Water, Water and a Little Too Much Water
This is the intersecting story of a cast of many colorful characters. There’s Alberta, a University professor who wants to trade her two boyfriends in for a baby but no husband. There’s her boyfriend Lionel who is about to turn 40 and is still working at a television store. Alberta’s other boyfriend; Charlie is a “hot shot” lawyer. Then there’s Eli who lives in an old cabin where a dam has been built, but not in use due to his injunctions to stop it. The character list goes on to other supporting characters and some symbolic ones.
This is a very readable quirky book, interspersed with pages of magical realism and mythical characters. I truly enjoyed reading about the main and supporting characters. They were very lively and interesting souls with real, sometime quirky issues. However, I had a hard time getting into the magical realism and symbolic characters. They felt more throw in for good measure, then really fitting in. The other issue I had was the use of water as a symbol. The author made this symbol quit clear from the beginning but I felt like it was being pushed on me throughout the book. It just felt a bit like “over kill” to me.
That said, this is a well-written enjoyable book. Especially for fans of magical realism, but also for readers who can look past that to the wonderful characters.
3.5/5
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I have a hard time with magical realism, too. It does seem like overkill a lot of the time. But there are the times when it does work for me. (This doesn’t seem like it would be one of those times, though. :))
It wasn’t one those times for me, however I have seen a lot of cutomer reviews that found it worked for them.
It’s still a good book though. If the magic realism doesn’t work for you, you can still read the other parts and get the story just as well. Or you can read the entire thing, like me and still enjoy a lot of it.
Hi Teddy! I tagged you on a book meme, if you have time for it 🙂
Hi Aarti,
I’m pretty new at this, so I don’t know what a book meme is. Can you define it?
Thanks!
No matter how far I go in my reading life, I always come back to this book. I adore it. I wrote about it in two separate degree programs, feel that it’s a magnificent, funny, warm, brilliant book that every Canadian should read. In fact, I would defend it on Canada Reads. 🙂 So glad that you liked it too.
And I’d have to say that it’s not magic realism, per se, but a sense of the Coyote as a mystical character and brings in a lot of native history that would normally be considered oral history (etc), and it really does fit with the story.
Sigh. Okay, enough gushing.
I added this book to my list (albeit as a second choice) when I read about it in your list, and I am all the more keen on reading it after your review. Thanks. (Plus, I do enjoy magical realism…)
Hi Hip,
Thanks for stopping by! Have you read any other Thomas King books? I would like to try more.
Hi Francesca,
Thanks to you for stopping by also. I think you would like this book.
Hmmm, I usually like Canadian authors…I may have to add this to my list. Thanks for the review!
Thanks for stopping by Softdrink! Your most welcome!
Magical realism sounds interesting, but difficult. I might have to give this one a go one day.
Iggystar,
It is worthwhile.
The phrase “magical realism” implies that circumstances and religious history entirely valid in the eyes of Native Americans and Canadians can only be explained through “magic”. Seems a rather offensive label.
I certainly didn’t mean to offend!
The term is used widely and it has been used in reviews and in the description of the book it’s self. Perhap we as a people should re-look at the term.