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Volkswagen Blues (French Edition) by Jacques…
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Volkswagen Blues (French Edition) (original 1984; edition 1900)

by Jacques Poulin

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2359113,558 (3.53)30
In this classic road novel, Jacques Poulin tells the story of a man in search of his brother. The geographical journey -- through Detroit, into Chicago, on to St. Louis, along the Oregon Trail and into California -- becomes a metaphor for the exploration of the history of the French in North America.… (more)
Member:MisioBoo
Title:Volkswagen Blues (French Edition)
Authors:Jacques Poulin
Info:Actes Sud (1900), Paperback, 328 pages
Collections:Box 001
Rating:
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Volkswagen Blues by Jacques Poulin (1984)

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» See also 30 mentions

English (7)  French (2)  All languages (9)
Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
I liked that a cat accompanied Jack and La Grande Sauterelle on their journey across North America, and I liked that the Indigenous narrative was brought to the fore to challenge the traditional colonial narrative. It has a sort of hipster vibe that might appeal to fans of Kerouac, but you do not by any means need to know or like him to find this book interesting.

I read the English translation by Sheila Fischman; normally I don't read French books in translation, but for Sheila Fischman I make an exception.

The English translation was a Canada Reads finalist in 2005, so I was surprised to learn that this book was first published in the mid-1980s! The Canada Reads thing threw off my sense of timing. ( )
  rabbitprincess | Sep 15, 2023 |
A surprisingly gentle, reflective, québecois road novel in which two slightly lost souls, assisted by an ancient VW camper van and a kitten, go on a quest to rediscover their real identities on a journey from the mouth of the St Lawrence River to San Francisco. Along the way they work themselves through a great deal of North American history (via the things they see and the "borrowed" library books they read to each other), looking both at the often-overlooked French voyageur tradition and at the fate of the Native Americans as Europeans moved into their lands. Neither story turns out to be quite as straightforward as we think it's going to be. Very enjoyable. ( )
  thorold | Aug 28, 2017 |
(Fiction, Canadian, Quebecois, translated)

I’ve wanted to read this since Rock Carrier championed it in CBC’s Canada Reads in 2005.

Translated from French, VW Blues is the story of an impulsive road trip from Gaspe in Quebec to Las Vegas, Nevada to find the protagonist’s brother, with whom he has had no contact for 20 years.

I thought it dragged in spots although, in the end, everything tied together.

Read this: if you’ve thought about going off to find long-lost relatives. 3½ stars ( )
  ParadisePorch | Jul 1, 2016 |
4,5 en fait.
Ce roman donne le goût de partir en road trip au bout du monde pour se trouver soi-même. J'ai adoré. ( )
  Moncoinlecture | Apr 4, 2013 |
This is a "road book"…part of the same extended family as Kerouac's On the Road, where physical travel corresponds to a search for identity. But without the alcohol and other mind-altering substances, and everything (both in writing style and content) associated.

Jack Waterman sets out from Quebec to find his long-lost brother. Those familiar with Poulin's later books may recognize a much younger version of someone they met in Translation is a Love Affair. Along the way he picks up a hitchhiker, a young Métis woman—half American Indian, half white—who is trying to reconcile her dual heritage. What follows is a trip along the routes of the voyageurs and then along the Oregon Trail, searching for meaning and belonging.

It's a wonderful book. Jacques Poulin's writing and Sheila Fischman's translation combine yet again in a bright and musical style that is, perhaps, more direct than his later books, but equally refreshing. The characters are warm and sympathetic. The hint of romance is tender and fun. I recommend Poulin to anyone and this is not the least of his books. ( )
2 vote TadAD | Aug 6, 2012 |
Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
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In this classic road novel, Jacques Poulin tells the story of a man in search of his brother. The geographical journey -- through Detroit, into Chicago, on to St. Louis, along the Oregon Trail and into California -- becomes a metaphor for the exploration of the history of the French in North America.

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