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The Voyageur
The Voyageur: 'Marvellous work of art' John Banville | Paul Carlucci
2 posts | 1 read
But everyone expects at least a little bit of deception as they go through their days and nights, and there's a chance of winning nevertheless, so many choose to play Alex is a motherless stockboy in 1830s Montreal, waiting desperately for his father to return from France. Serge, a drunken fur trader, promises food and safety in return for friendship, but an expedition into the forest quickly goes awry. At the mercy of men whose motives are unclear, Alex must learn to find his own way in a world where taking advantage of others has become second nature. But will he have to abandon his humanity to survive? The Voyageur is a brilliantly realised novel set on the margins of British North America, where kindness is costly, and where the real wilderness may not be in the landscape surrounding Alex but in the deceptive hearts of men.
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readingjedi
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The start is heavy going & I thought "I hate this", but then I started thinking "No, actually, this is rather good" and by the end I loved it. The MC lives a dismal life - being exploited for a freak medical condition, making awful decisions, being horribly naive, trusting the worst people & enduring more physical violence than any living thing deserves. But this is an incredibly engaging read. There is something Hardy-esque about - cont. below ⬇️

readingjedi Cont. from above... the inevitability of his fate, the inescapable consequences, indeed the unrelenting misery & it makes Alex a fascinating character. He is not likeable as such, but his plight does evoke sympathy. 3mo
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readingjedi
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Starting this one tonight. Really striking cover.