Timothy Findley (1930–2002)

This novel, a retelling of the story of Noah's Ark, is surprising for its unexpected degree of brutality and action. That isn't unwelcome, but be forewarned that it is nothing like the gentler tale you know. It is also filled with contradictions: subterfuge disguised as miracles, miracles disguised as magical realism. Some portions read like an adventure thriller, between mildly philosophical meanderings. It is straightforwardly told, but rewarding in its subtleties. There is more going on show more here than poking fun at a Bible fable and incorporating legendary elements like the unicorns.

By at least one reading this is an anti-fascist novel, where the surprise is the positioning of Noah as antagonist. Findley leaves an exercise for the reader: what does this say about the morality of unquestioningly following Yaweh's wishes? What morality exists outside of that model? Mottyl senses this question, when she is tempted to call Noah evil but shies away from it and the problems that it poses.

The novel's title primarily refers to what is not wanted, rather than whom. Lucy's presence and symbolism are of a piece with Noah's illusion being the inspiration for Yaweh's flood: the illusion of thinking that even a worldwide flood could eradicate all evil. It is too inherent in what we are, too well disguised to root out and destroy, as Mrs. Noyes comes to realize. Better that we work to appreciate and foster what good we are able to find, and accept what evil we must abide, than engage in hopeless attempts to start anew that will forever end in failure. show less

Robert Ross is a Canadian soldier whose life story and particularly his death is being pieced together by a researcher in the "present" of the book (which at the time of publication would have been the mid- to late 1970s). The story is told through standard third-person limited as well as interview transcripts, diary excerpts and interludes with the researcher looking through books in the archives. This method of storytelling does feel kind of "elliptical" (thank you GR summary) at first, show more especially because the researcher interludes are in the second person, but if you know going in that the story is not just third-person limited, it will be an easier ride.

I liked the story well enough on its own, but Findley's description was wonderful enough to make me want to buy my own copy of this book, so I decided to award an extra star. Of the muddy conditions in Ypres, he says "[The soldiers'] graves, it seemed, just dug themselves and pulled them down." The casual horror of war is brought home when he states that one man went outside for a breath of air -- which blew the guy's head off. The desperation of soldiers trapped in a crater during a gas attack, the cramped conditions on a troop vessel, the appalling rot and squalor in the trenches: all is painted here in vivid detail. Findley also has the power to tap emotions right at the quick: my example is Rodwell's letter, which I shall not type out here but which is extremely moving in its heartfelt simplicity.

This book is recommended for those who are interested in war fiction, enjoy excellent description and/or are okay with a somewhat less straightforward storytelling method. show less

The Wars by Timothy Findley is a short book but it packs a very large punch. The story of one Canadian lad who goes off to the trenches in World War I was an intricate and heart wrenching story. The brutality that the author describes in rich, lyrical language makes it plain that there is really nothing noble about warfare and that the psychological effects of this particular war were devastating.

This book really grabbed me and I think this had a great deal to do with my own grandfather who show more ran away at age sixteen to fight in World War I. He was caught the first time, but succeeded a year later at seventeen. The things he saw and did affected him for the rest of his life. He kept a diary about his experiences and many of his descriptions matched with this book.

The Wars was a moving account of one Canadian man’s experience during World War I, and while it is not an in-depth exploration, the author introduces his character and allows us to sample his early life, his training and his war experiences that together paint a clear and penetrating picture of the shock and struggle that these soldiers were exposed to. Although the book left me feeling emotionally drained, The Wars was a very impressive read. show less

I read it 10 years before for the first time and
loved it. I finished it again on December 17, 2004, and loved it again.
This is a wildly imaginative and deliciously irreverent twist on the biblical great flood story. And, despite its fairy tale setting where
angels mingle with humans and unicorns and dragons are treated casually, it is not a nice-easy book to read. After all, Noah's voyage "wasn't an excursion,"..."It was the end of the
world."
I loved the premise, the setting, how Findley takes show more Bible to task,the psychological portraits of the characters and the way it all came together to make a great tale (albeit not the popular Biblical one)

The story goes as follows:

God is very tired and disappointed. He doesn't get any respect. People throw eggs and rocks at him. They don't respect his miracles. They even kill him and he has to resurrect himself. His creation is blasphemous and immoral: perverse sex, murder and cannibalism abound. Because of this state of affairs God decides to die and to take the entire human race with him. But before he does,he makes sure that one of his faithful followers, his servant Dr.Noah Noyes has an opportunity to save himself and his family from the great flood that will drown the world.
Leaving the world in the hands of Noah and his family, God doesn't realize that, like everything else on earth he had created, this family is far from the ideal he had had in mind. Noah is not a
benevolent old man who is looking with a smile as the animals walk two by two into the ark, either. He is rather a righteous, fundamentalist priest who is not going to falter before committing atrocities in the name of his faith.
Many wondrous things are lost for mankind during the great flood as they are "not wanted on the voyage", but much is gained as well. And, Mrs. Noyes- Noah's wife- carries the ark and the plot with her great and strong character.
Loved it, but don't read it if you are a strong believer. show less