The Mountain and the Valley (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Ernest Buckler
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Work: Psychological regionalism
- Time of Work: The 1920’s and 1930’s
- Setting: The village of Entremont in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Principal Characters: David Canaan, Anna Canaan, Christopher (Chris) Canaan, Joseph Canaan, Martha Canaan, Ellen Canaan
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Self-discovery, Love or romance, 1940’s, Villages, Friendship, Writing, 1920’s, 1930’s, Farms, farmers, or farming, Accidents, Death or dying, Canada or Canadians, Youth, Leukemia, Mountains
- Locales: Canada, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Novel
Much of the action of The Mountain and the Valley takes place within the growing consciousness of the protagonist, who reads novels that have “more to do with the shadow of thought and feelings which actions cast than with the actions themselves.” These cerebral actions reflect David Canaan’s and Ernest Buckler’s own mental processes, their concern with precision in thought and expression, their quest for the right word.
As the novel opens, David stands at his kitchen window and stares at the highway and mountain that represent his life’s goal...
[The entire page is 1927 words long]
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