Friday, July 6, 2012

Canada by Richard Ford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The opening lines of the book are "First, I'll tell about the robbery our parents committed. Then about the murders, which happened later." I didn't have to read too far beyond this to instantly sense that, despite it being dark, this was going to be on my "Best of 2012" list.

15 year old Dell, narrates dramatic, life-changing events that happened to him and his twin sister, Berner, in a very sparse but powerful tone to capture this coming of age story. This is not an 'action' book but all through this book, I had a sense of foreboding.

The prose is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Yates (if you didn't like Revolutionary Road, I doubt you would enjoy this). It is obvious that Ford was taught by Oakley Hall and E.L. Doctorow. I love his phrasing and nuance of language. I will be seeking out his other works. This is the best book I have read in a while. Perfection.


No comments:

Post a Comment