The Republic of Nothing [Paperback]

Lesley Choyce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1994

The Republic of Nothing opens in the 1950s on Whalebone Island at the moment Everett McQuade decides to commemorate the birth of his son by declaring the island's independence. In this world of deliberate eccentricity, almost anything can happen. A treasure?trove of objects wash up on shore -- including a circus elephant, a ship's cargo of exotic furniture and a mysterious raven?haired woman adrift in a lifeboat -- and refugees from the outside world find a place where they can cultivate their eccentricities in peace. By the mid?1960s, Whalebone Island begins to succumb to the influences of the outside world. Children attend school on the mainland. Everett McQuade is drawn into provincial politics. Electricity arrives. But even the Vietnam War, the peace movement, and the discovery of uranium mining on the island, cannot destroy the anarchic spirit of Everett McQuade and the citizens of the Republic of Nothing. Drawing upon historical incident and the major political and philosophical currents of the 1960s, Lesley Choyce has created a novel about resilience, independence and cultivated anarchy in which everything is nothing and nothing is everything.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A small island off the coast of Nova Scotia declares its independence to the world. In this Utopian world, the ocean delivers many a curiosity, including a dead circus elephant and a raven-haired woman. When the turbulence of the 1960s draws the island’s inhabitants into politics, the Vietnam War, and the peace movement, and when civilization lays siege, an unexpected character comes to the rescue. Sound impossible? Not on Whalebone Island, a.k.a. the Republic of Nothing. Where else could a psychic castaway, an anarchist-turned-politician, and American refugees cultivate their eccentricities? This new edition of Lesley Choyce’s celebrated novel features an afterword by Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, leading readers to discover once again that nothing is everything. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Lesley Choyce is an unusual writer. In 1993 he became Canada's reigning surfing champion, the same year that his poetry video, Beautiful Sadness, was broadcast on MuchMusic. He is the host of his own television programme, Off the Page, and the author of more than 50 books, ranging from poetry and essays to novels for both adults and young adults.

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Goose Lane Editions; 2nd Printing edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864921535
• ISBN-13: 978-0864921536
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,295,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best novel none of my reader friends has read, August 2, 2010

By 

Mary Keil "PS writer reader" (Marin County, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Republic of Nothing: Reader’s Guide Edition (Paperback)

The tears are still drying on my face. Forget the make-up! Why haven't more of us in the USofA found this wonderful writer? I, too, would have remained ignorant if I hadn't had one of those serendipitous conversations with a customer service rep who happened to be located in Halifax. All I know about Halifax I learned from Robert MacNeil's engaging BURDEN OF DESIRE. So I mentioned that book to the young woman on the other end of the line, and she returned the favor by telling me that THE REPUBLIC OF NOTHING was her favorite book. I ordered it from Amazon that very day. I loved this novel from start to finish - the well drawn and appealing characters, the distinctive setting, the plot! A++++++. And, for those of us born around the time Choyce was born, the novels themes have to resonate deeply. Yet they are timeless and timely for today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Republic of Nothing is a quirky yet compelling drama where anything and everything can happen, October 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Republic of Nothing: Reader’s Guide Edition (Paperback)

Winner of the Dartmouth Book Award, The Republic of Nothing is a novel set in the 1960's on Whalebone Island, a.k.a. "The Republic of Nothing", a small dot of land off the coast of Nova Scotia that dares to declare its independence to the world. As the island's inhabitants become increasingly drawn into the turbulent politics of the day including the Vietnam War and the peace movement, an unexpected individual steps forward to society's rescue. Originally published in 1994, now in a new "Reader's Guide" edition featuring an afterword by Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, The Republic of Nothing is a quirky yet compelling drama where anything and everything can happen, even as anarchy becomes increasingly prevalent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant!, January 27, 2005

By 

that kid (Alberta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Republic of Nothing (Paperback)

This book is, without a doubt, the best book I have read to date. Lesley Choyce does fantastic work with this story. This novel evokes every emotion - humor, excitement, anger, resentment, love, worry, jealousy - and does so in a natural, comfortable way. I can't give this book enough praise. Everyone should read it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I did.
Oh, and Alberta English 30-1 students, it's on your reading list and is probably the most fun choice [Choyce!]on the list.