals with issues in the present, is fascinating and well-told. Bush tells the story, plaing concepts of love and war against one another. It's wonderful food for thought. There is a revelation towards the end of the novel--almost blink and you've missed it--that you won't get out of your head. I highly recommend this one. Enjoy.
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