Published in 1993, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx has been around for a while and even won a Pulitzer prize, but I'd never heard of it. I spied it on someone's bookshelf, absconded with it, was completely engrossed for a week and didn't want the story to end. The language is incredibly vibrant, the characters are believable but memorable and the setting, a fishing town in Newfoundland, is fascinating. The story line is also good, but I think vivid language steals the show. I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Perfect but for profanity and other adult content."Used to say there was four women in every man's heart. The Maid in the Meadow, the Demon Lover, the Stouthearted Woman, the Tall and Quiet Woman. It was just a thing he said."
"Was love then like a bag of assorted sweets passed around from which one might choose more than once? Some might sting the tongue, some invoke night perfume. Some had centers as bitter as gall, some blended honey and poison, some were quickly swallowed. And among the common bull's-eyes and peppermints a few rare ones; one or two with deadly needles at the heart, another that brought calm and gentle pleasure. Were his fingers closing on that one?"
1 comment:
Wow... that verbiage is incredibly vivid!
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