After a fiveyear hiatus, an undisputed american master delivers a haunting and elemental novel about the cataclysm that undoes one teenage boys family, and the stark and unforgiving landscape in. Bordering montana and north dakota, it is one of two canadian provinces that is completely landlocked alberta is the other one and has. In richard fords new novel, a 15yearold boy watches his family fall apart, and flees north to something even worse. Canada 2012 chronicles the experiences of a man whose life is shaped by his parents bungled attempt to rob a bank during his youth. Librarian of congress carla hayden announced today that richard ford, author of independence day the first novel to win both the pulitzer prize and the penfaulkner award will receive the library of congress prize for american fiction during the 2019 library of congress national book festival on aug. The story holds up remarkably well, centered on a common experience for most adults. Richard fords literary honour questioned by peers after history of aggressive behaviour. Rock springs 1987, women with men 1997, and a multitude of sins 2001 are collections of short stories, the last about. He is the author of the renowned short story collections rock springs and a multitude of sins.
Richard fords superb novel may travel only from montana to saskatchewan, but it encompasses the full range of human life. According to ford, the lay of the land completed his series of bascombe novels, but canada was a standalone novel. Canada was the first novel by richard ford that i have read. Canada begins with the narrator, dell parsons, who is now an english teacher in his 60s and about to retire, recalling the events of a short few months in 1960 when he was 15 years old. This novel of two halves, about a fugitive from his own past, who begins again in canada, is a miracle of transcription. Throughout, the pacing trudges forward methodically, entrancing the reader. Michael gorra hails this tale of border violence and a young boys escape. Fifty north american stories since 1970, and the sportswriter, and more on.
He summarizes the plot of canada in the first two sentences of the 418page novel. Though it may be impossible to equal mark twains adventures of huckleberry finn, richard fords novel is another masterpiece of the genre. Lucy daniel admires canada, richard fords stunning new novel about a family torn apart by a moment of truth. The novel follows 15 yearold dell parsons, who must learn to fend for himself after his parents are. His bestknown works are the novel the sportswriter and its sequels, independence day, the lay of the land and let me be frank with you, and the short story collection rock springs, which contains several widely anthologized stories. Michael gorra hails this tale of border violence and a young. First ill tell you about the robbery our parents committed. Fords next novel could be about drywalling or data entry or developing a filing system for an insurance brokers home office in akron. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide.
This is a novel about actions, intentions, and consequences as well as about belonging. He has been called our babe ruth of novelists, and there is good reason. Richard ford is best known for his novel the sportswriter and its sequels independence day. Richard fords independence day is a masterpiece of a novel. Dell parsons, the firstperson narrator of richard fords majestic new novel, canada, is a recently retired, 66yearold american english teacher living in windsor, ont. Ford has the confidence to title a novel canada, then take the reader to page 2 in a 418page book before dell sets foot in desolate saskatchewan. Born in jackson, mississippi in 1944, richard ford grew up between there and little rock, arkansas. Not only is it a masterful character study, it gives us so much to think about that it rewards repeated readings. Canada by richard ford canada is an unusual book, not least in its title. Canada is a 2012 novel by american author richard ford. But ford himself talks about the novel he has been thinking about for 20 years mostly in terms of technique.
A great american novel by the pulitzer prizewinning author. Canada, by richard ford, combines the genres of the comingofage story with crime dramamystery as it tracks the life of 15yearold dell. Richard ford, born february 16, 1944 in jackson, mississippi, is an american novelist and short story writer. Richard ford is the pulitzer prizewinning author of the bascombe novels and the new york times bestselling canada and let me be frank with you. Richard ford books list of books by author richard ford. Richard fords literary honour questioned by peers after.
First, ill tell about the robbery our parents committed. Fords new book is the best of the lot, though, a magnificent work of montana gothic that confirms his position as one of the finest stylists and most. Canada, a novel by richard ford the new york times. There is only one brief reference to canada in part one and the action does not move to canada until part two, by which time you are half way through the book. I think a lot of readers might complain that richard fords canada is, well, a lot like a lot of other novels. Richard fords canada may be a similar experience, though his focus is on a different america from cheevers, and his lyricism is the reverse of, say, nabokovs tight, pebblehearted. Canada novel canada is a 2012 novel by american author richard ford.
Jun2012 general fiction first, ill tell about the robbery our parents committed. Ford is currently at work on a new novelthe final in the frank bascombe seriesas well as a new collection of stories sorry for your trouble, forthcoming in may 2020. Ford is the 2016 recipient of the asturias award for literature in spain, and he lives in east boothbay, maine with his wife, kristina ford. Canada ebook by richard ford 9780062096807 rakuten kobo. This is fords first novel since concluding the frank bascombe trilogy, which began with the sportswriter 1986, peaked with the prizewinning independence day 1995 and concluded with the lay of the land 2006. A reader might speak of richard fords haunting and uplifting new novel, canada, in terms of magic, mood and morality. So, tantalisingly, begins richard fords seventh novel, canada, a big book that takes its time to tell the story of how 15yearold dell parsonss.
The third novel in richard fords magnificent fantasy series has enough thrills, valour, guts and glory to satisfy any diehard fan of david gemmell and joe abercrombie. Then about the murders, which happened later, says dell parsons, the 60something narrator of the story. Its a coming of age tale set in the big, wideopen american west and. Richard fords masterful new novel, canada, opens with a bang.
The vast prairies of saskatchewan, where one can easily be unimaginably bored are the perfect setting for richard fords canada. So, tantalisingly, begins richard fords seventh novel, canada, a big book that takes its time to tell the story of how 15yearold dell parsonss life was temporarily derailed by a single. The novel follows 15yearold dell parsons, who must learn to fend for himself after his parents are arrested for robbing a bank. Its been nearly 30 years since richard fords novel wildlife was published. Library of congress prize for american fiction to be. Book richard ford for lectures, readings and conversations.
A haunting novel about a boy struggling to remake his life in saskatchewan after his parents are arrested for bank robbery. Canada is a comingofage novel about a young man living in montana whose family falls apart when his parents rob a bank and he is sent to canada to live. Canada by ford, richard and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Richard ford s masterful new novel, canada, opens with a bang.
After a fiveyear hiatus, an undisputed american master delivers a. The book also revisits great falls, montana, a setting that ford frequently uses in his work. The events that will reshape the life of 15yearold dell parsons are offered up in the opening lines of canada the new novel by richard ford, pulitzer prize. The book sleeve calls it a visionary novel of vast landscapes, complex identities and fragile humanity. That series was for ford what the rabbit novels were for updike, making this ambitious return to longform fiction. In canada, richard ford has written a long and contemplative story. Richard ford returns with one of his most powerful novels yetford has never written bettercanada is richard fords best book since independence day.
Richard ford returns with one of his most powerful novels yetford has never written bettercanada is richard fords best book since independence day, and despite its robbery and killings it too depends on its voice, a voice oddly calm and marked by the spare grandeur of its landscape. While the plot sounds sensational robbery, murders, a flight across the canadian border fords laconic, measured prose forces the reader to slow the pace and savor the story. Richard ford, born february 16, 1944, jackson, mississippi, u. Pulitzer prizewinning author richard ford reads from his new novel, canada.
See all books authored by richard ford, including the scribner anthology of contemporary short fiction. The only writer ever to win both the pulitzer prize and penfaulkner award for a single novel independence day richard ford follows the completion of his acclaimed bascombe trilogy with canada. Author interview richard ford, author of canada bookpage. Richard fords novel, canada, is a book that reveals its spoilers early. Canada, richard fords longawaited new novel, is not one to be rushed. The houston chronicle called the film intimate and powerful. However, during april 20, ford read from a new frank bascombe story without revealing to the audience whether it was part of a longer work. Pulitzer prize winning author richard ford sits down with wsjs barabara chai to talk about his is new novel canada, his first book in six years. The former newspaper reporter in me demands i begin my thought here on richard fords new novel canada ecco with a bit of. Richard ford returns with one of his most powerful novels yet, canada.