Comments on: The Shipping News

By: Kristin S

Kristin S — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:28:48 +0000

I love Proulx’s writing style and found it such a lovely departure from the constraint of the grammatically corrrect sentence. It felt to me more in line with the way the mind thinks, and so the wording and the reading of it, for me, felt very natural. Maybe a little like a jazz artist, riffing? I thought it was great. So sensory.

I love this story and it’s the first work of fiction I’ve read in several years. It makes me want to read more often!

By: brian

brian — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:05:59 +0000

Everyone there knows about the Quoyles and it isn’t all good. Quoyle is a kind man, but a bit of a bumbler, or so he thinks.

By: 1990’s – Decades ‘09

1990’s – Decades ‘09 — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:35:52 +0000

[...] by Jane Gardam (3M) Regeneration, Barker (Katrina) Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett (Booklogged) The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (3M) Stardust by Neil Gaiman (3M) The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (3M) This Year It Will Be [...]

By: Whitcoulls List Challenge Complete!

Whitcoulls List Challenge Complete! — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:20:08 +0000

[...] The Shipping News – E. Annie Proulx ‘98, ‘02, ‘06 [...]

By: Canadian Challenge Complete!

Canadian Challenge Complete! — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:58:41 +0000

[...] The Shipping News by Annie Proulx [...]

By: Newfoundland. « The Hieroglyphic Streets

Newfoundland. « The Hieroglyphic Streets — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:51:58 +0000

[...] Gunning (January Magazine), The DJ (Bibliofemme), Maia, Judith Handschuh (bookreporter.com), Michelle, Sheila O’Malley, Howard Dratch (Blogcritics), Songcatchers, Joyce, Marie Javet, Jen, Shriram [...]

By: christgau

christgau — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:46:06 +0000

i notice how nobody is truly in love with this book. In my opinion this is an atrocity of a novel that is read only because Annie Proulx succeeded in writing a fully fledged 200-odd word book. People fall so easily. How it won the pultizer prize is beyond comprehension. This is for the Richard and Judy book club audience to read during a pleasant summer on a holiday. With a glass of wine. It follows the most predictable and routine storyline of ‘rebirth and redemption.’ Perhaps that is beyond the point, but the means of delivery is exactly as predictable as its story. It slowly bends from the start to the end, deep in its lull. The characters are entirely one-dimensional, the aunt is a les…. and the wife is a man enslaving wh…-b..ch, and that’s all there is to it. I apologise for being on the offensive, but this book is undeserving of the praise it has been given. I’m sure Proulx was a thoroughly depressed woman and now in the wake of her pulitzer she has given herself a sense of esteem. Now that he believes she is a writer is one of the reasons Brokeback Mountain will be as unreadable, if not moreso, than this one.

By: Book Awards Challenge Complete!!

Book Awards Challenge Complete!! — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 04:58:35 +0000

[...] (Newbery) 15. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian (Nobel Laureate) 16. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (Pulitzer) 17. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Pulitzer) 18. [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Reading Across Borders Challenge Completed!

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:43:55 +0000

[...] by Kate Seredy (Hungary) FINISHED The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru) FINISHED The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (Canada) [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Reading Across Borders Challenge

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Reading Across Borders Challenge — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:44:22 +0000

[...] by Kate Seredy (Hungary) FINISHED The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru) FINISHED The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (Canada) [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Saturday Review of Books Challenge

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Saturday Review of Books Challenge — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:55:09 +0000

[...] Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (read my review here) Reviewed by [...]

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 01:11:45 +0000

I just finished dreading the Shipping News this weekend. I actually liked the writing style – it’s kind of how I think and easy for me to follow, but yes it was certainly the characters that drew me in.
I haven’t watched the movie yet either but I don’t think I’d expect much from it.

By: 3M

3M — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:52:50 +0000

Wendy, I might have to try that one, thanks!

John, I had similar misgivings about Plainsong by Kent Haruf, which is set where I grew up. It’s harder to read a book when you’re close to the subject matter.

Bookgal, I’m really looking forward to the movie!

By: BookGal

BookGal — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 05:38:57 +0000

I really liked The Shipping News but I think I was drawn into the characters and the story. I agree that the style did get annoying. I also quite liked the movie, even though Kevin Spacey was not how I pictured the main character at all. I also put down Accordion Crimes after 20 pages. I’ve never gotten through anything else!

By: John Mutford

John Mutford — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:19:12 +0000

I felt the same way about writing: liked the story but not the style. As well, as a Newfoundlander, I can honestly say it’s not a very accurate portrayal of the place (she does a horrible job with the accent, for instance). A friend of mine was in France when the movie came out and she said it was simply entitled “Terre Neuve” over there. That’s “Newfoundland” in French; as if this book some how summed up the place. I’m glad the English title didn’t make such assumptions!

I’m not compelled to read any other of her books.

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » 12 Pulitzers in 2007

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » 12 Pulitzers in 2007 — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:27:44 +0000

[...] Repose by Wallace Stegner **** (1972) FINISHED The Color Purple – Alice Walker **** (1983) FINISHED The Shipping News – Proulx (1994) FINISHED The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields ****1/2 (1995) FINISHED The Hours – [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Book Awards Reading Challenge

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Book Awards Reading Challenge — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:27:21 +0000

[...] FINISHED 15. Buying a Fishing Rod for my Grandfather by Gao Xingjian (Nobel Laureate) FINISHED 16. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx (Pulitzer) FINISHED 17. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Canadian Book Challenge

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Canadian Book Challenge — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:26:17 +0000

[...] Shields – 194 pp. Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (224pp) Elijah Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis The Shipping News by Proulx FINISHED Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood The Road Past Altamont by Gabrielle Roy (147 [...]

By: 1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Whitcoulls Challenge

1morechapter.com » Blog Archive » Whitcoulls Challenge — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:23:54 +0000

[...] The Shipping News – E. Annie Proulx ‘98, ‘02, ‘06 FINISHED Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden ‘98, ‘02, ‘06 Winnie-the-Pooh – A.A. Milne ‘98, ‘02 The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje ‘98 Sophie’s World – Jostein Gaarder ‘98 Anne of Green Gables – L.M. Montgomery ‘98 Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier ‘98 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling ‘02, ‘06 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling ‘02 The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver ‘02, ‘06 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling ‘02, ‘06 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J.K. Rowling ‘02 The Other Boleyn Girl – Phillippa Gregory ‘02, ‘06 Northern Lights – Philip Pullman ‘02, ‘06 The Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult ‘02 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold ‘06 Life of Pi – Yann Martel ‘06 Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix – J.K. Rowling ‘06 The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Nighttime – Mark Haddon ‘06 Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini ‘06 The Red Tent – Anita Diamant ‘06 [...]

By: Wendy

Wendy — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:56:42 +0000

I read this book some time ago, but really liked it. Proulx does have an interesting style of writing...I didn't mind it, perhaps because I liked the story itself so much. I never was able to get through her book Accordion Crimes; but I LOVED That Old Ace in the Hole (even better than Shipping News in my opinion). To be honest, I don't remember now if That Old Ace in the Hole was written in a similar style or not!