Laurence, Margaret

Average customer rating:

Dour, very dour
Do not go gentle into that good night.
A book that is sorely lacking...
Excellent Book!
boring

The Stone Angel
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Diviners (Phoenix Fiction Series)
A Jest of God (Phoenix Fiction Series)
A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library)

ASIN: 077104707X

Book Description

In her best-loved novel, The Stone Angel, Margaret Laurence introduces Hagar Shipley, one of the most memorable characters in Canadian fiction. Stubborn, querulous, self-reliant – and, at ninety, with her life nearly behind her – Hagar Shipley makes a bold last step towards freedom and independence.

As her story unfolds, we are drawn into her past. We meet Hagar as a young girl growing up in a black prairie town; as the wife of a virile but unsuccessful farmer with whom her marriage was stormy; as a mother who dominates her younger son; and, finally, as an old woman isolated by an uncompromising pride and by the stern virtues she has inherited from her pioneer ancestors.

Vivid, evocative, moving, The Stone Angel celebrates the triumph of the spirit, and reveals Margaret Laurence at the height of her powers as a writer of extraordinary craft and profound insight into the workings of the human heart.

Customer Reviews:

Dour, very dour.......2006-02-02

I was required to read this book for a high school assignment and found it to be laborious read. I found Hagar's character to be so bitter, angry, and grouchy that it just put a damper on the whole thing. I adimt she (as well as the other characters) is well fleshed out but that just makes things worse.

There are several things you can pull out of this book but the most obvious one is the classic example of a person who is so proud and stubborn that s/he is unable to accept love or give of it. That's the character of Hagar and like her, this is a novel you'll want to avoid because it's a very dour thing to contend with.

Darkhorse86

Do not go gentle into that good night........2005-01-29

This is essential CanLit 101.
Iconic!
For the longest time I have intended to read Margaret Laurence, and this is where I have started. I now know that I will continue on and read more of her work, especially the other Manawaka books in the series.
I think we are looking at some essential Canadian literature here, and yet, nearly every high school student from St John's to Victoria would rise up and say "What? Are you nuts?" As much as this book is inflicted upon the high-schoolers of Canada, it sure has not gained a welcome reception by that age group! For the Canadian teenager, seeing The Stone Angel on the English syllabus has become the equivalent of.... hmmm what would one say? Having a radio that is locked on the CBC station?
I believe this is because The Stone Angel is a book that is all about the "interior" and to truly love the book the reader must have an appreciation of the life processes involved in becoming an elderly person. From start to finish we are on the inside of this character Hagar Shipley. It is not the realm of the exciting pace and involved plotline. This book is rather a very somber, brooding, introspective look at a proud and uncompromising woman in her nineties. She is a woman who does not (in the slightest) want to succumb to the realities, adjustments, and inconveniences of aging and dying. As she faces the combined trauma of diminished health and loss of meaningful relationships, she has to come to terms with who she really is.
How far will her incessant pride and irritable crankiness get her in this last year of her life? How can she escape from those who try to make it all easier for her? Will she confess her unmitigated (and inevitable) need of others... of those who truly, and undauntingly, care for her well-being? Will she break down or remain haughty?
Laurence is simply brilliant in that she weaves a seamless web between the present and the past, between Hagar's current experience and her memories.
It is not easy, the transition[s] that we who will live on into old age will have to make if we are to succeed at being old. This book pulls no punches with how difficult the process can be, especially for the type "A" personality.
It is no accident that the book begins with the lines from Dylan Thomas:
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
It is a story about a woman who raged. And yet (in my opinion)there is not one real angry tirade in it! It is (I think) a different sort of "raging" that is being dealt with here in the story, as with the poem by Thomas. It is not the kind of raging that is with gritted teeth and defiance, [denial] it is the kind of raging that is mingled with profound sadness and regret... yes, anger too I suppose, but anger only because one has to leave behind so much of what one loves.
Here is the realistic journey of a woman who has to come to terms with the fact that "what's going to happen can't be delayed indefinitely."
I think the book is somewhat of a masterpiece. Voraciously, I read it.

A book that is sorely lacking..........2004-04-03

I read this book in one of my classes in Teacher's College and I really disliked it. There are few books that I dislike, but this one ranks highly on that short list. It was one of the few books where I felt absolutely no emotional connection to any of the characters. I did not care what happened to the characters in the book. The author fails to hook the reader. Frankly, I would never choose this novel for high school students to read because they need books that make them want to continue reading. I also feel that most high school students would find it difficult to relate to the characters. I found that the plot was slow and ... well... the book was just boring. Some of the prose in the novel, however, was very poetic so the novel might be useful for studying "found poetry" but I really do not think that it would be the best choice for high school students to read for a novel study. If you are looking for a novel full of excitement and emotion, this is not the book for you.

Excellent Book!.......2004-01-15

The first time I read The Stone Angel was in high school as part of the reading curriculum. Despite my English teacher's best efforts to ruin the book for us, I managed to enjoy it. I was surprised that a book with adult content (mild) had survived the censor's cut, but I was pleased it did.

A year ago I decided to reread the book and found it was even better than I my memory served me. Now that I have some life experience under my belt, I discovered the book to be far more moving and poignant. Margaret Lawrence brings out a true to life character in Hagar, the book's protagonist. Hagar could be your mother, your aunt, or your grandmother.

This is a beautiful, touching, compelling, and powerful book. Hagar's struggle with her own painful life memories as she tries to protect her independence and maintain her pride is quite heartrending. I found myself glued to page after page in this story.

The Stone Angel is the first book of the five-volume Manawaka series. Each book in the series stands alone quite well and is enjoyable on its own. I don't believe Lawrence had intended a series when she first wrote The Stone Angel, however, the books were there to be written, and write them she did.

boring.......2003-11-24

I had to read this in high school and when i read the first few pages i couldn't go on. It was incredibly boring how it started off talking about the stone angel in the graveyard and i honestly couldn't care less but i had to read it for the term paper. other than hagar's occasionally amusing use of sarcasm and her bitterness towards the world, it was one of the hardest books i've had to read. her sometimes funny sarcasm, bitterness and negativity towards the people around her still cannot make up for the rest of the incredibly boring novel.

Average customer rating:

I can't believe no one has heard of Laurence in the States.
a Canadian classic
All Canadian Women Should Read This Book
Canadian Literature at its best
Literary Analysis: The Diviners

The Diviners (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

A Jest of God (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)
A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)
In the Skin of a Lion
SPENDING: A Novel

ASIN: 0226469352

Book Description

In The Diviners, Morag Gunn, a middle aged writer who lives in a farmhouse on the Canadian prairie, struggles to understand the loneliness of her eighteen-year-old daughter. With unusual wit and depth, Morag recognizes that she needs solitude and work as much as she needs the love of her family. With an afterword by Margaret Atwood.

"Mrs. Laurence's [novel] is both poetic and muscular, and her heroine is certainly one of the more humane, unglorified, unpolemical, believable women to have appeared in recent fiction."--The New Yorker

Customer Reviews:

I can't believe no one has heard of Laurence in the States. .......2004-08-17

This is one of my favorite books, and I just finished reading it. It's all about the characterization of Morag Gunn, a somewhat eccentric, but undeniably strong woman. Laurence evokes emotions like desperation and loneliness and confusion and even, yes, sexual desire, without resorting to either sentimental cliche or philosophical essays. Highly, highly recommended.

a Canadian classic.......2004-06-05

There are some spicy sex scenes, but it's hard to believe that this novel was called pornography when it was first published in 1974. Margaret Laurence got all kinds of praise and hate mail because of it, as well as disapproval from members of her congregation and people who knew her back home for writing "such stuff".

This story is a young prairie girl's search for real love, and in Morag Gunn we have the perfectly well-drawn believable figure of the independent young woman who defeats the odds and achieves the life she wants thanks to her strength of courage and perseverance. (...)

All Canadian Women Should Read This Book.......2003-05-18

I've read this book twice and I enjoyed it even more the second time. The characters are complex and interesting and their lives take unexpected twists and turns, making the story very realistic and very fascinating. The development of the storyline is such that you feel as if you are on the same journey as the characters, as the reader can't help to be emotionally connected to the little town and the main characters.

Laurence is a brilliant writer and this is her best work -- which is a big compliment since her other novels are incredible too.

I highly recommend this book, and especially to other Canadian women who will love Morag Gunn and relate to her life as a woman in Canada.

Canadian Literature at its best.......2002-12-03

The Diviners is one book that I could not put down! The present and past are intermingled in a heart rending story of love, fear, confusion and the struggle to find ones identity. Laurence is a master of protraying the abiguity of Canada. Morag Gunn is herself, a figure of ambiguity, and throughout the novel is faced with the dilemmas af her nation. A true insight into the life of a small town girl, struggling with the limitations forced upon her. An unforgettable piece of literature and one that Canadians should be proud of.

Literary Analysis: The Diviners.......2001-05-07

Margaret Laurence's novel, The Diviners, achieves a stark sense of reality through the use of tone and diction. Margaret Laurence draws from her own background to create the unique sense of style that is perceived when reading her novel. Through the use of her background information, her novel has the impression of being more real, something that one can relate too, much easier than of a novel of pure fiction. Tone and diction play a major role in any writer's novels, but is how they are used that makes the difference. In The Diviners, the tone and diction are satirical, which create the stark sense of reality needed to make this novel work as a whole. For instance, Morag, the main character, who also is a novelist, sets the tone of the novel, by instantly badgering at the way she cannot accurately describe the river, "its surface wrinkled by the breeze. Naturally, the river wasn't wrinkled or creased at all-wrong words, implying something unfluid like skin, something unenduring, prey to age," (4). Satire is chiefly implied by the way Morag immediately contradicts herself. Or though her use of diction, satire can be found in the way Morag depicts a close companion, Maudie, " A wonder she didn't sew by hand with needle, thread and tiny silver thimble. At night. By coal-oil lamp." (45). Morag appears to be mocking Maudie's way of getting things done. The diction in Morag's way of thinking is also satirical, "Women working like horses. Also pregnant most of the time. Baking bread in brick ovens, with a loaf in their own ovens. Looking after broods of chickens and kids. Terrible. Appalling." (77). Morag is reflecting upon the hardships of the women of the pioneer age and how hard their life was compared to hers, and if they could survive all that, then she too can survive. The way she thinks about everything is satirical, which makes the novel and the characters appear so lifelike. Another instance is when Christi, her adoptive father, dies and she is approaching the funeral home and sees the funeral sign that says "Free Parking for Clients", she uses diction in a satirical way to deal with the harsh reality of life and death, "Die now and get free parking forever. Almost worth it." (324). Morag applies humor to deal with the pain of Christi's death. Throughout this novel the use of diction and tone are applied to produce a reality that the reader can identify with.

Crackpot: A Novel (New Canadian Library)

Average customer rating:

Okay

Crackpot: A Novel (New Canadian Library)
Adele Wiseman
Manufacturer: New Canadian Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0771098510
Release Date: 1989-03-01

Book Description

Hoda, the protagonist of Crackpot, is one of the most captivating characters in Canadian fiction. Graduating from a tumultuous childhood to a life of prostitution, she becomes a legend in her neighbourhood, a canny and ingenious woman, generous, intuitive, and exuding a wholesome lust for life.

Resonant with myth and superstition, this radiant novel is a joyous celebration of life and the mystery that is at the heart of all experience.

Customer Reviews:

Okay.......2007-05-13

I really didn't like this story. I grew bored with the story

A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)

Average customer rating:

Not accetable for a teen
A lesson for everyday life
I recommend this book
fields of wheat
This book isnt very good

A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

A Jest of God (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Diviners (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Short Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)
The Story and Its Writer Compact: An Introduction to Short Fiction

ASIN: 0226469344

Book Description

A Bird in the House is a series of eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa MacLeod as she matures from a child at age ten into a young woman at age twenty. Wise for her years, Vanessa reveals much about the adult world in which she lives.

"Vanessa rebels against the dominance of age; she watches [her grandfather] imitate her aunt Edna; and her rage at times is such that she would gladly kick him. It takes great skill to keep this story within the expanding horizon of this young girl and yet make it so revealing of the adult world."--Atlantic

"A Bird in the House achieves the breadth of scope which we usually associate with the novel (and thereby is as psychologically valid as a good novel), and at the same time uses the techniques of the short story form to reveal the different aspects of the young Vanessa." --Kent Thompson, The Fiddlehead

"I am haunted by the women in Laurence's novels as if they really were alive--and not as women I've known, but as women I've been."--Joan Larkin, Ms. Magazine

"Not since . . . To Kill a Mockingbird has there been a novel like this. It should not be missed by anyone who has a child or was a child."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

One of Canada's most accomplished writers, Margaret Laurence (1926-87) was the recipient of many awards including Canada's prestigious Governor General's Literary Award on two separate occasions, once for The Diviners.

Customer Reviews:

Not accetable for a teen.......2006-12-15

This book was the worst book i have ever read. I had to read it for an english project and man it was boring. It had no point to it at all and it was so confusing it didn't make any sense. I found that the prarie idea was a bad idea to write about becuase it doesnt capture a teen audience and it was so confusing becuase it jumped from year to year going back in years and then to two years alter and characters would leave and then never come back. The eight stories in one book just made it too much to take in at once.

A lesson for everyday life.......2001-03-27

I have read this book and the very first time, it is true that it gives an impression of overwhelming death and sorrow. The protagonist, Vanessa, comes into contact with life, that is REAL life and she just finds it hard to cope. But it is a story which is just so incredibly true-to-life that any one can identify themselves with the main character. It is only many, many years after that Vanessa understands what had confused her when she was 10 : her grandfather, so much feared and respected, and all the deaths which she had to endure in her family. If you have ever been at that stage, losing some of the people you loved in your heart of hearts, you will understand what Vanessa had to go through and see yourself in her position in front of new things as painful as death. It is not morbid at all, it just shows you that your family is there to help, but that in any case, everything's not hunky-dory!!!

I recommend this book.......2001-02-01

I really enjoyed this book. We studied it in school this year and at first I found it a bit slow but after a few pages I started to really get into it. It was easy to identify with the main character Vanessa and I really liked the way the rest of the characters were described, especially the grandfather. Here's a little example; "Well, Peter, you've brought the wood." It was his habit to begin conversations with a statement of the obvious, so that nothing except agreement was possible." I like this because it sums up the grandfather' character in two sentences, even though it's being developped throughout the entire novel. I can't really explain exactly why I enjoyed this book so much, I guess it's because of the subtle humor and the emotion involved. The sad parts are quite moving, and that's difficult to do without making the whole book depressing.

fields of wheat.......2000-04-18

Why are students constantly subjected to boring narratives about prairie boredom and depression? I live in the prairies and don't see why anyone would want to capture the soul-crushing essence of it all. If you are free reading, pick a book that will improve your state of well being rather than dragging you into the flat quagmire of prairie realism. However, as required reading there are definately worse books that professors could assign you! ie. double hook!

This book isnt very good.......2000-03-27

i was forced to read this book by our public schools which are strongly influanced in theocracy i think that this book has too many references to "THE GREAT LORD" well i think this is wrong and obviously i didnt enjoy this book it was too boring and really really slow at most parts its a bunch of short stories which have been writen over a period of time. Margaret laurence isnt a good writer, i personally think that my review has more intelect and insight than any one of her novels

The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)

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The Fire-Dwellers
Margaret Laurence Recognizes the Extraordinary
The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: an excellent book

The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Domestic Life | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Jest of God (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Diviners (Phoenix Fiction Series)
A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Life Of Margaret Laurence
Saving Fish from Drowning: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

ASIN: 0226469514

Book Description

Convinced that life has more to offer than the tedious routine of her days, Stacey MacAindra yearns to recover some of the passion of her early romance. In this extraordinary novel, Margaret Laurence has given us yet another unforgettable heroine: smart, witty, but overwhelmed by the responsibilities of raising four children and trying to love her overworked husband. The Fire Dwellers helps us to rediscover all the richness of the commonplace, as well as the pain, beauty--and humor--of being alive.

"Stacey's state of mind is revealed in a swift-flowing stream of dialogue, reaction, reproach, and nostalgia. . . . [Laurence] is the best fiction writer in the Dominion and one of the best in the hemisphere."--Atlantic

Customer Reviews:

The Fire-Dwellers.......2004-04-02

The Fire-Dwellers has been my introductory novel in the world of Margaret Laurence, and I have to say I'm hooked! The characters in the novel are interesting and dynamic. The book is written in a manner that challanges the reader's preconceptions of dialogue and narrative. A good read.

Margaret Laurence Recognizes the Extraordinary.......2001-02-24

Laurence recognizes the plight of married women, raising children and seeking passion. cleverly, the author weaves the story of Stacey as she tries desperately to communicate with her withdrawn husband. Relying on self-talk, and stumbling into an affair, she finally comes to realize that the ordinary life is filled with possibilities.

The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence: an excellent book.......1997-09-28

I read this book for an independent study, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Margaret Laurence always does an incredible job of creating characters that are very real, and that teach her readers to be empathetic toward other human beings. Stacey MacAindra is no exception. She is an accurate portrayal of an ordinary Canadian woman, wife and mother. Her story draws attention to many of the inner conflicts and challenges that ordinary people face every day that we often ignore or don't notice. The Fire-Dwellers is a very real story, and Margaret Laurence is right on in her description of the emotions and thoughts of Stacey and everyone in Canada who is like Stacey.

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THE PROPHET'S CAMEL BELL
Margaret (afterword by Clara Thomas) Laurence
Manufacturer: McClelland and Stewart - New Canadian Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0771047061

Book Description

When Margaret Laurence set out for Somaliland with her engineer husband in 1950, she confronted the difficulty of communication between peoples of vastly different cultures. Yet she came to know the skilled orators, poets and craftsmen of the country, and to share the vision of a people’s struggle for survival in a barren land.

The Prophet’s Camel Bell is part travelogue, part autobiography, part celebration of human nature, and essential reading for anyone who has ever been a stranger in a strange land.

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Dance on the Earth: A Memoir
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

In a writing career spanning nearly three decades, Margaret Laurence became one of the most celebrated and widely read authors in the world.

In this, her final work, Margaret Laurence reveals the story of her fascinating life, the process of her writing, and the people and emotional journeys which accompanied it. She relates her experiences living in different cultures; the issues and causes she so passionately upheld; her personal battle against censorship. She also pays tribute to the three women from whom she drew important spiritual strength.

Including a selection of her articles, speeches, and letters – many never before published – and photographs selected by Margaret Laurence from her personal family albums, Dance on the Earth is a book of celebration and exploration in which Margaret Laurence speaks openly about her place in the world as a woman, a writer, and a concerned human being.

A Tree for Poverty: Somali Poetry and Prose

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A Tree for Poverty: Somali Poetry and Prose
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: ECW Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1550221779

Book Description

Originally published in a small edition in 1954, A Tree for Poverty was Margaret Laurence's first published book. In this new edition, Laurence's collection of Somali poems and stories is accompanied with a discussion of her life in Africa, and her in-depth investigation of the oral tradition of Somali literature.

Average customer rating:

An amazing journey of a woman finally finding herself
Margaret Lawrence does it once again.
Entertaining!
Unforgettable and True

A Jest of God (Phoenix Fiction Series)
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Diviners (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Fire-Dwellers (Phoenix Fiction Series)
A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction Series)
The Manticore (Penguin Classics)
Cat's Eye

ASIN: 0226469522

Book Description

A thirty-four-year-old school teacher living with her mother, Rachel Cameron feels trapped in an environment of small-town deceit and pettiness--her own and that of others. She longs for contact with another human being who shares her rebellious spirit. Finally, by confronting both love and death, Rachel earns the freedom she desperately needs.

Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, A Jest of God was also the basis of the movie Rachel, Rachel.

"Mrs. Laurence tells [her story] unsparingly, with absolute authority, using her thorough understanding of Rachel to draw us into her anguish. We know Rachel, sympathize with her, and in a sense, become Rachel, so authentic is her voice. . . . A Jest of God has extraordinary clarity, beautiful detail, as well as the emotional impact of honest confession."--Joan J. Hall, Saturday Review

"Laurence's rendition is close to faultless . . . reaffirming her ability to draw, without pathos, life-sized women. . . . Skillfully wrought and eloquently told."--Marilyn Gardner, Christian Science Monitor

One of Canada's most accomplished writers, Margaret Laurence(1926-1987) was the recipient of many awards, including the prestigious Governer General's Litarary Award for The Diviners and A Jest of God.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing journey of a woman finally finding herself.......1999-10-18

At first I thought of Rachel as paranoid and on the edge of sanity; however, by the end of the novel she has found her self and her voice. Her thoughts and feelings towards her mother and sister are so realistic, even if they seem unsettling at times. It was enlightening to be a part of her journey towards self-discovery and strength.

Margaret Lawrence does it once again........1999-04-06

Although I find Margaret Lawrence to be an incredible author, all her books tend to be the same. Different people but always the same place, type of character, style. . . this is at least the case with all her books in the Manawaka Series. Stone Angel was my favorite, A jest of God was pretty good though.

Entertaining!.......1998-07-24

After reading "The Diviners" by Margaret Laurence, I found "A Jest of God" more entertaining and true-to-life. The female protagonist Rachel was more believable and down to earth. The plot of homosexuality was realistic and daring.

Unforgettable and True.......1997-10-05

A Jest of God epitomises Margaret Laurence's focus on characters whose stories are usually never told. The protagonist, Rachel, is a spinster school-teacher in small town Manitoba. She is stifled both by her closed community and by internalising their pettiness. Rachel's inner-dialogue sets the claustophobic atmosphere, while also being funny, frustrating and moving. Laurence's portrait of an ordinairy woman coming to terms with herself and with surroundings is flawless and highly readable.

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A must-have.
magical

The Olden Days Coat
Margaret Laurence
Manufacturer: Tundra Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0887767044
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Book Description

Truly a classic by one of Canada’s finest authors

Ten-year-old Sal is disappointed when she and her parents spend Christmas at her grandmother’s house, instead of at home, like they did before Grandpa died. In order to pass the time, Sal explores the contents of an old trunk. Searching through the old photographs she comes across a little girl’s winter coat, tries it on, and finds herself transported into the past where she makes an unexpected connection to her heritage and her grandmother.

This model tale of time travel was one of Margaret Laurence’s few forays into children’s literature and has remained a favourite of children of all ages. New art by the original illustrator makes this a beautiful book for Christmas and for all seasons. A special treat for Margaret Laurence fans.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

A must-have........2005-04-16

Magraret Laurence, The Olden Days Coat (Tundra, 1979)

Why do I continue to read kids' books at the age of thirty-six? In my more cynical moments, I think it's to increase the count on the number of books I read per year, But every once in a while, I stumble across something like Randall Jarrell's The Bat-Poet or Margaret Laurence's The Olden Days Coat, and these books remind me that things that are written for, published for, and marketed to the under-twelve set are sometimes able to combine the literary weight of the work of a great writer with that certain magic that is the exclusive province of the children's book.

The late Margaret Laurence is, of course, one of Canada's foremost authors, and left us on Earth with a body of her work that is, quite simply, stunning. From the perspective of overall quality and beauty, the complete corpus of Laurence's work is matched by that of few authors who write/wrote in the English language, living or dead. The Olden Days Coat, weighing in at a slim twenty-six pages (with roughly half of those full-page illustrations), is not just a short story; it is a distillation of Margaret Laurence's craft.

The story is a simple one, and oft-heard. Sal goes off to spend Christmas at her grandmother's house. While digging around in a chest of old things, she finds an old coat. When she puts it on, she's transported back in time, and meets a girl her own age. I'm pretty sure you can see where this is going already; why finish? As with any plot that's well-used, there are all sorts of possibilities for the writing to slip into cliché. It never happens. Laurence is razor-sharp here, her prose sparkling as fiercely as it does from every page of The Diviners, her finest moment.

A fantastic piece of work, once that I'll be buying for my own children. Its only true failing is that I didn't want it to end. **** ½

magical.......1999-11-30

Written by one of Canada's best, the Olden Days Coat is the tale of a girls discovery of her Grandmothers trunk and her subsequent journey back in time to an"olden days" Christmas. Sal's adventure enables her to understand her grandmother better and cherish Christmas and her family

Authors:

Authors

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