A Dark, Literary Meditation, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Darlings, would you believe it has been six or seven years, since Richard Ford published a novel?  His last effort, "The Lay Of The Land" (which I loved) ended the trilogy that began with "The Sportswriter," and continued with "Independence Day," all of which are highly recommended for those who have never read them.

                                               With "Canada," Mr. Ford delivers a solo effort that is a dark, somber, meditation on life, and the twists and turns it can take for one. .  What at first begins as a first person coming-of-age novel turns into the reminisce of  man looking back over the span of  a half century.  At the heart of things are Del and Berner Parsons, who are fraternal twins, and whose lives are change irrevocably when their parents are arrested for bank robbery.  The rest of the novel details what happens when Del and Berner are separated, (Berner, at 16, actually runs off with a bad boy boyfriend!!!!!!) and what follows them both is sad and painful, leaving one, at the end, to contemplate the vagaries of life, and the choices made during the course of when an individual lives it.

                                                  This is the most somber of Ford's books that I have read, but his writing is its customary high quality, which keeps the overwhelming darkness of it all from becoming ponderous. Though I am sure some will find it a bit too depressing.  But, for followers of Ford, like myself, "Canada" is a must.  Perhaps now I will tackle some of his short story collections!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                     You can't beat "Canada" for its consistently high quality. Though its tone may understandably drive some readers to Lauren Weisberger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       And a hair appointment, with Ariette, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!