Jacques Poulin

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.… (meer)

Une tendre tournée d’automne. Celle qui devait être la dernière pour le chauffeur du bibliobus dans le Nord du Québec. Une tournée où il rencontrera une bande de musiciens et artistes itinérants… Le début d’une autre histoire avec Marie qui les accompagne ?

Une tendre tournée un peu sirupeuse, toutefois. Un peu trop pour moi qui n’a pas tellement le goût du sucre dans mes lectures. Ou alors en accompagnement d’un récit avec plus de piquant, de nerf et d’épices.

A réserver pour les soirées mélancoliques ou les âmes amoureuses… (meer)

In the beginning he was alone on the island.

Thus begins a short novel loosely based on Genesis. We never learn our Adam's name, but he says his codename is Teddy Bear, short for TDB or Traducteur de Bandes Dessinees (translator of comic strips). He is working in a newspaper office doing translations when a new boss drops in and wants to know what would make Teddy Bear happy. "Would you have a desert island by any chance", he asks. As it happens, the boss does and transports him to Ile Madame.

Teddy Bear seems content on the island as caretaker of the two empty houses and the small grounds. He has his cat, whose name is a play on Methusaleh, and an automatic tennis ball machine, named Prince. But the boss, who visits weekly via helicopter, is unconvinced. So he brings a young woman to live on the island with Teddy Bear, and then slowly a few others, as the Boss tries to create a happy society.

This is my second book by Jacques Poulin; the first being the wonderfully poetic short novel, Translation is a Love Affair. Spring Tides shares some themes with Translation, namely the translator's strive for perfection and the relationships between small groups of people. For me, the difference is that Spring Tides has more complexity and Translation more poetry. Spring Tides challenges the readers with fun allusions and word plays, and was well worth the second reading I felt it deserved. Warmly recommended, and I shall continue looking for books by Jacques Poulin.… (meer)