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When I started this novella, I did not know what to expect. I had read a brief synopsis, which tempted me enough, and visited Binnie Brennan’s website, but that was about it. I like this feeling: having no idea what you are about to read. Harbour View is published by Quattro Books and, like the other book I read from this publishing house, its format is inviting. First of all, I love the design on the cover, which represents the handle of a fiddle. I also like the size of the book and the page presentation, which both make reading an easy and comfortable activity.
This novella is set in Halifax, in a nursing home to be precise. It is consequently concerned with characters who are not the most glamorous one might find: old people aging towards death and the staff looking after them. However, Binnie Brennan’s prose is delicate and makes such a topic bearable despite not sparing the reader with some realistic details.
Each of the six chapters adopts the point of view of one of the characters, whether a resident or the two nurses, while we might also catch a glimpse of the other characters. This structure could also be that of a short story cycle as each chapter appears as an independent story offering to the reader the thoughts, memories and secrets of each chosen character.
With each chapter, we get to discover a little bit about a character. The present and life at the nursing home intermingle with the past of each character and sometimes even gets confused with it, as with Buddy, the first character we meet. Buddy is the eldest resident at Harbour View; at 108, he tends to mix present and past: the music of the past played by the fiddle that has been passed in his family from one generation to the next and the memories of his daughter Alice, who died too young, are part of his quotidian. The crude details related to the realities of growing old are alleviated by the beauty of the short artistic descriptions of the music. The narrative keeps alternating between past and present and this first chapter sets the tone and pace for the following ones, which focus on other residents: Dahlia and the memories of her relationship with Robbie, Violet who acted as a model for the painting she has just donated to her niece and Myrna who has to face the sale of the house in which she grew up and where her mother managed to create a wonderful garden. Each of these residents views the nurses, Muriel and Estella, in their own way, finding them a bit too cheerful and patronising, appreciating their dedication and so on. However, those nurses also have their own secrets and private life and the chapters dedicated to them allow us to see another dimension to them.
The narrative of Harbour View is fragmented, not only because of its overall structure, but also within each chapter and the writing style of each chapter reflects, to some extent, the situation of the character. We are offered glimpses of the past rather than a continuous narrative and, although we are let for an instant into the characters’ past to discover their secrets, nothing is fully explained. As a result, I found Harbour View to be open to the senses and the imagination. It is a much pleasant read. Despite one of its subject matters being old age, I found this novella to be refreshing. I was also appealed by the Celtic background which is part of the Nova Scotian heritage and is very much present in this novella.
Here is an extract of Harbour View, read by Binnie Brennan:
Thanks for sending me your book, Binnie. It was a much agreeable read over my Christmas break.
Yesterday was St Stephen’s day. This is probably the busiest day, after St Patrick’s day, for pubs in Ireland. After spending a whole day eating turkey at home, the Irish need to go back to the pub to celebrate amongst friends. Many people are back home for the Christmas holiday and St Stephen’s day is the occasion for meeting at your local those you have not seen for a year.
Instead of going to the pub as I could not face a crowded bar, I read a story from a collection I received at Christmas: Great Irish Drinking Stories. A section of this book is dedicated to pub stories and I thought one of them would be appropriate for the day.
Indeed, in ”The Heat of the Sun” by Seán Ó’Faoláin, Johnny is back home on a week leave and after briefly visiting his parents rushes to his local,where he expects Alfie, the barman, to fill him in on the recent gossip.
“Why couldn’t they understand that when you cabled, ‘Coming home Thursday stop love stop Johnny,’ it meant you wanted to see them okay, and you were bringing presents for them, okay, but what you were really seeing was the gleam of the bottles, and the wet mahogany, and the slow, floating layers of smoke, shoulders pushing, hands shooting, everybody talking at the top of his voice to be heard and old Alfie grinning at you like an ape. God Almighty! When a fellow has only seven lousy days’ shore leave…”
It is often told of Ó’Faoláin that he writes about ordinary people. Indeed, this passage reveals what most Irish person coming home feels like doing, even nowadays. Social life in Ireland revolves around the pub and this story captures life around the pub accurately. Moreover, the beginning of the story is told in the second person and it increases this feeling that the character of the story could indeed be you.
However, when he gets to the pub, Johnny is disappointed not to see Alfie behind the bar. The barman is integral part of a pub and there is a sense of Johnny being lost when he does not see Alfie. He has to wait for his friends to arrive to discover that Alfie is in hospital dying of cancer. The second part of the story takes us to Alfie’s soon-to-be widow’s house where the group of friends go to bring her a few drinks to comfort her. She knows them through stories her husband might have told her and they know of her, although she had never really been a reality for them. This part of the story focuses on her sorrow, despite the fact that her and Alfie were separated, and reveals her loneliness.
I think that this story gives a strong feeling of pub life in Ireland and the shift of focus onto Alfie’s wife reveals the two sides of the barman: his public versus his private self. The first part though is difficult to follow as it alternates between the present and general scenes that might happen in the pub, between dialogue and narration. It is a good story in the way it captures the characters’ feelings and Irish life, but I would not rave about it. I must admit that I found this story a bit boring.
I was hesitating to join the Ireland Reading Challenge 2011 and Carrie K., who hosts the challenge at Books and Movies, convinced me. I used to read a lot of Irish fiction, but this has lately been replaced by Canadian literature, thus leaving many unread Irish books on my shelves. I am aiming to complete the second level, “Luck o’ the Irish”, which means reading four books connected with Ireland. I am planning to read All for Grace by Mairead Whyte, Micka by Frances Kay and Foster by Claire Keegan, which have all been published last year. I leave my last pick open to suit my mood.
While I was looking for the page for the Ireland Reading Challenge, my eyes got caught by the Essay Challenge 2011. As I read a lot of essays, I thought it could be interesting to share them. We’ll see how it goes…
We have all heard of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, in one form or another, but how many of us have actually read the original version? I had not… until this Christmas. When I went to do my Christmas shopping, I bought some children’s versions of it and thought it would be shameful to offer this story to kids without having read it myself, so I bought a Wordsworth unabridged version for myself.
When you pronounce the name A Christmas Carol, people who have not read the book will immediately think of a very sad story (my mum actually warned me against reading it as she thought it would depress me on Christmas eve). However, I did not find it really sad, but rather hopeful. I had an image of Ebenezer Scrooge being a horrible character for most of the book, but he is actually easily reformed. The first chapter depicts him as a stingy and cruel person, probably a symbol of capitalism, but it does not take much for Scrooge to change his position. The visit of the ghost of Marley disturbs him and when the Spirit of Christmas Past brings him on a journey through the years gone by, Scrooge soon realises that he must change if he wants to know again such happiness. The visits of the Spirit of Christmas Present and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come only help to convince him that his decision is the right one. Scrooge, then, becomes a generous man and “it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well”. I thus found this novella to be uplifting rather than depressing.
Its moral speaks to me: money does not make one happy. In these days and ages, so many things have become so materialistic and Christmas tend to revolve around how much one can spend to buy shiny presents. In the process, we have lost some important values and have forgotten that money is not what is the most important, even if we need some of it to survive. The recession is Ireland has hit people quite badly. After a decade of sudden economic growth, people have found themselves with very little to spend and this is particularly felt at Christmas time. Some have had to explain their children that Santa cannot bring everything they desire, while others have become indebted to keep the standards of past Christmases. I am not sure the latter teach their kids the right and important values of life.
My favourite part of Christmas this year was my Santa tour. On the 23rd, I went around my friends’ houses to leave some presents for them and called in to my local mechanics and petrol station (one of the last where there is always an attendant to fill your tank) to give them a little package of sweetness. I did not spend much money, but a lot of time and thinking. Most of my presents were handcrafted and personalised and, instead of buying boxes of chocolates, I baked madeleines (a French type of biscuits). Some might call it “cheap”, but I believe that in a time when we have too much of everything, we should learn again the value of things. I believe that A Christmas Carol carries a similar message: learn to share, and share happiness above all, it cannot be bought with money.
Although I was alone with the cats this Christmas, I did not feel lonely and this was probably because the presents I received were so thoughtful. I was amazed at how suited they were for me and that brought tears in my eyes.
One of my favourite things to do is to sit by the fire with a glass of wine and a book, so I was delighted to receive some wine glasses, a few bottles of wine and some books, which were so well-chosen. I also received a CD, which I opened first and listened while opening the rest of the presents. I had a lovely time and a lot of fun watching little Gypsy playing with the wrapping paper.
I also finally opened my second Book Blogger Holiday Swap present, which had been sent to me by Amy, one of the organisers. Here is what was in it:
As you can see, she put loads of delightful little goodies in the present: some delicious chocolates, a bookmark, a little santa, a 2011/2012 diary, a packet of hot chocolate mix and two books. I had never heard of any of them and I’m glad to discover unknown books that seem to suit my tastes so perfectly. One of them is The Disappeared by Kim Echlin, a Canadian novel that was Giller Prize finalist. The other is Love Begins in Winter, a collection of short stories by Simon Van Booy.
I did not spend as much time as I wanted reading (or blogging), but it doesn’t matter since managed to chill out for a couple of days and really needed to.
I hope your Christmas was delightful and that you managed to spend some quality time with your loved ones.
Here we are, it is Christmas eve!
In France, Christmas eve is as important as Christmas day. You would start the celebration then and have a huge dinner, probably lasting until midnight, at which time Santa comes and you might be allowed to open your presents. This is not a generality, but that’s what would happen some years in my family. We would then stay up until all hours, opening and showing our presents and have a good lie-in the following day. Here, in Ireland, it is all about Christmas day and Christmas eve is just a day to prepare and maybe go out for a pint in the evening to chill out. In some towns, the pubs close at 6pm, so you might go back to some friend’s house afterwards to drink mulled wine.
When I lived in Waterford, I used to do my last bits of Christmas shopping and get to the pub around 4pm where all my friends would meet up for a drink. I used to love it! Now that I live in the countryside, it’s a bit more difficult as I need to drive to go to my favourite pub. This year, I decided to give it a miss and went to visit friends yesterday instead. I just wanted a relaxing day today, and so it was!
I am not ashamed to say that I stayed in bed pretty late, only to get up and st in front of the fire with a book. Plans for the evening? Here they are:
logs for the fire, a glass of bubbly, cuddles from the cats (it’s Gypsy on the pic, but the three big cats are around too), finish a Christmas Carol, watch Le Père Noël est une ordure (a French classic and hilarious Christmas film) and, maybe, open a present or two at midnight (eh! that’s the French tradition, I’m allowed to!).
I’m going to leave you with a Christmas song: “Mon Légionnaire” by Serge Gainsbourg. This is not what you would think of as a traditional Christmas song, but it reminds me of one Christmas. We were having our Christmas eve dinner and were waiting for midnight to open our presents and Serge Gainsbourg’s live CD was playing on a loop. My mum then figured out that when we would hear “Mon Légionnaire” for the x time, it would be time to open the presents, so we spent the rest of the dinner counting!
Happy Christmas to you all! I hope you’re having a wonderful time!
The Literary Blog Hop is a fortnightly event held at The Blue Bookcase prompting book bloggers to answer a question.
What literary title (fiction or non-fiction) do you love that has been under-appreciated? We all know about the latest Dan Brown, and James Patterson isn’t hurting for publicity. What quiet masterpiece do you want more readers to know?
When I saw this question, I thought it would be easy to answer. It isn’t! It is so difficult to judge the attention books receive and, of course, it varies with countries. For instance, an Irish book might receive attention in Ireland, but not worldwide.
The first book I would name is If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino. I do not know what kind of recognition this book has received. I studied it as part of a course, but I had never heard of it before and when I talk to people, few have heard of it, so I believe it did not receive that much. I think it is a great novel, which is a perfect example of metafiction. I personally love it and would recommend it to anyone who likes stories that are not all tied-up. It is confusing and dizzying. I reviewed it a while ago here.
The second novel I want to mention is John McGahern‘s That They May Face the Rising Sun. McGahern is better known for his novel Amongst Women and I think that, even in Ireland, That They May Face the Rising Sun has been under-appreciated, probably because of the success Amongst Women received. Many have told me that you can only appreciate That They May Face the Rising Sun if you were born and raised in Ireland. I agree that the book might take on another dimension if you are familiar with Irish history and culture, but I believe that it also speaks of universal experiences. It is a book set in the Irish countryside, which follows the lives of country people at the pace of the seasons. It brought me back to my youth when I used to spend all my holidays at the farm. It is beautifully written and describes simple human emotions. Its concern with change in rural Ireland is one that has happened in other countries and could touch anyone. I love this book and I would urge you to read it; it’s my favourite Irish book, I think. I read it a while ago and feel that it is too late now to do a review, but I would be happy if this post encouraged one of you to read it and, one day, to see a review of it on one of your blogs….
You thought it was all over since I have opened my package and my secret Santee has also opened hers? So did I! Yet, the following day, I received another package. I first thought it was something from my family in France, but when I went to pick it up at the post office, I found a prettily wrapped package coming from the States. I could not figure out who could have sent it to me and as it seemed to contain a book, I just thought there had been a mistake and I had been attributed two secret Santas. I contacted Amy, one of the organisers, and there hasn’t been a mistake, well, not the kind I thought of. There was a little hitch while sending out the emails and as they were worried I would not get anything, Amy (@ My Friend’s Amy) sent me a package herself. Now, if she is not a dedicated organiser, I don’t know who is!
I feel really spoiled, but I am over the moon! Christmas this year is not looking the brightest, but this whole Holiday Swap has really cheered me up. I absolutely LOVED Bedazzled’s pressies and now I even get a second surprise (and I am definitely waiting until Christmas to open it!). I was so happy that I actually put up a few decorations in the house! And, as if the sky also heard me, it snowed last night.
A huge thanks to Bedazzled and the Holiday Swap organisers, Amy in particular, for making my Christmas! It means a lot to me…
CBC stands for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is what I would consider as a major Canadian institution. It has done so much to promote the arts and culture in Canada. One could mention the reading programmes created by Robert Weaver, one of which, “Canadian Short Stories”, featured a young Alice Munro. The CBC is also the organiser of literary awards and of the famous “Canada Reads“.
CBC is in danger of disappearing and needs your support. Steph at Bella’s Bookshelves discusses this matter better than I would, so I send you over to her blog. You can read about it here and here, as well as sign a petition to show your support. I am not a Canadian resident and cannot sign this petition, but I am aware of the importance of the role played by the CBC, so please, if you live in Canada, help the CBC!
I gave in! I have finally opened the mystery package coming from India. I wanted to wait for Christmas, but I started tearing the corner of the envelope to have a pick inside. My housemate was as excited as me and torn the envelope a bit more while trying to have a glimpse at the contents as well. We could see something colourful. I thought it could be a scarf, but then I touched it and it felt like a purse. Then, on an impulse, I decided to open it and my housemate didn’t stop me.
Here is what I found inside:
This is what Bedazzled at Bedazzled Eternally sent me:
The bag is so beautiful and has the perfect size to contain book, notebook, camera, purse and cigarettes. Although I don’t shop much for clothes, I’m a compulsive bag buyer. I love bags and I had none looking like this one.
Isn’t this book a perfect choice for me? A collection by the Canadian master of the short story! With Short Story Day coming up, I can see myself dipping into it pretty soon.
A pretty handcrafted notebook (guess what I will use it for?). I love notebooks and this one is so pretty, it will have to contain something special, like notes on books maybe?
Aren’t those bookmarks so funky? With so many books on the go, bookmarks are always useful to me and these are just brilliant!
I am delighted! I cannot believe how perfect those presents are for me. It is nice to see the thought people put in the swap in order to please their secret Santee. Thanks Bedazzled, I love it!
Valentina at Valentina’s room also received the package I sent her. I was glad to see she liked it, although she had already read one of the books I picked for her (a risk to run with book lovers). This is what I chose for her:
I picked up three books: Stocker’s Dracula (a classic Valentina had on her TBR list), The Perfume by Suskind (I did not find any of those modern must-read she had on her list in the shop I went to, so I settled for The Perfume because I felt it would fit her list nicely) and, of course, a book by Atwood (I chose The Tent because Valentina mentions her green concerns on her blog and I thought she might like this one). Valentina is also a music fan, so I sent her a couple of CDs. The idea was to sent a CD from the three places that represent me: France (where I’m from), Cork (where I live) and Canada (my passion). Unfortunately, I never managed to record the CD from France. Finally, I noticed that she liked cooking. The one thing I missed the most when I came to Ireland was salt; I couldn’t find good proper salt (that actually salts without emptying the whole box)! Now, I bring some back from France, so I added two samples from Noirmoutier to Valentina’s package.
This was my first Book Bloggers Holiday Swap and I thought it was great fun. I will certainly join again next year!
