QUEBEC SHORT STORY: A HISTORY, ESSAY
Montreal, HMH, 2010, 340p. ISBN : 978-2-89647-322-9/ 29,95 $CA
This essay is the first of its kind to cover the history and evolution of 150 years of short story production in French Quebec. It unearths unknown authors from the past (19th century and early 20th century) that specialized scholars ever hardly paid any attention to. This book has two folds: 1) the first part is devoted to the short story production in Quebec from the late 19th century (its first golden age) to 1980; this part pinpoints the main short fiction writers for each decade and presents representative stories along with what they bring to the evolution of the genre in contents and formal innovations; 2) The second part covers the 1980s to present time, and is analyzing in depth the second golden age of short fiction production, i.e. the phenomenal explosion of short story collections, literally by the hundreds, that took place over the past quarter of century; this part focuses on general themes found in this huge production and shows surprising innovative forms.
This book should interest scholars, students, writers and general readers as it sheds new light on a genre that has been so much popular among French Canadian writers and readers for over a century and a half, but that was left overlooked by the conventional scholarship. It introduces the readers to fascinating and courageous authors who produced daring and progressive views within what were most of the time highly conservative contexts (especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th century), proving that short stories are often closely related to social awareness and pioneering insights.
In offering the very first survey of Quebec short story from the 19th century up to present, this essay fills a major gap and tries to contribute to the history of the genre in general by defining the place of this highly original production in world literature. Hopefully this book will be received as a ground-breaking work in the field and an eye-opener for many.
For Infos:
Yasmina Daha, attachée de presse
T 514 523-1523, poste 219
yasmina.daha@editionshurtubise.com
EXCERPTS OF CRITICS
FINALISTE PRIX DE LITTERATURE GERALD-GODIN 2011
"Un remarquable essai littéraire", le Devoir
"Une référence désormais incontournable", XYZ La Revue de la nouvelle
"truly groundbreaking investigation", Humanities Institute Newsletter (USA)
"Une belle réussite (…) une contribution significative à l'étude la nouvelle québécoise", Nuit blanche
"Il faut saluer l'initiative de Gaëtan Brulotte, car il présente l'histoire de "la fille rebelle de la littérature" avec clarté et simplicité. Il en dissèque finement les caractéristiques", Le Sabord
« Avec La Nouvelle québécoise, l'écrivain et critique Gaëtan Brulotte signe un remarquable essai littéraire. Fin connaisseur de l'art du bref qu'il pratique lui-même, maître de la formule parlante, ramassée et qui fait mouche, styliste élégant plutôt que savant jargonneux, Brulotte, dans ce très riche ouvrage, retrace «les grandes lignes de la nouvelle québécoise» et souligne avec maestria «ses principaux apports sur les plans thématique et formel». Louis Cornellier, « Essais québécois - Éloge de la nouvelle québécoise », Le Devoir, Sept. 18, 2010, p. F-8.
For full review, click here:
http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/livres/296393/essais-quebecois-eloge-de-la-nouvelle-quebecoise