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With comic brilliance and a delight in the macabre, Michel Basilières holds a fun-house mirror up to a defining moment in Canadian history and reveals, among other things, a family having a very bad year.
Holed up in a shambling house at the base of Mount Royal is the family Desouche: three generations of English- and French-Canadians caught in the gears of a national emergency. Their world is dark and hard, but alive with hope and expectation. When one of the eldest, an Anglo Montrealer, dies at the hand of one of the youngest, a militant separatist, so begins a year of turmoil and change that culminates in the October Crisis.
Grave-robbing Grandfather consorts with prostitutes and mad scientists, loses an eye and gains a new vision. His disenchanted wife bonds with his canny pet crow. Mother sleeps her grief away through the seasons, while Father ineffectively schemes to get rich quick. Meanwhile, their twin children, Marie and Jean-Baptiste, find their personal ambitions clashing with their public actions as they derail each other at every turn.
In this wholly original novel alive with misfortune and magic, Michel Basilières uncovers a Montreal not seen in any other English-Canadian novel: a forgotten blue-collar neighbourhood in between the two solitudes. Gothic, outrageous, yet tender and wise, Black Bird is as liberating as the dreams of its wayward characters, and as gripping as the insurgencies that split its heart.
Holed up in a shambling house at the base of Mount Royal is the family Desouche: three generations of English- and French-Canadians caught in the gears of a national emergency. Their world is dark and hard, but alive with hope and expectation. When one of the eldest, an Anglo Montrealer, dies at the hand of one of the youngest, a militant separatist, so begins a year of turmoil and change that culminates in the October Crisis.
Grave-robbing Grandfather consorts with prostitutes and mad scientists, loses an eye and gains a new vision. His disenchanted wife bonds with his canny pet crow. Mother sleeps her grief away through the seasons, while Father ineffectively schemes to get rich quick. Meanwhile, their twin children, Marie and Jean-Baptiste, find their personal ambitions clashing with their public actions as they derail each other at every turn.
In this wholly original novel alive with misfortune and magic, Michel Basilières uncovers a Montreal not seen in any other English-Canadian novel: a forgotten blue-collar neighbourhood in between the two solitudes. Gothic, outrageous, yet tender and wise, Black Bird is as liberating as the dreams of its wayward characters, and as gripping as the insurgencies that split its heart.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
"This macabre, sometimes fantastical, often hilarious first novel...manages to be at once ghastly, farcical and shot through with a pathos that tugs about equally at mind and heart. Black Bird is a terrific read, an epic critique of and lament for the decades of rhetoric and rancour, and blood, that have yet to lead Quebec to the mythic prize of nationhood.... Vive le satirical livre!" -- "The Globe and Mail"
"a stunning debut novel...wildly inventive and darkly funny.... Bravura plotting and comic talent are only the surface of Black Bird's achievement. Basilieres has the essential qualities of a first-rate satirist, in spades. He displays an abiding love for his characters, however awfully they behave, but his rage is equally inextinguishable.... His brilliant novel is an extended metaphor for the messy, intractable, essentially unbreakable web that history has made of Canada." -- Brian Bethune, "Maclean's
""At first glance, [Black Bird] looks a little like a Canadian take on Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections. But where Franzen depicts the decline of the nuclear family, Basilieres gives us a core meltdown. . . . Spirited, clever [and] dead on." -- "The Gazette" (Montreal)"
""Black Bird rocks. An exuberant new Quebec voice that speaks for all of us living in the spaces in between." -- Susan Swan
"When someone tells you that a first novel is 'brilliant' or 'stunning, ' they're usually lying and they know it. But occasionally a book comes along that's as good as the jacket cover blurb says it is. Michel Basilieres' first novel is a work of enormous love; it's intelligent without the pirouettes, literate without showing off. And very funny. It's that rare thing among novels, a book you should actually read twice." -- David Gilmour
"Black Bird is a great, wonderful monster of a novel, from the history of Frere Andre's black heart to the screeching of the crow, Grace, from its astounding descriptions of Montreal to its observations of
This macabre, sometimes fantastical, often hilarious first novel manages to be at once ghastly, farcical and shot through with a pathos that tugs about equally at mind and heart. Black Bird is a terrific read, an epic critique of and lament for the decades of rhetoric and rancour, and blood, that have yet to lead Quebec to the mythic prize of nationhood . Vive le satirical livre! -- "The Globe and Mail"
a stunning debut novel wildly inventive and darkly funny . Bravura plotting and comic talent are only the surface of Black Bird s achievement. Basilieres has the essential qualities of a first-rate satirist, in spades. He displays an abiding love for his characters, however awfully they behave, but his rage is equally inextinguishable . His brilliant novel is an extended metaphor for the messy, intractable, essentially unbreakable web that history has made of Canada. -- Brian Bethune, "Maclean's
" At first glance, [Black Bird] looks a little like a Canadian take on Jonathan Franzen s The Corrections. But where Franzen depicts the decline of the nuclear family, Basilieres gives us a core meltdown. . . . Spirited, clever [and] dead on. -- "The Gazette" (Montreal)"
" Black Bird rocks. An exuberant new Quebec voice that speaks for all of us living in the spaces in between. -- Susan Swan
When someone tells you that a first novel is brilliant or stunning, they re usually lying and they know it. But occasionally a book comes along that s as good as the jacket cover blurb says it is. Michel Basilieres first novel is a work of enormous love; it s intelligent without the pirouettes, literate without showing off. And very funny. It s that rare thing among novels, a book you should actually read twice. -- David Gilmour
Black Bird is a great, wonderful monster of a novel, from the history of Frere Andre s black heart to the screeching of the crow, Grace, from its astounding descriptions of Montreal to its observations of the compulsions and frustrations of one Family Desouche, it ushers in a new, hilarious, wildly imaginative, powerful and heartfelt voice. -- Edward Carey
If ever a book defied description it is Black Bird. Covering themes as big as Canada itself and as dangerous as the battle field of family life, it is outrageous, hilarious and surreal. It is a remarkable creation, brilliantly original. -- Mary Lawson
The delightful, macabre nature of Michel Basilieres noveldoesn t hide the real sweetness of a writer who so obviously loves his fellows, especially when they are at their worst. Basilieres comic sensibility is as black and shining as a crow s wing. I believeLovecraftmust be sitting up in his grave and grinning. -- Gail Anderson-Dargatz
About the Author:
"a stunning debut novel...wildly inventive and darkly funny.... Bravura plotting and comic talent are only the surface of Black Bird's achievement. Basilieres has the essential qualities of a first-rate satirist, in spades. He displays an abiding love for his characters, however awfully they behave, but his rage is equally inextinguishable.... His brilliant novel is an extended metaphor for the messy, intractable, essentially unbreakable web that history has made of Canada." -- Brian Bethune, "Maclean's
""At first glance, [Black Bird] looks a little like a Canadian take on Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections. But where Franzen depicts the decline of the nuclear family, Basilieres gives us a core meltdown. . . . Spirited, clever [and] dead on." -- "The Gazette" (Montreal)"
""Black Bird rocks. An exuberant new Quebec voice that speaks for all of us living in the spaces in between." -- Susan Swan
"When someone tells you that a first novel is 'brilliant' or 'stunning, ' they're usually lying and they know it. But occasionally a book comes along that's as good as the jacket cover blurb says it is. Michel Basilieres' first novel is a work of enormous love; it's intelligent without the pirouettes, literate without showing off. And very funny. It's that rare thing among novels, a book you should actually read twice." -- David Gilmour
"Black Bird is a great, wonderful monster of a novel, from the history of Frere Andre's black heart to the screeching of the crow, Grace, from its astounding descriptions of Montreal to its observations of
This macabre, sometimes fantastical, often hilarious first novel manages to be at once ghastly, farcical and shot through with a pathos that tugs about equally at mind and heart. Black Bird is a terrific read, an epic critique of and lament for the decades of rhetoric and rancour, and blood, that have yet to lead Quebec to the mythic prize of nationhood . Vive le satirical livre! -- "The Globe and Mail"
a stunning debut novel wildly inventive and darkly funny . Bravura plotting and comic talent are only the surface of Black Bird s achievement. Basilieres has the essential qualities of a first-rate satirist, in spades. He displays an abiding love for his characters, however awfully they behave, but his rage is equally inextinguishable . His brilliant novel is an extended metaphor for the messy, intractable, essentially unbreakable web that history has made of Canada. -- Brian Bethune, "Maclean's
" At first glance, [Black Bird] looks a little like a Canadian take on Jonathan Franzen s The Corrections. But where Franzen depicts the decline of the nuclear family, Basilieres gives us a core meltdown. . . . Spirited, clever [and] dead on. -- "The Gazette" (Montreal)"
" Black Bird rocks. An exuberant new Quebec voice that speaks for all of us living in the spaces in between. -- Susan Swan
When someone tells you that a first novel is brilliant or stunning, they re usually lying and they know it. But occasionally a book comes along that s as good as the jacket cover blurb says it is. Michel Basilieres first novel is a work of enormous love; it s intelligent without the pirouettes, literate without showing off. And very funny. It s that rare thing among novels, a book you should actually read twice. -- David Gilmour
Black Bird is a great, wonderful monster of a novel, from the history of Frere Andre s black heart to the screeching of the crow, Grace, from its astounding descriptions of Montreal to its observations of the compulsions and frustrations of one Family Desouche, it ushers in a new, hilarious, wildly imaginative, powerful and heartfelt voice. -- Edward Carey
If ever a book defied description it is Black Bird. Covering themes as big as Canada itself and as dangerous as the battle field of family life, it is outrageous, hilarious and surreal. It is a remarkable creation, brilliantly original. -- Mary Lawson
The delightful, macabre nature of Michel Basilieres noveldoesn t hide the real sweetness of a writer who so obviously loves his fellows, especially when they are at their worst. Basilieres comic sensibility is as black and shining as a crow s wing. I believeLovecraftmust be sitting up in his grave and grinning. -- Gail Anderson-Dargatz
"From the Hardcover edition.""
Michel Basilieres was ten years old and growing up in Montreal during the October Crisis. He still remembers the tensions vividly though he was busy preparing for Halloween at the time. But the events and fears that effected everyone in Montreal have stayed with him, as those defining sorts of memories that take root in childhood. Not even the holiday festivities were exempt: in 1970, the Basilieres children were taken by their father to the anglophone community of Westmount to trick-or-treat, as opposed to their usual route downtown. As Michel has said in one interview, We went trick-or-treating to houses, all of which were guarded by Canadian troops . He showed us the people with wealth and power and influence were guarded at their very doors and very homes. That made a deep impression on me. From then on, Michel knew that this was a story he wanted to tell, and you could say that in those early experiences was the genesis of Black Bird."
"
Michel Basilieres has commented often on the lack of attention English Canada pays (whether in literature or memory) to the October Crisis and the issues at its heart, events that are so central to Quebec consciousness and to our national identity. What s hardest for people today to understand is the fear many people felt, both French and English . When the crisis finally erupted, it became the focus of world attention. And we were invaded by the army. We were under martial law, and we knew that anyone could be arrested and detained without charge on the least pretext. And that happened. 500 artists, writers, journalists, musicians, poets and professors were rounded up and incarcerated. People don t seem to understand when I make this point about Canada, the country I grew up in: we sent the army to arrest the intellectuals. We had always been taught this kind of thing was the brutal act of repressive dictatorships.
For Michel, language is not only a factor in the defining of Quebec, or of Canada, but has been so in his own life. Growing up in Montreal with a French father and an anglophone mother, he has always felt somewhat separate from the two cultures as does his character, Jean-Baptiste. Michel s language is English, which has always added to the distance: My name, for example, has been a constant problem, to tell you the truth. In Montreal everyone expects me to be perfectly fluent in French and they re surprised when I m not. In Toronto, people think my name is Michael. Or, if they re writing to me, they think I m a woman.
Much of the humour of Black Bird" "comes from Michel s conscious effort to have fun while writing. I was aware of how difficult it was to be a writer because I had met so much resistance along the way. I realized that, given that the chances of publication were so slim, I might end up with only a manuscript in the drawer . I was really just trying to amuse myself. Throughout the writing process, he d tell his own jokes, and when they show up on the page they add a richness to his portrayal of Montreal and some of its odder inhabitants. Michel s experience as a bookseller gave him a realistic view of his chances of being published, even by a small publisher, but then his hopes were surpassed: Black Bird" "was discovered in the slush pile at Knopf Canada, and became part of the publisher s celebrated New Face of Fiction program. And though the attention that has been focused on Michel since publication has dramatically affected his life, sometimes in unexpected ways, he still considers the whole experience to be a dream come true.
Today, Michel lives in Toronto and is writing his second novel. His other writing projects include a produced stage play, independent film work and a radio drama for the CBC, as well as arts journalism. He has worked as a bookseller in both Toronto and Montreal."
"
Michel Basilieres has commented often on the lack of attention English Canada pays (whether in literature or memory) to the October Crisis and the issues at its heart, events that are so central to Quebec consciousness and to our national identity. What s hardest for people today to understand is the fear many people felt, both French and English . When the crisis finally erupted, it became the focus of world attention. And we were invaded by the army. We were under martial law, and we knew that anyone could be arrested and detained without charge on the least pretext. And that happened. 500 artists, writers, journalists, musicians, poets and professors were rounded up and incarcerated. People don t seem to understand when I make this point about Canada, the country I grew up in: we sent the army to arrest the intellectuals. We had always been taught this kind of thing was the brutal act of repressive dictatorships.
For Michel, language is not only a factor in the defining of Quebec, or of Canada, but has been so in his own life. Growing up in Montreal with a French father and an anglophone mother, he has always felt somewhat separate from the two cultures as does his character, Jean-Baptiste. Michel s language is English, which has always added to the distance: My name, for example, has been a constant problem, to tell you the truth. In Montreal everyone expects me to be perfectly fluent in French and they re surprised when I m not. In Toronto, people think my name is Michael. Or, if they re writing to me, they think I m a woman.
Much of the humour of Black Bird" "comes from Michel s conscious effort to have fun while writing. I was aware of how difficult it was to be a writer because I had met so much resistance along the way. I realized that, given that the chances of publication were so slim, I might end up with only a manuscript in the drawer . I was really just trying to amuse myself. Throughout the writing process, he d tell his own jokes, and when they show up on the page they add a richness to his portrayal of Montreal and some of its odder inhabitants. Michel s experience as a bookseller gave him a realistic view of his chances of being published, even by a small publisher, but then his hopes were surpassed: Black Bird" "was discovered in the slush pile at Knopf Canada, and became part of the publisher s celebrated New Face of Fiction program. And though the attention that has been focused on Michel since publication has dramatically affected his life, sometimes in unexpected ways, he still considers the whole experience to be a dream come true.
Today, Michel lives in Toronto and is writing his second novel. His other writing projects include a produced stage play, independent film work and a radio drama for the CBC, as well as arts journalism. He has worked as a bookseller in both Toronto and Montreal."
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherAlfred a Knopf Inc
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 0676975275
- ISBN 13 9780676975277
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages320
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