0 com

Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz

As promised, here is my review of a book that I wanted to like but didn't, as it appeared in the Globe & Mail on Easter weekend 2013.

Bone & Bread
Saleema Nawaz
House of Anansi

Saleema Nawaz burst onto the Canadian literary scene in 2008 with Mother Superior, a widely praised collection of short stories. “My Three Girls,” a story from the collection, won the Journey Prize, while several other stories were published in established literary journals across the country. Bone & Bread, Nawaz’s first full-length novel, is based on the characters in “Bloodlines,” also a story in Mother Superior.

In Bone & Bread, Beena and her younger sister Sadhana live in a tiny apartment above a bagel store in Montreal’s Mile End. Their father, Vishram Singh, the bagel shop owner, dies suddenly, leaving the business to his younger and more traditional Sikh brother, Harinder. The Singh family in India had disowned their eldest son because of his marriage to a white American woman, Beena and Sadhana’s mother, in spite of her conversion to Sikhism.

After the father’s death, their apartment is set ablaze by neo-Nazis, and Sadhana soon shows signs of obsessive compulsive disorder. Tragedy strikes again when the mother dies, leaving the two young teens in the care of Harinder, the girls’ only living relative in Canada. Within a year, Sadhana is hospitalized for anorexia, an illness she battles her whole short life, while Beena finds herself pregnant. The child’s father, Ravi, a bagel shop employee, is nowhere to be found.

Beena tells their story from the present as an adult living in Ottawa with her now 18-year-old son Quinn. Sadhana, the actress, dancer and political activist, has died, and Beena must return to Montreal and empty her apartment. In the process, she uncovers evidence that raises suspicions about the circumstances surrounding her sister’s death. She also discovers that Sadhana had secretly contacted Ravi, a rising right-wing political star.

Bone & Bread is ambitious with easily enough material for two novels. Nawaz successfully portrays a strong yet tumultuous bond between the two sisters, and the author is equally adept at showing the extreme demands of caring for a loved one with anorexia. However, the economy of words and razor-sharp prose of Mother Superior are not to be found in this novel. Instead, there is effusive detail that adds little depth to the story and does not advance the plot. “She sent us an invitation in the mail, on crisp, cream-coloured cardstock, neatly handwritten in feathery script she could only produce with her fountain pen. Turquoise ink,” writes Nawaz of Sadhana’s preparations for a party that would serve merely to contrast the two sisters’ lifestyles. Most sentences are as heavily wrought.

Then there is the issue of the baffling similes and metaphors, leaving the reader momentarily distracted by what exactly is being evoked, “regret has simply become the shadow I would cast if I stood in the sun.” These distractions are unwelcome, especially when the storyline is confusing. With the narrative switching often from the backstory to Beena in the present reminiscing about the past, the novel needs all the coherence it can muster.

However, even these problems might have been overlooked if the author had chosen to show rather than tell so much of the story. The result is language that prevents the reader from experiencing the action first hand. Nawaz writes, “I sat back, watching Sadhana animate the conversation, expounding in her desultory way to Quinn, drawing him out, taking obvious pleasure, as she always did, in his quick mind, his willingness to listen.” Something as simple as dialogue might have made this scene clearer and more accessible to the reader.

While I was not immediately aware of the problems in Bread & Bone, I eventually realized that I was putting the book down every few pages to catch my breath and make better sense of it. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to pick it up again.

Other reviews

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
Fanny & Romeo by Yves Pelletier and Pascal Girard
One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston
The World is Moving Around Me by Dany Laferrière
The Return by Dany Laferrière
5 Broken Cameras by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Detropia by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
The Goodtime Girl by Tess Fragoulis

.
Read more »
0 com

I Wanted To Like the Book But Didn't

Recently, I received a novel to review for a national newspaper. I was thrilled! The book in question was to be one of the 13 literary highlights of 2013, according to the National Post. It was also set in Montreal's Mile End, an area where I  lived for nine years--another reason to love the book. The young Montreal-based author had also written a beautiful collection of short stories that I enjoyed. It would seem that I had every reason to like the book.

But I could only read a few pages at a time before I put it down. It was spring, the March break, daylight savings time, a change in seasons...I had plenty of reasons to be tired. But that had never stopped me from reading before. I always have at least one book on the go.

No, I was convinced that I just needed a longer stretch of reading time so that I could really get into the book, enjoy it. But I kept putting it down, and when I didn't put it down I grew frustrated with the author's often circuitous way of getting to the point. I started to look more closely at my source of frustration--too many heavy adjectives, long sentences, metaphors that left me dumbfounded. The story had plenty of tragedy, but it didn't feel dramatic.

First and foremost, I'm a reader, and four years ago when I learned that publishers and online magazines would send me books to review on my blog for free, I was ecstatic. But before I agreed to read anything, I researched the books and authors for some assurance that I was going to like what I read. (After all, I wasn't getting paid for this.) It was a wonderful world. I could choose almost anything that sparked an interest, and my research almost always paid off. In the vast majority of cases, I liked the books and wrote positive reviews.

I quickly discovered that when I read a book for review, I read differently. I followed every narrative thread, reread parts I liked, and took notes when the story slowed. When I finished a book, I mentally went through the story. If any doubt or questions arose, I re-read the book to make sure that I hadn't missed anything. In other words, I am fully aware that every novel is someone's labour of love and try to give the writer every benefit of the doubt.

I know a second read sounds arduous and work intensive, but this is my idea of fun. The second read allows you to see how the book is put together and gives you a much greater appreciation of the craft behind it. I almost always like a book more my second time through.

Rereading this particular novel for review was a slog for a number of reasons. For starters, it was easy to get bogged down in all the details that didn't advance the plot. In addition, I wanted to like the story but didn't. Finally, in all honesty, writing a negative review is a lot more work. You have to continually examine what is confusing and frustrating. Then, of course, you have to read passages yet again to make sure you got it right.

In my second read, I underlined everything I liked and disliked, and although I ended up writing an equal number of positive and negative remarks in the margins, I didn't change my mind. A book has to be exceptional to come across as "good," especially to a reader who will only read it once. I came away with a few strengths I hadn't previously considered, but my original criticisms were confirmed.

As I was preparing to write the review two weeks ago, the media hype for the book began. Then I started to fret and swear a lot. Not only was I going to write my first highly critical review, I was going to do it in a national newspaper. To make matters worse, in the tiny enclave of  English-speaking writers in Montreal, there's only about two degrees of separation.

Fortunately, a fellow reviewer and writer urged me to be honest and give constructive criticism with proof to back up my opinions.

Well, I wrote it and submitted it two weeks ago. In the meantime, the Montreal Gazette, the Toronto Star and the National Post have all published favourable critiques. My review will be appearing soon. I promise to post it. After of course, I wash the eggs off the front of my house.

Other reviews

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
Fanny & Romeo by Yves Pelletier and Pascal Girard
One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston
The World is Moving Around Me by Dany Laferrière
The Return by Dany Laferrière
5 Broken Cameras by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
Detropia by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
The Goodtime Girl by Tess Fragoulis


.



Read more »
0 com

Fanny and Romeo by Yves Pelletier and Pascal Girard

Fanny & Romeo
Yves Pelletier
Pascal Girard
Conundrum Press

Unfortunately when the biological clock goes off, there is no snooze button, and thirty-something Fanny, a freelance graphic artist, knows this all too well. While she obsesses about having children, her pragmatic partner, Fabien, thinks that saving more money should be their first priority. Fanny’s dire need to nurture takes her down a comical yet realistic path in Yves Pelletier’s Fanny & Romeo. The Quebec director, actor and comedian of Rock et Belles Oreilles fame has teamed up with award-winning artist Pascal Girard to create this modern-day love story, set in a small Quebec town.

Many women who have worked on their careers in their twenties with the hope of starting a family in their thirties will readily identify with Fanny and her uncontrollable urge to reproduce. Fanny not only prepares Fabien a full breakfast but also packs the allergy-prone real estate agent a peanut-free lunch. To make matters worse, their bungalow looks onto a street inhabited by young boys playing road hockey, with an ever-present golden retriever bounding back and forth. It’s all too much for this wannabe mom.

Fanny needs an escape and goes to the video shop where she runs into none other than Cedric, her two-timing ex. He’s with his new girlfriend who, as fate would have it, is expecting a child, something the two-timer refused to do with Fanny. After picking up a few films with mothering themes, she heads over to her friend’s apartment, and by chance, meets the irresistible Romeo, a fluffy orange tabby her friend has taken in but must give away. Fanny is immediately smitten with Romeo, much to the chagrin of Fabien, who is allergic to cats. As expected, Fanny’s mothering instinct takes over, and the feline drives a wedge between the couple. Fanny goes solo until she learns that cats, too, are fickle creatures.

Yves Pelletier has penned a story that will resonate with many people. We all know someone who wanted children but for whatever reason had to settle for a dog or cat. Fanny’s obsession with Romeo, her doting on him, bathing him and taking him in a backpack to sit on Santa’s knee are funny, particularly because we all know a few crazed cat lovers who would do this if kitty would allow them. However, Pelletier has used a third-person objective narrator, which prevents the reader from knowing Fanny’s thoughts and, consequently, from establishing a connection with the character. As a result, Fanny’s character is flat when it could have easily been fleshed out with a few more thought balloons or some interior monologue. The author also relies on dialogue to give information and advance the narrative. This works in fiction, but a lot of this information could have easily been given in the graphic component. In the end, the story comes across as the first draft of a great idea.

In terms of graphic elements, Pascal Girard has produced some nice water colours, particularly some great establishing shots. But there is a heavy reliance on the six-frame page, which at times becomes monotonous. In addition, too many of the frames are medium close-up and medium-long shots, which further create a distance between the characters and the reader. A few more close-ups zeroing in on expressions would have added some variety and necessary detail. Finally, the architectural style of the bungalow, the town centre and the apartment of Fanny’s friend felt more like the South Shore of Montreal than a small town. Instead, the reader pieces this together by the sheer number of times Fanny unwillingly runs into Cedric.

Overall, Fanny & Romeo is a good story with solid graphics, but the reader can sense that the writer and artist did not work closely together on this. As a result, this album does not reflect the talent of either artist, whereas closer collaboration would have probably yielded something truly remarkable.

This was crossposted at the Montreal Review of Books.

Other reviews

The Accumulative Advantage: Something To Consider for Your Children
The Girl Who Hated Books
The Trouble With Marlene by Billie Livingston
Dead Time by Christy Ann Conlin
Review of the Hunger Games

.






Read more »
0 com

Images de femmes Turns 20

The all-woman art collective, Images de femmes, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and will be featuring work by some 70 women artists. The official kick-off will be this Saturday, March 2, at 1:30 pm at the Mile End library with a reception and vernissage. In addition to a sister art exhibition across the street at AME ART until March 10, workshops given by local artists are scheduled throughout the week, which culminates with Rythmes de femmes, a celebration of women and music at the Rialto Theatre on Sunday, March 10.

While Images de femmes has always had a strong visual arts focus and a growing music component, in the past it has also featured literature and film.

At the vernissage in 1994, Governor General recipient, playwright and novelist Marie Laberge and internationally acclaimed playwright Abla Faroud read from their work. Award-winning documentary filmmaker, screenwriter and director Mireille Dansereau presented Les seins dans la tête in 1995 and Les cheveux en quatre in 1997. While documentary filmmaker and long-time Mile End resident Sophie Bisonnette showed Des lumières dans la grande noirceur in 1996, with the film’s star Léa Roback in attendance. In recent years, Bisonnette has been widely praised for Sexy Inc. Our Children Under the Influence, a documentary about the media's hypersexualization of children.

As one might expect, the idea behind Images de femmes arose around a kitchen table in the fall of 1992, when Claudine Schiradin and some friends discussed what Mile End women artists could do to celebrate International Women's Day. The abundance of cheap, spacious apartments attracted droves of young women artists. "But they had no venue in the Mile End where they could show their work," said local historian and long-time Images de femmes participant Kathryn Harvey.

The Mile End of the early 1990s was hardly the thriving artistic neighbourhood it is now. "It didn't have much identity at all," said the local historian. Empty storefronts lined Park Avenue, and north of St.Viateur, there were plenty of crack houses. "I can’t count the number of times I witnessed police cuffing some young dealer lying face down with a cop’s boot on his back," she said.



The Mile End's turning point came in 1993. Not only was the dilapidated YMCA torn down and rebuilt, but the Habs also won the Stanley Cup, filling cafés on Bernard and St. Viateur streets with screaming fans during the playoffs. There was also another important initiative. A citizen's action group, le Comité des citoyens du Mile-End (CCME) successfully convinced the city of Montreal to buy the old Anglican Church on Park Avenue and convert it into a library. This development project not only provided the neighbourhood with a library and meeting place, and but it also provided Images de femmes with a much-needed venue.

The CCME has been instrumental in assisting initiatives like Images de femmes. "Their work has made the neighbourhood the creative, vibrant place it is today," said Harvey.

CCME member Baska Séguin, artists Françoise Barraud and Nancy Héroux, and Josée Moreau from the city of Montreal were key figures in organizing the first ever Images de femmes. However, by 1996, the annual event had become so popular that they had run out of exhibition space. An obvious solution was to ask local merchants to display the work of up-and-coming artists.

"Residents of the Mile End did their socializing where they shopped, in doorways, and out on the street, having no other place to congregate," said the local historian. As a result, there has always been a strong relationship between members of the community and shop owners, who have always been more than willing to lend a hand to aspiring artists.

This tradition is alive and well today. A number of Mile End businesses still feature the work of local artists in their storefronts and shops. The first week of March is a great time to go for a walk in the hood and see the work of the next generation of artists.

For a listing of the Images de femmes events, "like" their Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter at @MileEndIdF. Tickets to the March 10 Rythmes de femmes are on sale at the Rialto ticket office or can be purchased at the door ($15 general admission, $10 for students and seniors).


Other related links:
Images de femmes 2010
Images de femmes 2011
Rythmes de femmes at Rialto Theatre 2011
19th Images de femmes 2012



.



Read more »