Marian Engel Bear Pdf Download Free
The winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction, Marian Engel's most famous – and most controversial – novel tells the unforgettable story of a woman transformed by a primal, erotic relationship. Lou is a lonely librarian who spends her days in the dusty. Novelists such as Fred Bodsworth, Sheila Watson, Marian Engel,. Increasingly urbane literature in the Canadian imaginative landscape may bear out. Marianbeartrailmap.pdf - Similar Ebooks: marian bear memorial park. Engel.pdf - Similar Ebooks: ein engel? Ursprung engel 3. My interest focuses particularly on Canadian Marian Engel's Bear, where the writer tries to deal with unspeakable subjects between a woman and a bear:.
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Preview — Bear by Marian Engel
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She literally f*cked a bear.
No. This isn't some euphemism for a beefy gay man.
She motherf*cking literallyf*cked a literal bear.
What. The. Hell.
Okay. So. I'm not a cultured reader. I read mostly YA and...well...that's about it. BUT, I am a reader. A layman reader. So, here is the review from a casual just-for-fun reader:
She f*cked a bear.
For the record: did I pick up this book knowing there will be bear-f*ckery? No.
I picked it because I wanted (for once) to read a nov...more
first of all, i want to thank bill thompson, for sending me this book from canada. i also want to thank him specifically for sending me this cover, because it is totally hot and i got to upload it onto goodreads.com myself.
i am now prepared for the customer/patron question: 'do y'all have any books where a bear goes down on a lady??' yes. yes i do. but that's pretty reductive, even though the book i...more
What is it with you guys up there? Is it the solitude? The aurora borealis? The cold?
If I were to take Margaret Atwood seriously (and I do, oh, I do, I do, I do), y'all are transmuting into amoebas up there, giving birth in lakes to half-formed human/beavers.
And now there's this Lou in my life. Lou, the world's most boring librarian, sent up to a place called “Cary's Island” in Canada, to catalogue a library for her Institute.
In case it's uncl...more
Did I just say that? Lemme just re-read the line above. Yep, there it is. Sex with a bear.
God bless 1976, when a book about a lonely, bookish woman who, sent up to the northern Ontario wilderness for work, has sexy-times with a bear, wins the Governor General's Award. For those who don't know, this is Canada's most prestigious literary prize. It's like winning the Pulitzer, or Man Booker, in my country. Apparently, that year, Be...more
Is this a book where Lou kneads the bear’s testicles and tries to mount the bear’s penis? Yes.
Is this a book where Lou falls in love with a bear? Yes.
Did Marian Engel win the Governor’s General Award for this book? Yes
Is this book about gratuitous bestiality? No.
Is this book about general bestiality, then? No. (Although clearly, ........).
So, what IS this book about, then?
Lou...more
After stumbling across this on imgur I feel like it's my duty to read this.
For research purposes.
I feel like I'm probably going to regret this decision.
IM GONNA READ IT LADS
I'm overcome with delight at how Marian Engel portrayed these scenes. And I'm overcome with gratefulness at the way Engel refuses to anthropomorphize...more
Unfortunately, this novel seems to have been forgotten.
It opens when Lou, the main character, a librarian, is commissioned to catalog and research the life of an eccentric nineteenth century colonel in the wilds of Ontario. At first, Lou is uncertain she wants to be in such an isolated environment. But once she reaches the remote island house, and begins her cataloging and research, a peace falls upon h...more
Lou, a cataloguer for a historical institute, is assigned to go live on an island in Northern Ontario where she will record all possessions in the estate of the late Colonel Jocelyn Cary, who has left her house and bear to the institute. Lou is a woman who, we are told, only feels purposeful and grounded by having instructions, but she ends up having sex with the bear, and through that, having unnamed guilt healed by having her back clawed, thereby experiencing a rebirth.
(I'l...more
I have nothing to add to the mountain of words, both adulatory and damning, that have been written about this book, except that perhaps more than with any other book reviewed on this site, I wish that, freedom of speech be damned, I could delete other users' reviews.
For the love of reading, people, it's a novel.
The summary: A quiet, young librarian gets an assignment to catalogue a collection on a remote island. On the island she finds a tame bear and she begins to question herself about life, relationships and her prev...more
It was the night of the falling stars. She took him to the riverbank. They swam in the still, black water. They did not play. They were serious that night. They swam in circles around each other, very solemnly. Then they went to the shore, and instead of shaking himself on her, he lay beside her and licked the water from her body while she, on her back, let the stars fall, one, two, fourteen, a million, it seemed, falling on her, ready to burn her. Once she reached up to one, it seemed so close...more
Marian Engel Bear Pdf Download Free
Thanks all, that is what Goodreads is all about.
So, what a beautiful story.
There are so many things to love about this story. For booklovers, even the premise that somewhere in a wilderness setting there is a beautiful old house full of antiques and books waiting to be discovered, or even catalogued, held and rea...more
I read this book because there was an article about it floating around Facebook. I believe the actual title of that article was something like 'What the actual fuck, Canada?' because this is a book wherein a woman gets licked by a bear. Bear sex. And not of the hairy dude variety. Bear sex with an actual real bear. And what's more, it's an award-winning book with bear sex in it.
But it's not a book about bear sex.
The writing is beautiful. The sensory detail is phenomenal. There's a scene whe...more
Favourite line: 'As long as she made her stool beside him in the morning, he was ready whenever she spread her legs to him.'
I admit I wanted to read this because I'd read some hi-larious reviews about the fact that it won the Governor General's Literary Award in Canada in 1976, which is noteworthy, since it's probably the highest award ever bestowed upon a novel in which a librarian has a tryst with a bear.
The surprise is that Bear is actually kind of good. There's some good writing, some deep characterization, a real sense of loneliness and longing that almost ... almost makes you t...more
You guys.
Look at this cover.
Read the description.
Look at Christina's review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Then read this thing on tumblr: http://some-awkward-peacock.tumblr.co...
THEN say it with me...
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?????
| topics | posts | views | last activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write Reads Podcast:Write Reads #31 Bear with Alexis Kienlen | 1 | 8 | Sep 26, 2015 09:13AM |
She was the first chair of the Writer’s Union of Canada (1973–74) and helped found the Public Lending Right Commission. From 1975-1977, she served on the City of Toronto Book Award Committee (an award she won in 1981 for Lunatic Villas) and the Can...more
| Author | Marian Engel |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | 1976 |
| Publisher | McClelland & Stewart |
| Pages | 141 |
| Awards | Governor General's Literary Award,1976 – Fiction, English |
| ISBN | 9780771030802 |
| OCLC | 2507467 |
Bear is a novel by Canadian author Marian Engel, published in 1976. It won the Governor General's Literary Award the same year. It is Engel's fifth novel, and her most famous. The story tells of a lonely librarian in northern Ontario who enters into a sexual relationship with a bear. The book has been called 'the most controversial novel ever written in Canada'.[1]
- 2Synopsis
Background[edit]
The book was Engel's fifth novel, and her sixth piece of published writing. Engel studied under author Hugh MacLennan, finishing her Master's of Arts at McGill University in Montreal in 1957.[2] Her first novel, No Clouds for Glory, was released in 1968. She was awarded a Canada Council grant on the strength of the book, but had difficulty finding a publisher for her second novel, The Honeyman Festival. The book was published in 1970 by the new Toronto company House of Anansi Press, which would also put out another novel, Monodronos, and a collection of short stories, Inside the Easter Egg.[2]
The novel was written in a busy and tumultuous period in the author's life, a 'very crazy time' as described by Engel.[3] In 1973, Engel had started the Writers' Union of Canada (W.U.C.) from her home, and served as its first chairperson. Through the W.U.C., and her position on the board of trustees for the Toronto Public Library, she advocated for public lending rights for Canadian authors.[4] She was raising twins while undergoing a painful divorce. She took regular psychotherapy sessions, and worried about her mental health. Engel would end up dedicating the book to John Rich, her therapist.[5]
Engel started writing the novel to contribute to a W.U.C. collection of pornographic fiction by 'serious' writers.[6] The project was supposed to raise funds for the cash-strapped union, but did not make it to publication. Engel kept with her 31-page draft, and developed it into the 141-page novel.[4] She was partly inspired by the First Nations legend of The Bear Princess, as recorded by folklorist Marius Barbeau. The story was suggested to the writer by the Haida artist Bill Reid.[7] Early titles for the book included The Bear of Pennarth and The Dog of God.[8] The book was rejected when first sent to publishers. An editor with Harcourt Brace wrote in a rejection letter: 'Its relative brevity coupled with its extreme strangeness presents, I'm afraid, an insuperable obstacle in present circumstances.' Fellow Canadian author Robertson Davies praised the book to McClelland & Stewart editors, and Engel started a lifelong friendship with company president Jack McClelland. The first printing was released in Toronto in May 1976.[2]
Synopsis[edit]
Setting[edit]
The book takes place in the district of Algoma in northeastern Ontario. The area is heavily wooded, with a mix of deciduous and conifer forests. Part of the Canadian Shield, the district has many lakes and rivers. Almost all of the story takes place in or around an old, octagonal house on a small island on a remote lake. The location, 'Cary's Island' is fictitious, located north of Highway 17, past 'Fisher's Falls' and near a village called 'Brody'.[9]
The house and estate, previously belonging to the Cary family, whose patriarch fought in the Napoleonic Wars, is called 'Pennarth' (Welsh for 'Bear's head'). Its octagonal layout was inspired by the writings of Orson Squire Fowler, which dates the building to the 1850s.[10] The house is well-ordered and elaborate, and houses an extensive library of nineteenth century books. Outside are several outbuildings, including a shed that houses a large, semi-tame bear.[11]
Plot summary[edit]
The novel centers on Lou, a 27-year-old librarian given the task of documenting the house and library of Colonel Cary, which has been donated to her employer, the Heritage Institute. Escaping a dreary and unfulfilling life in Toronto, Lou revels in the opportunity to work in the solitude of Cary's Island. She studies and catalogues the library. Lou struggles with her emotional balance, and her relationship with her work. She slowly begins to approach the island's resident bear, who was a pet of the late Colonel.[12]
Lonely and isolated, Lou enters into a sporadic sexual relationship with the estate's caretaker, Homer Campbell. She becomes closer to the bear, aided by an elder First Nations woman, Lucy Leroy. Lucy advises Lou on how to gain the animal's confidence. As she delves deeper into the library, she finds scraps of bear folklore and studies collected by the Colonel. Her relationship with the bear becomes sexual, as well as spiritual. As her work comes to a finish, the bear scratches her deeply in the back. Her bond with the bear is altered, and Lou leaves the island with a sense of renewal.[12]
Reception[edit]
The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that the book has been called 'the most controversial novel ever written in Canada,'[1] and the notoriety around its subject matter brought Engel to national attention for the first time.[13] At its publication, the novel was mostly received well by critics. Engel's writing craft was admired, with The Globe and Mail noting her 'fine use of understatement, control, and economy.'[14] The book was received favorably outside of Canada as well; London's Times Literary Supplement wrote a positive review.[15] Exceptions included novelist and critic Scott Symons, who called the book 'spiritual gangrene... a Faustian compact with the Devil.'[5] The 1976 Governor General's Literary Award jury, which included authors Margaret Laurence, Alice Munro, and Mordecai Richler awarded Bear its English-language Fiction award, one of the highest literary prizes in the country.[5]
In 2014, the paperback cover became an Internet meme, thanks to a widely shared Imgur post titled 'WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, CANADA?'[16] This exposure led to a modern reappraisal of the 1970s novel, including new reviews, commentary, and a place in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's 2014 list 'Books That Make You Proud to Be a Canadian.'[16][17] A 2014 National Post review by literature critic Emily M. Keeler called the book 'the best Canadian novel of all time.'[18] Critic Aritha Van Herk, in an interview with CBC Radio's Q program, called the novel a 'quintessential Canadian book,' referencing the role of wilderness in Canadian lives.[19]
Publication history[edit]
McLelland & Stewart released the first edition in 1976. Atheneum Books released the first American edition. Several paperback editions were published by different imprints, including Seal and Pandora. The now-famous, Harlequin-like paperback cover depicts a partially nude female being embraced by a large bear. Its artist was not credited in the book; later investigation concluded the illustration was likely by veteran cover illustrator Fred Pfeiffer.[20] McClelland released a new edition under its 'New Canadian Library' series in 1990 with an afterword by Aritha Van Herk. A more recent American edition licensed from Atheneum was published in 2002 by David R. Godine, Publisher with a subtly provocative wood engraved illustration by Wesley Bates on the front cover and frontis, which has gone into 10 printings as of 2018. In August 2014, reacting to renewed interest in the novel, McClelland released a reprint of the New Canadian Library edition. Trying to avoid the sensationalism of the original paperback cover, Random House of Canada (which owns McClelland & Stewart) senior designer Five Seventeen designed several versions, finally deciding on a painting by American artist Mara Light. The painting depicts the back of a nude female; the designer added scratch marks, evoking an episode from the novel where Lou is injured by the bear.[20]
Notes[edit]
- ^ abCoates, Donna (2 June 2006). 'Bear (Novel)'. Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ abcGaray, Kathy. 'Marian Engel: A Life in Writing'. Historical Perspectives on Canadian Publishing. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: McMaster University. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^Verduyn 1995, p. 120.
- ^ abVerduyn 1995, p. 119.
- ^ abcBynoe, Sara (14 August 2014). 'There's More to 'Bear' Than Bear Sex'. Hazlitt. Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^New, William H. (2002). Encyclopedia of literature in Canada. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. p. 333. ISBN9780802007612.
- ^Verduyn 1995, p. 129.
- ^Verduyn 2004, p. 148.
- ^Colombo, John Robert (1984). Canadian literary landmarks. Willowdale, Ont: Hounslow Press. p. 103. ISBN9780888820730.
- ^Martin, John H. 'Orson Squire Fowler: Phrenology and Octagon Houses 1809-1887'. Crooked Lake Review. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^Verduyn 1995, pp. 126–127.
- ^ abVerduyn 1995, pp. 129–136.
- ^Verduyn 1995, p. 117.
- ^Verduyn 1995, p. 126.
- ^Verduyn 2004, p. 153.
- ^ abSemley, John (8 August 2014). 'Why there's new interest in the book 'Bear': Irony, sly humour (and the bear sex)'. Globe & Mail. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^'100 novels that make you proud to be a Canadian'(PDF). CBC Books. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^Keeler, Emily M. (8 December 2014). 'Marian Engel's Bear, reviewed: The best Canadian novel of all time'. The National Post. Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^'Bearotica: Why the 1976 novel 'Bear' is actually a good read'. Q. CBC Radio. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ abFlinn, Sue Carter (23 December 2014). 'The Bear necessities: Marian Engel's novel gets a makeover'. Quill & Quire. St, Joseph Media. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
References[edit]
- Brady, Elizabeth (1987). Marian Engel and her works. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. ISBN9780920763278.
- Verduyn, Christl (1995). Lifelines: Marian Engel's writings. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN9780773513389.
- Verduyn, Christl; Garay, Kathleen L. (2004). Marian Engel: life in letters. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press. ISBN9780802036872.
Further reading[edit]
- Hair, Donald S. (Spring 1982). 'Marian Engel's 'Bear''. Canadian Literature (#92 'Fiction in the Seventies').
External links[edit]
- Engel on writing the book, reading passages, CBC Books, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation