Shadows on the Rock

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As a native Nebraskan, we love Cather, and I know why. She makes you see exactly what she wants you to see. Absolute descriptive power. This is a tale about the first European inhabitants of Quebec. Someone on GR described it as a stop-and-smell-the-roses type book and I would have to agree. It‘s a lovely, slow read. My February Double #BookSpin: OG BOTM Selection. Fun note: at the Cather museum, they said she loved fuchsia, especially as lipstick

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! 1w

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rabbitprincess

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

pick

I liked this because it is set in Quebec. It is also a quiet read, focused on characters rather than dramatic plot twists. A caveat that it is focused on the colonists, and Indigenous people don‘t get much of a look-in (although at least no stereotypical characters are shown on screen 😬).

jlhammar Loved this book! 3y

CarolynM I liked this one a lot too. 3y

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rabbitprincess

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

…the new Bishop, Monsieur de Saint-Vallier, had just come back from France after a three years‘ absence…

Me, who has been obsessively listening to Beau Dommage for the past month: ? Soixante et sept soixante Saint-Vallier, Montréal ?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Clj4HT-YJE

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Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

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❤️ our #catherbuddyread

What to make of Cather? She‘s taken us readers so many places. Always fierce in integrity and dedication to her points and their complexity. But she took a right turn here, in 1697 Quebec City. Her main character, 13 yr old Cécile, is sheltered and passive. Her city, despite her magnificent prose, is simplified, idealized. Her ideas subdued. Did the fight and passion leave her? ??

Graywacke I adore Cather and enjoyed this perspective on the old part of this city, today a World Heritage sight. But, also, it‘s the 1st time she hasn‘t wowed me. 4y

catebutler Great review! I'm a bit behind on the reading, but will catch up soon! 4y

merelybookish Gorgeous cover! 4y

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batsy Beautiful edition! And I like your question. Something did seem to escape her in writing this one... 4y

Tanisha_A That edition is beautiful 4y

Lcsmcat This was a different story for her, for sure. I wonder if the fire will return with Lucy and/or Sapphira? 4y

Graywacke @catebutler thanks. I would like to know your thoughts on it. 4y

Graywacke @merelybookish @batsy @Tanisha_A that‘s another edition from my MiL - a 1971 Vintage paperback (with a bookmark from Plaza Paperbacks at 1903 Walnut Street - in Philadelphia) 4y

Graywacke @batsy @Lcsmcat Life had beaten her down, so maybe something was lost. More humbled? Or maybe just misunderstood? Don‘t know. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I don‘t see it as humbled, just subdued and perhaps sad. 4y

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batsy

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

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This novel, focusing on French colonists in 17th-century Quebec through young Cécile & her father Euclide, is filled with the crystalline, beautiful writing that is the hallmark of Cather's prose. Her descriptions are enchanting; I always feel transported. She has a way of making the earthly seem otherworldly. The structure of the novel, too, was intriguing: like a mural, a collage, or a musical composition; multiple parts adding to a whole. ⬇️

batsy What I struggled with is the inherent conservatism of the novel. Cather's oeuvre is focused on the pioneers in N. America, & her books depict a rich variety of experiences & people. Yet I mentioned early on that it felt like I was reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, who's not known for her political complexity. There was rarely a counterpoint to the colonists' viewpoint of the indigenous society as savage & in need of civilising. This left me v tired. 4y

batsy #catherbuddyread @Graywacke 4y

TrishB ☹️ book of its time. 4y

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batsy @TrishB Yes, unfortunately. I think Cather is able to be more nuanced than this, so it was disappointing in that sense. 4y

Kalalalatja Do you have any recommendations for where to start with Cather? 4y

batsy @Kalalalatja Her Great Plains trilogy is wonderful, and I think a good place to start is with that. The first book is O Pioneers

O Pioneers!

Kalalalatja Thanks! 4y

rabbitprincess Some day I will read this...it‘s been on my list for a long time because of the setting 😄 4y

CarolynM Great review. I understand your frustration, but I think her theme here was estrangement from home and how people are affected by it. I don't think she was intending to write about colonisation as such. 4y

Tanisha_A Another superb Cather review! I missed this. Can't wait to join you guys for the next one! ❤️ 4y

batsy @rabbitprincess It's definitely worth a read for the setting and how Cather immersed herself in the place while doing research. It shows in the writing :) 4y

batsy @CarolynM Thank you! And yes, I understand her intentions (and that seems to be the thematic link in her work; diving into the pioneer spirit) but still, it left me wanting a counterpoint for all the times the indigenous people are mentioned. 4y

batsy @Tanisha_A Thank you! I believe we're doing Lucy Gayheart next and starting on Sep 12 :) 4y

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Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

An image from an actual mural on the history of Quebec (although portrait is Champlain, not Frontenac).

#catherbuddyread
Book 6 : The Dying Count & the Epilogue

The comte de Frontenac dies in Quebec, causing Euclide to stay. Then we jump ahead years later to the arrival of a much changed and beaten down Saint-Vallier. Euclide is still in the city, and mentions the marriage of his Cécile to Charron. Thoughts on the sections and the book overall?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 4y

Lcsmcat There was much I liked in this section: Euclid‘s contentment contrasted with the “new” bishop‘s; the quote about wine I posted earlier; the acknowledgment of the unique value of New France. The big jump in time, with little backstory to explain Cécile‘s new circumstances felt a little rushed. But overall, another delightful read from Cather, and one I‘m glad we discovered together. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat glad you enjoyed. Euclid and the Bishop meet twice in very different circumstances. Saint-Vallier and his humbling is surprisingly prominent in the Epilogue. 4y

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Currey @Graywacke @Lcsmcat I agree with you that reading together was much more enriching. I was surprised how right it felt to me that the book should end on Saint-Vallier‘s humbling and that what happened to Cecile was not the focus. I had already surmised that Cecile and Pierre would be together so the fact that Cather had only to acknowledge it rather than explain it was interesting. 4y

TEArificbooks Overall I liked the book and liked the ending. It was just a nice story about colonial life in an isolated world and how they coped by telling stories and pure hope. I liked knowing Cecile was had a happily ever after by marrying and having kids and she was content to stay. 4y

arubabookwoman I was surprised that Cecile married Pierre. He was so much older. I pictured him as approaching 40 when she was only a young teen. (Based on his having been romantically interested in the woman who had been a recluse for many years.) 4y

arubabookwoman Overall I enjoyed this Cather installment for its depiction of Quebec and frontier life there, but I sometimes found the story and characters to have a very YA feel. (Not a fan of YA). It is my least favorite of the ones I have participated in so far though. 4y

jewright I liked the story, but I feel like not a lot happened. I did enjoy learning about Quebec during this time period. I haven‘t read many books set during this time in Canada. I did find the age difference with Pierre and Cecile a little disturbing. 4y

CarolynM I enjoyed the book enormously as a window onto a world that was completely new to me. I agree with @Lcsmcat that the jump from "we're not going back to Paris after all, but it's ok because Pierre's here" to "oh Cecile married Pierre" felt rushed and also a bit off given the age difference as @arubabookwoman said. There were a few little flashes of Cather's magic in this last section - The King's carp "grunting and snorting like a thousand pigs" ? 4y

CarolynM ?The Count's feeling of "both contempt and kindness" for Euclid when he wouldn't take the offered money and leave the Count behind, the Bishop "a little theatrical in his humility, as he had been in his grandeur". I was glad to know that Jacques was doing well and still part Euclid and Cecile's family. 4y

Lcsmcat @CarolynM Yes! So happy about Jacques! And your quotes are ones I noted, too. 4y

Lcsmcat @arubabookwoman The age différence bothered me, but it probably wasn‘t that unusual in an era when women often died in childbirth and were considered chattel. 4y

batsy @arubabookwoman I felt the YA vibe as well. I mentioned earlier when we just started that there was a kind of Laura Ingalls Wilder vibe to the initial chapters. 4y

batsy @CarolynM That carp section was so vivid! Just sprang to life and I might have yelled 😅 4y

batsy I enjoyed the book for her writing, but otherwise didn't feel much. I'll try to sum up my thoughts in my review, but since finishing it over a week ago I can't remember particular things I'd like to highlight. There's an innate conservatism in the novel that I can't quite put my finger on, though I appreciated the research that went into it and the way she structured it, almost like a mural or collage, or like a musical composition in parts. 4y

Graywacke @Currey It has been rewarding to read this as a group. It was interesting that Cécile, the main person we want to know about, gets only mention. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 glad you enjoyed. Stories and hope - we can use them. I agree, seemed we should presume she was happy. 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman i get the ya feel. Of course there wasn‘t really “ya” then, but still. And I think you have the age of Pierre about where I thought, about 20 yrs older than Cécile. Not sure how I feel about it, myself. Not what I consider normal, but not a normal circumstance. 4y

Graywacke @jewright in a way not much happens, but it some ways a lot of happenings are told. Maybe they don‘t exactly happen here. Certainly few plot twists. See my thoughts on the ages just above. 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM glad you enjoyed it. I was happy to see how Jacques turned out too, but also worried he would get lost at sea or some such. The piranha carp... whoa! ( @batsy did you really yell?!! 🙂) 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat when woman were as chattle... 🙁 I think Pierre was a little better than that...I hope.🙂 4y

Graywacke I‘m traveling, so finding time is awkward. Sorry for the late comments. I had that ya-wilder-little-women feel for much of the book. I liked the soft story, the stories in the story, the prose effects. I didn‘t like the smoothing of the edges, so to speak. It was worse and harder and messier than she implies, life always is. The philosophical aspects do make the book better, but they feel a little too clean cut in some way. ... (edited) 4y

Graywacke Not that I can really explain the philosophy well. Overall, I enjoyed it, but was less than blown away. I fully enjoyed our conversations here. Thanks all for being of this. I‘ll post a note on the next book once i get settled back home. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I didn‘t mean to impugn Pierre by the chattel comment. It‘s just that age difference (as long as the man was older) didn‘t seem odd then because he woman‘s role was to keep house and bear children, not be an intellectual companion. So there would be no “she‘s so young she doesn‘t know who Joaquin de Près was” type reaction. Cather laid the groundwork for Cécile finding stability in Pierre, & that seems a major theme of the book. ?? 4y

Lcsmcat 👆🏻I peaked at her biography, and she was writing this while dealing with the death of one parent and the debilitating stroke of the other. Stability might have seemed very important to her during that time, and a better basis for a successful marriage than love/romance. Thelove matches in her other works don‘t work out that well: My Mortal Enemy, and A Lost Lady in particular. 4y

CarolynM @Lcsmcat Safety and stability would have been very attractive to a girl like Cecile in that place and time! And I can see what you're saying about Cather's mental/emotional state at the time she was writing. Excellent point about some of love matches in her other books. I'd also include the tragedy of Oh Pioneers and the Jim-Antonia possible match that Antonia was clear sighted enough to avoid. 4y

CarolynM Thanks Dan and all the buddy readers. Looking forward to the next one🙂 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 @emilyhaldi @Tanisha_A Looking at doing Lucy Gayheart next, her 1935 novel. My edition is 200 pages, so thinking 4 parts starting Sep 12. I‘m open to suggestions. 4y

Lcsmcat I can‘t wait. I bought a copy years ago at a library sale. This is my nudge to read it. 😀 4y

jewright @Graywacke I ordered a copy. 4y

Tanisha_A @Graywacke Yessssss! I am in this time. 4y

batsy @Graywacke Thank you! I already have my copy, so I'm in :) 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @jewright @Tanisha_A @batsy thanks (and, T, yay!). Sounds like it‘s a go. I‘ll post “officially” probably next weekend. 4y

Louise @graywacke So sorry to have missed these recent book discussions. Shadows on the Rock is such a beautiful book! I‘ll try and keep up with the Lucy Gayheart discussions. 4y

Graywacke @Louise hi. No worries. Looking forward of LG. 4y

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CarolynM

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

pick

This is the story of a year in the life of late C17th Quebec told through the experiences of 12 year old Cecile, the apothecary's daughter. Cather's writing is as deceptively simple and startling atmospheric as always. I would have liked to stay with these characters for a few years more. I started this book knowing virtually nothing about the French settlement of Quebec, it has whetted my appetite for further learning. #CatherBuddyRead

Graywacke

CarolynM I'm going to use this for #ReadCanada #Quebec @Book_Fiend_Melissa 4y

CarolynM Also #Booked2020 #HatHeadCoveringOnCover @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft (edited) 4y

Cinfhen Oh, this book sounds fascinating!! Nice choice for the prompt and great review 💜 4y

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Freespirit This sounds great! Thinking of you in lockdown Carolyn 4y

Cathythoughts Sounds good. This would work for ReadCanada ! Quebec .... 🤔interesting 👍🏻 4y

LeahBergen This is another one I‘ve been meaning to read for years! (edited) 4y

SamAnne Cather has been on my list to read for a long time... 4y

MsMelissa I‘ve never heard of this one, but it sounds interesting. Glad you enjoyed it 😊 4y

CarolynM @Freespirit Thanks Sally😘 Hoping we are turning things around. 4y

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Lcsmcat

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

“Let us cheer our hearts a little while we can. Good wine was put into the grapes by our Lord, for friends to enjoy together.” #catherbuddyread @Graywacke

Graywacke Now I really want 🍷 🙂 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Santé! ? 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat cheers! 🙂 4y

jewright I couldn‘t agree more! 4y

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Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

Book 4 Pierre Charron & Book 5 The Ships from France #catherbuddyread

Winter ends, and with spring comes Pierre Charron and the ships with their curious crews. Charron maybe changes the book, certainly he carries in references. Charon is, of course, the ferry man of the underworld; Pierre Charron was a 16th century philosopher - a layered guide. (There was also a real Pierre Charron in Montreal then.) New patches to our mural. Thoughts?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 4y

Graywacke A bit long and with spoilers, but this essay looks into what Cather is doing here and who Pierre Charron the philosopher was. https://cather.unl.edu/scholarship/catherstudies/4/cs004.harris 4y

Currey @Graywacke It is interesting to learn about Cather‘s life situation while she was writing this. I can see how she would see the need to set up a dynamic in the book where order was so paramount. Also, Pierre and Cecile‘s trip across the river felt immediate and not as removed as most of the other stories in the book so I believe we moved away from the mural. 4y

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TEArificbooks It seems that the arrival of Pierre and the ships has stirred up the town. The long winter made Cecile reflective and she told stories. Now things are happening and new people are in town and new stories. Seems pretty normal response to after being isolated. 4y

Suet624 Interesting article and behold! My great aunt Edith Lewis appears in it! Some of the article‘s suggestions seem a bit far fetched to me 😗 but it got me to wondering what the article‘s author would say about the significance of Pierre‘s love for Jeanne La Ber. 4y

Lcsmcat Interesting article! I don‘t know Charron‘s work, but now I want to read him. 4y

Lcsmcat This section seems pivotal to me. Cécile has been shown as this lover of order and the French ways. Now she‘s shaken up a bit, which is the usual prelude to change. I‘m eager to see where Cather takes us! 4y

Graywacke @Currey she‘s breaking out of shell? I mean from story to experience 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 there is ritual to whole thing with the ships - an, it‘s what we do, aspect. ?? Makes sense. 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 Lewis is a big deal. How interesting! The article does touch on Charron and Le Ber - contrasting philosophies, if you buy the author. I admit, I bought in. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat she‘s coming of age. I‘m wondering, after reading the article, if Cather‘s point has already been made - the effort and importance of order as a fortress against the chaotic world, so to speak. (You comment about the fortress from two weeks ago has turned out to be more and more relevant. Good catch.) However, having not read Montaigne, where would I have to begin to understand Charron the philosopher. I admit intimidation. 4y

Graywacke @Currey @Suet624 @Lcsmcat I‘m glad you enjoyed the article. I do hope it doesn‘t distract from the actual book, but it was quite fascinating to think about. 4y

Graywacke Two quotes I highlighted: “Cécile was laughing as children do where they never have been afraid or uncertain.” 4y

Graywacke Charron on Le Bur: “You see, there are all those early memories; one cannot get another set; one has but those.” 4y

arubabookwoman Had a bad week, and didn‘t get to read this until today, and I went ahead and finished the book. So I think I will wait until next time to make some comments. Interesting article on Charron, but if you haven‘t read it yet, and don‘t like spoilers, you might want to read it after you finish the book. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Great quotes. I think they give a window into Cather‘s soul as much as the characters‘. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I think Cather has made a point about order as a fortress against chaos, but I wonder if Cécile is going to have to learn that some chaos is a necessary thing? 4y

Lcsmcat @arubabookwoman I hope next week is better! 4y

Suet624 I have to say that Cather again has offered us some powerful descriptions of common things. I loved this one: “The rock of Kebec stood gleaming above the river like an altar with many candles, or like a holy city in an old legend, shriven, sinless, washed in gold.” 4y

batsy @Graywacke Thanks for the article. I finished the book in one gulp sometime midweek so I'm going to check it out. I enjoyed the character of Charron so much. There is an immediacy to the narrative whenever he enters. Also, with regards to previous comments about Cather attempting to paint in miniature, via her writing, the steady build-up of details of life, I loved this quote: 4y

batsy "One made a climate within a climate; one made the days,—the complexion, the special flavour, the special happiness of each day as it passed; one made life." 4y

Lcsmcat @batsy I like that one too! 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman wish you a better week. And, with @batsy , we‘ll discuss the whole book next week. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I‘m wondering how Cécile is going to explore if she can‘t handle a few nights is unsanitary company. ? 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 @batsy thanks for reminding us of these lovely lines. She can evoke emotion with description... that does kind of amaze me. 4y

CarolynM @Suet624 @batsy Those 2 quotes stood out for me too. @arubabookwoman I'm going to take your advice and wait until I've finished the book to read the article. 4y

CarolynM I loved Cecile's excitement at going visiting but quick disillusion and longing for home. I can remember similar feelings in childhood. I'm really enjoying this just as a tale of early settler life in what is, for me, an exotic environment. I think going into this with no preconceived ideas means I'm not looking for an overarching story in the way I was with Archbishop. 4y

jewright I feel Cecile is like all children traveling. My kids love going places, but then they get so cranky and just want things back home. 4y

Graywacke @jewright adults too. ☺️ 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM just a random thought: It‘s common when showing pioneer life to emphasize to contrast to more comfortable modern life, and with a biting wit at the outrageously hard life back then. Not really the case here with Cécile‘s city life. This seems like a story without the “we are so much different now” commentary. (Or maybe I‘m forgetting some fundamental thing). Anyway, glad you and rest of us are enjoying. 4y

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Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

Book 3 - The Long Winter
#catherbuddyread
Simple on the surface, but yet... We get a look at iffy miracles, Euclid‘s sort of agnosticism, frontier life, the extreme efforts of French missionaries, and the dark side of kingdoms - and Cecilé takes it all in. What will she make of it down the line. Did anyone else think Little Women? Or wonder about Quebec City as a new Rome/Troy (I‘m pulling from the Aeneid reference there) Thoughts on Book 3?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 4y

Currey @Lcsmcat @batsy In finishing up this section, I can now respond to your comments about the altar. I agree with you about it symbolizing security but not the security of battlements....simply the security of home. It reflects what they are used to seeing all around them as it reflects what kebec looks like...the altar on the hill. 4y

Currey @graywacke....after reading Death comes to the Archbishop, I am appreciating the pairs in this book also. The handsome vain Monsignor paired against the old poor but not totally humble one. The Jacques and Cecile pairing and there is some suggestion of another pairing with those looking toward the new (Canadian wilderness) and those looking back to the old (France). 4y

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Catherine_Willoughby Not well this week. Plan to finish book next week & give my views on each section. Haven't read much this week . Haven't even finished a book 😔 4y

jewright I really related to the watching for spring and feeling like it will never come. I too have my signs that I watch for each year that winter is almost over. 4y

Lcsmcat @Catherine_Willoughby I‘m sorry you‘re not well. I hope you feel better soon. 🤗 4y

Lcsmcat @Currey @Graywacke This photo does show a similarity in structure between the city and that altar piece! 4y

Lcsmcat The thing that hit me most this week is the distance Cather has created between the drama and the reader. Some people have commented in earlier weeks that they‘re waiting for something to happen. But if you think about it, a LOT has happened, we‘re just hearing it second hand. There‘s injury and death, torture and remorse, faith and doubt. But mostly through stories told to Cécile. So why is Cather keeping us at arm‘s length? 4y

Currey @Lcsmcat Good point! That is so true...perhaps to better prepare us for a dramatic turn? Or more likely Cather‘s way of giving us a view of life, which can be dramatic on reflection but is simply one‘s day to day while in it... 4y

TEArificbooks I think Cecil‘s stories are ways for them to get through the long winter. They have no tv. No letters from France. They are isolated and the stories entertain and distract them as they wait for spring and wait for the ships to return. Most of the stories mention miracles and provide hope for them that it will all work out. 4y

Graywacke @Currey great comments. This section does highlight @Lcsmcat ‘s observation about the priority of safety/sanctuary and really has a lot to say about. Also, I hadn‘t thought about the pairs. Now after your comment I‘m seeing pairs everywhere- family, kids, bishops, frontiersman, missionaries... 4y

Graywacke @Catherine_Willoughby sorry you don‘t feel well. Hope you feel better and wish you a better a week. 4y

Graywacke @jewright did that swallow leave an impression? Our section‘s emblem, maybe. As an always southerner (not culturally. Culturally I‘m just...um... suburban?), I can only imagine long winters. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I didn‘t even think of the relationship of these last two pictures! I was just looking for Quebec in winter... but, wow, yeah. (And appropriate. @Currey ) 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat first, really great observation about all the second hand stories. Second, great question! Why? Is this book about storytelling? Or is this necessary for Cécile, or a commentary on winter, or? 4y

Suet624 Gah! I can't read your post or the comments because I haven't read the section yet! I got stuck trying to finish another book. I'm finally done and now will start back with Cather's beautiful writing. 4y

Graywacke @Currey maybe that it, dramatic set up. Is something coming? Does also seem like she‘s showing but softening some drama. 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 your comment could serve as another answer to @Lcsmcat ‘s question. A psychological sustenance? Wonder why the emphasis on miracles. A little hope needed? Or just part of all the stuff that goes on “out there”, outside the city wall. (Which might explain why our Euclid is characterized as a city boy - to emphasize the meaning of the city boundaries) 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 🙂 you have plenty of time. We still have two more weeks. 4y

arubabookwoman @Lcsmcat Yes there are lots of stories being told. I found that to be the case in Death Comes For the Archbishop and The Professor‘s House too. There‘s a lot of action, but it doesn‘t seem to be happening to the main characters. I read a review of Death Comes... which compared it to a mural of New Mexico. Are we here getting a “mural” of Quebec/French Canada? I was interested to see that Cecile & dad will soon be returning to France. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 4y

arubabookwoman Waiting patiently to see if something happens to them before they do. If that sounds like I‘m not enjoying the book, not so. I‘m becoming used to Cather‘s way of telling her stories, and find that her methods quite suit what I think she‘s trying to get across. 4y

Lcsmcat @arubabookwoman “mural of Québec” I like that. This is a method Cather has used before. The wolves in Antonia, for example, were a story told inside the story. 4y

Lcsmcat @Currey I lean towards the “day to day while in it” interpretation, but I‘m not sure she‘ll leave us there. 4y

Lcsmcat @jewright “watching for spring and feeling like it will never come” I‘ve felt that when we lived in UT! And I‘m kind of feeling it now with this pandemic, too. Although it‘s not a swallow but a vaccine I‘m looking for. 😀 4y

jewright @Graywacke I live in the Midwest, so we have fairly cold winters and usually several snows. I struggle more with the lack of sun. We may go weeks with very little sun. Yes, I loved the swallow. 4y

jewright @Lcsmcat I feel exactly the same. I miss taking my kids places like the zoo and aquarium and even just the store. It‘s a very similar trapped feeling to winter. 4y

batsy @Currey That's a great point. I also love that you drew attention to the "pairs". 4y

CarolynM I'm just enjoying the stories in this one. The story of Jeanne Le Ber, the recluse, particularly. I was torn between admiration for her stoicism, annoyance at her selfishness, and concern for her well being in that cell! I loved Cather's explanation for people's attachment to miracles " because they are the actual flowering of desire...made an actual possession and can be bequeathed to another." I love the "mural of Quebec" idea ??? 4y

batsy @Lcsmcat This is such a good point to raise. And I'm still waiting to see how it plays out. I "enjoyed" reading this section because the prose flows beautifully as it always does, but despite the many things going on it still felt like a complacent or comfortable reading experience and a part of me is demanding something more. 4y

batsy I know we're hearing things second hand in the narrative, and it's being told from the perspective of the colonists, but mostly I'm still left uncomfortable about what we're being told, in little scraps, about the Native Americans. Feels like I'm in Laura Ingalls Wilder territory here, but I expect (a whole lot) more from Cather. 4y

CarolynM 👆👆👆The stories of the frontier are fascinating too. As an Australian I am used to stories of pioneer/explorer hardships revolving around heat, thirst and drought. Cold, snow and storms are obviously just as trying - maybe more so. Great observation about our current situation being like sitting out one of their winters @Lcsmcat @arubabookwoman @jewright @mdm139 @Currey (edited) 4y

CarolynM @Catherine_Willoughby Hope you feel better soon💐 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM Jeanne Le Ber had me thinking of The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( @Lcsmcat ) 4y

Graywacke @batsy haven‘t read Wilder, but I think the analogy fits. There are some things happening between the lines, but it‘s still soft. Like Cécile‘s eventual discovery of human frailties - something that will eventually happen - the natives are given from the French perspective and their Calaban characterizations don‘t mesh with their in-person interactions like the native guide who saved Frichette and Father Hector. ... ?? (edited) 4y

Graywacke Having said all that, the book paints a very negative picture of the Native Americans and wipes clean the crimes of the missionaries. 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman mural of Quebec from a Quebec City perspective? Great analogy. @Lcsmcat - I have been thinking the wolves while reading. It‘s a similar narrative (maybe a theme is: scary stuff of someone here, but of their shedded past and from far away) 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @Currey - day to day? In feel perhaps, but she‘s still writing episodic - that is from interesting event to interesting event. Day to day is always a background (Maybe like: ~Euclid knew no one knocked at this hour unless they were sick or ...~ The day to day is a setting that is generated in an instant and hangs around in our mind while the text quickly drops it and goes to the not-day-to-day event, the exception to day-to-day) 4y

CarolynM @batsy Not entirely on point, but relevant to the issue: Auclair lay awake "...wondering whether there had not been a good deal of misplaced heroism in the Canadian missions, - a waste of rare qualities which did nobody any good." 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke My meaning of the “day to day” ( I won‘t speak for @Currey ) is that they were living this and the stories were more “remember when that happened?” than “OMG! We‘re all doomed!” And Cather uses that to show the truth of the difficulties and horrors of the time. (edited) 4y

Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy I have to agree with Euclid there. I see no saintliness in doing something you‘re not suited to, and doing it poorly. 4y

Currey @Lcsmcat You explained it better than I 4y

Currey @CarolynM @batsy Do you think that includes Jeanne Le Ber ? Is she wasting her nature or using it well for others in her praying for them. Unlike the sisters, she does not do service for anyone except the praying 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat ( @Currey ) thanks 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM just wanted to say the Australian comparison is interesting. 4y

Lcsmcat @Currey @CarolynM @batsy I didn‘t feel like Jeanne was wasting her nature. She was doing what worked with her nature and provided good, both with her prayers and her weaving. Whereas the priest did no one any good. He didn‘t help the Huron, even in a colonial sense of helping, and could be said to have driven them further from Christ. He was useless to them in a temporal way. He couldn‘t fish or hunt, or fell trees. I see his martyrdom as a waste. 4y

Graywacke @Currey @CarolynM @batsy with Le Ber i feel a sense of an open-ended response. I mean it depends on perspective on her circumstance and her meaning to those around her. A large part of my personal reaction is something along the lines of, “what‘s the point of that?” Then I have to remind myself there is a 17th century frontier view and a 1930‘s view and each is not a view, but views. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat didn‘t see your post till after I posted mine... 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat you mean Monseigneur de Saint-Vallier? I‘ll add that Jeanne was sincere, whereas the priest was not. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke But they complement each other. 😀 I agree with the multiple points of view. We‘re seeing the 17th century through the lense of the 1930s. Kind of like watching a 1960s film version of a Jane Austen book. They try, but the 60s aesthetic bleeds through. 4y

Suet624 Just finished the chapter... some thoughts: I particularly enjoyed the section on Jeanne Le Ber. In researching her on Wikipedia, I found that she had taken her vows on June 24th (1685). That's a special day for me. It's my birthday (yay!) but it's also John the Baptist Day and the day that Mother Mary first appeared in 1981 in Medjugorje, Bosnia. I love the idea that she was visited by angels. 4y

Suet624 The idea of the various ways we can suffer... from the cold, from illness, from accidents, from sacrifice, from the long winter of grays and blacks, from duty (poor Blinker) ... was a thread through the chapter. The ideas of old ideas vs. new ideas of medical treatment was an interesting piece. The arrogance of the young priest, that darn whippersnapper, destroying an older man's life's work - the foibles of being human. 4y

Suet624 Like @batsy, I just so appreciate the telling of the story. I don't have the nagging feeling that most of you have of “where's the twist in the story?“ I am just luxuriating in the “mural of Quebec“. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat another pairing 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 i do wish I could read as you are, wipe all my skepticism aside. It‘s rare I‘m able to do that - and it takes a disarming author. It‘s almost impossible for me to start a book that way anymore. Thanks for the info on Jeanne and the “foibles of being human”. It‘s interesting to me is Cather was so critical of humanity on MME and she‘s so optimistic about it here. 4y

jewright @Graywacke —Yes to the Hunchback reminders. My question about religious recluse and all others, is what is the point? I understand helping the poor, but what good does it do to lock yourself away? 4y

Graywacke @jewright it definitely doesn‘t help the poor. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 reminder books 4 & 5 Saturday: Pierre Charron & The Ships from France 4y

Graywacke “Most beautiful of all was the tarnished gold of the elms, with a little brown in it, a little bronze, a little blue even—a blue like amethyst, which made them melt into the azure haze with a kind of happiness, a harmony of mood that filled the air with content. “ 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke ❤️ that quote! 4y

44 likes59 comments

Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

"that the Kingdom of Heaven looked exactly like this from the outside."

#catherbuddyread
Book 2: Cécile and Jaques

It‘s a Christmas story. My natural instincts lead me to look for the tensions in stories, the bitternesses. But this is a nice story, an isolated frontier town managing to help its needy as winter threatens and Christmas warms hearts. It doesn‘t hurt to have a few dazzling descriptions of the ice and lighting. Thoughts?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 4y

Graywacke The full quote on the image, in many posts: “The high altar was especially interesting to children, though it was not nearly so costly or so beautiful as the altar in the Ursulines' chapel with its delicate gold-work. It was very simple indeed,—but deﬁnite. lt was a representation of a feudal castle, all stone walls and towers. 4y

Graywacke The outer wall was low and thick, with many battlements; the second was higher, wtlh fewer battlements; the third seemed to be the wall of the palace itself, with towers and many windows. Within the arched gateway (hung with little velvet curtains that were green or red or white according to the day) the Host was kept. 4y

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Graywacke Cécile had always taken it for granted that the Kingdom of Heaven looked exactly like this from the outside and was surrounded by just such walls; that this altar was a reproduction of it, made in France by people who knew; just as the statues of the saints and of the Holy Family were portraits. 4y

Graywacke She had taught Jacques to believe the same thing, and it was very comforting to them both to know just what Heaven looked like,—strong and unassailable, wherever it was set among the stars.” 4y

Currey @Graywacke Yes so far I am enjoying the rather sentimental characters and the descriptions of place. I have to admit I have more than once said to myself “she wrote My Mortal Enemy”???? Is this the same person? 4y

arubabookwoman Like you, I kept waiting for some conflict to occur. So far, very peaceful reading. 4y

Lcsmcat What is the implication in the statement that the fortress-like high altar was more loved by the children than the more beautiful one at the Ursulines? Is she (Cather) guiding us to see that security is accepted by the children as the most heavenly (i.e. important, valuable) thing because it is in short supply? The hints at the “local” martyrs‘ sufferings being worse than the older European martyrs makes me wonder. 👇🏻 4y

Lcsmcat 👆🏻 Are we about to have the rug pulled out from under us, like in One of Ours? 4y

TEArificbooks It is peaceful reading. I like how the community comes together to help each other through the winter and hearing how they prepare for winter. Cecile has become a very sentimental character. It would be nice to read just a pleasant story, but I am waiting for something to happen. Part of me doesn‘t want something to happen. Let her live a happy life in a nice community. But part of me is wants some suspense, some action. 4y

Suet624 I have thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. Kindnesses, strength of character, beneficence, sledding, the sounds during a snowfall. There is such innocence in the midst of tragedy. The religious aspect has made me think of a holy site I have visited in Vermont, several miles south of the Canadian border. Where entire masses are held in French for those who come down to participate. It is dedicated to Saint Anne, Mary's mother, and is lovely. 4y

Suet624 This is the description: “This holy site is a must-see in the Green Mountain state, 92 St. Anne‘s Rd., Isle La Motte, VT: Vermont‘s oldest white settlement was founded here at the water‘s edge in 1666, when a French officer, Capt. Pierre La Motte, built Fort St. Anne as a bastion against the Mohawk tribe. The fort was needed for only a short time, but soon afterward Jesuit priests built the first Christian chapel on the site in the woods.“
4y

Graywacke Variety of responses so far. Peaceful to ominous. 4y

Graywacke @Currey i had the same thoughts, like you had with My Mortal Enemy. Where did her anger go? 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman 🙂 well, something should happen, I suppose. Perhaps this is all foundation, childhood comfort that provides strength later in life. ?? 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat the “savages” - i have issues with this perspective. We all should. But regardless, interesting. I‘m not seeing the hints. I was amused to see some humanity in Jacques‘ mother and some small sense of responsibility of others. But I haven‘t seen that contemporary sympathy for what his mom his going through. I‘m not seeing a exploration of darker aspects. We‘re skating on ice, I guess. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 I could apply my comment to @arubabookwoman to your comment as well. Are we waiting? Is this just foundation? (Those who have read this already must be rolling their eyes!) 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 thanks for the parallel with St. Anne‘s in Isle La Motte, VT. Wondering about the nature of Cather‘s interest on all things French. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I‘m not sure there are hints, I‘m just pondering why the children would prefer the “fortress” above the beautiful. I feel like, if Cather points something out like that it means something and I‘m trying to figure out what it means. As to the martyrs, I think their suffering is more real to Cécile because of geographic and temporal proximity. Not because the Iroquois were more savage than the Visigoths. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat It's an interesting thought (and I think I read more into your comment than you meant). Is it security over beauty, or is it just aesthetics or child aesthetics? I think there is a commentary there on how literally they take everything, like with the nativity characters (and the beaver). I mean they liked it because they could make mentally tangible sense out of it. Or, arguably, because it's a simpler totem... 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I loved the beaver! It reminded me of when our kids would put little cats in the crêche, sometimes even in the manger. And the Christmas pageant at church where the youngest kids dress as animals and we always have at least 1 dinosaur, or unicorn, or lobster. I‘m curious where Cather is going with this story. It seems very different from her previous novels, so far. 4y

jewright I am just waiting for something terrible to happen. I just have a bad feeling... I do feel sorry for Jacques. It‘s terrible to see kids and know their parents aren‘t providing for them properly. I was so glad everyone worked together to get him a new pair of shoes. I want a pair of shoes custom made for me! 4y

batsy Have to agree with most of the comments here. It's peaceful, comfortable reading so far and I do wonder if we're in for a shock or surprise. Her descriptive powers are in full bloom here and I will always enjoy the clean, precise energy of her writing. It is immensely satisfying. But there's an undertone of sentimentality and like @Currey I'm well-aware that this writer has given us sudden, sharp jolts of discomfort in the past... 4y

batsy @Lcsmcat Great point about why the children would prefer that over the beautiful. Is that a larger comment on the dangers or maybe complexity of aesthetics/beauty? Like a life devoted to it can perhaps be one of disillusion... As in My Mortal Enemy or The Professor's House. It's something to consider as we continue reading. 4y

CarolynM I'm a bit behind. Hope to catch up tomorrow. 4y

Graywacke @batsy too sentimental? Guess we need to give her book its space before we answer. Agree with you her prose is very much strong as ever. And I think you add an element to @Lcsmcat ‘s comment... maybe emphasizes protective element of frontier exposure ?? (edited) 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM don‘t be too shy to tag everyone when you comment. No rush. 4y

Lcsmcat @batsy Interesting thought. I‘m eager to see where she takes us. 4y

CarolynM I enjoyed this section a lot. The descriptions of the winter scenes are so vivid they had me shivering. I am also very interested in the relationships between the people. Cecile and Jacques remind me a little of Antonia and Jim. I loved the beaver and "Our Lord died for Canada too" @Lcsmcat I like your point about beauty @batsy I think most of the Cather's we've read touch on how it can tempt and even seduce. (edited) 4y

Tanisha_A Don't know what to say. Haven't started reading yet. 😶 I am just so behind on my Cather reads, but I know I will get to them. 4y

emilyhaldi Hi Dan!! Unfortunately I haven't had much time for reading lately and was unable to get to this book 😕 Sad to miss the discussions this round but hopefully I can join in next time! 4y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A @emilyhaldi sending you freedom from guilt vibes. 🙂😕 Emily - I‘ll take you off the tags for this book. But i‘ll tag on the next one. Tanisha - let me know if you want to me to continue to tag you in this one. 4y

Tanisha_A @Graywacke Hello, hello! Yep, don't think will be able to get to this one in time. Will join the next one. 🙂 Thankeeee! 4y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A ok. Next one! 🙂 4y

42 likes35 comments

Suet624

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

This paragraph had me yearning for that sense of security; that an orderly procession of activities would do us all some good. This crazy chaos in the US is overwhelming. #catherbuddyread

Lcsmcat I love the old Bishop and his steadfastness. 4y

Suet624 @Lcsmcat I love the strength, commitment and compassion he presents. 4y

Jeg The world does feel more than a little crazy right now. 4y

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Lcsmcat

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

Plus ça change, plus c‘est la même chose. ?
#catherbuddyread @Graywacke

MayJasper Too true ☹️ and goods can move around the world but people in direst need are held at borders. 4y

batsy I highlighted that quote, too! 4y

Lcsmcat @batsy Cather always seems to stay relevant, doesn‘t she? 4y

Lcsmcat @MayJasper 😔 4y

CarolynM I highlighted this passage too. 4y

44 likes5 comments

Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
Chapter 1 - The Apothecary

Paris city-boy nerd comes to the isolated new world and ends up a widower far from home, in 1697. At first I was thinking there wasn‘t much to this, but then I was suddenly into it. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Maybe Cather just does that. She also drops a few seeds for rumination. We‘re just getting our feet wet. Thoughts? You in, still on the fence?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi (edited) 4y

Currey I was in from the first image of the ship sailing away and realizing it would not return until the following July. New York and Boston‘s harbors do not freeze so I had never thought about Quebec City and Montreal being so completely cut off. Then the quiet ruminations of our ‘nerd‘ seem to be pulling me in also. It is dark and raining where I am so that may be part of it. 4y

arubabookwoman I‘m in. I know nothing about Quebec, and was intrigued by it being built on rock and there being an “upper” town and a lower town down by the river. I‘m also wondering if the characters are historical figures (the Count). Haven‘t googled yet. Had a hard time stopping at the end of the apothecary chapter. (edited) 4y

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batsy I haven't finished this section yet! I've fallen behind on my reading for a few days 🙈 I'll chime in with comments once I've caught up 🙂 4y

TEArificbooks Yes I was in from the image of him standing on the rock watching the ships sail away. The isolation of the environment has me peaked. I like the little girl and the story of why he chose to go to such an isolated place. 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 oops, apologies! Missed you on the tag. I‘ll fix that. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @Currey @mdm139 I‘m appreciating your openness. I‘m so jaded, I read the opening thinking “where I have read that image a hundred times before?” Ah, oh well, I was able to loosen up. Too 20 pages or so. I did appreciate the sense of isolation and exposure. And wonder what city scape replaced those trees in the distance. 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman I think the count is historical...but haven‘t looked it up yet. And, yeah, Quebec. Quite fascinating. I‘m ready to go! (You know, once Americans are allowed again) 4y

Graywacke Trivia on Cap Diamant, from Wikipedia: Jacques Cartier, the French explorer who found glittering stones in the high cliff, thought the stones contained diamonds. After he brought samples of these stones to France in 1542, experts concluded that these "diamonds" were actually quartz, hence the proverb "Faux comme un diamant du Canada" ("as fake (or as false) as a Canadian diamond"). 4y

arubabookwoman @Graywacke Speaking of which, I don‘t speak French. Any tips on how to easily and quickly translate the French phrases that seem to be frequently popping up in this book? 4y

Graywacke @batsy hope life isn‘t too crazy, and reading expectations aren‘t too crazy. 4y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman i use the google translate app and on my phone. It has a camera option which translates on the fly. (Still takes a little time.) (edited) 4y

TEArificbooks @Graywacke I was thinking about the isolated environment. It reminds me an Agatha Christie novel. I am half hoping Cather goes all dark on us and maybe has a serial killer or a giant wolf reek havoc on the town. But we are following the doctor so maybe a pandemic and all those extra linens for the winter will get ripped up for bandages. An author can do a lot with an isolated environment. 4y

Lcsmcat @Currey @mdm139 I too was hooked from the ship sailing away. Just trying to put myself in his position - no outside contact for so long - got me in the place, which is so strong in Cather‘s work. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Having read Barkskins a few years ago, I felt the how endless those trees must have seemed! An endless sea of impenetrable forest.

Barkskins: A Novel

(edited) 4y

Lcsmcat @mdm139 Cather has used isolation (and wolves!) before so I‘m sure it was no accident that she set this so early, when Québec was so isolated. I‘m happy to be along for the ride! 4y

Currey @Lcsmcat There is a great deal of rolling farm land, and vacation cottage land south of Quebec City plus a bauxite mine or two, but there is still quite a bit of forest. Not first growth forest but still thick and majestic. 4y

Lcsmcat @Currey When the pandemic is over, Québec is a place I really want to visit. 4y

Catherine_Willoughby I forgot what day it is. I hope to listening tomorrow 😔. Have written down my plan 4y

Suet624 The ship sailing away... can you imagine? And not hearing any news for so long? (I actually felt a sense of relief when I thought of news traveling more slowly.) I am fascinated by the book so far. I laughed the many times they refer to Kebec (Quebec) because that's how it is actually pronounced. The Count is definitely a real person. I'm wondering if Auclair is. I have to say, I love reading about nuns. :)
4y

Suet624 I have spent a lot of time in Montreal which is part of Quebec. Quebec City I have not yet visited and I really must. In fact, my parents honeymooned at the Chateau Frontenac (ironic, right?), located in Quebec City. 4y

Louise It‘s great to be re-reading this book. I love how Cather evokes a time and place with such specificity that it feels real. She finds just the right words. No clutter. And no hint whatsoever of the modern sensibility. @Graywacke, thanks for sharing that anecdote about Cartier. It‘s fascinating to learn about word and phrase origins! 4y

CarolynM I, too, was hooked from the very start. I have to confess my knowledge of French Canada was VERY limited before reading Louise Penny's books (I don't think I'd even heard of Quebec City😱) but now I am fascinated by it so I'm loving these descriptions and I'm interested to find out more about these pioneering people. 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 Agatha Christie? I‘m processing that. I think Cather dark and Agatha dark are different kinds of dark! (But i‘ve on read Orient Express) A pandemic would be appropriate 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat forgot about the 🐺s... !! 4y

Graywacke @Currey interesting and thanks for some current day description. Québec City is familiar to you? 4y

Graywacke @Catherine_Willoughby no worries. Post anytime. We‘re just getting started, anyway. 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 on the relief of slowing down - I get that feeling too. A little relaxing just thinking about it. 4y

Graywacke @Louise I‘m on the fence with the time and place - well maybe more the time than the place. But seems most of us got onboard in the opening section. I‘m starting to feel I was the only one dragging my skepticism. Anyway, mostly gone. (edited) 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM not just you, French Canada us unknown to me too (then, now and everywhere in between). 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @crazeedi @mdm139 got busy late yesterday, but I wanted to mention a few seeds I thought Cather planted: (1) women and work. How Cecil was told she will get used to doing stuff over and over to help her dad. And yet, she seems the bright one. (2) power. Euclide has no real choice about going to Q. 👇 (edited) 4y

Graywacke His wife pointed this out to him. Not that Frontenac was bad, but that was the nature of the system. The count offers, it‘s because you have to, in this case at least. (3) the Jesuit Missionaries. Rich ground here since this was an unusual tribe. But I associate it with exceptionally tough well-trained men, not frail women having visions. The Sister Catherine and Reverend Mother stories have many layers of meaning- including ecstatic visions to 👇 4y

Graywacke plain practicality. A pertinent transition? Anyway, worth noting. (edited) 4y

Graywacke (4) what‘s in a name? Euclid, author of Elements, is the traditional foundation of Geometry. He “also wrote works on perspective, conic sections, spherical geometry, number theory, and mathematical rigour.” 4y

Louise @CarolynM I thought of Louise Penny‘s books too! Inspector Gamache‘s Québec is very different from the early days depicted in Cather‘s novel, yet some of the major structures still stand today. All those layers of history between then and now. . . Oh, if those buildings and cobblestone streets could talk! (edited) 4y

Currey @Graywacke Yes, a favorite place to visit. France in North America. 4y

Lcsmcat Re: women & work, and the Jesuit Missionaries- I think this firs with Cather‘s themes in other works, where the frontier (whether prairie or colony) changes the rules and opportunities for women. 4y

CarolynM @Lcsmcat Good point. The mention of the aunt's interest in education for girls makes me think Cecile may not have a purely domestic life. 4y

CarolynM @Graywacke I was interested in Euclide's reason for going to Quebec too. I also liked the description of his position in the community in Paris, his refusal to go along with the "medical" fashion making him unpopular. The more things change... 4y

jewright I really enjoyed this section. I love how they created a French oasis in Canada and how everyone else loves it too. It made me so sad to think of her never meeting her cousins and only receiving letters once or twice a year. I really want to go to Paris and Canada sometime! 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM wonder where Cather will take us with Cecil. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Wherever she goes, it‘ll be a grand ride! 4y

Graywacke @Currey @jewright I‘m ready to go there! (Actually I‘ve never been to France France either. Been to non-French Canada a few times) 4y

Graywacke @jewright the distances are pretty overwhelming, to be that far away with that technology... 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I‘m ready for book 2 4y

batsy Like @Currey @arubabookwoman I was drawn in from that first image of being cut off from the world. I liked city-boy nerd & in a strange post-lockdown world I felt his sense of panic & need for bourgeois comforts! For some reason I was wary of this book, maybe because it's not talked about much, but I found the 1st section v engrossing. I'm concerned about how the Indigenous people were depicted (as seen by the colonists); hoping for more nuance... 4y

Graywacke @batsy The American Indians - another seed. I feel like Cather is mixed on that nuance. I think the closer she gets, the better. Huh - lockdown. Did anyone else make that connection? Wait, this question needs some tags. 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @jewright @Louise @Sace @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @mdm139 - so, following up on the comment by @Batsy, I‘m curious: Did anyone else make or feel the connection between the isolation here and our current lockdown world? I admit, I didn‘t, but, well, now that it‘s been brought up, I‘ll definitely be thinking about it. 4y

Catherine_Willoughby @Graywacke for me I did feel the connection (was cocooning with just my children till Start of June) of being isolated. I been seeing these connections in some of my books lately. 4y

TEArificbooks As for our current lockdown, I had not made the connection. Our modern world with technology and delivery systems allows us excess to pretty much anything from a distance. I have more contact with my family and friends now than I did before with zoom. I am still able to get the comforts of outside world with delivery. We needed new pillows, usually I would go to Target but ordered them online instead. People in the book couldn‘t do that. 4y

TEArificbooks Don‘t get me wrong I prefer face to face interactions and prefer my kids going to school for social interactions, but I feel less isolated than the characters would because of the technology we have today. I can still get emails, phone calls, letters, packages, even see their faces with zoom. Or maybe I am just used to staying home. I have special needs child that hates leaving the house so we stay home more than most people. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I‘m kind of in the middle on connecting to our current lockdown- I thought about how much better we have it, because of technology. But also we‘re not just separated, there‘s an element of fear about connecting now that wouldn‘t exist then. Had someone arrived in New York harbor, bought a horse and rode to Québec, they‘d have been welcomed and fêted. Now, not so much. Canada wouldn‘t let us in. ? 4y

batsy @Graywacke I'm a nerd city girl who has never lived anywhere but in the city & grew up in the 80s/90s with its rampant materialism & technological futurism—even the slightest disruption to life as I know it leads to panic 😂 But yes, definitely in the early days of our strict lockdown in Malaysia it wasn't even as easy ordering things online as services were limited; eerie, deserted roads; overnight disappearance of the usual social fabric. 4y

Graywacke @mdm139 @Lcsmcat ( @Catherine_Willoughby @batsy ) I‘m grateful none of us are frozen in without Internet! And yeah, no visiting 🇨🇦 for us US-ians. Smart 🇨🇦. Dumb 🇺🇸. 😔 Anyway, thought it was an interesting if vague parallel (it occurs to me Cather has a thing with isolation) 4y

batsy @Graywacke Not sure how lockdown was implemented in the US within various states but we had essentially an emergency/curfew situation for a good two months. It started to ease up a bit but god the first few weeks even stepping out was frowned upon. People were getting arrested for jogging, walking, etc. Thank god for the internet indeed. Though our infrastructure is set up differently so if some people had problems they couldn't even get it fixed. 4y

Graywacke @batsy (we sort of cross-posted) Since I‘m in suburbia (and grew in a different suburbia) I‘m used to quiet streets. It was only on the highways that I noticed the emptiness. Also, I love being stuck at home. Could spend my life that way if I could just figure out how to not drive everyone else in the house crazy. Wonder how that affects my response to all this. 4y

Graywacke @batsy The US lockdown... all those ridiculous videos on idiots not wearing masks and calling it a hox - it‘s not even extreme here. It‘s seriously normal. Also no curfew, just a denying president, a mistaken governor (in tx), and unappreciated county executive and a whole lot of carelessness. Blech. We create problems here. (Tx is spiking) 4y

Graywacke @batsy “I‘m a nerd city girl” ... 😂 4y

Suet624 Oh no. You live in Texas??? 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 in a distant satellite of Houston. 4y

batsy @Graywacke Sorry to hear it's not all good in Texas. That must be worrying. My sister and her family live in Gainesville... The area where she is seems under control, but a lot of Florida is definitely not. That's when I realised that beyond the massive size difference between US and Malaysia, the political system & fed gov't also work differently. So different places have different versions of lockdown or shelter in place implemented, in a way... 4y

Graywacke @batsy Florida is worse! Maybe not Gainesville. (I lived there as a kid for short period - in the early 1980‘s. A nice place to be. Relative to the variety of craziness in the rest of that state, Gainesville is practically normal.) 4y

46 likes62 comments

Suet624

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

Add scientists to that quote and you definitely have history repeating itself.

#catherbuddyread

ChasingOm Oof. So true. 4y

kspenmoll 😳 4y

58 likes2 comments

Lcsmcat

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

I got started on the #Catherbuddyread this morning. I think this one will be a bit of a departure from her Prairie novels. @Graywacke

Tanisha_A Ah! Now I am tempted to join you all 😭 4y

Lcsmcat @Tanisha_A Why not? It‘s going to be fun. 4y

batsy Ooh! Pretty edition 😍 4y

See All 9 Comments

Lcsmcat @batsy Thanks. I ended up with about half of my Cather in these Vintage editions. They‘re from the 1970s but whoever had them before me took good care of them so they‘re in great shape. 4y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A we‘re a very dangerous group here. 😁 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat curious what‘s different. I‘ll probably start tomorrow. 4y

Suet624 I wonder what Cather would have thought of this cover. 4y

Lcsmcat @Suet624 I‘m not sure. This same artist did My Mortal Enemy and got things wrong (like hair color) that were mentioned in the text. And this one makes it look like a children‘s book. 😀 4y

Suet624 Yeah, I‘m not sure it‘s what she would have approved of. 4y

43 likes9 comments

Graywacke

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
After a long delay, we‘re finally just under two weeks till we get started on the next Cather. We‘ll start her 1931 novel Shadows on the Rock on Saturday, July 11. Let me know if you would like to join.

The schedule:

July 11
- 1. The Apothecary
July 18
- 2. Cécil and Jaques
July 25
- 3. The Long Winter
August 1
- 4. Pierre Charro
- 5. The Ships from France
August 8
- 6. The Dying Count
- Epilogue

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey 4y

Graywacke @Caterina @catebutler @bromeliad @squirrelbrain @Amiable @jmofo @saresmoore @LitsyHappenings @Suet624 @rubyslippersreads @SeaBreezeReader @crazeedi 4y

Graywacke Litsy is acting strange. It took ten minutes after I posted for this to show up. And now I‘m typing what should be the 3rd comment, but without seeing either of the 1st comments. They haven‘t posted yet. Hmm. Anyway, apologies if anything doesn‘t quite go right on these posts. 4y

See All 35 Comments

Lcsmcat 🙋🏻‍♀️ I‘m in! 4y

CarolynM Looking forward to it🙂 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I take it you‘re having the same problem - or are crazy enthusiastic! Or both. 😄 4y

Currey Count me in too! 4y

Suet624 So we start reading on 7/11? 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 first discussion post is 7/11. 4y

catebutler Please count me in! 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 (might double-post, but trying again 20 minutes after my response still hasn‘t showed up) 1st discussion in July 11. 4y

Tanisha_A I am reading 2 other books right now. Looks like it's going to take a while for me to pick up Cather again. 😶 #readingfromtheownedtbr 4y

batsy Stop! Cather time! 🙌🏽 (haha sorry that was my 90s throwback to MC Hammer) 4y

Suet624 Thank you. 4y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Let‘s say both. 😂 4y

Graywacke @batsy oh no...oh boy... oh 1990‘s....no no no 🤦🏻‍♂️ 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 👍 @Lcsmcat ❤️ i‘m ready! It‘s our last long novel, and it‘s not even long. Her last two are very short and so is Alexander‘s Bridge. 4y

Graywacke @CarolynM @currey @catebutler 👍 (nice to have you back, Cate) 4y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A I recently bought all her remaining books. So, I solved that problem! They are now my owned tbr. 😁😄 4y

Tamra I have a class July & August. 😭 Thank you for including me. 4y

emilyhaldi I will try to join! 🙏🏻 4y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi 👍 @tamra 👎 ... ☺️...ok, seriously, wish you well in your class. 4y

Louise This is such a lovely book! I‘ll try to squeeze in a re-read! 4y

arubabookwoman I‘ll be joining. 4y

Graywacke @Louise i enjoyed your review. Hope you can join. @arubabookwoman 👍 4y

jewright I‘m planning on it! 4y

Catherine_Willoughby Joining 4y

Graywacke @jewright 👍 @Catherine_Willoughby welcome! 4y

Suet624 I‘ll be there. 4y

Graywacke @Suet624 like we had any doubt 🙂 (but, you remind me i need to remember to post a reminder this week.) 4y

Suet624 🤣🤣 4y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @emilyhaldi @Currey @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby just a reminder, we‘ll discuss The Apothecary Saturday. 4y

catebutler I‘m in! 🙋‍♀️ 4y

Louise Looking forward to it! 4y

Sace I've got my copy. Now to locate my reading brain. 4y

35 likes35 comments

Louise

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

pick

What a beautiful book! Willa Cather captures the simplicity and religious sincerity of Québec‘s early French settlers with a spare yet descriptive writing style. Delving into this book is an escape from the modern world. Cather brings to life the traditions, herbal remedies, attitudes, and seasonal calendar of these salt-of-the-earth people. The writing is superb! #willacather #Canada #Quebec

Anna40 Sounds wonderful! :) 5y

cmastfalk Oh, I love Willa Cather, but I hadn‘t heard of this book. 5y

Louise @cmastfalk Oh, you are in for a treat! Enjoy! 5y

See All 9 Comments

Louise @Anna40 Yes, it really is wonderful! 5y

CarolynM Looking forward to getting to this one @Graywacke 🙂 5y

Graywacke Nice review. I have an old copy waiting for me. Hope I‘m ok with the religious aspects. It‘s Cather, so probably I will be. @Carolyn - I think it‘s three books away...no, actually five. We‘ll get there though. Next will be A Lost Lady. ( #catherbuddyread ) 5y

Louise @Graywacke @Carolyn In a letter about this book, Cather wrote: “. . . it is the curious endurance of a kind of culture, narrow but definite. There, among the country people and the nuns, I caught something new to me; a kind of feeling about life and human fate that I could not accept, wholly, but which I could not but admire.” ⬇️ 5y

Louise “Those people brought a kind of French culture there and somehow kept it alive on that rock, sheltered it and tended it and on occasion died for it, as if it really were a sacred fire—and all this temperately and shrewdly, with emotion always tempered by good sense.” From pp.14-16 of

Willa Cather on Writing: Critical Studies on Writing as an Art

(edited) 5y

Graywacke @Louise thanks for that quote - very eloquently put by her. 5y

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plemmdog

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

I always try to read a novel set in the places I travel to. This trip I delegated all trip planning to my partner, and we have ended up staying in a monastery in Quebec City where parts of this novel take place. I love it when fictional and real worlds collide.

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SaraBeagle

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

pick

The frontier life she describes here is much earlier and much further north than her prairie novels, but the rich descriptions of nature ☝🏼, landscapes and the daily lives of the settlers is very much the same. I really enjoyed this one!

25 likes

BookishMe

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

I think this quote captures the essence of my current favourite novel. #santhiReads2018

"Only solitary men know the full joys of friendship. Others have their family; but to a solitary and an #exile his friends are everything."

#quotsyMarch18

Andrew65 Miss this book! 7y

BookishMe @Andrew65 yes, I am rereading to avoid that ;p and it's with delightful anticipation I revisit the Count ;D 7y

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shawnmooney

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

bailed

I studied Willa Cather in grad school. Grad school was one of the worst periods of my adult life. This is the first time I‘ve attempted to read her since, and I find myself still unable to separate out those unhappy memories enough to appreciate her. That, and I‘ve been listening to a rather badly narrated audiobook, and I‘ve also been listening for what seems like HOURS to a dreary story about some old nun. I‘m done.

Tamra Oh, that‘s too bad. 😞 I enjoy her novels. On the bright side, there are so many other books to love! 7y

34 likes1 comment

emilyesears

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

"Euclide," said Charron, "tomorrow it may be you or I; that is the way to look at death. Not all the wine in the Château, not all the wines in the great cellars of France, could warm the Count's blood now. Let us cheer our hearts a little while we can. Good wine was put into the grapes by our Lord, for friends to enjoy together."

10 likes

emilyesears

Shadows on the Rock | Willa Cather

Y'all, I adore Willa Cather's writing. This is set in 17th century Quebec where we see the life of Cecile as she finds herself loosening her grip on her French roots in favor of becoming pure Canadian. This is the kind of book where you really want to live in that era/place with the characters even though you know 17th century Quebec could have not been that idyllic. (PS: I love this cover too!!)

25 likes1 stack add

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