The main pull of the story, for me, was to find out what is Sarah Canary and what happens to her. I was disappointed in this regard, as this issue was never satisfactorily resolved. It was an interesting story, but failed to answer the many questions that were raised throughout. The book seemed to dissipate rather than end. I would be interested to hear a discussion group's insight on this book. Maybe there is something I am missing. Fowler is one of our most talented writers. This is her first novel; if you missed it as I had , go back and read it. She writes a historical novel with an eye to the contemporary reader--how she holds both of those points-of-view simultaneously is remarkable.
In the late 19th century, in the Pacific Northwest, at the crossroads of cultural superstition, mental illness, and outer space stands a young woman who never speaks but only sings. No one knows her name or where she came from. They call her Sarah Canary. Some say she is an escapee from the asylum at Steilacoom. But that cannot explain the dress she wears -- a black, long-sleeved, high-neck dress that seems to have no seam or button At the heart of this novel is one of the most original concepts for a science fiction story that I've ever encountered, a concept rendered with sensitivity, elegance, and compassion.
If you have to read one science fiction novel in your life if, indeed, this is a science fiction novel , you could do worse than to make this the one. Niet ingeschakeld Word Wise: A Maze of Death Details. A Scanner Darkly Details. Always Coming Home Details. Behold The Man Details. Bring The Jubilee Details.
China Mountain Zhang Details. Cities In Flight Details. Downward To The Earth Details. Dying Of The Light Details. Flowers For Algernon Details. Half Past Human Details. I Am Legend Details. Land Under England Details. Last And First Men Details. Life During Wartime Details. Lord Of Light Details. Mission Of Gravity Details. Monday Starts on Saturday Details. More Than Human Details. No Enemy But Time Details. Of Men and Monsters Details. Random Acts of Senseless Violence Details.
Rendezvous With Rama Details. Stand On Zanzibar Details. Take Back Plenty Details. The Best of R. The Body Snatchers Details. The Book Of Skulls Details. The Book of the New Sun: The Caltraps of Time Details. The Centauri Device Details. The Child Garden Details. The Complete Roderick Details. The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe Details. Chin's is coloured by his Chinese heritage, full of Confucian metaphor and mythical messages; BJ, high-functioning but still not quite there, liberally mixes fact and fiction.
Personality quirks aside, however, the characters never fully rise above the archetypes they represent. In particular, Adelaide is a tireless campaigner for women's rights. The characters have personalities but not fully-developed personae. Sarah Canary didn't leave me awestruck, but it did touch me—especially the ending. Chin's reflection on the nature of story and the role of reader is poignant and true.
That being said, what was up with that epilogue? Feb 29, Rob rated it really liked it Shelves: In the spring , my honors seminar class read a collection of 19th century Continental European novels Madame Bovary , Anna Karenina , and Effie Briest , all to discuss feminism, the historical context of same esp.
Anyway, th In the spring , my honors seminar class read a collection of 19th century Continental European novels Madame Bovary , Anna Karenina , and Effie Briest , all to discuss feminism, the historical context of same esp. Anyway, this book could have done the trick for all those topics except maybe the bit about translations. The book has challenging moments. By the end of the novel, we have been introduced to many characters, and many plot threads have been woven together. As I closed the covers, I could not say with confidence that I had closure on every aspect.
Perhaps I was not meant to? Regardless, the backdrop is colorful the way a physically rugged and socially bleak backdrop can be, and my imagination was often populated with images evocative of David Lynch or Jim Jarmusch films. If you've seen Dead Man then you have an idea of what I'm talking about. Aug 11, Nikki rated it liked it Shelves: I do not know what to make of this book. I suspected I wasn't going to enjoy it, since I haven't enjoyed other stuff by Karen Joy Fowler, but that's not exactly what happened. I did get caught up in the story, intrigued by the mystery of Sarah Canary.
At the same time, I felt like it was one of a type of novel I don't get on very well with, something very opaque, where motivations aren't clear and things just happen to the characters as if they are just giving themselves over to whichever way li I do not know what to make of this book. At the same time, I felt like it was one of a type of novel I don't get on very well with, something very opaque, where motivations aren't clear and things just happen to the characters as if they are just giving themselves over to whichever way life pushes them.
Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that kind of story, it just doesn't really do anything for me. Well, I'm sure there are exceptions, but this wasn't one -- the best I can say is that I read it very quickly, I had no intention of stopping, and I did find it interesting. Partially because of the genre-twisty is-this-SF question about it, rather than because of it -- ambiguous stories don't bother me, but the combination of style and character here did. On the other hand, I did like the portrayal of B. For all that he's clearly "not all there" in colloquial terms, he's good at heart and the way he sees the world makes for an interesting point of view.
The passages from his point of view were maybe the best in the novel, for me. Jun 21, Larisa rated it it was ok. Throughout this novel, I--like several of the characters--wondered why everyone kept chasing after the mysterious Sarah Canary, when she seemed to bring nothing but trouble and gave nothing in return. Indeed, toward the end I also found myself wondering why I kept reading the book. I did develop an extreme fondness for Chin, the Chinaman who first sets off with Sarah Canary and finds more adventure than he bargained for.
Also, I did enjoy the introductory section to each chapter, where Fowler su Throughout this novel, I--like several of the characters--wondered why everyone kept chasing after the mysterious Sarah Canary, when she seemed to bring nothing but trouble and gave nothing in return. Also, I did enjoy the introductory section to each chapter, where Fowler summarizes several contemporary real events that prove truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
On the whole, though, I was glad to be done with the book and move on to something more enjoyable. This book gave me a taste for Karen Joy Fowler's books that was long unsatisfied until I found her next book some four years later! The story seemlessly blends a science fiction motiv with a dark and quirky historical setting. If you enjoy cross-genre experiments, check this one out.
Fowler seems to have a day job that keeps her happy because she has only published four novels since Each novel is very different from the others, and she only repeated the historical sett This book gave me a taste for Karen Joy Fowler's books that was long unsatisfied until I found her next book some four years later!
Each novel is very different from the others, and she only repeated the historical setting of Sarah Canary once in Sister Noon. Her short fiction turns up occasionally in science fiction anthologies and never disapoints. Got to page But I don't know how. Sure, the writing style is impressive, and the setting, with all the historical details, is intriguing.
But the yuck factor is above my comfort level, and trying to read it as Satire only makes me feel more disturbed. And then I learn from other reviews that we never do learn more about the title character? Um, no, totally not for me. And, no, I don't agree with the Wizard of Oz comparison, even if we improve the accuracy as: Chin is the Questing, Homesick D Got to page Jun 30, Molly rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book is inventive, brilliant and a masterpiece of original, vibrant writing.
Set in 's West coast America the book is replete with geniune hoeroes and heroines including the elusive and elemental Sarah Canary, a kidnapped Chinaman, an escaped lunatic, a sex-positive suffragist and a drunken, shellshocked Civil War vet. Fowler manages to create a story that is inventive, surreal and at times, amazingly profound.
A fun counterpoint for this book would be Marge Piercy's book Sex Wars, she This book is inventive, brilliant and a masterpiece of original, vibrant writing. A fun counterpoint for this book would be Marge Piercy's book Sex Wars, she goes into more detail about the 's goings-on back east Mar 16, Barbara rated it really liked it. I didn't think I wanted to keep reading, but I'm glad I did because the reward paid off. Be prepared to be confused, though, and don't expect to ever really find out who Sarah is.
Like the characters surrounding her in this novel, she can be whoever you want her to be, which makes this curiously like meta-fiction. It is also a short history of women's roles in the west at the end of the 19th century. Apr 01, Christine rated it did not like it Shelves: Chin and his fellow railway workers are on their way to another job in the Washington Territory in when a mysterious white woman emerges from the forest. Her babbling speech and odd behavior suggests she's wandered away from the nearby asylum, so Chin attempts to return her there, though he's half-hoping she's one of the ghost lovers from stories.
Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler
The simple task becomes a harrowing adventure, and then another, with more people pulled into the orbit of the perpetually inscrutable woman know Chin and his fellow railway workers are on their way to another job in the Washington Territory in when a mysterious white woman emerges from the forest. The simple task becomes a harrowing adventure, and then another, with more people pulled into the orbit of the perpetually inscrutable woman known as Sarah Canary.
Everyone who gets tangled up with Sarah Canary is a fascinating character, wonderfully depicted, and I grew fond of them all, even the villain a bit. Fowler brings the historical setting to life with vivid detail, and occasional short passages about real period events provide fun and useful context. The story addresses the blatant racism, sexism, and other horrors of the time, but the narrative's deadpan humor keeps the story feeling like a wild romp even when events become dark.
I enjoyed keeping up with these delightful characters as they chased each other through the exciting plot. I've read a couple of Fowler's other novels this was her first , and I always admire her writing.
I intend to read more of her work in the upcoming months, because she's going to be an honored guest at the next Friends of the Genre Con in March. Fowler has published both speculative and realistic fiction.
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Y toda la novela gira alrededor de el contacto con la otredad. Mar 22, Camelia Rose rated it really liked it Shelves: A very unique telling of American Wild West in s. We have an unusual combination of characters - a Chinese labourer, a Forest Gump, an ideological suffragette, a mysterious mad woman and a morally ambigious immortal. I like the two numbering systems in the book - chapters in Arabic numbers form the main story while chapters in Roman numbers provide supplementary historical facts. Did Karen Joy Fowler study history and Eastern culture before she became a writer?
Sarah Canary
She certainly ha What a story! She certainly has done a superb research. Some parts, such as women's dire situation, racism and the description of Asylum can be uncomfortable to read for some readers. I dare say this historical fiction is a constant reminder that not so long ago women were not allowed to vote, racism was widely practiced and mental health sufferers were treated worse than prisoners. However, the ending could have been stronger. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love that after the interspersed wonderful snippets of how weird and racist late 19th century America was Fowler ends by listing even more bizarre and terrible stuff that a historical novelist might select from the late 20th century when the novel was written.
Don't get the illusion that it's only people in the past that are fucked up. We're all inmates in the same mad house, just at different times. Fowler is an amazing writer and had me in her grasp from line one. That said, the first chapt I love that after the interspersed wonderful snippets of how weird and racist late 19th century America was Fowler ends by listing even more bizarre and terrible stuff that a historical novelist might select from the late 20th century when the novel was written.
That said, the first chapters felt like linked short stories rather than a cohesive piece. I know this is her first novel so wondered perhaps if the book started out as short stories or if it just took her a bit to get going. They are good chapters regardless and once past them the book starts to flow, especially when the main characters are all together. I don't know if I was as hooked on the mystery of Sarah Canary as I was supposed to be. Well, no, I just didn't care about the mystery of Sarah.
I think the goal was to get the reader to project their own idea of what she was onto her blank slate, as did all the other characters in the book. But that strategy became clear early on, there isn't really anything there but Fowler's conceit which, spoiler in my spoiler review may be completely sf makee upeee immortal male-female creature by the end or just mentally ill. If Sarah's origins and particulars were the only thing going on then the book would be a failure, but there is so much more.
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There is Chin trying to survive the white demons the racist white north-west folk , B. So not a complete success for me, but miles ahead of your run of the mill historical-science-fictional book. Mar 28, Res rated it liked it Shelves: The one where Chin becomes responsible for a strange white woman who won't speak and follows her all over the post-Civil War West, picking up strange allies and strange enemies along the way. This is the sort of book that reviewers tend to describe as "an exploration of You could think of it as sort of the Funhouse of Bigotry -- violent bigotry is the engine of most of the action, and casual bigotry is the langua The one where Chin becomes responsible for a strange white woman who won't speak and follows her all over the post-Civil War West, picking up strange allies and strange enemies along the way.
You could think of it as sort of the Funhouse of Bigotry -- violent bigotry is the engine of most of the action, and casual bigotry is the language of every page, and it all looks pretty horrible to live through, but in the story it's serving the same purpose that crime or disaster would serve in another story; in spite of constant hazard, the story is fun. There are a lot of characters in this book, and I can't entirely dislike any of them, and some of them I adored. The narrative voice is a delight. I loved Chin's philosophical observations and B.
I even ended up wishing Harold well. And there are dozens of secondary characters who were all kinds of fun. I didn't like Adelaide Dixon, and that frustrated me because she was the only female POV character; the men were all pretty unhinged, too, but none of them were representing their entire gender in the story.
The low-key late romance wasn't at all convincing, either. Sarah Canary - Who's Reading? About Karen Joy Fowler. I was born in Bloomington, Indiana. I was due on Valentine's Day but arrived a week early; my mother blamed this on a really exciting IU basketball game. My father was a psychologist at the University, but not that kind of psychologist.