The Studhorse Man - Softcover

Kroetsch, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 039422440X ISBN 13: 9780394224404

Publisher: Vintage Canada, 1995

Synopsis

The Studhorse Man is a classic Canadian odyssey--a story told by a madman who works naked in a bathtub. It is the tale of Hazard Lepage, last of the studhorse me, and owner of a superb blue stallion named Poseidon...the sole survivor of its breed. Hazard's maniacal search to find the perfect mare for this magnificent horse is opposed by his fiancée of thirteen years, Martha Proudfoot, so much so she refuses him both herself and her Arab mares. This is a compelling saga that will move all readers.

About this title

Review:

"Recognized as a classic when it first appeared, the novel's status as one of the finest pieces of Canadian fiction has only grown over the last three decades.... The Studhorse Man, now 35 years old, has far more intoxicating vigour, structural muscularity and dervish-like linguistic brilliance than almost anything being published in Canada today." Christopher Wiebe, VUE Weekly

"Always original, at times wickedly funny, and told with unrestrained enthusiasm framed by a post-war, rough-edged Alberta, The Studhorse Man showcases and documents Robert Kroetsch as one of Canada's best living writers." Wisconsin Bookwatch

Listed in Best of the West Comparisons list (between Alberta & Saskatchewan) under category "Classic Scene Setters" against W.O. Mitchell's Who Has Seen the Wind. Canadian Geographic, January/February 2005

"In its comic energy, The Studhorse Man recalls Rabelais, Bakhtin and the carnivalesque....This University of Alberta Press publication includes a very fine introduction by Aritha van Herk. Sharply attentive to the novel's patterns, reference field and detail, she situates it with respect not only to Edmonton, the Saskatchewan river valley, local history and literary conventions of the quest and the trickster, but also to her own experience of the local....Kroetsch's writing in The Studhorse Man is typically vital and generous; its presentation of the priapic wanderer and his odd rake's progress through a changing Albertan landscape is marked by comedy, affection and nostalgia." Brian Edwards, Australasian Canadian Studies Journal, Vol. 22, No.2, 2004 and Vol. 23, No.1, 2005

"Kroetsch's writing cracks with sarcastic wit, and his book ridicules booming Edmonton's desire to banish the horse in favour of a suburban, car-infested future. The city's highest literary award is named after Kroetsch, so you can't go wrong here." - Bruce Cinnamon - Vue Weekly - 20150716

From the Back Cover:

Front french flap Hazard Lepage, the last of the studhorse men, sets out to breed his rare blue stallion, Poseidon. A lusty trickster and a wayward chevalier, Hazard's outrageous adventures are recorded by Demeter Proudfoot, his secret rival, who, as the narrator, writes this story while sitting naked in an empty bathtub. In his quest to save his stallion's bloodline from extinction Hazard leaves a trail of anarchy and confusion. Everything he touches erupts into chaos necessitating frequent convalescences in the arms of a few good women, except for those of Martha, his long-suffering intended. Told with the ribald zeal of a Prairie beer parlor tall tale and combining the mythic magnitude of a Greek odyssey, The Studhorse Man marks Robert Kroetsch's celebration of unbridled character set against the backdrop of rough-and-ready Alberta emerging after the war. Back french flap As an extensively published novelist, poet, critic and scholar, Robert Kroetsch is one of Canada's most accomplished authors. Born in Heisler, Alberta in 1927, he earned his PhD with the University of Iowa's Writer's Workshop. In 1969 his second novel, The Studhorse Man, won the Governor General's Award for Fiction. He has published nine novels and twelve books of poetry as well as diverse travel and scholarly writing. His most recent collection of poetry, The Hornbooks of Rita K (University of Alberta Press), was short-listed for the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2001. Recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Alberta, he is the recipient of the second Award of Distinction from the Manitoba Arts Council, Arts. Robert Kroetsch lives in Winnipeg. Aritha van Herk grew up in Robert Kroetsch's Battle River country. Inspired by his writing, she has chronicled Alberta in eight works of fiction and non-fiction. Her latest book, Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta, won the Grant MacEwan Author's Award for Alberta writing. She is a University Professor and Professor of English at the University of Calgary. Photograph of Robert Kroetsch by ENVISION. Cover Image: Silvers by Joe Fafard, APII, 1999, 36"H x 48"L x 12"W, ed. of 7. Used by permission of the artist. Back cover panel, block quotes "Have you seen a blue stallion?" Hazard inquired. He knew that Poseidon, by virtue of living in a house, would not be adverse [averse?] to entering a doorway. For this reason he inquired after his stallion in places like the Rialto Theatre, the Palace of Sweets, and Mike's newsstand. He ducked into Woodward's and asked a girl if she had seen a big blue stallion come in. "Only a pair of grays," the girl replied, pointing to where a floorwalker was cleaning up horse turds with a feather duster. "They went toward lingerie." -from The Studhorse Man

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage Canada
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 039422440X
• ISBN 13: 9780394224404
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192