The Words of My Roaring [Paperback]

Robert Kroetsch (Author), Thomas Wharton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Currents in Canadian Literature | Publication Date: September 30, 1996

I was electioneering. By God, people were listening. People were looking my way. And some joker with his arse begining to ache from sitting too long on a nail had to clear his throat and chip in, "Backstrom, what have you got to offer?" I looked at the speaker and saw he was a farmer and I said, "Mister, how would you like some rain?" A new edition of another classic from one of Canada's most enduring novelists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of all the writers working in Canada today, Robert Kroetsch is perhaps the one who exerts more quiet influence than any other--and on a national scale. A superb mentor, a wonderful editor, and tirelessly generous to the literary community, Robert Kroetsch is a truly outstanding model and mentor as an artist, an intellectual, and an educator. Hundreds of students and writers can attest to his influence." Aritha VanHerk, University of Calgary

From the Back Cover

"Mister, how would you like some rain?"

Undertaker and candidate for public office Johnnie Backstrom is about to find himself in an uncomfortable position. In the race to represent his hometown of Norikeewin, by promising rain, the most valuable commodity he can offer a drought-stricken farmer. Of course, he doesn't expect that anyone believes he can make it rain-until he discovers that the communities hope is stronger than reason.

A big man-nearly six-four in his stocking feet-Johnie Backstrom has big dreams and a big mouth. And whether it's electioneering, Bible-thumping, beer-swilling, or seducing his rival's daughter, he's always up for big adventures. With thirteen days to go until the election, Johnnie hits the campaign trail hard. What happens next can scarcely be believed.

The Words of My Roaring tells the hilarious tall tale of one man's quest to realize the fullness of himself. With dazzling wordplay and unforgettable characters, this raucous, rowdy novel is a true Canadian classic.

The Words of My Roaring was originally published in 1966.This newly typeset edition, featuring an introduction by award-winning novelist Thomas Wharton, was prepared to bring this exuberant story to a new generation of readers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: University of Alberta Press (September 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888643497
• ISBN-13: 978-0888643490
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uproarious, March 5, 2001

By 

Ted Vance (Montreal Quebec) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Words of My Roaring (Paperback)

At its best, Kroetsch's fiction is impossible to resist. The present volume is no exception. The author beautifully evokes every detail of dusbowl Alberta, from rusty old Chevs to rodeos to farmer's daughters. As Johnny backstrom's campaign picks up speed, we watch a man transformed by hucksterism and inflammatory rhetoric. needless to say, parallels to our own politicians are everywhere apparent. But this novel is primarily a yarn, like all of Kroetsch's novels. It bounds along like a prairie school bus--solid, loud, colorful and true.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of RK's most underrated novels, July 20, 2002

By 

Christopher Wangler (Alberta, the best province in Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Words of My Roaring (Paperback)

I got to proofread this book for the U of A Press and met the author on several occasions. The experience convinced me to stay in publishing.

Kroetsch is a warm, interesting man with a fantastic ability to tell a story. His character, Johnnie Backstrom, makes meaningful but unfortunate mistakes. The miracle of this novel is that you identify with him from page one. The couleur locale, moreover, is priceless.

Incidentally, the cover painting is a by a relatively famous Canadian painter, as are most U of A books. This is a beautiful, readable edition of a novel that the Torontonians, in their infinite wisdom, let slide out of print. What muckie-mucks.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Words of My Roaring (Paperback)

Robert Kroetsch's book is a classic novel of the depression and the rise to power of 'Bible Bill' Aberhart's Social Credit in the Alberta Legislature. But it's more than that -- it is truly Canadian literature, evoking in poetic terms both the prairies and the lushness of southern Ontario, and the multicultural nature of the Canadian people.