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First published in 1982, Guy Vanderhaeghe's Man Descending, a collection of 12 finely crafted short stories set mostly on the Canadian Prairies, won Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction (an award that Vanderhaeghe won again in 1996 for his novel The Englishman's Boy). Showing tremendous range, Vanderhaeghe is equally adept at taking on the voice of an 11-year-old boy stuck on a dusty farm or an unemployed husband (the "descending man" of the title) whose marriage, like his scotch, is on the rocks. His characters--men, women, or children--are wholly believable and achingly human. There are no superheroes here, just real human beings with all their foibles and failings, charms and weaknesses.
Vanderhaeghe is particularly skilled at describing his creations: the grandmother with a "vinegary voice"; the father who was a "desolate, lanky, drooping weed of a man"; the child who is "loose-jointed" and "water-boned" with boredom; the husband with the "I'm-a-harmless-idiot-don't-hit-me smile." The dialogue flows with the patterns and ripples of genuine speech caught alive and still breathing, especially in "Going to Russia," in which a lunatic recalls his interview with a doctor. As they discuss a series of letters in a wonderfully resonant and twisting conversation, the two characters turn out to be tracing the ways art imitates life (and vice versa). These are rich, satisfying stories with a touch of wry humour. Despite their layers of meaning, which can reward rereading, they travel lightly. They are like the Prairies, in fact: allowing a clear view all the way to the horizon but revealing intriguing detail on closer inspection. --Mark Frutkin
Review
“These stories are wonderful! I thought I’d ‘sample’ them, and I’ve read them all with that astonished gratitude you feel when you meet a real writer.”
–Alice Munro
“Technically delightful, with multi-themes and layers of meaning.…These are stories to be reread and remembered.”
–Books in Canada
“[These stories] all repay close reading with solid entertainment.”
–New York Times
“Original and stylish, written with a quirky, self-deprecating awareness of the sad shifts men are put to in order to survive.”
–Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
“Flawless.…Each of these stories circles around in the mind, weaving itself into the fabric of the imagination, until the final lines, when, as if a trap door suddenly opens, the whole world of the story drops en masse into the realm of the heart.”
–Bloomsbury Review (U.S.)
“A remarkable achievement.…The stories mark a compelling debut of an artist who sees with compassion the terror and sometimes the joy of the human condition.”
–David Staines, Ottawa Citizen
“[Vanderhaeghe] is blessed with remarkable poise and assurance.…There’s the same shiver of delight and joy of discovery that accompanied Alice Munro’s first collection of stories.”
–Globe and Mail
“Admirably crafted.…”
–The Guardian
“Stunningly good stories.…The action and dialogue are vivid, authentic and often hilarious.…”
–Winnipeg Free Press
“[The stories] shows Vanderhaeghe’s mastery of irony and his dexterity in maneuvering from the comic to the tragic.”
–Journal-Constitution (U.S.)
“[A] remarkable selection of stories.”
–ALA Booklist (U.S.)
“Any Canadian looking in the bathroom mirror is sure to recognize one of Guy Vanderhaeghe’s people. Man Descending is the startling debut of an excellent writer.”
–Rudy Wiebe
–Alice Munro
“Technically delightful, with multi-themes and layers of meaning.…These are stories to be reread and remembered.”
–Books in Canada
“[These stories] all repay close reading with solid entertainment.”
–New York Times
“Original and stylish, written with a quirky, self-deprecating awareness of the sad shifts men are put to in order to survive.”
–Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
“Flawless.…Each of these stories circles around in the mind, weaving itself into the fabric of the imagination, until the final lines, when, as if a trap door suddenly opens, the whole world of the story drops en masse into the realm of the heart.”
–Bloomsbury Review (U.S.)
“A remarkable achievement.…The stories mark a compelling debut of an artist who sees with compassion the terror and sometimes the joy of the human condition.”
–David Staines, Ottawa Citizen
“[Vanderhaeghe] is blessed with remarkable poise and assurance.…There’s the same shiver of delight and joy of discovery that accompanied Alice Munro’s first collection of stories.”
–Globe and Mail
“Admirably crafted.…”
–The Guardian
“Stunningly good stories.…The action and dialogue are vivid, authentic and often hilarious.…”
–Winnipeg Free Press
“[The stories] shows Vanderhaeghe’s mastery of irony and his dexterity in maneuvering from the comic to the tragic.”
–Journal-Constitution (U.S.)
“[A] remarkable selection of stories.”
–ALA Booklist (U.S.)
“Any Canadian looking in the bathroom mirror is sure to recognize one of Guy Vanderhaeghe’s people. Man Descending is the startling debut of an excellent writer.”
–Rudy Wiebe
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