Wacousta or the Prophecy: A Tale of the Canadas (Centre for Editing Early Canadian Texts) [Paperback]

John Richardson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Centre for Editing Early Canadian Texts | Publication Date: December 1987

Set on the northwest frontier during the Pontiac conspiracy of the 1760s, this story of false identity, wasted love, diabolic vengeance and unquenchable hatred articulates themes and mythologies relevant to French, British, Canadian and American history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Set in the 1760s at the time of Pontiac?s Indian alliance against the British, Wacousta combines elements of revenge tragedy and gothic romance in reconstructing a violent episode in Canadian frontier history. In Major John Richardson?s vivid depiction, Pontiac?s campaign against Fort Detroit is masterminded by the mysterious Wacousta, a Byronic anti-hero whose thirst for vengeance against the fortress commander borders on madness. Turning upon binary oppositions ? garrison against wilderness, restraint against passion, mercy against justice ? this suspenseful novel creates a world of deception and terror in which motive is ambiguous and the boundary between order and anarchy unclear.

First published in 1832, Wacousta anticipated many of the themes that would assume central importance in the Canadian narrative imagination. The New Canadian Library edition is an unabridged reprint of the complete original text. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

John Richardson was the first Canadian-born novelist to achieve international recognition. He balanced much of his writing career with service in the British Army, leading him first to the United States, where he was imprisoned for a year during the war of 1812, and later to England and the West Indies. Wacousta, written in 1832, was his third and most successful novel. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 588 pages
• Publisher: Carleton Univ Pr (December 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886290406
• ISBN-13: 978-0886290405
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,500,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wacousta, October 26, 2009

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Sherri Reaume - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wacousta: A Tale of the Canadas (New Canadian Library) (Paperback)

This is an awesome book for anyone interested in the early history of Fort Pontchartain at Detroit or Pontiac and the Huron Indians. It's difficult at first getting used to the old style flowery language of that era, but once you do, you can't put the book down. Find out who Waucosta was, why he was so angry, and why revenge was his only choice.