David Staines's The Worlds of Michael Ondaatje introduces a wide-ranging exploration of the life and work of one of today's most original literary figures.Opening with Ondaatje's Golden Man Booker Prize win for The English Patient, the book traces the author's remarkable life—from his Sri Lankan childhood and English schooling to his creative awakening in Canada—and his evolution as poet, novelist, filmmaker, and editor.Twenty-two distingu...

"Eminently readable. . . . a translator who understands the spirit as well as the letter of the original and renders it with style." — SpeculumThis new translation brings to life for a new generation of readers the stories of King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Gawain, Perceval, Yvain, and the other "knights and ladies" of Chrétien de Troyes' famous chivalric romances."A pleasure to read." — Library Journal"These are, above all, stories...

Set in the early 1950s in Montreal, this is the story of enigmatic Peggy Sanderson—a woman who has become a socially awkward presence due to her open and casual association with black musicians in Lower Town nightclubs. White and black men assume she must be involved sexually with the musicians, white women are perplexed by her, and black women both fear and loathe her. Yet Peggy's almost guileless sense of ease is at complete variance with these assumptions and attitudes. When Jim McAlpin...

Unbuttoned McLuhan! An intimate exploration of Marshall McLuhan’s ideas in his own wordsIn the last twenty years of his life, Marshall McLuhan published – often in collaboration with others – a series of books that established his reputation as the pre-eminent seer of the modern age. It was McLuhan who made the distinction between “hot” and “cool” media. It was he who observed that “the medium is the message” and who tossed off dozens of other equally memorable phr...

This original NCL collection brings together Leacock’s comic masterpieces, the many varieties of his remarkable humour. In one story a young man is seized by fear as he attempts to open his first bank account. In another, Lord Ronald, the beloved of Gertrude the Governess, “flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all directions.” In a third, the Mariposa Belle sinks in the shallow waters of Lake Wissanotti.Completing these timeless comedies are two of Leacock’s ...

This dazzling collection of short stories, originally published in 1985, marks the brilliant debut of Neil Bissoondath, a major voice in Canadian fiction. Focusing on contemporary themes of cultural dislocation, revolution, and the shifting politics of the Third World, the stories resonate with Bissoondath’s compassion for people threatened by circumstances beyond their control.

This Companion is a thorough introduction to the writings of the Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro. Uniting the talents of distinguished creative writers and noted academics, David Staines has put together a comprehensive, exploratory account of Munro's biography, her position as a feminist, her evocation of life in small-town Ontario, her non-fictional writings as well as her short stories, and her artistic achievement. Considering a wide range of topics – including Munro's style, life writi...

A History of Canadian Fiction is the first one-volume history to chart its development from earliest times to the present day. Recounting the struggles and the glories of this burgeoning area of investigation, it explains Canada's literary growth alongside its remarkable history. Highlighting the people who have shaped and are shaping Canadian literary culture, the book examines such major figures as Mavis Gallant, Mordecai Richler, Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, and Thoma...

This book highlights the accomplishments of one of Canada's most acclaimed and beloved fiction writers, Margaret Laurence. The essays in this collection explore her body of work as well as her influence on young Canadian writers today.

There is a door that lies between the worlds of men and angels.When orphans Joshua and Lucy are summoned by their grandfather, who has disowned them, they feel convinced that his intentions are far from charitable, Sure enough, they soon find themselves each on a dangerous quest - one in the world of angels, the other in the world of men - but who is orchestrating the events that unfold?About the AuthorDavid Staines was born in Buckingh...

"Carol was a very fine writer and a remarkable human being, a wonderful person whose work I closely followed for more than 20 years. I interviewed her frequently over those years, with virtually every work she produced —novel, radio drama, play, book of stories. So I had a good sense of the span of her work and also her evolution as a stylist. But the key reason I wanted to make a book focusing on her life and work is that we were friends."—Eleanor WachtelThis book strikes t...

This collection of essays explores the many dimensions of the writings of Stephen Leacock, the well-loved Canadian author of Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.