It’s been another busy week and I still haven’t fully recovered my reading mojo. It’s been warm here though, so I’ve been doing other things. In my spare time, I’ve been bicycling and playing quite a bit of tennis lately. I’m in a tournament for fun at the end of the month — so I need to get cracking, or swinging so to speak. As for books right now, I’m reading Sue Monk Kidd’s 2014 novel “The Invention of Wings” for book club, and I’m listening to Margaret Atwood’s book “Stone Mattress” as an audiobook. Both are good, have you read either of them?
Meanwhile this past week, I finally finished Elizabeth Hay’s 2007 novel “Late Nights on Air,” which seemed to take forever despite being 364 pages. At the halfway mark, I wasn’t sure I would get to the end as it seemed slow and a bit meandering and I wasn’t sure it was going anywhere — but then upon completing it I was glad to have seen the story through. The novel won Canada’s top literary prize, the Giller, in 2007 beating out Michael Ondaatje’s novel “Divisadero,” which I’m sure was no small feat. I came to read Hay’s book because I met the author last fall at our city’s book festival and had her sign a copy.
“Late Nights on Air” is about a group of misfit co-workers at a Canadian public radio station in the far northern town of Yellowknife in the 1970s. There’s the affable lead character Harry, who becomes the station’s manager as the book opens; and Dido, the beautiful, alluring one who has the perfect radio voice; as well the receptionist, the likable lonely Eleanor; and twenty-something Gwen who’s driven 3,000 miles from Ontario to get radio experience. There’s also Eddy, the brooding technician, and 60-year-old Ralph, the station’s book reviewer who doesn’t get enough air time.
It’s these characters and their relationships among one another that form the crux of the novel and kept me curious to see what would eventually pan out, though it takes awhile to get there. The story is descriptive and imbued with a strong sense of place of remote Yellowknife, a city only 250 miles from the Arctic Circle. Apparently the author, Elizabeth Hay, worked at a radio station there in the 1970s, so her novel is a bit autobiographical. Amid the backdrop of the characters’ lives, the city — in the novel — is undergoing a ruckus over a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cut across Native lands, and the first incoming television station threatens to disrupt their local radio programming. Much is in flux there that at times binds and comes between the crew at the radio station.
The story meanders on for awhile, but luckily picks up towards the end as four of the radio crew take an epic six-week canoe trip to pursue the route of English explorer John Hornby along the remote and wild Thelon River. This was my favorite part of the book with some beautiful nature writing and a little suspense to its passages. I wish this journey had started earlier in the book as the river pages flew by. By the book’s end, the friends eventually depart the radio station and move on with their lives, but not before making an indelible impact on each other and their time together in the North. It’s a novel that grew on me over a long while, and its characters and northern scenes have stayed with me after turning its last pages.
For those who like radio, or are interested in character-driven novels, or the far North, you might like this one.
What about you have you read “Late Nights on Air” or any of Elizabeth Hay’s books, or any similar novels? And if so, what did you think?
Nice review! It seems like there are quite a few novels lately that focus on a group of “friends”, and the way they impact eachother. Sounds like a good read and I especially like that it has some nature writing as they canoe down the river. You may enjoy a book we read for book club recently called Eternal on the Water. My review was simply, “read it”, but it was about a kayak sojourn by two people who did happen to fall in love, but I think the best thing about the book was the trip down the Allagash river in the vein of Thoreau.
Thanks Suzanne, I will have to check out Eternal on the Water. It sounds good — there’s something alluring about river books! I also plan to read Kristopher Jansma’s new-ish novel Why We Came to the City which is also a “group of friends” kind of story. hmm
I have this book, but haven’t read it yet. A friend of mine who has spent some time in Yellowknife really loves it because of its sense of place. I’ve never been, though, so I may feel more like you about it. Although, I’m thinking it might be worth reading just for the canoe trip!
The only book by Elizabeth Hay that I’ve read is A Student of Weather, which was good but not one of my favourites. But again, you might like it more if you’ve lived in the prairies – I could almost feel the dry, hot wind and the cracks in my skin.
I have read Stone Mattress, and quite liked it!
Thanks Naomi. Yeah I liked the canoe trip part of the story, that made it worth it to me. I haven’t read Hay before but she seems a thoughtful kind of writer who likes to take her time with her characters. I’m liking Stone Mattress too. A little bit of everything in the collection. Imaginative as usual!
The audio version of The Invention of Wings was excellent – I loved it! But it’s one of those books I looked back on and wondered whether I would have appreciated it as much in print. My daughter (who doesn’t listen to audiobooks) thought it was a great read.
I’ve not read Elizabeth Hay… off to look up her work.
Yeah JoAnn I can imagine The Invention of Wings would make for a great audio — with two alternating main characters & voices. Like your daughter, I’m enjoying it in print. The Stone Mattress audio is pretty lively with different narrators for each of the 9 tales in it. You might check it out. cheers!
I have yet to read The Invention of Wings; I think I may accomplish it before the end of the year, though my reading pace lately isn’t helping any.
Late Nights on Air sounds very atmospheric. It must be a very isolated place where the book takes place. Glad that despite ups and downs in the story you liked it overall.
The other day I bought an audiobook (my first ever) just to see if I could juggle two books at once. It seems I can’t. It was a spy novel, but I soon lost track of what the narrator was talking about. What a pity! It seems that print and Kindle are the way for me.
Yes Late Nights on Air was quite an atmospheric novel. Sometimes I find with audiobooks I can listen to the ones that are pretty straightforward with good narrators, but if I get a book that’s too complex or tricky to follow, then I’d rather read it in print b/c I lose my place with the audio. You’re right that audios require a pretty demanding focus. I walk with my headphones on.
I am coming to appreciate books that move slowly more and more. Of course such novels really need to have strong characters.
The setting of this one sounds different. I wonder if it relates to the author’s personal experiences.
Yeah Brian you’re right, sometimes slow books are the ones to savor. This one turned out to be worth it. It does sound like this novel is quite autobiographical: she did live in Yellowknife in the 1970s and while there she did embark on a canoe trip — i think of the Thelon River like in the book. Hmm. Perhaps the characters are based on people she knew there too.
I have read The Invention of Wings. Loved it. Also read Stone Mattress because even though I don’t read many short story collections, I read everything Margaret Atwood writes. I liked how she addressed aging in that collection.
Sometimes reading is like exercising for me. If I stop, it is hard to get started again -:)
Stone Mattress is a wonderful collection I’m finding! Especially the title story, oh my! I’m enjoying The Invention of Wings, too. Yeah sometimes if I’m struggling in my readings — I just need to recoop or get back on track with just the right book, eh?
The Invention of Winds is not what I expected, but I enjoyed it a lot. I suspect I would have enjoyed it more had I read the print version. (The audiobook is narrated by almost the same cast of characters as The Help, and I really struggled with keeping the two novels separate.) I hope you enjoy it!
Yes thanks Michelle, I’m enjoying the print version of The Invention of Wings quite a bit. The author does a great job getting into the mind-set of the characters and the times.
Our book club had a great discussion based on The Invention of Wings — hope yours does, too!
Thanks Joy, I think we will. It’s on Tuesday and it should be a good discussion!
Hello Susan, that sounds like a wonderful program: bicycling and playing tennis 😉
Good for body and mind. I have not read that book by Margaret Atwood but I love this author . I loved the novel , Grace.
Lastly, thank you for bringing In the Garden of Beasts to my attention; I have heard about it, but have yet to read it.
Yes Atwood’s Alias Grace is one of my favorites of hers. Though I really like this new one of hers “Stone Mattress” — filled with 9 short tales too.
Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to your site. Cheers!
Got the book “In the Garden of Beasts”. Thank you Susan. Have a lovely weekend 😉
Oh that’s great. Would love to know what you think of that book! The U.S. diplomat’s daughter Martha is just crazy in that — she flirts with disaster ! Couldn’t believe it.
Thanks so much Susan I will review it but as a Larson fan I know I will adore -my 3rd book from him. Have a lovely week, dear 😉
I absolutely loved The Invention of Wings–such a powerful, believable story. I read my first Atwood last month–The Blind Assassin. Parts I loved, parts I tolerated–loved the setting, but found the multiple stories too confusing, but Atwood knows her way around words.
Oh thanks Jane. Yeah I’m nearly done with The Invention of Wings and I’m really impressed with it. Also I’m starting to wonder if Atwood’s short stories are at times better than her novels, hmm. I enjoyed this one more than some of her others.
I hope you will recover your reading mojo completely soon, Susan. I haven’t heard of those authors. I will look them up. Thank you. Have a great week ahead! 🙂
Thanks Deepika. My reading is going slowly still these days, but I think it’s because the weather has become so warm and nice here. Too much to do! Great spring days. I hope you are enjoying your bike rides.