- Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Anchor Canada (Feb 11 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385659008
- ISBN-13: 978-0385659000
- Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 12.6 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #248,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Saints of Big Harbour, Lynn Coady's second novel, begins with some of the funniest work ever produced by a Canadian novelist. The opening chapter is narrated by Guy Boucher, the novel's hapless teenage protagonist, and it reads as though someone has cleverly translated Adrian Mole into a tiny Nova Scotian town. Guy introduces his family: his impoverished mother, Marianne; his uncontrollable, alcoholic, and incredibly charismatic uncle, Isadore; and his meek, almost unnoticeable sister, Louise. We also meet Alison Mason, Isadore's (male) drinking companion and Guy's sometime English teacher. Despite the bleakness of his surroundings, Guy is a cheerful lad with only one goal in mind: to use Isadore's truck to attend dances in the nearby town of Big Harbour and thereby find a town girlfriend.
And Guy does just this, briefly, spending one night dancing with the beautiful Corrine Fortune. Soon, however, Corrine won't speak to Guy, and not long after, all of the characters' lives fall into chaos. Isadore's drinking habit once again progresses into a rampage, the people of Big Harbour begin hearing rumours that Guy has done something unnamable to Corrine, and Alison Mason begins to drown in drink.
Coady is a superb storyteller, and Saints of Big Harbour moves gracefully from perspective to perspective as it examines the lives of these luckless characters. The book is painfully depressing at times, but never gloomy--Coady's incredible comic gift keeps her story well paced. This is a very fine novel, far better than the ever-growing mob of small-town-Maritimes fiction. --Jack Illingworth --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Canadian novelist Coady makes her American debut with this touching and funny story of a teenage boy who becomes the victim of the rumor mill in his small rural Nova Scotia community in the early 1980s. Guy Boucher lives with his overworked mother, his reclusive goth sister and his loud, opinionated, boorishly conservative and usually drunk Uncle Isadore. The likable Guy is socially awkward but perceptive and intelligent, with a sharp wit that usually deserts him when he opens his mouth. Guy becomes enamoured of pretty, popular Corinne Fortune, a pampered girl from nearby Big Harbour who rejects him. Caught in a web of lies she's already spun about an imaginary boyfriend, and motivated by a teenager's taste for melodrama, Corinne tells a friend that Guy has treated her brutally. In the way of small communities, her untruths pass from mouth to mouth, gaining momentum until the whole town is worked up in a collective rage over the unwitting Guy, who can't understand why he's getting so many dirty looks. The novel is told from the alternating viewpoints of Guy, Corinne and other supporting characters, including Corinne's serious, sensible best friend, Pam; Corinne's precocious and neurotic older brother, Howard; and Guy's former English teacher, Alison, an American draft dodger and drinking buddy of Isadore's who habitually hangs out (or passes out) at Guy's house and becomes his unlikely mentor. Coady's voice is assured, and she has a sensitive ear for dysfunctional family dynamics and teenage posturing. Though the characters are not equally well developed one wishes that Corinne in particular was more nuanced this is an affecting coming-of-age story and a darkly comic picture of an insular, down-at-the-heels and alcohol-soddened community.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect,
By A Customer
This review is from: Saints of Big Harbour (Hardcover)
I read this book early in 2002. It was a pity that was published so early in the year as prize jurors completely ignored what was one of the top five books of 2002. I was enthralled by Coady's storytelling abilities. She wove a complex story about complex (sometimes hearbreaking sometimes hilarious) people and a year of their lives. She is a master of voice and tone. Saints of Big Harbour reads like it was written with the mastery of an older author but with the freshness of youth. Saints of Big Harbour is a perfect book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Saints of Big Harbour (Hardcover)
Lynn Coady's writing reminds me of Roddy Doyle's. In Saints of Big Harbour, she draws a hilarious and energetic portrait of a pretty dysfunctional small town. Her dialogue is excellent, and her characters are well-drawn. I'd really recommend this book to anyone who likes fiction with a sense of humor, a sense of place and a great ear for the way people talk.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good storytelling,
By R.J. - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Saints of Big Harbour (Hardcover)
Small town Nova Scotia is the backdrop for this well-paced novel. A teenaged boy named Guy Boucher goes through his rites of passage, with an overbearing and bombastic uncle dominating and challenging him. A chance meeting with a girl at a school dance leads to problems as she just wanted to play around, while Guy becomes obsessed, and soon becomes the victim of false stories and becomes a target. Meanwhile Guy gets caught up in hockey and boxing, trying to find his way and to show his uncle that he's a man.Other characters are interesting here too; the loyal unattractive best friend who clings to her popular pal desperately; the protective and unpredictable older brother; the popular yet intelligent guy who's forgotten about college so he can stay in town with his buddies, and the struggling single mother who has very little joy in her life. It's pure Canadiana here, you can see the lumberjack jackets and smell the Tim Horton's coffee. For most of the book it's a fun and engrossing read, and to me it's far superior to overblown CanLit such as Fall On Your Knees. Still, the pace slackens in the latter third of the book, the plot tends to go all over the place by then. It's still worthwhile and a fun read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Saints of Big Harbour (Hardcover)
I read this book early in 2002. It was a pity that was published so early in the year as prize jurors completely ignored what was one of the top five books of 2002. I was enthralled by Coady's storytelling abilities. She wove a complex story about complex (sometimes hearbreaking sometimes hilarious) people and a year of their lives. She is a master of voice and tone. Saints of Big Harbour reads like it was written with the mastery of an older author but with the freshness of youth. Saints of Big Harbour is a perfect book. |
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