The Studhorse Man [Hardcover]

Robert Kroetsch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1969

Hazard Lepage, the last of the studhorse men, sets out to breed his rare blue stallion, Poseidon. A lusty trickster and a wayward knight, Hazard’s outrageous adventures are narrated by Demeter Proudfoot, his secret rival, who writes this story while sitting naked in an empty bathtub. In his quest to save his stallion’s bloodline from extinction, Hazard leaves a trail of anarchy and confusion. Everything he touches erupts into chaos necessitating frequent convalescences in the arms of a few good women–excepting those of Martha, his long-suffering intended. Told with the ribald zeal of a Prairie beer parlor tall tale and the mythic magnitude of a Greek odyssey, The Studhorse Man is Robert Kroetsch’s celebration of unbridled character set against the backdrop of a rough-and-ready Alberta emerging after the war. Winner of the Governor General’s Award for Fiction.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Recognized as a classic when it first appeared, the novel's status as one of the finest pieces of Canadian fiction has only grown over the last three decades.... The Studhorse Man, now 35 years old, has far more intoxicating vigour, structural muscularity and dervish-like linguistic brilliance than almost anything being published in Canada today." Christopher Wiebe, VUE Weekly

"Always original, at times wickedly funny, and told with unrestrained enthusiasm framed by a post-war, rough-edged Alberta, The Studhorse Man showcases and documents Robert Kroetsch as one of Canada's best living writers." Wisconsin Bookwatch

Listed in Best of the West Comparisons list (between Alberta & Saskatchewan) under category “Classic Scene Setters” against W.O. Mitchell's Who Has Seen the Wind. Canadian Geographic, January/February 2005

"In its comic energy, The Studhorse Man recalls Rabelais, Bakhtin and the carnivalesque....This University of Alberta Press publication includes a very fine introduction by Aritha van Herk. Sharply attentive to the novel's patterns, reference field and detail, she situates it with respect not only to Edmonton, the Saskatchewan river valley, local history and literary conventions of the quest and the trickster, but also to her own experience of the local....Kroetsch's writing in The Studhorse Man is typically vital and generous; its presentation of the priapic wanderer and his odd rake's progress through a changing Albertan landscape is marked by comedy, affection and nostalgia." Brian Edwards, Australasian Canadian Studies Journal, Vol. 22, No.2, 2004 and Vol. 23, No.1, 2005 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

The Studhorse Man is a classic Canadian odyssey--a story told by a madman who works naked in a bathtub. It is the tale of Hazard Lepage, last of the studhorse me, and owner of a superb blue stallion named Poseidon...the sole survivor of its breed. Hazard's maniacal search to find the perfect mare for this magnificent horse is opposed by his fiancée of thirteen years, Martha Proudfoot, so much so she refuses him both herself and her Arab mares. This is a compelling saga that will move all readers. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 191 pages
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster; 1st edition (1969)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671205234
• ISBN-13: 978-0671205232
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,386,479 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 Always original, at times wickedly funny, August 8, 2004

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

This review is from: The Studhorse Man (New Press Canadian Classics) (Hardcover)

When Hazard Lepage sets out to breed his rare blue stallion Poseidon in the hope of saving his horse's bloodline from extinction, he creates a trail of anarchy, confusion, and chaos -- as well as encountering the charms of a few good women. The narrator of Hazard's idiosyncratic adventures in pursuit of his obsession is a maniacal, naked writer who works in his bathtub. Always original, at times wickedly funny, and told with unrestrained enthusiasm framed by a post-war, rough-edged Alberta, The Studhorse Man showcases and documents Robert Kroetsch as one of Canada's best living writers at work today. Also part of the University of Alberta Press "Canadian Literature Series" and very highly recommended reading are Robert Kroetsch's earlier works: What The Crow Said (0888643039, $14.95); The Words Of My Roaring (0888643490, $16.95); Completed Field Notes (088864-3500, $19.95: and The Hornbooks Of Rita K. (0888643721, $16.95).