Songs for the Cold of Heart

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

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I really enjoyed Songs For The Cold Of Heart by Eric Dupont (translated from the French by Peter McCambridge). This book is sprawling, taking place across a small town in Quebec in the early to mid 1900s, Toronto, Berlin and Italy in the late 1990s, with detours to WWII Germany and East Prussia and intermittent stops in New York. This book is on nearly every bookshelf in Quebec and with the masterful way it is written it is easy to see why.

Penny_LiteraryHoarders LOVED this one. I think it was robbed of the Giller Prize. 6y

Pruzy @Penny_LiteraryHoarders I dunno! I‘ve also read Washington Black which was really well written. I feel like Washington Black had themes that were more universally approachable while Songs For The Cold Of Heart painted vivid characters, but their complexity, and the complex elements of the novel (e.g. less than priestly priests or the sexual content of the novel) made it less approachable and palatable for a general audience. 6y

Penny_LiteraryHoarders @Pruzy true. I'll admit to not reading Washington Black yet so I really shouldn't be that adamant about Songs - but I just loved it! ðŸ˜š 6y

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Pruzy @Penny_LiteraryHoarders It was really good! The next book I‘m reading is nowhere near as well written 6y

ShyBookOwl I'm from Quebec (don't live there now) and I don't know that I've ever read a book set there .... this is just occurring to me. I should rectify it. Stacked! 6y

Pruzy @ShyBookOwl Awesome! Quebec is a great province. From Montreal? 6y

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Pruzy

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

I‘m loving the Cora‘s inspired subplot in Songs For The Cold Of Heart by Eric Dupont (Translated by Peter McCambridge).

For those who don‘t know, Cora‘s is a Canadian national breakfast restaurant chain (think IHOP, but classier) started by a woman from the french speaking province of Quebec.

In this novel it‘s called Mado‘s! I love how a breakfast place features in this quintessential novel about life in small town Quebec.

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shawnmooney

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

bailed

After a strong start, this devolved into a cesspool of incoherent, inane nonsense that added up to nothing worth continuing with. At about the 40% mark an abortion doctor slips on a pressed rose once belonging to Callas while chasing the girl whose bass clef birthmark had distracted him from the abortion he was to provide: giving zero you-know-whats about any of it, I did too. Aborted, that is. Just awful.

Megabooks That sounds terrible!! 6y

Penny_LiteraryHoarders Oh I so loved it!! So many stories! ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š 6y

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shawnmooney

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

saresmoore But, but then you‘d be smelling onion for hours. 6y

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shawnmooney

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

saresmoore Yeesh! Quote and image are equally disturbing... 6y

LeahBergen ðŸ˜± 6y

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shawnmooney

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

LeahBergen ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜† 6y

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

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I finished it! It was awesome! For a literary prize that rewards Canadian fiction this one should be crowned the Giller Prize winner! An impressive work of fiction and storytelling! Very John Irving-esque for sure.

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont

Friday night. ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š cozy reading socks, wine, great book...all that's missing is the toasty fire ðŸ”¥. Time to order the firewood!

Still reading this book - knew it would take me most of October but I'm loving it!

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders

Songs for the Cold of Heart | Éric Dupont