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Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Canadian", sorted by average review score:
Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies: An Opinionated Hiking Guide to Help You Get the Most from This Magnificent Wilderness
Published in Paperback by Wilderness Press (June, 1998)
Author: Kathy Copeland
Average review score:

Nice, but not necessary
I bought this book and "The Candian Rockies Trail Guide" in preparation for two weeks for backpacking and dayhiking in the Mountain Parks, from which I just returned.
I went on many of the hikes described in the book and found that they mostly coincided with my personal impression, but most of the time I would have been able form that opinion from reading the more factual "Trail Guide" description only, together with the respective Gemtrek map, which you will need anyway. So, basically, this is a nice addition to the "Trail Guide", which itself is indespensable.

Pulls no punches, and that's refreshing
For as long as I can remember, my reference to Canadian Rocky Mountain hiking trails has been the venerable Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Patton and Robinson, which, while easily the standard reference and required reading for every hiker, tends to avoid the question of whether a trail is worth doing or not. Except for masochistic marvels like the notorious Carrot Creek trail (removed from the 7th edition), Patton and Robinson are rather trail-agnostic: some trails are good day hikes, others are backpacking adventures for "explorers" with good route-finding skills. To each his/her own.

The Copelands' Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies isn't like that. The authors have an opinion of what constitutes a good hike: jaw-dropping scenery throughout the hike, and preferably above treeline. They discard lengthy, scenery-poor hikes like Howse Pass and Jasper National Park's boundary trails and rank the rest. They pull no punches and, if you understand and agree with their point of view, you find yourself nodding in agreement. The trails I've hiked have earned the rankings in this book -- for example, Paradise Valley and Helen Lake as "premier", Citadel Pass and Eiffel Lake as "outstanding", Chephren Lake as "don't do" (had I but known ... ).

The Copelands include a few ridge walks and scree scrambles not covered by the Patton/Robinson guide, which aren't my cup of tea. They are also more apt to point out trails that present a higher risk of a bear encounter (e.g. Maccarib Pass and Glacier Lake, and it's one of the reasons why they don't include Banff Front Range trails). On the other hand, there are no trail maps, and I find the descriptions more thorough in Patton and Robinson. As a result, you should get both guides, since each makes up for the shortcomings of the other: you need the raw data and authority of Patton and Robinson as much as you need the opinion of the Copelands.

Highly recommended
We used this book on a recent day-hiking trip to the Canadian Rockies. While the "rad" writing style isn't exactly our cup of tea, the hike descriptions and ratings are right on. Every "premier"-rated hike we took was an absolute winner. Note that the book does not include any maps at all -- not even sketches -- so getting good hiking maps to go along with it is a must. When we traveled from the Rockies to Southwest British Columbia we were devastated not to find the authors' "Don't Waste Your Time" for that region in any local bookstores or hiking shops we passed. We've used many, many hiking books for various regions around the world over the years, and "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies" truly stands out as the most useful and fun. Congratulations to the authors.

The Haiku Anthology
Published in Paperback by Touchstone Books (December, 1991)
Author: Cor Van Den Heuvel
Average review score:

A gathering of silences
The point is often made that haiku is an increasingly popular poetic form in English, although the truth is probably more that Americans, among English speakers, have for some reason particularly taken to this classical Japanese discipline. Almost without exception, the 89 writers featured in this anthology are from the USA or Canada, losing it a star - in my estimation - for lack of global range. That said, this book contains many delights. There is a clear and useful introduction explaining the technical differences between classical haiku forms (with their zen-like focus on nature, seaons, and a permanent present tense) and "senryu", which concentrate on human relationships and the distinctly human condition. An anthology survives on its works, however, and there is much here to intrigue. The late Nicholas Virgilio's best known work is included here, full of classical Japanese haiku spirit.

lily:/ out of the water../ out of itself

Some of the senyru owe as much to Homer Simpson as Basho or Buson. Try Alan Pizzarelli's

the fat lady/ bends over the tomatoes/ a full moon

Many deal with unequivocally modern subjects. For example, Alexis Rotella's

Discussing divorce/ he strokes/ the lace tablecloth

For a non-American, many of the works here seem too self-absorbed - the very opposite of haiku's original intention. There are also too many works that are meretricious, that seem dashed off, as if their slight size makes haiku light weight. But in 850 works, there are plenty that achieve the elusive gift of transferring epiphany. This pleasingly bound little hardback should inspire writers, poets, readers. It will also, hopefully, direct the curious back to the great works of the Japanese Masters, Basho, Buson and Issa, in particular. Mostly though, it is a book to nag at us gently, infuriate us occasionally, as slowly its little gems work their way into our thoughts.

my dead brother../ hearing his laugh/ in my laughter

(N. Virgilio)

A beautiful collection of contemporary haiku
I have not seen a more comprehensive collection of contemporary English-language haiku than Cor van den Heuvel's remarkable anthology. The book presents over 800 poems, and the introductions (the ones from the previous editions are included) give helpful direction to the overwhelmed reader.

The greatest beauty of this collection, though, is that you can carry it around with you and open randomly to any page and discover something surprising, exciting, wondrous, even breathtaking.

If you think of haiku as silly poems you wrote in elementary school, those three line ditties in a syllable pattern of 5-7-5, then you need this book to purge your preconceptions and demonstrate the many possibilities of the haiku form.

An intro to English-language haiku through its poets.
I have a single poem that appears in this collection of 850 haiku. It represents a decade of work preserved in small press haiku publications and self-published chapbooks. The poem is based on my first parachute jump on June 13, 1982, in Perris, California. What I remember about the jump is intersecting an incredibly sweet silence with the solemnity of sunset filling my eyes. When you read this beautiful book, know that the work--and the included haiku poets--are only the tip of the iceberg.

Plainwater: Essays and Poetry
Published in Paperback by Vintage Books (14 March, 2000)
Author: Anne Carson
Average review score:

worth a look
If you've noticed Carson's stardom recently you owe it to yourself to read this first book. I give it only 3 stars because a lot of the book is actually pretty dull poetry. But about 80 pages of it makes up "The Anthropology of Water," an extraordinary journey in one woman's life, emotionally, poetically, and culturally.

my favorite book ever
the last section of this book-- the anthropology of water-- is my favorite piece of writing i have ever read. it's amazing. you can read it 50 times and still get something new out of it.

Definning the "Essay"
Anne Carson comes from the genre of poetry, but in this book she has mixed that form with essays and come up withy a brilliant hybrid. If you like ideas that sing then this is the book for you! One of my absolute favorites!

Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale (Modern Critical Interpretations)
Published in Library Binding by Chelsea House Pub (Library) (February, 2001)
Authors: Margaret Eleanor Atwood and Harold Bloom
Average review score:

"Nightmare world" painted by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale is a dark and gloomy portrayal of the United States in the not-so-distant future, when a totalitarian government takes over all aspects of life. Atwood covers controversial issues including feminism, abortion, violence against women, pornography, environmental issues, bisexuality, ethics of cloning, racism, anti-feminism, militant nationalism, and religious differences.
The governmental structure of Gilead, including its state religion, is horrifyingly built around one goal: the control of reproduction. Controlling women's bodies can succeed only by controlling the women themselves, so Gilead's political order requires the subjugation of women. They strip women of the right to vote, the right to hold property or jobs, and the right to read. Women are a "national resource," Gilead likes to say, but they really mean that women's ovaries and wombs are national resources. Women cease to be treated as individuals, with independent selves, rather, they are seen potential mothers, leasing them to high-class families.
Biblical terminology is revealed when Gilead theocracy develops its own words to give the state control over the sentiments and ideas people can express. The vocabulary makes you think and relate religious features to characters and places in the novel. The people of Gilead must carry on conversations within the suffocating confines of officially sanctioned language. Saying the wrong thing can lead to a swift death, so people watch what they say, thereby subordinating their power of speech to the power of the state.
The main character, Offred, is exposed to the consequences of the reversal of women's rights. She craves happiness and freedom from the lock down society she now has to bow down to. The consistency of her sadness is painful and the reader is reminded of her dreadful lifestyle when compared to her past memories of normalcy. To escape her struggles with the corrupt government, she attempts to run away but gets caught. Previous handmaids have committed suicide to end their misery or to avoid getting caught having an affair with another man.
Its scary to even think of this could actually happen in America but we can relate some events that could lead to this state ruling. The extremes in the novel are a little hard to believe but it makes women now relieved and thankful that this is not how life is. The female is too strong willed and not a pushover; I do not see in the near future anything like this happening.

Scarier Than a Horror Movie
I came upon this book at Waldenbooks about a couple of weekends ago, and I decided to look at it. I haven't read the entire book, but what I did read was truly horrifying. The story takes place in a future where women have been robbed of their rights. They can't hold jobs, have their own money or property, have their own names, and they're no longer allowed to read. They have been reduced to the role of babymakers--literally. The reason for this is that the United States, which is now known as the Republic of Gilead, has been destroyed by a nuclear war. As a result, most of the female population has been rendered infertile. The few who are still fertile are indoctrinated into becoming handmaids, women whose sole purpose in life is, literally, to make babies. They are then shipped off to affluent households to produce children for couples who are unable to have any of their own. The handmaids who, after three tries, don't produce offspring are sent off to the colonies to clean up nuclear waste and are labeled "unwomen."

This scenario is truly terrifying, but it can also make one feel lucky for what we have in today's society. I feel lucky to live in a society where women are valued for more than just bearing children; where women are women, whether they have had babies or not; where women have their own names; and where women are allowed to work, have their own property, read, and get educated.

It is scary to think that a scenario like this could happen in our country. Hopefully, it never will-- not if we don't let it.

A Great Read
The Handmaid's Tale is the story of Offred, one of the few fertile women left in the Republic of Gilead, a dystopia at its worst. Toxic waste has left population levels dangerously low and religious leaders have taken control of the country, using desperate measures to repopulate the Earth. Offred is one of the many "handmaids" who are forced to live with a commander and trys to conceive a child with him once a month. The book chronicles Offred's life as she is living with Commander Fred (hence "Of Fred"). Atwood wrote this novel at a time when there was the possibility of religious leaders establishing a theocracy. She portrays the havoc that can come about when a democracy loses its control over the people. Atwood does this extremely effectively. Since the whole book is through Offred's eyes, the one-person limited view point makes you use your imagination to fill in the gaps left by her lack of knowledge. The book isn't so extreme that it's unbelievable and is so descriptively written that it almost feels as if it the events already happened in history. It was truly a great read.

Cat's Eye Canadian Cassette
Published in Audio Cassette by Seal Press (WA) (September, 1989)
Author: Margaret Atwood
Average review score:

An interesting tale of modern strife
This is the first book os Atwood's that I have read, and am anxious to read The Handmaid's Tale. I was first impressed by Atwood's innovative description. Her eye and ear for detail has a mystical ability to speak to the reader's own thoughts and perceptions about everyday things. The book's heroine, Elaine Risley, takes us through the journey of her life, from elementary school to middle-age, detailing the trials and tribulations along the way. The story switches between Elaine's formative years and her grown-up self, and adds interesting, provocative breaks in the action that keep the reader interested. The book has a strange, misty, ethereal quality, as though the narrator is walking in a dream while recounting her youthful experiences, and this adds a sinister bent to the often-gritty tale. Although not an uplifting tome, Cat's Eye has a Forrest Gump-ish quality in that Elaine Risley is our guide through Canada from the end of World War II to the mid-80s, noting all of the world's changes in the backdrop of Elaine's life. Masterfully told, and an excellent read. Enjoy!

...a sustained poem.
Being male, I found that reading this book along with my female friend helped me to appreciate it more than I would have on my own. She commented, several times, that "language and observation make this book a sustained poem" and I agreed several times. Her perspective was needed and appreciated. It is definitely a book ABOUT women and FOR women, but us dudes can get something out of it too... because it is brilliantly written.
It is not only an "Atwood" but one of the better "Atwoods"!
The author has stated that Cat's Eye is "about how girlhood traumas continue into adult life" and that is it in a nutshell.
When the painter Elaine Risley returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work, she is confronted with the memories of her childhood... mysteries to unravel, others to tie up and lay to rest. Elaine the child, had a temperament that allowed other girls to belittle and dominate her.
In a word, she was bullied.
And no one bullied her as much as Cordelia did.
When Elaine is brought back to the geography of her past, she finds that she has to come to terms with her feelings about Cordelia... this retrospective of her WORK turns into a retrospective of her LIFE.
Through flashbacks galore, and in writing that is spare and bleeding with cut-wrist exposure, Atwood leaves no part of Elaine's wounds unsalted.
Here is a question that I think the thoughtful reader will be asked to ponder:
Does "closure" mean annihilation/renunciation of memory, or acceptance/reconciliation of memory?
Or as my friend and I put it: Does Elaine still have her Cat's Eye with her when she returns to Vancouver?

This is not a plot-driven, but a personality or character driven book. Those who think that sound-bites on T.V. are too lengthy should probably stay away from it.
Cat's Eye would be a great Book Club selection because of the discussion and opinion that it is sure to stimulate. I'm going to rate it closer to five stars than four.

This is one of the most important books I've ever read.
With Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood handles deftly two complex situations--the relationships women have with each other, and the cyclical nature of abuse. Often in literature it seems as though women are only affected by their relationships with the men in their lives: fathers, brothers, lovers. Atwood vividly shows that a young girl can be profoundly affected by the friendships she forms with other girls. Elaine is changed and wounded deeply by her relationship with Cordelia; and also haunted by it. But Atwood offers no easy answers; Cordelia has also been wounded. As is the case with a lot of Atwood's work, this book is thick with descriptions of the smells and colors of food and furniture. This only pulls the reader more deeply into Elaine's world. Like a later book of Atwood's, The Robber Bride, (another book about the relationships among women), Cat's Eye is at times bleak, but never hopeless. Atwood looks at the reader straight in the eye, and doesn't flinch.

Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel
Published in Hardcover by Viking Press (19 April, 2001)
Author: Diane Schoemperlen
Average review score:

The Virgin Rocks!
Baptized Catholic, raised Lutheran, I left the church behind in my late teens and have considered myself agnostic since early college. Strangely enough though, I've been drawn to the image and idea of the Virgin Mary for as long as I remember. From my mousepad to keychains to the art I create, she's been "appearing" in my life for a long time now. Perhaps it's a feminist attraction for me, rather than religious, her being Jesus' mother, a commanding presence, even if only in the spiritual world, I don't know.

But I do know that I've always tended to view people who see the Virgin's image in inanimate objects as being less than brilliant, as silly religious zealots. Like the narrator, I felt superior to these people, all the while wholeheartedly believing in ghosts, spirits and other supernatural subjects. Why can't I believe that Mary has really appeared? This book has made me look at that, to question why one is more valid to me than the other. Once I was finished reading this book I felt alone and sad, and found myself wishing Mary would visit me, too...

I was drawn in by the title, and the storyline was irresistable. I read this book any moment I could, so enthralled by the way the author interwove history, science and religious fervor, interspersing it with a modern-day first-person "account" of a Marian visitation. The subtle humor throughout kept the story moving along, though I did weep from time to time while reading. This book was so simple and moving, I felt as if the narrator's experience could be true. And Mary, well, she seemed like a long lost friend, someone anyone would be pleased to have as a guest.

Modern Woman encounter the infinite
I found this book to be entrancing and very touching. It is written in an autobiographical style, but interpolates a great deal of historical information about the life of Mary and her subsequent appearances around the world. Along the way, we muse with the writer on the role and purpose of Mary, and consequently of ourselves, the women of the world. The novel is a personal faith journey. For myself as a Catholic, it prompted an examination of my own beliefs and feelings about Mary. Although I had long ago side-lined her in my religious devotions, it was to her that I turned for help during the final illness of my mother-in-law, because in the "Hail Mary", we use the words, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death". This became my mantra. My mother-in-law was not a believer, but I felt Mary's presence there helping her at the hour of her death.

The novel is a very touching and readable work and I highly recommend it.

She found me!
This book took me by surprise. I found a stack of them on the floor in Oliver's Bookstore while visiting Nelson, B.C. I think Mary made sure I bought it. Being a sort-of Catholic, the title grabbed my attention. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down.

The storyline made me laugh out loud. The history, or lack of history, of Mary was very interesting. I thought it dragged towards the end, but it all came together.

I have thought about this book many times since I read it. I shared it with my mother & she loved it, too. I am sending it to a family member, who happens to be a Catholic priest. I won't be surprised if Mary wants him to read it - he can be a stuffed shirt sometimes.

Moonlight and Vines: A Newford Collection
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (January, 1999)
Author: Charles de Lint
Average review score:

Mostly Beautiful
Charles deLint has produced a third collection of short stories ( Dreams Underfoot & The Ivory and the Horn) set in his complex and lovely city of Newford. I have been a great fan of de Lint for about five years... and I have to be honest, with the exception of "Saskia," "Heartfires," "Twa Corbies," and a few others I was a little dissapointed. He evokes such wonder and magic from his stories that the reader is sucked into the world of Christy Ridell, and Jilly Coppercorn, or Geordie... For those of you who are just getting into de Lint, I suggest "Dreams Underfoot" and "Moonheart," or "Memory and Dream," This is something to be attained for us hard core fans. But beautiful nonetheless.

I read a LOT and this is the best book I've read in years.
The young girl in "Pain Management" by Andrew Vachss is very involved with books by Charles de Lint. Vachss is a wonderful writer in many ways - one of which is that his characters listen to REAL music and REAL books. I followed Vachss's lead and bought (and fell in love with) Judy Henske, so I continued on, and bought a few de Lint books.

I don't have the words to tell you how wonderful "Moonlight and Vines" is. That would be like my telling you that a baby's first steps are "wonderful."

This is a collection of short stories whose characters continue to weave a delicate connection of lace from story to story. The city is the same throughout. It's a hard city filled with gentle souls. From "I envy the music that lovers hear," the first line of the first story, I was HOOKED.

When I have time, I read a book a day. Please, look at the other books I've reviewed. I've read enough books to be able to base an opinion on what is good and what is bad. This, my friends, is the best book I have read in a long time. Best. Superlative. In our current scary times, it's wonderful to be able to escape to a place where everything sure isn't perfect, but where there are good people.

What a find!
I'm about 2/3rds of the way through this collection of stories and after most of the tales I think to myself, "That one was my favorite". Thank goodness they are short stories or I'd never be able to put this book down.

This is my first book by de Lint, and my first exposure to "urban fantasy". I am delighted. It is almost Twilight Zonish- you feel that some of these things really could happen, and that they could even happen to you. As I've grown older I was moving away from the fantasy genre, but this has reawakened my love of magical possibilites. These are real characters, partially in a world I'm familiar with, touching on worlds I wish existed.

I've already bought other copies for two of my friends. I highly recommend picking this one up.

Under the Volcano
Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (September, 1984)
Author: Malcolm C. Lowry
Average review score:

GREATEST ENGLISH NOVEL OF THE 20th.CENTURY
This books deals brilliantly with the self-destruction of consul Geoffrey Firman through excessive drinking and clinical depression; it takes place in the space of one day, and in this regard is similar to Joyce. The denouemnet is expected and indeed necessary to allow the novel its circular structure. Along with CAMUS. a great existential ovel; no one is writing existential novels any more --just trash. The book oprates on many levels; the haunting symbolism and fabulous interweaving of plot lines is wonderful. All of the characters, indeed the book itself, oprates on a literal, metaphorical, symbolic, and cosmological level. The only authors who can come close to matching Lowry are the great Russian writers, particularly Dostoevsky. Don't bother with Mr. Lowry's other novels; this was his one GREAT work, and that's all he had in him. The paperb ack edition is o.k., but I like hardcovr.Shell out a few dollars for the first edtion, if you can afford it; rather pricy, but well worth it.

Day of the Dead
Geoffrey Firmin, the protagonist of "Under the Volcano," is the most convincing drunk I've encountered in literature, but the book isn't even about his drinking; his alcoholism is the symptom, not the disease. The disease is his self-isolation, his inability to give and accept love, and, in broader scope, the world's increasing chaos and man's dehumanization over the course of the first half of the twentieth century.

Firmin is the British Consul of Quauhnahuac, a town in southern Mexico deep in the heart of volcanic mountain ranges and the remnants of ancient Indian civilizations. The novel recounts the events on the last day of Firmin's life, which happens to be the festive Day of the Dead in 1938. England has recently severed its diplomatic ties with Mexico and is recalling all their consuls, so he has no reason to stay except to drink his life away in the town's many cantinas.

Firmin's excessive drinking has caused his wife Yvonne, a former movie actress, to leave him, but she still loves him and has come back to town hopefully to take him away and save his life. Her timing is not perfect because Firmin's half-brother Hugh, a failed songwriter, international drifter, and now a journalist of sorts, is currently living with him, and we learn that there is a certain amount of attraction between Hugh and Yvonne. Also residing in town are Firmin's childhood friend Jacques Laruelle, a film director, and the solicitous Dr. Vigil, who try to help Firmin stabilize his life.

The novel's heavy use of symbolism turns this seemingly ordinary day into a kaleidoscopic series of sights, sounds, and images. Firmin, Yvonne, and Hugh's activities throughout the day are narrated as though building to an ominous crescendo of fate: the decor in Laruelle's house, the Peter Lorre movie, the upside-down ride on the "Infernal Machine" at the festival, the dying Indian on the side of the road, the rodeo -- everything seems to be a signpost guiding Firmin, who is too far past the redemption offered by the angelic Yvonne, to his ugly ultimate destiny.

Although to an extent the novel reflects Lowry's disillusionment with Mexico's European-influenced political climate, he has an obvious love of the scenery and the native cultures; Quauhnahuac is described so beautifully and vividly, it's practically a character in itself -- a living, vital part of the story. Using some stream-of-consciousness narration, shifting focus, and internal monlogues, the novel's style is almost impressionistic and adds to its complexity, making it a work of unusual distinction and affirming Lowry as an absolutely stunning writer.

One of my favorite books of all time.
Under the Volcano is an amazing novel of despair with some of the most stunning and evocative writing I had ever read. The novel charts a single day in the life of an alcoholic consul in Mexico who is beyond believing in the redemption of life, love or religion. The pace of the novel fits perfectly with its content, slowly tracing the unsteady steps of this incredibly insightful man. I was amazed by the beautiful writing and was transported by its vivid imagery. Stay with this book...it will stay with you.

The Cure for Death by Lightning
Published in Hardcover by Houghton Mifflin Co (April, 1996)
Author: Gail Anderson-Dargatz
Average review score:

Failed potential
The Cure for Death by Lightning has so much potential that, for me, is never fulfilled. What a great start! The writing, the imagery, the rhythms, the characters all sucked me into the vortex that was a languid small town in British Columbia in WW II. But then, such a letdown! It seems that the Gail Anderson-Dargatz tried so hard to create unusual and interesting characters that she forgot what to do with them. According to the jacket blurb of the copy that I have, The Cure for Death by Lightning was prompted by a short story the author had written earlier. And I think here is the problem. She tries to stretch a good short story into a novel, thereby leaving it somewhat threadbare.

Beautiful
I think that a lot of other readers missed the point of "The Cure for Death by Lightning." This is not a novel about the solution to the problem of a dysfunctional family. It is merely a journey that relays things how they happened. Unfortunately, aspects of this story happen too often in reality then most people would like to admit. By "aspects," I am referring to sexual abuse, violence and confusion of the soul. I'm not sure if this is a sort of autobiographical account from the writer or what motivated her to write this story. However, I suspect that these things did happen to her. We are so used to reading things that deal with issues of sexual abuse and violence and expect a remedy or some sort of therapeutic message to be sent, however, this is not necessary. Simply telling the tale tells a lot. As for Gail Anderson-Dargatz' writing style, it is surely a masterpiece. She starts off with a suspenseful beginning by making the reader wonder what it is that the main character hears. I appreciate the Indian folklore, or should I say First Nations' folklore that she includes in her story. When reading "The Cure for Death By Lightning," just stop and absorb the poetry of her words and appreciate the subtle message sent and remember that there is always redemption.

Wonderfully sensitive, magical novel

This is one of the best novels I've read in recent years. Cleverly structured, the book was magical, haunting, stunning, mysterious. A brilliant first novel from Gail Anderson-Dargatz, and I look forward to reading more of her novels. A truly compelling book which combines elements of rich poetry, story telling, myths, and fabulous cooking recipes!!!

The Trickster
Published in Hardcover by Doubleday (August, 1995)
Author: Muriel Gray
Average review score:

Great Story...Poor Research
First let me point out what I disliked about the book. I am from Alberta where the story takes place and the author has done a good deal of research on our province but there are a couple of glaring errors that ripped me out of the story. The first one being when Sam was a child and his father put the heated "loonie" 1-dollar coin in to his hands. The loonie has only been around since 1987, and judging by the books timeline this event took place in the late 70¡¯s or very early 80's. Another error that jumped out at me was when the author referred to Canadian "provinces" as "states". I'm sure not to many Canadians were pleased with this one. Otherwise I found this to be a very entertaining read.

Horror in the Canadian Rockies
I don't often read horror novels, but I was attracted to this by the fact it's written by Muriel Gray, a well-known Scottish TV presenter. I was surprised at first, because to my mind it read very much like a Stephen King novel (but clearly not all the reviewers here agree with that - judge for yourself). After getting over that I found it a very enjoyable read, at times terrifying! I've visited the area the novel is set and it was quite evocative of place and atmosphere. I thought her characterisation of Sam Hunt was quite believable, although I'd like to know what aboriginal Canadians would think of it. As others have noted, the book has some of the errors of a first time novelist, but this only increases my anticipation of her next novel.

When Animals Talk THEN Attack!
So hunky that even men have fallen in love with him, Native Canadian Sam Hunting Wolf is in denial about his Indian heritage. Nevertheless, he is a powerful shaman whose spirit and energy is being used by a malevolent force known as "The Trickster" to slaughter his way through the small ski town of Silver. Sam's got to get in touch with his roots fast, before he's the only one left to ski those slopes.

Muriel Gray is a wonderful addition to the horror genre. I also enjoyed her "Furnace." But here she's written a fast paced, engaging story with characters you really care about. The origin and reason for the Trickster's resurfacing is a bit muddled, but otherwise this was a fun book.

As to the above title, the Trickster possesses animals in order to do his stalking, which makes for some really spooky scenes. When kitty starts using some very bad language it's time to leave the house!

Related Vacation Book Subjects: Oklahoma
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