Staff Book and Media Recommendations

Denise Lozeau is a Library Specialist II at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Two Solitudes

Hugh MacLennan

Two Solitudes has much of the panoramic quality of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga (1922), though it is informed by a more partisan attitude. Superficially a chronicle of two generations of Canadians in the Montreal region; it is in fact a penetrating study of the beliefs and behaviors, the myths and animosities, that have caused French-Canadians and English-Canadians to resist amalgamation into a homogeneous nation and to exist as two separate peoples, uncommunicative and isolated. [from enotes.com]

But "Two Solitudes" is not merely a sociopolitical tract. I found the love story quite engaging, with neither of the characters presented as a mere representation of ethnicity and class, and the resolution ennobling in a way one doesn't expect from a novel any more. The term "old-fashioned" comes to mind, but I'm afraid that will be terribly off-putting for many modern readers. Let's call the book solid, sure, and rewarding, then - - and evocative and informative as well. That's a lot to put into a package this tidily crafted, but MacLennan has done it well. [amazon.com review]

As an American with French Canadian heritage, so many of the local traditions and attitudes felt familiar to me. I really enjoyed reading this novel and recommend it as a satisfying weekend read.

Reviewed October 2010