Richard
Ford is best known for his novel The Sportswriter, his 1985 story of a
failed novelist turned sportswriter who is faced with the deep crisis of a dead
son. Its sequel – Independence Day (1995) won the Pulitzer Prize. Ford
is also a noted short story writer and has been seen as being part of the Dirty
Realism school of writing along with such writers as Raymond Carver, Cormac
McCarthy, Carson
McCullers and of course the great Charles
Bukowski.
Not
having even read a single word of Ford’s writing previously, I came to Canada as a total Ford
novice, absolutely free from any knowledge or opinion. My first impression was
that Ford is a writer of nuance and craft, taking his time to build the plot
and reveal his characters. At first I appreciated this and warmed to the
fifteen year old Dell Parsons, who narrates the novel retrospectively from the
vantage point of retirement. Dell lives with his twin sister, Berner and their
parents Bev (the broad shouldered ex-airman) and the frustrated Jewish would be
intellectual Neeva. It’s a sad grey world of isolation and confusion for Dell
and Berner and it slowly becomes apparent that there is a deep psychological
element to Canada that is perhaps more evident in hindsight. The
motivations of Dell’s parents are murky at best, even to Dell himself, who
comes across as a bewildered innocent.
With
a narrative pace bordering on catatonic Dell recounts his dysfunctional family
life and the events that lead up to his parents robbing a bank. During this
long first part Ford’s measured and meticulous style becomes repetitive and
Dell’s repeated ruminations about the psychology of his parents decision making
leading up to the robbery becomes tedious. When the robbery occurs it’s an
anticlimax and the inevitable consequences take forever to arrive; squandering
any tension generated by events leading up to Dell’s parents arrest. I’m giving
nothing away here due to the fact that nearly every major event in Canada is revealed well in
advance (from the first line!), which turns out to be a fatal flaw.
The
second part finds Dell deposited in a small town in Canada by a friend of Neeva
to avoid the long reach of the authorities. Initially the shift to Canada
brings the novel alive, particularly when Dell meets the louche Charley
Quarters. Charley provides a much-needed presence, with his seedy manner,
penchant for lipstick, rouge and poetry. Dell finds himself marginalized,
living in an overflow shack away from the main hotel in a one-horse town that
survives due to geese hunters visiting from America. Suddenly the reader’s
interest is revived and the pathos of Dell’s situation hits home. But once
again any tension generated is wasted when the dodgy character of hotelier
Arthur Remlinger comes to the fore, with his oblique character traits that
fascinate Dell so much and his semi-interesting back-story as a political
radical. There is a climax of sorts, when Remlinger has to deal with his past
catching up with him, but its execution is fumbled and it merely becomes just
another event witnessed at a remove.
A
strange ambivalence permeates this novel; it’s difficult to connect with the
characters lives due to Ford’s ponderous style and Dell’s monochrome
recollections. There are long sections that you could only describe as being
dull, which is frustrating because there is a sense of something deeper lurking
there, something that speaks of the dark vagaries of human existence. Dell is
fascinated with chess and bee keeping, two seemingly disparate pastimes which
actually represent his subconscious need for order in his life which is at the
mercy of the capriciousness of wayward adults. If the prose had been more vital
and there had been more interest generated by the tension of not knowing what
was going to come next then such deeper aspects of Canada would have far more
import. Ford can certainly write, as his reputation suggests, however the novel
is a disappointment, which is a shame really.
I have been meaning to read some Richard Ford for a long time but i definitely won't start with this one!
ReplyDeleteYeah, probably best to avoid this one. A seasoned Ford fan I work with was really disappointed with Canada but apparently The Sportswriter and their sequels are the way to go...
ReplyDeleteI am so put off a book about Sportwriting though. I hate sport!
ReplyDeleteThat's a refreshing attitude! :)
ReplyDelete