October

Product Details

Author : Richard B. Wright
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780002006897
Number of Pages : 256
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 2007-09-06
Publisher : Harper Collins Canada

ASIN : 0002006898

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Customer Reviews

Well Worth the Read (2008-03-17)

October is a great piece of Canadian fiction. The story of James Hillyer dealing with the impending death of his daughter and the imminent death of a childhood friend is woven with prose that is lyrical and compelling. I thought this book would be more about the relationship between a father and daughter yet it was more about the experiences of James as a boy that influenced the man he became. His chance encounter with Gabriel, a friend of one summer when he was 15, takes the book in a whole new direction. Through alternating chapters of the present and the summer of his young adulthood, the reader learns about both James and Gabriel and their unusual relationship. I was expecting some sort of twist at the end of the book but there wasn't one. Which, in retrospect, probably made the book much more realistic. The twist may have made the story shallow. I enjoyed Wright's writing style and, since this was the first of his books that I have read, I will now search out his earlier works.

How Others Can Affect Us! (2008-03-05)

Having already been won over by Wright's penetrating but relaxed prose in "Clara Callan", picking up his latest narrative in "October" wasn't hard for me. There is something polished and confident about the way he builds his characters to achieve a maximum effect on the reader's sensibilities. Like some complex, interlocking jigsaw "October" looks at the lives of four main characters, in a number of transcontinental settings, as they cross each other's paths at critical times - October holds some significance - over many years. All the interpersonal connections between the likes of an aging professor, his dangerously ill daughter, an old flame named Odette, and Gabriel, a self-made American brat and friend, play out as opportunities to understand, feel for and respond to each other's needs. Each time these people meet, the relationship takes on a new dimension of understanding. As a person temporarily or permanently disappears from the scene, their critical choices as individuals leaves an indelible mark on the memory of the survivor, both in renewing their courage to accept the things they cannot control and make new decisions themselves. What does Wright really want his reader to learn about the meaning of life as we get entangled in other people's lives over long periods of time? For Wright, life ultimately comes down as to how we influence each other through our personal relationships in life. While we might handle things poorly early in life because of our limited take on things, Wright shows how events can often conspire to give us another chance to relearn and reconnect at a critical point of need in our lives. While I have left this compelling story for you to read, I remind you that this book is much more than just a tale of people moving in and out of other people's spheres of influence. Wright has a lot to tell us about how one might come to handle the brevity of relationship with charm, grace, and wisdom. A great read for one especially going through a reflective time in life over a personal loss.

Growing up and growing old in Richard B. Wright's October (2007-12-31)

Both a coming of age story and a reflection on the later years of life, Richard B. Wright's October is at times humourous and touching, and, on occasion, too smart for its own good. The first person narrative is told by James Hillyer, who, at age 74 when the novel begins, must cope with his daughter's recent cancer diagnosis. In a strange, yet well-timed concidence, Hillyer becomes reacquainted with an old friend who is also dying of cancer; the spectacularly brash American, Gabriel Fontaine. In dealing with the impending deaths of both his daughter and his old friend, Hillyer recalls the summer of 1944, when as teenagers, he and Gabriel Fontaine come of age in Quebec's Gaspe region as they compete for the love and friendship of a local hotel chambermaid, Odette Huard.Although the novel is entertaining, sometimes James Hillyer's first person narrative voice comes across as pompous, arrogant, and quite unsympathetic. When the final injustices are revealed in the later chapters, the characters' responses do little to shed any insight into their predictably self-centred behaviours, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion.The book is an enjoyable read; there was just somewhat of a let down at the end of the novel for this reader. [Amy MacDougall]

Big Mistake (2007-11-14)

This book was hard to pick up. The plot was molassis slow and the writing murky. Not much happening in this book. The best part is the beautiful dust cover!

Time, Love, Memory (2007-09-06)

During a visit to London a chance encounter with a friend who he had not seen in sixty years, triggers a cascade of memories and ruminations in retired professor James Hillier. The friend, Gabriel, still cutting an impressive figure despite his age and being wheelchair bound, was easy to recognize. Gabriel is confronting questions of life's value and mortality and, having decided on a definite course of action, urges James to accompany him on a special journey. James, on a visit from Canada to spend time with his gravely ill daughter, has his own anxieties to deal with. Why should he embark on the trip with Gabriel? Why would Gabriel even consider him as a companion after all these years? The summer the two spent together in 1944 on the Quebec coast was far from being all fun and harmony and the friendship did not survive the strains. As he reflects on the invitation, his mind drifts back to that memorable holiday that also led to his budding emotional and sexual awakening. Written in the first person, James' voice is personal and sincere. While recalling the details of that unforgettable summer, his romantic feelings for Odette, the girl next door, and his competing with Gabriel for her favours, he can now critically appraise his behaviour with the benefit of hindsight. Gabriel, although confined to his wheelchair as a result of a polio infection, was the centre of attention, flamboyant and self confident. James was more withdrawn and shy and resented to be called upon to serve the older friends whims. Feelings were fragile and Odette appeared to be the most mature among the friends. Through her story the reader is given a glimpse into the economic conditions of the time that separated the wealthy vacationers from the locals. "Spotting subs", one of the boys distractions, alludes to the war far away. Pondering these recollections, James is pulled back into the present through concerns for his daughter. What will the doctors' verdict be? Father and daughter had always been close, in contrast to his relationship with his son, and her move to England not long ago had required major adjustments. Having lost his wife to cancer some years earlier, his daughter now might face the same fate, possibly leaving him bereft of the two most loved people in his life. Wright writes in an calm and fluid style, drawing the reader into this gentle and tender story from the first page. His meditation on family, the end of childhood, friendships and the inevitability of death are personal as well as universal. Nothing is overwrought or heavy handed. His characters are vividly drawn and, in particular, the young people are utterly believable in their daily banter. The Gaspé coast and the small town of Percé provide a great setting and Wright's knowledge of and affection for this landscape is evident in his description. [Friederike Knabe]

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