A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Canadian Reading Challenge
Saskatchewan
This is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Hay and have mixed feelings about it. First of all, she writes beautiful descriptions of the places where the main character, Norma Joyce, lives. The book begins and ends in Saskatchewan. Here is a quote about the prairie in the late 1930's:
"I remember looking around and thinking, I have come to a place beyond beautiful and ugly, a place so new, so empty, so cold that the words beautiful and ugly don't work. People were simple and friendly, but without curiousity. They asked me not a single question about myself. Then one day, years later, a woman came to the door who was from the Royal Society in England. She was collecting wildflowers. And she asked so many questions, I thought, why are you asking all these questions, what business is it of yours? And then I knew that I was a real Canadian."
The story begins with Norma Joyce at the age of nine living with her older sister, Lucinda, father, Ernest, on their farm in the middle of the depression and a drought. Maurice Dove, a student of weather and natural history, enters their lives and captivates both sisters. He is charming, intelligent, handsome, and utterly self-absorbed. "Oh, men with twinkling eyes. You should be strung up at birth." Norma Joyce is pretty self-absorbed herself and totally driven to achieve her own goal which is the affections of Maurice. Nine years later, living in Ottawa, she accomplishes just that which affects the dynamics of all her relationships. She moves to New York City, back to Ottawa the again to NYC, but never escapes her attraction. Much later, she begins to accept the truth of their odd affair. "Seeing the expression in his eyes--welcoming yet complacent--made her realize two things. That he liked having her in love with him, one. And two, that as far as he was concerned it would never go beyond that. Later, she would feel like the pasta salad at every potluck supper. The table would be empty without it, but he had no intention of putting any on his plate." What great imagery. The story ends after Norma Joyce returns to Saskatchewan to revisit her childhood home. It occurs to her that her own unrequited love affair has always been nestled inside the larger one between Saskatchewan and Ontario. Saskatchewan so bitter, tenacious, aware. Ontario so careless and immune. An affair between two landscapes and two histories no less real, and no less ongoing than are certain romances between people."
This is not a happy story. The characters, especially Norma Joyce and Maurice, are well-drawn and interesting, but not particularly likeable. That always makes it hard for me to really enjoy a book. However, Norma Joyce grows on me after she moves to New York away from the corrosive influence of her father and sister who don't even realize their vindictiveness in their judgments against Norma Joyce. Even so, the story drew me in right to the end. There are a few short scenes with some explicit sexual content that I could have done without and it was slow going for me in the beginning. I think a lot of readers would really enjoy this book as I did, but I don't plan on reading it again. I would like to read her book, Late Nights on the Air, if I can ever find a copy of it at a reasonable price.
Rating: 4
Posted by Framed at 4:54 PM

10 comments:
Nicola said...
Thanks for the review framed! I'm going to add this one to my list. My husband is from Sask. and I love reading books set there.
4/06/2008 7:03 PM
Candace E. Salima said...
I really hate stories where the characters don't make me love them. If I can't root for them, I don't want to read it. I think I'll take a pass on this one. Thanks for the review.
4/06/2008 7:06 PM
Booklogged said...
I was surprised to see you rated this a four. Your review didn't sound that positive.
4/07/2008 12:34 AM
Booklogged said...
I forgot to mention how Spring-inspired your blog looks. Were did you find such inspiration? It's as if you have hope that Spring will really show itself.
4/07/2008 12:36 AM
Cassie said...
I love that quote about the pasta salad. That is great.
4/07/2008 9:03 AM
Trish said...
I have a difficult time getting into books when I don't care for the characters. Usually I can find some aspect that I can relate to, but not always. Sounds like an interesting book regardless--thanks for the review!
4/07/2008 8:55 PM
Les said...
I've had this book on a shelf for several years. I'm glad to see you gave it a 4 in spite of some of your misgivings about the characters. I'll have to move it to one of my TBR stacks. Thanks for the lovely review.
4/08/2008 1:53 PM
Framed said...
I guess I forgot to mention that I started to like Norma Joyce more by the end of the book. Still, it is one of those books that I ended up liking in spite of myself.
4/08/2008 9:58 PM
J Scott Savage said...
I'm willing to give an unlikeable character if I can see change/growth coming. But if it's just an unlikable character I usually stop reading pretty quickly.
4/08/2008 10:05 PM
F. Mathew VonStieff said...
hi, Tristie, referred me to you. I was wonering if you would be willing to write a review ona book for me. Let me know I will email you with details. Thanks!Fred
4/09/2008 8:30 PM