Proulx, Annie: *1935

The Shipping News, 1993 - Information about the Book

General Information | Facts | Articles

General Information
- This is a novel about the transformation of identity, best illustrated through the protagonist, Quoyle.
- Information from Wikipedia
- Information from Britannica
Facts
- Awards:
  
  Some of the most notable awards are:
  Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1994.
  National Book Award for Fiction in 1993.
  
  Irish Times International Fiction Prize in 1993.
  Developed by ChatGPT AI
- Characters
- Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
- Context
- Topics
  
  Overcoming Trauma and Finding Renewal
  The novel follows Quoyle, a man who has endured a traumatic life of abuse, neglect, and tragedy. After his unfaithful wife's death, he moves with his daughters to the remote coastal town of Killick-Claw, Newfoundland, his ancestral home. There, he finds a job reporting on the "shipping news" for the local newspaper and slowly rebuilds his life, finding purpose, friendship, and even love. The story is ultimately one of resilience, hope, and personal transformation in the face of adversity.
  Sense of Place and Connection to the Land
  Newfoundland's harsh, rugged landscape and insular maritime culture play a central role. Quoyle's connection to this unforgiving yet beautiful place, and his rediscovery of his family roots there, are integral to his personal journey and growth. The novel vividly evokes the unique character of Newfoundland through rich descriptions and the use of local dialect.
  
  Family Legacies and Ancestral Burdens
  Quoyle grapples with the dark legacy of his troubled family history and ancestors in Newfoundland, some of whom were criminals and murderers. Overcoming this burden and forging his own identity is part of his struggle for renewal.
  
  Love, Relationships, and Community
  As Quoyle integrates into the small-town community of Killick-Claw and forms new bonds, including a romantic relationship with the single mother Wavey, the novel explores themes of human connection, intimacy, and finding one's place in the world.
  
  In summary, "The Shipping News" poignantly examines personal rebirth after trauma, the healing power of nature and one's ancestral home, the weight of family legacies, and the importance of love and community.
  Developed by AI
- General Perception
  
  "The Shipping News" received critical acclaim and had a significant impact on the literary world. The novel was widely praised for its unique narrative style, and richly drawn characters.
  Proulx's descriptive passages about the harsh Newfoundland landscape and the lives of the characters added a layer of authenticity and depth to the novel.
  
  Overall, "The Shipping News" is regarded as a masterful piece of literature that showcases Annie Proulx's talent for storytelling and her ability to create deeply moving and memorable narratives.
  
  Developed by AI
Articles
- Commentary
  The contemporary variation on a conventional opening of the nineteenth-century realist novel is but one subtle witticism in a bounty of nuanced, innovative, wry and dryly humorous delights for the reader of The Shipping News. Indeed, the novel teaches the reader to be more attentive, to look for the ripple effect of the chapter headings, to follow the narrative twists of the metaphoric knots described, to hear the richness of an English dialect, to attend to the fine representational shadings of a character's intrapsychic life and social interactions. The protagonist evolves by doing in a world where action and story are intertwined and valued, where narrating is an action and actions are recounted, where one is identified by the stories recounted about one's family, and known by the stories told of one's actions. By the end of the novel the reader has not only observed Quoyle's transformation but has developed an affection for a once unsympathetic character, and a greater appreciation for human potential. Moreover, he or she has learned to read and listen to narratives in a more refined way. These metamorphoses of the reader heighten the value of Proulx's already exceptional treatment of a variety of themes.
  Marta, Jan
  Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University.
- Review: "The novel is, by turns, heartbreaking and comic. The story of Quoyle's early life will bring tears to your eyes, but as the story spins on, you will find yourself wiping away tears of laughter instead of sorrow." Judith Handschuh; January 23, 2011