Matt Cohen (1942–1999)

I loved Matt Cohen's last novel, ELIZABETH AND AFTER, but this so-called memoir, TYPING, was a real disappointment and a chore to read. The first hundred-plus pages seemed a lot of self-pitying philosophical rambling - boring and pretentious gobbledygook. Later on there were some mildly interesting pieces about his encounters and interviews with more famous Canadian writers like Morley Callaghan and Margaret Laurence, then more about his struggles as a writer, drinking and doping and, finally, the diagnosis of his fatal illness. I could not help thinking how much of his life had been simply wasted, drifting and drinking. Took him ten years to complete ELIZABETH, which is, I suspect, his best novel. RIP, Matt, but I cannot in good conscience recommend TYPING to a general reading audience, although it could be of interest to students of CanLit and the history of publishing for our northern neighbors.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (more)

A beautifully written, character-driven novel, Matt Cohen's last book, ELIZABETH AND AFTER (1999), simply floored me with its quiet power, the way it builds slowly and then takes an equally quiet turn to a completely unexpected conclusion. I loved every page, and hated to see it end. Set in a small Ontario hamlet in the 80s and 90s (with frequent flashbacks), Cohen has created a literary potboiler with something for everyone: adultery, alcoholism, gruesome accidental death, violence, domestic abuse, and, of course, love. I was reminded of books as various as TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, PEYTON PLACE, SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY, Richard B. Wright's CLARA CALLAN and John Williams' quiet classic, STONER.

Matt Cohen, who died in 1999, was a much respected and revered writer in Canada, who published twenty or more books and won numerous prestigious awards. (ELIZABETH won the Governor General's Award.) It remains a sad mystery to me why so many ultra- talented Canadian writers like Cohen (and others I've read, like Elizabeth Hay, George Bowering, and the late Richard B. Wright) remain virtually unknown here in the U.S. Me? I loved this book, and hope to read more of Matt Cohen's work. My highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (more)