The SHIPPING NEWS by Annie Proulx (1995-03-01)

Great book- just like the movie. This book was in excellent condition and I thank you. I have read it already and found it to be so much like the movie now I want to own the movie. Kevin Spacey did a great job in the film. Thanks again!

The story of Quoyle, Newfoundlander by family history, recently returned after a disastrous marriage in NY, with his two daughters Bunny and Sunshine and their new life with "the aunt". Everyone in Killick Claw has a strange English-peasant sounding name. Quoyle discovers that his ancestors were "wrackers" people who lured ships onto the rocks and then plundered the wrecks. He meets Wavey, a widow with a son and his life starts to improve. Written in a very expressive style, this is one of the finest books I've evrer read.

Reread in Sept 2013

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but sentence fragments annoy me. I'm especialy annoyed when the author uses them over and over. This book is lushly written, but has no central plot. I was left only with a feeling that Newfoundland isn't too nice of a place to live. I know that I'm out of the mainstream. I mean, Pulitzer Prize and all. ( God, now I'm using sentence fragments, too.)
This book is for the reader who loves lush descriptions, and who doesn't care much about a story never going anywhere.

I stopped reading this book after 16% completion. From the beginning I found the writing style annoying. This author uses incomplete sentences, odd descriptions, and obscure words that are not even in the Kindles's Dictionary. I was not interested in the characters and the plot is very thin. I don't know why this book won a Pulitzer Prize except perhaps for breaking the rules for cogent writing. I tried several times to continue this book but finally decided it just wasn't worth it. I saw the movie too so I don't think much will surprise me if I finish it.

Proulx has a wonderful way with the English language and a talent for making up words that fit into the story. I made frequent use of the dictionary to find out "Is that really a word?".

Her characters are people you get to know and like - even when they aren't very likable. I suppose you could call them non-judgmental character portraits.

And there are interesting descriptions of life in Newfoundland fishing villages.

I am currently attempting to read all of the Pulitzer Prize winners for Fiction, working backwards from the most recent winners. Most of them have been delightful or relevatory in some way. The Shipping News is the first one that has given me any kind of trouble. First: while I do appreciate good writing, scene building, etc., I also enjoy plots. This book has only the barest outline of one. Second, while the protagonist is incredibly well developed, most of the background characters were so indistinguishable that I literally could not keep track of them. Luckily(?) since none of the characters really did anything but ruminate about the sea, the weather, and fishing, it didn't really matter who was who. Finally, the writing. I have enjoyed some writing by Annie Proulx, but this book is compose almost entirely in sentence fragments. In some places it was artful and created some lovely descriptions. In other places, it was distracting and dragged down the book, and it definitely was not sustainable for an entire novel. I will not be reading this one again, and if you haven't already bought it, I would suggest that you don't.

There is no deyning that Annie Proulx has won numerous awards and high praise for this book. Certainly, she has a very high-brow appeal to those who fancy themselves to be very literary or "artsy". Therein lies the fault of this particular novel. It is clear that Ms. Proulx very much enjoys the sound of her own "voice" and thinks nothing of breaking rules of grammar, of syntax and good fiction. It really left me wondering how she got most of what she wrote past any editor, let alone won a Pulitzer Prize for it. It now has the distinction of now being the most depressing book this reader has ever had the displeasure of having read.

Few if any of Annie Proulx's characters in "The Shipping News" generate a sense of sympathy for them. If Quoyle is a loathsome, poor excuse for a human being, then his wife, Petal, instills feelings of nothing short of intense loathing and the desire to bathe after reading about her proclivities and lack of any redeeming qualities. It is a shame that she haunts Quoyle throughout the book. Most of the characters in "The Shipping News" generate feelings of being thankful that they don't bear any resemblance to anyone in the reader's own lives. The only exception was Quoyle's aunt and the trials and suppressed memories she when she was a young girl growing up in in the nearly untamed wilderness of Newfoundland. I found myself wishing that the author had left her turns of phrase at the door and propped it open with the thesaurus that she must have consulted at every available opportunity. The author's desire to impress me as a reader with her incredible intellect was obvious. Sadly, however, her pretentious style left me quite unimpressed.

I think my biggest regret about this book is that in my rush to get my books for summer semester, I purchased this book for a college literature class on my Kindle. The next time that I have to buy a similar book for a class, I will buy a physical copy so that I can potentially resell it to the college bookstore and at least get something back for it. I certainly will never get the time that I spent reading this book back. In spite of its commercial and alleged literary success, I found it very disappointing and can't recommend it.

Shipping News was much better than the movie of the same name. I thought at the beginning it was going to be a downer but was pleasantly surprised. The book had much interesting information information about the area and the ending was very satisfactory. it is very well written and believable.

In a voice unique and riveting, the author tells the story of one hapless man who manages to discover himself and his capacity for love and for survival.

Largely set in New Foundland with its difficult conditions, this could have been a novel about man against nature. As such it would have foundered. Instead, Proulx has written a masterpiece about a man against himself.

Reading "The Shipping News" is like breathing pure literary oxygen: you are dizzy at first, and then, after a few pages, you are in a different world ... a place where the mountains of the English language crumble and endless blue skies lie before you. Her similes are so poignant and the story so compelling that the reader actually lives the novel. Annie Proulx transcends into a new dimension of literature with this beautiful, brilliant novel ... a treasure that should inhabit every modern, avid reader's bookshelf.

This book has it all. An anti hero main character who grows more endearing with each page . A varied collection of supporting characters all wonderfully developed as the story unfolds. The writing is incredibly descriptive and peppered with laugh-out-loud humor when least expected.
THIS IS A GREAT READ!

Had never read anything by Annie proudly before, now I will read everything. How can a writer be so clever? The shipping news is a beautifully crafted tapestry of characters that start out as strangers and end more than just friends. By books end I was contemplating a move north, for the beauty and fellowship she described so well.

I truly enjoyed this novel. it follows Quoyle and his family after a seemingly tragic event . It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.I especially enjoyed Quoyle's development through the book.

The book arrived a few days later than the initial estimate. A common occurrence in this densely populated area and no reflection on the seller. The book's condition to my delight is better than its description and I would not hesitate to do business with this person again. A delightful and simple transaction.
Thanks,
Bruce

The Shipping News opened a window into an area of the world unknown to me. A very satisfying read. So many clever expressions of thought. I often read passages aloud to my husband who also appreciated Ms. Proulx's literary skills. The story tells of blossoming from a bumbling, misplaced schlub into a confident, respected man set against challenges of nature and society. I definitely recommend this book to one and all.

Simply a great story, perfectly and compassionately told. I loved this book and will likely read it again. The characters are vividly created and the setting of Newfoundland is perfect for this story.