Joseph Boyden seems incapable of telling a narrative story from start to finish; rather he jumps around from the present to various points in the past moving his point of view from person to person. Makes for challenging reading. If you’re up for the challenge he tells a cracking good story. After working on this book for half a decade it finally clicked last night. Set in Moosonee and various points south it is filled with the usual references to alcohol abuse, residential schools, and living off the land. If you hadn’t guessed his subjects are Anishinabe and no attempt is made to varnish the hardships, pride, and challenges of their lives. The profanity somehow doesn’t seem jarring in this context but be ware that it is there.
No comments:
Post a Comment