Volkswagen Blues

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.

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.

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 show more 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. show less

I really liked this North American road novel. I liked the dispersed presence of francophones throughout the continent. I liked the peaceful, easy feeling that developed between the two characters who met in Gaspé and wound up driving to San Francisco, on a quest for the man's brother. I liked the style of writing. My only dislike was the unwinding after the climax, which I thought was insufficient.

One annoying error: the reference to Starved Rock State Park should be to a location near Utica, Illinois, NOT Utica, N.Y.! I did not realize there was a Utica, Illinois when I read it and thought it was just a severe geographical error but having looked it up online, I now see that the reference to Utica is correct -- it's only the state show more that is wrong. show less

(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

A journey of self discovery, road trip in Jack Kerouac style, and the journey on the trail of the French Canadian ancestors.

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.