Product Description
The awesome terrain of the Rocky Mountains is the setting for this extraordinary novel about a heroic man who boldly defies destiny. Tay John, a messianic halfbreed, is fated to lead his people to their Promised Land. In a rebellious act of will, he turns to the mountains to seek his own truths.

This richly populated novel vividly depicts the exotic and rootless people who wound their way to the Canadian Northwest. It is a powerful modern legend that ranges over all aspects of the human heart and mind, incorporating passion and hatred, tragedy and triumph.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A gem too easily forgotten
This novel may seem unpolished and unsophisticated on the surface, but the beauty of it is how it deals with lofty, obscure themes in an easily understood, down to earth manner. Another wonderful aspect of the novel is the way it betrays the readers expectations throughout; meaning that the less said about the plot ahead of time the better. The setting of the novel, in O'Hagan's hand's, is absolutely intergral to the story and if I ever need a trip to the mountains but don't have the time for the drive I know I can always pick up this book.

Furthermore, I find the NCL series of books from McClelland and Stewart to be top notch paperbacks.

Canada must acknowledge its literary accoplishments
If ever you feel indignation, read this book, think twice, then go out to your garage and hold an axe up to your wrist. If you feel that your "being" has been stretched as far Tay John's has, than swing away. Otherwise, shut up and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

VERY Hard to Describe
Howard O'Hagan is, with great regret, an obscurity floating against the distant shores of the literary canon. The first strike against him may be that he was Canadian. Canadian authors always seem segregated from the rest of literature, relegated to the dim recesses of academia or a dusty shelf at the local library. The only Canadian authors who receive some recognition are Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro, and even they are hardly household names. Perhaps this ignorance towards Canadian literature stems from Canada's position in respect to the United States, that Canada just does not have as much to offer the world because of its location next to a global entertainment powerhouse. I am writing to tell you this is not the case: Canadians produced, and continue to produce, a richly diverse body of literature. O'Hagan's novel "Tay John" stands as proof of this wonderful richness. Set in late 19th and early 20th century Canada, "Tay John" tells the story of an Indian messiah of enigmatic origins as he moves through the vastness of the Canadian West.

The novel breaks down into three parts: the first reads like an Indian story, outlining the birth and destiny of Tay John (an anglicized name taken from Tete Jaune, or Yellow Head, referring to Tay John's mane of yellow hair). In this section, O'Hagan explains that Tay John is the offspring of Red Rorty, a white trapper on a religious crusade, and Hanni, a Shuswap Indian he beds while living among the tribe. The result of this union is Kumkleseem (Tay John), a yellow haired youth destined to become a leader who will lead the Shuswaps to a promised land of great plenty.

O'Hagan makes a jarring transformation with the second and third sections of the book, bringing in narrator Jack Denham, a wanderer who tells any one who listens about this strange character named Tay John. Denham relates a tale about watching Tay John fight a grizzly bear, about a card game gone horribly wrong, a couple trekking into the mountains of the West with Tay John as guide, and a story about a developer building a resort along the expanding railway system. Tay John is the central character in all of these anecdotes even though he has little dialogue in any of them. That is the beauty of this book: O'Hagan lets events speak for themselves through action.

This minimalist approach fits in with the landscape of the novel. The author introduces the reader to the rugged terrains of Western Canada, where mountains, rivers, and wide spaces serve not just as background but also as characters in the sweep of the story. Against this awesome backdrop move the human characters, living out their lives in the shadow of mother earth. O'Hagan makes you feel the smallness of humanity by elevating every mundane action into an act of overwhelming importance. This makes the story severely realistic, as people living in a land where humans are scare would tend to treat interactions with others as larger than life events.

The afterword by Michael Onjaatje is of great assistance in understanding O'Hagan's book. Onjaatje explains that "Tay John" was one of the first examples of mythic realism in Canadian literature. The story, explains Onjaatje, shows how a myth of an Indian messiah is made into a legend in the real world. Looking at the book with a view of Canadian history, I did not notice the myth/legend aspects as much as I noticed the parade of archetypal figures through the Canadian West: first the Indians, then some white travelers, then the railroad and a developer. You can trace the history of Western Canada just by reading this book.

Ultimately, words fail to describe this deeply philosophical piece of literature. The only way to fathom the beauty and majesty of this book is to sit down and read it. Regrettably, Howard O'Hagan only wrote two other books and an autobiography before his death. After reading "Tay John," it is obvious that he had the talent to do more work. This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you read it. Hopefully, it will receive more attention in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful
I wasn't too surprised to learn that Michael Ondaatje is an incredible poet. "Speaking to You (From Rock Bottom)" is gorgeous. I am very happy to own this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The periphery of a civil war
Michael Ondaatje has brilliantly evoked the horrors of the civil war in his native Sri Lanka by focusing on the people not directly involved in the war but nonetheless affected by it on a deep, personal level. Anil Tissera returns to her native Sri Lanka as a Western forensic anthropologist charged with investigating accusations of war crimes. Although she works for an international human rights group, she is on her own, except for the Sri Lanka government appointed anthropologist Sarath whose loyalties and motives are unknown and therefore suspect. When Anil and Sarath come into possession of several skeletons, one of which they nickname Sailor, they realize they have evidence of government atrocities. Now, through their clandestine scientific work, they must prove it. As they delve deeper into their investigation, they encounter others who bring their own stories to the novel.

Although Ondaatje primarily follows the lives, both past and present, of Sarath and Anil, the most powerful - and in the end the most memorable - character is Gamini, Sarath's younger brother and a doctor at the Colombo hospital. His presence in the book provides the balance necessary to see beyond the specific incident involving Sailor and into the greater arena of a country torn apart by violence. Ananda, too, provides an intriguing yet murky layer as the eye-painter, a man trained in the sacred art of painting eyes on statues of the gods.

Written in clear, straightforward prose, the narrative itself is non-linear, moving through time as it explores the complexity of the characters. Despite the structure, readers should find the novel easy to follow. This is not a dense, lyrical novel; the poetry here resides in brief, intimate moments that the author allows the reader to glimpse.

The power of this work derives from the varied lives that touch upon Anil's investigation. Although the novel could have been developed more completely, it leaves a lasting impression that only the best writing can achieve. I wavered between giving it four or five stars, but, because I can't stop thinking about the book, I decided it deserved my top rating.

If you are looking for something upbeat, obviously you should avoid this book. Readers of literary, political, and international fiction will find a true treasure in these pages. ... Read more