Louis Hemon

"Maria Chapdelaine" from Louis H mon. Francophone writer best known for his novel Maria Chapdelaine (1880-1913).

"Maria Chapdelaine" from Louis H mon. Francophone writer best known for his novel Maria Chapdelaine (1880-1913).

" Les membres du Jury retournaient de la morgue vers la salle des s ances, travers le petit jardin municipal, si soigneusement par . Les all es de bitume serpentaient entre de minuscules pelouses ovales, tondues ras, d fendues par des lignes d'arceaux; elles c toyaient des massifs de fleurs dispos es en rosaces multicolores, longeaient des groupes d'arbustes soign s comme des bouquets, tournaient autour d'arbres malingres lev s grand'peine dans le sol pauvre de la cit ..."

Maria a dix-huit ans et vit sur une terre de colonisation au Lac Saint-Jean. Trois hommes la courtisent, trois destins s'offrent Maria: Fran ois Paradis, Lorenzo Surprenant et Eutrope Gagnon. Le premier est un bucheron pris de libert , le second est citadin aux tats-Unis et le troisi me est, comme le p re de Maria, un colon. La mort de la m re de Maria, les qualit s qu'on lui trouve, orientent Maria vers un r le semblable.

Maria Chapdelaine, the quintessential novel of the rugged life of early French-Canadian colonists, is based on the author’s experiences as a hired hand in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. A young woman living with her family on the Quebec frontier, Maria endures the hardships of isolation and climate. Maria must eventually choose between three suitors who represent very different ways of life: a trapper, a farmer, and a Parisian immigrant. Powerful in its simplicity, this novel captures the essence of faith and tenacity, the key ingredients of survivance. Translated into many languages, Maria Chapdelaine is enshrined as a classic of Canadian letters. A new introduction by Michael Gnarowski examines its relevance and provides insights into Louis Hemon’s life.

Maria Chapdelaine, the quintessential novel of the rugged life of early French-Canadian colonists, is based on the author's experiences as a hired hand in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. A young woman living with her family on the frontier in Quebec, Maria endures the hardships of isolation and climate, and chooses between three suitors: a trapper, a farmer, and a Parisian immigrant. Powerful in its simplicity, this novel captures the essence of the virtues of faith and tenacity that are the key ingredients of survivance. Translated into many languages and with some two hundred editions, it is enshrined as a classic of Canadian letters. A new introduction provides insights into Hmon's life.