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The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
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The Shipping News

by E. Annie Proulx

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6,34197263 (3.86)153
Recently added byDMTrek14, cassettes, private library, ninabj, runslikesnail, JD456, jrwyant, storyLines, rbtanger
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English (92)  Dutch (3)  Finnish (1)  Spanish (1)  All languages (97)
Showing 1-5 of 92 (next | show all)
Gripping, moving, funny, wonderful language.
  mulliner | Oct 17, 2009 |
I had a great deal of trouble caring about the characters in this book. I knew I should care, but I really found that I didn't. The book had a gray hue to it from the start... it lightened a bit by the end, but I kept finding myself looking to see just how much more of the book I had in front of me!!

Mind you, I did like the art of Annie's writing; she is a very talented writer. The short, choppy, incomplete sentences were very cool - she said a great deal with these little packets. I found myself laughing from time to time...

I did enjoy watching the development of Quoyle - the frequency of his hand going to his throat decreased as the book went forward - I interpreted this as a barometer of his sense of self.

I'm sure this is someone's idea of a perfect book - I feel that I must have missed something deeper. Ah well, there are many more books to read, time to move on. ( )
  Cygnus555 | Oct 15, 2009 |
I had a little trouble reading it at first because the characters never spoke in complete sentences. Also, there were a lot of professional terms or "lingo" that I couldn't be bothered to look up. I skimmed through it at first but later Quoyle grew on me. He was quite pathetic in the beginning as I got to the middle of the book, I could see that he was really trying. Doing all those things that he never dared to , like going into the water, fixing the shingles on his roof and such all for his children. I admire his courage. I especially liked the part where he carried Bunny (or was is Sunshine) off the roof when she climbed up to help him. I could almost feel what he was feeling. This writer's got style, I'll say. ( )
  achoo_tw | Aug 26, 2009 |
A disappointing opening eventually made way for an interesting book. Whilst this won't feature prominently on my list of books to re-read, The Shipping News was enjoyable enough.

The first few chapters introduce the main character Quoyle. I disliked him at first, and feared that the remainder of the book would be tainted by my antipathy towards him. Fortunately, he and his family grew on me as soon as the action shifted to Newfoundland.

The plot of The Shipping News is rather bizarre, but the reader is presented with an intriguing picture of Newfoundland and its inhabitants. Annie Proulx describes the harsh Newfoundland environment with great skill. It is a general impression of the difficult life that the characters lead, and the uncompromising nature of the setting, that stands out in my memory now that I have finished reading.

In summary, worth persevering past the first few chapters as the book does pick up once the action shifts to Newfoundland. However, don't expect too much. ( )
  cazfrancis | Aug 25, 2009 |
the best Annie Proulx I've every read. Once you're in the rhythm of this story and its characters, you'll be likely to bee sorry that it must end. ( )
  echaika | Aug 25, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 92 (next | show all)
It has been – astonishingly – fifteen years since I read the novel but its memory is undimmed, its glorious set pieces still vivid before my eyes.
 
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
"In a knot of eight crossings, which is about the average-size knit. there are 256 different 'over-and-under' arrangements possible. . . Make only one change in this 'over and under' sequence and either an entirely different knot is made or no knot at all may result."

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
Quoyle: A coil of rope

"A Flemish flake is a spiral coil of one layer only. It is made on deck so that it may be walked on if necessary."


THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
In the old days a love-sick sailor might send the object of his affections a length of fishline loosely tied in a true-lover's knot. If the knot as sent back as it came the relationship was static. If the knot returned home snugly drawn up the passion was reciprocated. But if the knot was capsized - tacit advice to ship out.
"The strangle knot will hold a coil well . . . It is first tied loosely and then worked snug."

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS
"Cast Away, to be forced from a ship by a disaster."

THE MARINER'S DICTIONARY
Dedication
For Jon, Gillis and Morgan
First words
Here is an account of a few years in the life of Quoyle, born in Brooklyn and raised in a shuffle of dreary upstate towns.
Quotations
Walking keeps you smart.
fried bologna isn't bad.
Desire reversed to detestation like a rubber glove turned inside out.
We run a car wreck photo every week, whether we have a car wreck or not. That's our golden rule.
In Wyoming they name girls Skye, in Newfoundland it's Wavey.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Canonical titleThe Shipping News
Original publication date1993
People/CharactersQuoyle, Partridge, Ed Punch, Al Catalog, Billy Pretty, Tert Card (show all 19)
Important placesMockingburg, New York, USA, Killick-Claw, Newfoundland, Canada, Flour Sack cove, Omaloon Bay, Quoyle's Point, Newfoundland, Canada
Awards and honorsPulitzer Prize (Fiction, 1994), National Book Award (Fiction, 1993), BBC's Big Read (Best loved novel, 2003, No 164), National Book Critics Circle Award finalist (Fiction, 1993), Irish Times International Fiction Prize (1993), Whitcoulls top 100, 2008 (93) (show all 9)
Epigraph"In a knot of eight crossings, which is about the average-size knit. there are 256 different 'over-and-under' arrangements possible. . . Make only one change in this 'over and under' sequence and either an entirely differ... (show all)

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS, Quoyle: A coil of rope

"A Flemish flake is a spiral coil of one layer only. It is made on deck so that it may be walked on if necessary."


THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS, In the old days a love-sick sailor might send the object of his affections a length of fishline loosely tied in a true-lover's knot. If the knot as sent back as it came the relationship was static. If the knot returned h... (show all), "The strangle knot will hold a coil well . . . It is first tied loosely and then worked snug."

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS, "Cast Away, to be forced from a ship by a disaster."

THE MARINER'S DICTIONARY, "A Rolling Hitch will suffice to tie a broom that has no grove, provided the surface is not to slick."

THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS, Oh make 'er fast and stow yer gear,
Leave 'er Johnny, leave 'er!
An' tie 'er up to the bloomin' pier,
It's time for we to leave 'er!


OLD SONG, The common eider is called "gamy bird" in Newfoundland for its habit of gathering in flocks for sociable quacking sessions. The name is related to the days of sail, when two ships falling in with each other at sea would b... (show all)gamming., "On shipboard the knot is seldom called for, but in small boats, especially open boat that are easily capsized, the necessity frequently arises for instant casting off, and the SLIPPERY HITCH is found indispensable."... (show all)
DedicationFor Jon, Gillis and Morgan
First wordsHere is an account of a few years in the life of Quoyle, born in Brooklyn and raised in a shuffle of dreary upstate towns.
QuotationsWalking keeps you smart., fried bologna isn't bad., Desire reversed to detestation like a rubber glove turned inside out., We run a car wreck photo every week, whether we have a car wreck or not. That's our golden rule., In Wyoming they name girls Skye, in Newfoundland it's Wavey.
Last words(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
BlurbersJones, Stephen, Allen, Bruce, Spafford, Roz, Glover, Douglas, Norman, Howard, Paley, Grace (show all 9)
Book description

Amazon.com (ISBN 0671510053, Paperback)

In this touching and atmospheric novel set among the fishermen of Newfoundland, Proulx tells the story of Quoyle. From all outward appearances, Quoyle has gone through his first 36 years on earth as a big schlump of a loser. He's not attractive, he's not brilliant or witty or talented, and he's not the kind of person who typically assumes the central position in a novel. But Proulx creates a simple and compelling tale of Quoyle's psychological and spiritual growth. Along the way, we get to look in on the maritime beauty of what is probably a disappearing way of life.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

(see all 4 descriptions)

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