The Shipping News
by E. Annie Proulx
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Book Summary Information
Author: E. Annie ProulxEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-06-01
ISBN: 0671510053
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Scribner
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780671510053
- Condition: USED - Like New
- Notes: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Shipping News
Book Review: An excellent read
Summary: 5 Stars
The Shipping News
As a fan of Newfoundland and its culture, I was recommended the novel The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. For the first time I was not hesitant to pick up the book that shined proudly with the silver of the Pulitzer Prize. I began to read, not quite
sure of what to expect or what the characters would bring but quickly I was drawn in.
The novel is the story of a man Quoyle, whose luck has been far from good. In the first few chapters we are made aware of the trials that occur over a short period of time. During these hardships, Quoyle's aunt, Agnis Hamm appears in search of something that has haunted her life for years and in the mean time encourages Quoyle to abandon his awful job and even more awful life to come and live with her in the house that she was
raised in. From there he takes a job working at a local newspaper called, "The Shipping News" where he is thrust into a scene full of ship and car wrecks and town folk who care
little for anything other than gossip.
Throughout the novel we are introduced to insightful, interesting, characters who come off as the type of folk you'd find in any small town. The traveler not native to the land (and with plans to leave soon), the old boss who prefers fishing to actual work in the newspaper office, and the antagonist who spends time trying to debunk Quoyle's work, are just a few of the interesting people we encounter. In between is a great tale of love that forms between two people enveloped with grief. The progression is honey like; slow, sweet. It is not the main focus of the novel but in all reality, there really isn't one focus.
Essentially, I believe Proulx set out to write a novel about people. As a reader you become more aware of what the characters are doing than what the actual plot is and it makes for an interesting read. We see the evolution of characters and the heavy process that healing entails, and we are able to familiarize ourselves with at least one of the characters. If not, they become our friends. We see the man who sits alone every day on the same stool of a restaurant. We know the waitress that calls certain customers by name because she has gotten used to their regularity. Quoyle's insecurities are the ones we deal with every day and because of all of this, we are easily drawn into the book.
Proulx has mastered and written word and her description is so wonderful that you are able to see each person and each scene vividly. Each time a name is mentioned you can draw up the picture of the person who's face was mentioned in one of the earlier chapters.
Quoyle is described early on as, "A great damp loaf of a body. At six he weighed eighty pounds. At sixteen he was buried under a casement of flesh. Head shaped like a crenshaw, no neck, reddish hair ruched back. Features as bunched as kissed fingertips.
Eyes the color of plastic. The monstrous chin, a freakish shelf jutting from the lower face." Throughout the novel we are reminded of this image when Quoyle hides his chin in embarrassment.
This novel is overall humorous due to funny scenarios and memorable jokes, however there is an overwhelming feeling of serious backed behind this. Each character is subject to the terrible things of the world and each person partakes in soul
searching in order to achieve a level of normality in their lives.
I was very touched by how these people from a small town in Newfoundland, Canada lived their lives. I was amazed at how Proulx could take these ordinary folks and make them interesting. And I was blow away at how much compassion I could feel in the last few pages and blown away by the change that was underwent. This novel is inspiring, amazing, and a great read and if you have even half a heart you will fall in love as I have done.
Summary of The Shipping News
When Quoyle's two-timing wife meets her just desserts, he retreats with his two daughters to his ancestral home on the starkly beautiful Newfoundland coast, where a rich cast of local characters and family members all play a part in Quoyle's struggle to reclaim his life. As Quoyle confronts his private demons -- and the unpredictable forces of nature and society -- he begins to see the possibility of love without pain or misery.A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary North American family, The Shipping News shows why Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today.
In this touching and atmospheric novel set among the fishermen of Newfoundland, Proulx tells the story of Quoyle. From all outward appearances, Quoyle has gone through his first 36 years on earth as a big schlump of a loser. He's not attractive, he's not brilliant or witty or talented, and he's not the kind of person who typically assumes the central position in a novel. But Proulx creates a simple and compelling tale of Quoyle's psychological and spiritual growth. Along the way, we get to look in on the maritime beauty of what is probably a disappearing way of life.
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