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In 1949, Joseph Smallwood became the first premier of the newly federated Canadian province of Newfoundland. Predictably, and almost immediately, his name retreated to the footnotes of history. And yet, as Wayne Johnston makes plain in his epic and affectionate fifth novel, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, Smallwood's life was endearingly emblematic, an instance of an extraordinary man emerging at a propitious moment. The particular charm of Johnston's book, however, lies not merely in unveiling a career that so seamlessly coincided with the burgeoning self-consciousness of Newfoundland itself, but in exposing a simple truth--namely, that history is no more than the accretion of lived lives.
Born into debilitating poverty, Smallwood is sustained by a bottomless faith in his own industry. His unabashed ambition is to "rise not from rags to riches, but from obscurity to world renown." To this end, he undertakes tasks both sublime and baffling--walking 700 miles along a Newfoundland railroad line in a self-martyring union drive; narrating a homespun radio spot; and endlessly irritating and ingratiating himself with the Newfoundland political machine. His opaque and constant incitement is an unconsummated love for his childhood friend, Sheilagh Fielding. Headstrong and dissolute, she weaves in and out of Smallwood's life like a salaried goad, alternately frustrating and illuminating his ambitions. Smallwood is harried as well by Newfoundland's subtle gravity, a sense that he can never escape the tug of his native land, since his only certainty is the island itself--that "massive assertion of land, sea's end, the outer limit of all the water in the world, a great, looming, sky-obliterating chunk of rock."
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams bogs down after a time in its detailing of Smallwood's many political intrigues and in the lingering matter of a mysterious letter supposedly written by Fielding. However, when he speculates on the secret motives of his peers, or when he reveals his own hyperbolic fantasies and grandiose hopes--matters no one would ever confess aloud--the novel is both apt and amiable. Best of all is to watch Smallwood's inevitable progress toward a practical cynicism. It seems nothing less than miraculous that his countless disappointments pave the way for his ascension, that his private travails ultimately align with the land he loves. This is history resuscitated. --Ben Guterson
Book Description
A mystery and a love story spanning five decades,
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is an epic portrait of passion and ambition, set against the beautiful, brutal landscape of Newfoundland. In this widely acclaimed novel, Johnston has created two of the most memorable characters in recent fiction: Joey Smallwood, who claws his way up from poverty to become New Foundland's first premier; and Sheilagh Fielding, who renounces her father's wealth to become a popular columnist and writer, a gifted satirist who casts a haunting shadow on Smallwood's life and career.
The two meet as children at school and grow to realize that their lives are irreversibly intertwined, bound together by a secret they don't know they share. Smallwood, always on the make, torn between love of country and fear of failure, is as reluctant to trust the private truths of his heart as his rival and savior, Fielding--brilliant, hard-drinking, and unconventionally sexy. Their story ranges from small-town Newfoundland to New York City, from the harrowing ice floes of the seal hunt to the lavish drawing rooms of colonial governors, and combines erudition, comedy, and unflagging narrative brio in a manner reminiscent of John Irving and Charles Dickens. A tragicomic elegy for the "colony of unrequited dreams" that is Newfoundland, Wayne Johnston's masterful tribute to a people and a place establishes him as a novelist who is as profound as he is funny, with an impeccable sense of the intersection where private lives and history collide.
Customer Reviews:
Wayne Johnston Rocks!.......2007-07-31
Another masterful story by author Wayne Johnston, the best story teller I have read in a long time. The story flows from beginning to end as his characters take you along with them through Newfoundland. Any lover of a good yarn will love this tale.
People in History.......2007-07-01
The book combines a fascinating account of the political development of Newfoundland, seen through three sets of eyes, those of Smallwood, Fielding and Prowse, with the single-minded dedication of Smallwood to "make something of himself". That he does so to the exclusion of all personal social matters seems not to belittle him as a person, as his goal includes the betterment of the people of Newfoundland. The descriptions of the life and poverty in Newfoundland in the early years, along with the exploitation of the island by almost everyone, is extremely interesting, but it is s little tragic that his single-mindedness of purpose precludes him from, possibly, realizing great joy and fulfillment in his personal relationships. A most interesting and readable book.
WOW!.......2006-06-04
I never expected that this "fictionalized" history of Joe Smallwood's life, a story of how New Foundland would come into Canadian Confederation would be a PAGE TURNER. The love story between the train wreck of a character, Fielding, and Smallwood is simply amazing.
Fictional brilliant of a man trapped by his own history.......2005-03-14
In 1949 the British colony of Newfoundland and Labrador entered Confederation to become the youngest province in the Dominion of Canada. The man responsible for the political move was Joey Smallwood. Smallwood was a curious figure from the start. A man convinced of his own history and somewhat of a Canadian with a Napoleon complex. Too bad for Smallwood that the island of Newfoundland had not the resources nor he the access to build an empire. However, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, is a sweeping fictional tale based on an actual person. Spanning 50 years in the life of a consuming ambition, this book seeks to explain the strange and odd policies that emerged from the very first premier of Newfoundland. Smallwood had desired to be Prime Minister of Great Britian but settled for his own inaugural leadership role. Today he is as much a part of the province as Churchill still is to Britain.
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is about a man, a vision, a political hunger without a core compass, and a love that remains forever just a wish. The female Fielding character is an imaginative stresser for Joey through the years, but she embodies the heart of his dreams that are sabotaged by his own inner ghosts and frustrations.
Character, not history.......2005-03-05
I completely disagree with,"it is goodbook if you want to learn something about the history of Newfoundland, but I don't think it offers much in the way of portraying the subtle interactions of human manners." The characters are what got me, not the history of Newfoundland. The tension, stark realizations of loss, lack of care time has for life, and the sadness of the characters mirror the barren grey landscape. The fact that Fielding and Small cannot find fulfillment in each other in real life, but that they crave it much to their own chagrin, is one of the testaments to what we hope versus what can be. Thoughtful, stark, and haunting.
Average customer rating:
- Good Cowboys
- LUKE
- LUKE
- LUKE
- The Cowboy Series is Wonderful!!!!
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The Cowboys: Luke (Cowboys)
Leigh Greenwood
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Greenwood, Leigh | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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Greenwood, Leigh | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0843948043 |
Customer Reviews:
Good Cowboys.......2007-06-27
I have enjoyed all of Leigh Greenwood's Cowboys. My favorite is always the one I most recently read and Luke is my most recent. It is a neat love story with just the right dash of the old west. Of course I am a sucker for a happy ending. Luke is the kind of man that all of us ladies is hoping to find and thank goodness our heroine was clever enough to see this.
LUKE.......2002-05-16
I really liked LUKE , the Characters, LUKE and Valeria were so good together, when I was reading the book I almost felt like I was there, the only thing about the book was I don't understand how Valeria , a rich ,spoiled self-involved young women could change her ways so fast, but it was only a book, I think in the real world it wouldn't happen
DJ
LUKE.......2002-05-16
I really liked LUKE , the Characters, LUKE and Valeria were so good together, when I was reading the book I almost felt like I was there, the only thing about the book was I don't understand how Valeria , a rich ,spoiled self-involved young women could change her ways so fast, but it was only a book, I think in the real world it wouldn't happen
DJ
LUKE.......2002-05-16
I really liked LUKE , the Characters, LUKE and Valeria were so good together, when I was reading the book I almost felt like I was there, the only thing about the book was I don't understand how Valeria , a rich ,spoiled self-involved young women could change her ways so fast, but it was only a book, I think in the real world it wouldn't happen
DJ
The Cowboy Series is Wonderful!!!!.......2001-10-27
I have read all of the Cowboy series books and have enjoyed each one. Greenwood does a wonderful job of bringing each character to life. I am eagerly anticipating the rest of the series and hope that they will be completed soon!! I fell completely in love with Luke!
Book Description
In this new volume, Lucky Luke has to clean out a whole city: Fenton Town, so named because it has been taken over by Dean Fenton, a desperado of the worst sort... Fenton Town has become the most depraved city in all of Texas. Lucky Luke makes a short visit to town--just the time needed to put Fenton in prison and chase out the remaining rabble.
Customer Reviews:
great comics.......2007-09-27
lucky luke has got to be one of the best comics in the world. asterix and tintin are good but ive read them tons of times since I was a kid. Lucky Luke is just fantastic. Every one of the comics is really nice, quite funny, somewhat historical. The horse is too cute, the way he talks and his antics.
Its a pity there are less than 10 of these in print in english. The publisher is slowly releasing 3-4 each year now and I hope to collect all of them.
If you liked Asterix, dont hesitate, buy all of the Lucky Luke's they are just fabulous. Dont have to bother about which title, they are all good.
Humorous comic book for children & adults.......2007-09-06
This is another installment in the hugely popular Lucky Luke series. These English-language editions by 9th Cinebook got my 12-year-old hooked into the Lucky Luke series. The books tend to present a historical situation or event (the discovery of oil, the range wars between ranchers and farmers, etc.) in a humorous, yet educational, light. A fun aspect of the Lucky Luke books is Luke's fictional interactions with real-life personalities from the Old West: Billy the Kid, The Dalton Gang, Jesse James, Calamity Jane and others.Yakari and Great Eagle (Yakari S.)Yakari and the Beavers (Yakari)
Lucky Luke outsmarts Daltons in Dalton City!.......2004-03-24
Goscinny, yet again, tells a nice humorous story about the "poor lonesome cowboy" who is really a long way from home in this adventure as he is held prisoner by the deadly Dalton brothers. But our hero has his own schemes to outsmart the Daltons and get rid of a bunch of other no-good-doers at the same time. Joly Jumper is very funny as always. A nice wonderful story.
Usual Goscinny fun.......2000-08-30
Another good book for a Goscinny fan.
Book Description
Lucky Luke is a one-hundred-percent real hero of the Old West. He is squarely on the side of the law and dedicates his life to seeing that justice is done. He travels around delivering it wherever he goes, accompanied by his faithful companion, Jolly Jumper. Arriving at Fort Weakling, he changes into a formidable bandit. Why? Does his meeting with Billy the Kid, a living legend of the Old West, influence him? JUV008000; CGN002000
Customer Reviews:
Appealing to children and adults.......2007-09-06
This is another installment in the hugely popular Lucky Luke series. This English-language edition by 9th Cinebook helped get my 12-year-old hooked into the Lucky Luke series. One of the fun aspects of the Lucky Luke books is his fictional interactions with real-life personalities from the Old West: Billy the Kid, The Dalton Gang, Jesse James, Calamity Jane and others.
Book Description
The story of Robin Hood has made a strong impression on Jesse James, and he would like to become a bandit with a big heart, like his hero. With the help of his brother Frank and his cousin Cole Younger, he decides to steal from the rich and redistribute the loot to the poor...
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2004-04-27
Being a big comic fan, I think Ma Dalton is excelent and probably the best luck luke out there. The book is simply hilarious.
Average customer rating:
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Bold Rider
Luke Short
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LZ1Z5I |
Product Description
Luke Short has given his readers a gun fighter named Poco - a man who rode alone and lived by violence, so that others might live by the law.
Average customer rating:
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Gotch (The Story of a Cowhorse)
Luke D. Sweetman
Manufacturer: Caxton Printers, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
ASIN: B000N233OK |
Product Description
Fiction based on fact. The adventures of a cow-puncher and his gotch-eared top-horse intended to set forth something of the true spirit of the frontier mid-West, as it was when Texas cattle were trailed to northern ranges.
Book Description
Titusville, August 27, 1859 Colonel Drake discovers a deposit of oil--black gold! Immediately, the Oil Rush is on. The mayor of Titusville calls on Lucky Luke to help maintain order. When Lucky Luke arrives, everyone--from the sheriff to the undertaker--is drilling. As soon as a well is opened, the fight begins. In comes Barry Blunt, a rich prospector who buys up, one by one, all the oil shafts from their owners. But his more-than-suspicious methods draw the wrath of Lucky Luke...
Customer Reviews:
Fun comic book for both children and adults.......2007-09-06
This is another installment in the hugely popular Lucky Luke series. These English-language editions by 9th Cinebook got my 12-year-old hooked into the Lucky Luke series. The books tend to present a historical situation or event (the discovery of oil, the range wars between ranchers and farmers, etc.) in a humorous, yet educational, light. A fun aspect of the Lucky Luke books is Luke's fictional interactions with real-life personalities from the Old West: Billy the Kid, The Dalton Gang, Jesse James, Calamity Jane and others.
Book Description
Lucky Luke makes the acquaintance of Ma Dalton at Cactus Junction, and he quickly realizes that the saying, 'like mother, like son' has never been so true! Ma is regarded as an eccentric and amusing old lady; for example, she holds up the shopkeepers as she does her shopping. But everything changes when her sons escape from prison and Joe Dalton passes himself off as his mother and starts holding up banks in the area. Lucky Luke, always on the watch, follows the trail of the Dalton family, thanks to Rin tin can...
Customer Reviews:
The mother of all Daltons (adventures)!.......2004-03-24
In this story, Goscinny has introduced us to the mother of the deadly Dalton brothers. When the Dalton brothers escape from prison Lucky Luke is called in to hunt them down, and he has some clues to where to start looking for them...their mom's place! Find out in this adventure if the Dalton mom is as deadly as her boys and if, for the first time, Lucky Luke has met his match!
pang pang pang.......1999-09-12
I'm poor lonesome cowboy....and a long long way from home....
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Skin & Allergy News, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 430 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: If rash looks like cowboy's gun holster, think Lucky Luke.(Clinical Rounds)
Author: Patrice Wendling
Publication:
Skin & Allergy News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38
Issue: 6
Page: 54(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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