Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather

Friday, February 22, 2008

Challenge:
The Canadian Book Challenge, Quebec
Recommended by Booklogged
I'm pretty sure I've read books by Willa Cather before, back in the Ice Ages, so I don't really remember. But I like the way she writes. Her prose is wonderful and she creates a picture of the town of Quebec in the year 1697 that is both picturesque and fascinating. Here's an example of her beautiful descriptions: "The autumn fog was rolling in from the river so thick that she seemed to be walking through drifts of brown cloud. Only a few roofs and spires stood out in the fog, detached and isolated: the fleche of the Recollet chapel, the slate roof of the Chateau, the long, grey outline of Bishop Laval's Seminary, floating in the sky. Everything else was blotted out by rolling vapours that were constantly changing in density and colour; now brown, now amethyst, now reddish lavender, with sometimes a glow of orange overhead where the sun struggled behind the thick weather. It was like walking in a dream. One could not see the people one passed, or the river, or one's own house. Not even the winter snows gave one such a feeling of being cut off from everything and living in a world of twilight and miracles. "
The story itself is quite simple and gentle. Cecile Auclair is a twelve-year old girl who lives with her father, the apothecary. Euclid Auclair had come to Quebec from France nine yers ago with his wife and daughter to serve the governor, Count Frontenac. His wife dies several years later, but Euclid and his daughter lead a rewarding life as they interact with a host of interesting characters, some fictional and others drawn from actual historical figures. In the year covered by the story, we learn about the isolation of the town from the rest of the world, the townspeople's allegiance to France and the Catholic church, the practice of medicine, the fur trade, common dining practices and town celebrations, etc. Even though the plot itself is pretty much a log of Cecile's day-to-day life, the book gives you a wonderful glimpse into the history and geography of one of the oldest settlements in North America. I do have a slight gripe about the French dialog since I didn't understand what was being said and Cather doesn't bring it out too much in the surrounding text. Other than that, I liked this book and thought it was a wonderful pick for the challenge.
Rating: 4
Posted by Framed at 11:04 PM

5 comments:
Stephanie said...
Last year for the Decades Challenge, I read my first Cather book: O' Pioneers. I really loved it. I thought the writing was just wonderful. Sparse, but it perfectly portrayed the scenes, and I loved that the main character was a really strong woman. I think Cather is great. I really do mean to pick up some more of her work!
2/23/2008 8:18 AM
Les said...
I love Cather's descriptive language. Some of my favorites are O' Pioneers!, My Antonia, Death Comes For the Archbishop and Song of the Lark. I've visited her hometown, Red Cloud, (in Nebraska) and can easily picture her characters in several locations.
2/23/2008 6:24 PM
Booklogged said...
So glad you found a copy. I never did find mine. I liked the story, too. Your description of the book was right on. I think we need to visit Quebec City and check out the places, don't you?
2/24/2008 7:05 PM
John Mutford said...
I feel like I've read that passage before but I sure I haven't. In regards to the French dialogue, I've found that in other books as well.
2/27/2008 1:37 PM
John Mutford said...
I feel like I've read that passage before but I sure I haven't. In regards to the French dialogue, I've found that in other books as well.
2/27/2008 1:37 PM