Virago Modern Classics discussion

Who wants to read A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence? This is our buddy-read in May 2024.

If you have read it already, or you are reading it at another (later) time - write here what you think about the book too.

[Spoilers are allowed here, although, I encourage you to hide them in spoiler brackets.]

I am starting it today.

By the way, it is the second part of the Manawaka Sequence series, but the novels are loosely connected just because all are set in the fictional town of Manawaka, so you don't have to read other parts.

PS I did read The Stone Angel and I recommend it as a standalone book.

I read this through the Internet Archive. I will keep my eye out for a Virago copy in future as I would love to reread it in hard copy. Please do have a look at it on the Internet Archive and see if it is for you. Maybe not for now, but to add to future TBR ideas.

In A Jest of God we find out that Manawaka was not only settled by Scots it was also settled by Ukrainians.
"Half the town is Scots descent and the other half is Ukrainian. Oil, as they say and water. Both came for the same reason, because they had nothing where they were ... The Ukrainians knew how to be beter grain farmers, but the Scots knew how to be almightier than anyone but God."
The main protagonist of the book is Rachel Cameron, a primary school teacher. She lives with her controlling windowed mother above the funeral parlour her late father owned. After his death Rachel returned early from university, not finishing her degree, to look after her mother and take up a teaching position. One of the agreements of the sale of the funeral parlour was that the mother could retain the flat and Rachel still occupies her childhood bedroom.
I will add more comments/reactions as and when others dip in.

I just finished it. A fascinating character study. Intense.

What did you think of Rachel?

She went away to uni (although didn't finish). Am thinking probably swotty, but unambitious. Going to uni to study her best subject at school, but without any idea of what to do next. Probably Mother would have been happy for her not to go and to remain at home with a small job. Father dying gave Mother this. Unfinished degree and shortened time away from home didn't give Rachel the opportunity to grow up. Is she destined to remain a spinster?

Am guessing (although we may find out more in next book) that Mother does not think much more of her other daughter, Stacey. But as Stacey has moved away, is married with children her Mother will show off these 'achievements' to her bridge buddies.

I mostly thought of Rachel as suppressed. By unhappy (and violent) marriage of her parents, by convention and social rules (i.a. about a woman's place/role and about a child's duty to a parent), by her own personality that didn't have space to evolve.

So, there was a chance that she would change and get some freedom.

PS I see that Stacey is the heroine of the next part of the series. Would you like to read The Fire-Dwellers, let's say in November when we have a free spot for buddy-read?

Mela wrote: "I mostly thought of Rachel as suppressed. By unhappy (and violent) marriage of her parents, by convention and social rules (i.a. about a woman's place/role and about a child's duty to a parent), by..."

To a certain extent I felt that this book was a coming of age story for Rachel. She just happened to be a bit older than the norm.
Sorry I have just started The Fire-Dwellers, I wanted to continue the story of the Cameron family.

Sonia wrote: "Sorry I have just started The Fire-Dwellers, I wanted to continue the story of the Cameron family."

Sure. I understand. In such case, I will try to read it in June (not chance for May) and we will share thoughts, ok? I will make a separate thread for discussion.

I enjoyed The Fire-Dwellers more than A Jest of God. I wasn't expecting to, Stacey does comes over a bit selfish in AJOG moving away from her mother and sister, and it seems less popular among reviewers. But I think I connected more to Stacey's story than Rachel's - you think that being married with kids will be enough but have you lost your identity outside of a wife and mother to look after your family.

Sonia wrote: "I enjoyed The Fire-Dwellers more than A Jest of God. I wasn't expecting to, Stacey does comes over a bit selfish in AJOG moving away from her mother and sister, and it seems less popular among revi..."

I am going to finish The Fire-Dwellers today or tomorrow, and I love it! Like you, more than Rachel's story. It is fascinating how Margaret Laurence discussed the conflict between the role of a wife/mother and being oneself.

And the Title - A Jest of God?
What are the circumstances about Rachel - which makes the title applicable to her?