Reviews

• excellent

  book seemed brand new - excellent

• Montreal poor 1940 setting

  The French-Canadian author Gabrielle Roy (1909-83) was a contemporary with the prolific English author Catherine Cookson (1906-98). This book, whose English translation bears the title ‘The Tin Flute’ was published by Roy in 1945, five years before Cookson’s first book. As I was reading this book it struck me how similar it is to many of Cookson’s novels in its plot progression, character types and sociocultural depictions. Cookson’s novels were well loved and this novel by Roy would also find favor with Cookson enthusiasts. Here we have desperately poor working class people living in a rundown section of a Montreal industrial area in the late 30s, early 40s. We have the resolute ‘moral’ influence of the Catholic Church prevailing. There is the hangover from the Great Depression with limited opportunities of advancement. We have a strong female character, Rose-Anna, who is determined to survive every hardship. We have her flighty big-talking husband, Azarius, the initiator of multiple failed pipedreams. Three other characters are woven into the plot: the couple’s naïve teenage daughter, Florentine, who feels ashamed of her poverty-stricken family; her socially inept, callous admirer, Jean (.i.e. French for ‘John’); and Emmanuel, a likable, friendly young man who adores Florentine but lacks self-belief when comparing himself to Jean. The Second World War has started and many young men see the opportunity for overseas adventure and a steady income. I liked this book because of its realism. Most of us have known people like these. From the outset it seems that Florentine will be the main character but her cardboard personality failed to get my sympathy or keep my interest. Her mother is the actual main character despite her vacillating, muddled thought process. She doesn't always know which end is up but she is determined that the family will survive one day at a time. Emmanuel is the unknown, least predictable quantity. Is he going to grow a backbone, or what? Roy has given us an inside look of each character as he or she relates to the other characters. I quite enjoyed this book and will definitely have a look at the author’s other works. Although it refers to a minor incident in the book, ‘Tin Flute’ is a weak title. The book’s original French title translates as ‘second-hand happiness’ which does relate poignantly to the story. The coffee cup on the cover is meaningless. So, a couple of poor choices by the publisher of this book that will make it easy to overlook.

• Loved it

  Entirely well worth the effort of persevering through a slightly dull start. Once you identify with the main characters (and there aren’t that many central ones), you’re hooked. I love Steinbeck and Roy’s Tin Flute reminded me a little of his style at times. Loved it

• A powerful portrait of French Canadian life in the 1940s

  I have love this book since Grade 12 when it was a set text. I always planned to return to read it again and many many years later I did when I chose it as my selection for our book club. It is so well written and evocative of the period. And the difference reading it as a 60+ rather than an 18 year old. The classic scene in the paediatric ward, when I was 18 had me weeping uncontrollably, but now a retired nurse with 40 years experience of the profession I see it in a different and sadder light. I am going to books by Roy and hope they are all as good as this one.

• Five Stars

  A very sad account of the effects of poverty on a family, very interesting on French-Canadian attitudes to WW2

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