If I were to describe this book in one word, it would be “vibes”. Like this book is 80% mood, 20% everything else. If that is not your thing, I would not recommend this book as even when I love slow, descriptive books, this one still took me a while to get through. 

My edition is published as a “New Canadian Library Classics” from @mclellandandstewart, it follows David Canaan, growing up in the rural Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia before WWI, the relationships and turning points of his life, and his growing desire to not be a farmer, but to be a writer. This is told in a series of short, interconnected stories through his life, not unlike “Lives of Girls and Women” by Alice Muno. But in this case, it feels very meta, as David himself is writing, and takes great personal pleasure in getting a mood just right, and in writing a perfect description of an event.

But if I may say, this book shocked and wrecked me. The descriptions of a feeling are actually perfect. I’d read a description of how David felt in a certain situation, described in great detail through allegory and metaphor, and agree completely. “Yes” (I’d say to myself), “that is EXACTLY how that feels”. And that is very impressive for a writer to accomplish, and I can’t say I’ve really felt that way before. But the problem was it really hurt. The book is sad at parts, and because of the literally perfect mood descriptions, it is a very visceral sadness. But then there are happy and peaceful parts too, and those made me feel legitimately joyful, until Buckler STEALS IT AWAY (crying face). My chest tightened at the embarrassing parts, and if it was bad enough, made me feel nauseous.

This book is an emotional trip. If you want to read it, give it time, give yourself space. But I absolutely would recommend it for the pure viscerality of the experience. I have said “this book give me all the feelings” plenty, but I’ll never say it again after reading this book.