Has anyone here read The Shipping News? Care to discuss it?
Anyone have knwledge of life in Newfoundland? How evocative is The Shipping News?
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Annie Proulx's book seemed very authentic to me. I have visited Newfoundland several times both on business and for holidays (vacations to N. Americans). When Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, the Provencial Government under Joey Smallwood pressured people to leave the outports - communities with no road access to services such as schools and medical. This left rhe ghost towns about which Proulx writes. There are still many people alive who still remember the times of direct rule from London after Newfoundland ran into financial difficulties in the 1930s recession. The 1949 vote to join Canada was very divisive and Union Jacks are still seen flying in parts of Newfoundland. My experience of Newfoundland is that the people are friendly, the scenery is spectacular but the food in restaurents outside of St. Johns is poor.
Go there and enjoy the people and the scenery
I knew nothing about Newfoundland before I read The
Shipping News (I live in Australia) but now I'd love to go
there. As for the book, it was a bit like watching a very
long episode of Northern Exposure. You know, distant
locations, quirky local yokels etc. I'd love to hear what
a real Newfie thought of it.
For the information, thanks Peter, and Jon, it provoked the
same reaction in me! The icebergs are a particular
attraction.
BTW, I started a discussion on the same topic on the 'Your
Choice' thread of the Thorn Tree, so you might like to go
over there and see what some others said (misspelled 'The
Shipoping News' !)