About this title: Mary Swann, a latter-day Emily Dickinson, submitted a bag full of poems to newspaper editor hours before her husband hacked her to pieces. How could someone who lived such a dull, sheltered life produce these works of genius? Four very different people search for the elusive answer.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780140134292ISBN:0140134298
Description: Very Good. GREAT BOOK! MILD WEAR & ONE SPINE CREASE ON COVER. LIGHTLY AGED PAGES, NO MARKINGS. "Description: The lives of four amazingly different individuals become intertwined with that of Mary Swann, a rural Canadian poet of delicate verse whose genuine talent is only discovered after she is brutally murdered. " read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Stoddart Publishing Co
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780773674066ISBN:0773674063
Description: Grade: C. Catalog: Mystery General Synopsis: 312 pages. Well-drawn characters, expert writing, and silky malice are combined in an exceptionally satisfying work of fiction.... read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780140134292ISBN:0140134298
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Previous owners name inscribed inside front. -, Trade PaperBack, Very Good / read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780140134292ISBN:0140134298
Description: Good. 72-W-Add Books rated "Good" may have some notes, underlining, or highlighting. These books also may contain the previous owner's name, stamp, sticker, or gift inscription, or may be library discards. read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Very Good. 0140134298 BRAND NEW! ! NEW CONDITION! ! MAY HAVE SMALL REMAINDER MARK. 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! ! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! WE SHIP DAILY! ! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1990-08-01
ISBN-13:9780140134292ISBN:0140134298
Description: Good. Minimal damage to the cover, dust jacket not necessarily included minimal wear to binding, majority of pages undamaged, minimal to no highlighting/underlining of text, no missing p. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1990-08-01
ISBN-13:9780140134292ISBN:0140134298
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
"I'm currently on my second Carol Shield's book - The Stone Diaries. She tells a domestic and intimate story that I find makes me feel as though I have all of the time in the world to read and ponder. Shields' characters are intensely ordinary and mundane. It hit the spot during our rainy spot a few weeks back."
"B Not my fave Carol Shields but an interesting premise. A rural woman who is murdered by her farmer husband turns out to be a genius poet; others are obsessed with her poetry in a way that none of her neighbors ever were. However, as her work, photos, and journal begins going missing after her death, questions are asked...I'm not a huge fan of the last section."
"What happens when an unknown, uneducated farm woman (Mary Swann) writes amazing poetry? Scholars start the endless pursuit of uncovering her life, her inspirations, and her influences, because, you know, a woman with a simple life like her couldn't have possibly written like that! Swann is basically a novel about the ridiculousness of some academics. The most entertaining part of the book is the characters' attempts to discover the so-called real Mary Swann. But, their attempts do not really reveal any truth to who Mary Swann was; they just make stuff up. For instance, Swann's poetry may not even be accurate because the original manuscripts were ruined by fish guts, and the publishers simply filled in the missing words with what they thought had been there! Also, Jimroy believes that Swann's poetry reveals that she had to have been influenced by Emily Dickinson, but in actuality, it is almost certain she was most influenced by nursery rhymes. So, we never actually learn anything about Mary Swann since everything about her is basically made up because the academics need self-assurance about their own abilities and education. Hey, if a woman like Mary Swann can write great poems, why can't people with impressive educations?
Another interesting aspect of the novel is Shields' use of different forms of writing. This novel contains first person narrative, third person narrative, poetry, and film script, and each of these works effectively to move the story along. These different styles work because each one lets you get to know the characters intimately, and it is this closeness with the characters that really pushes the plot. Out of the various styles, I would have to say that I was a little disappointed with the film script at the end. A third person narrative would have done just as good a job. I found it a little bit tedious to read through the camera, music, and set notes, but that may just be my opinion (for some reason, I have never been a fan of reading scripts). Despite this, I value Shields' effort to change styles to keep it interesting, and the reader guessing.
Speaking of guessing, Swann definitely did have me guessing about who was stealing all the various Swann items. Although Swann probably wouldn't be classified as a mystery, it still has the mystery element that readers can appreciate. The ending left me with a few questions about who might have been an accomplice to the robber, and the robber's motives (for example, is he or she stealing to get back at a certain someone?). All-in-all though, I am satisfied with the fact that the robber was revealed, as I was worried that it would remain a mystery and bother me forever!
Overall, Swann will definitely have you questioning the accuracy of history. Is history really just written by pretentious scholars who are desperately trying to fill in the blanks in order to prove their worth? You will start thinking about the relevance of history, but, as disheartening as that may seem, the ever-changing form, the closeness the reader feels to the characters, the mini mystery, and the satirical outlook on academics all come together to create a great book that will not disappoint. Lastly, the character of Mary Swann may make you feel a little more proud of your potentially not-so-impressive education!"
"How could I possibly dislike this book? The author of The Stone Diaries; a mystery about a just-discovered woman poet, and the huge egos of literary scholars rushing and competing to show their brilliant insights about Mary Swann, the Canadian farmwife and poet. Carol Shields never shirks from portraying her character's flaws and, as such, parts of this are rather ugly, but the plot propels the reader on to a satisfying conclusion."
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