Book Description
From one of Canada’s beloved fiction writers comes a tale of love and loss, guilt and forgiveness -- and finding redemption in the eye of a hurricane.

Few people seek out the tiny Caribbean island of Dampier Cay. Visitors usually wash up there by accident, rather than by design. But this weekend, three people will fly to the island deliberately. They are not coming for a tan or fun in the sun. They are coming because Dampier Cay is where it is, and they have reason to believe that they might encounter something there that most people take great measures to avoid -- a hurricane.

A lottery windfall and a few hours of selfishness have robbed Caldwell of all that was precious to him, while Beverly, haunted by tragedy and screwed by fate since birth, has given up on life. Also on the flight is Jimmy Newton, a professional storm chaser and videographer who will do anything for the perfect shot. Waiting for them at Dampier is the manager of the Water’s Edge Hotel, “Bonefish” Maywell Hope, who arrived at Dampier by the purest accident of all -- the accident of birth. A descendent of the pirates who sailed the Caribbean hundreds of years ago, Hope believes if he works hard enough, he can prevent the inevitable. Until, that is, the seas begin to rise . . .

Cinematic and harrowing, spiced with Quarrington’s trademark humour, Galveston shows just how far people will go to feel alive.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Wallop Like A Gale Force Wind
"Galveston, Oh Galveston", this is not a book like the song sung by that "Rhinestone Cowboy". Oh, no, this is a book like no other. A Gale-force wind that hits you like a wallop by the strangest set of people ever you should meet.

I started reading this book during the night of the Katrina Hurricane, set at a gale-force wind of 5, and bound for the coast of Louisiana. Like this hurricane, Galveston, upon which this book is referenced from 1900, took the city by surprise and wiped out whole neighborhoods. Into this kind of setting arrives a crew of humanity, some of whom follow hurricanes and some of whom were taken by surprise. Dampier Cay, an island in the Carribbean, near Jamaica. An ex-coach turned millionaire by The Lottery, Mr Caldwell; Beverly, the lovely lass upon whom all is lost, nothing good ever happens to her; the "Weatherman" aka Jimmy Newton, the famous storm chaser; all come together with the rest of the myriad of people to vacation upon Dampier Cay during a severe storm. The two lovely sisters on vacation, the mystery man with the suitcase he won't let go of, the couple who say "Whatever will be, will be" and the employess of the Water's Edge Hotel,all with their own motley tales to tell.

They settle here to await the coming of the storm.This strange assortment fills the bar of the hotel with humour and darkness. What to make of this group, how will their fortunes fall? I found the book riveting, simplistic in style and rich with dark humour. When you have lost everything, what is there to live for? What excitment can you find that will bring you out of your reverie? There is passion and sexand grit and determination and love and loss. To whom will the bell toll? Will anyone possbily live through a 5 gale-force hurricane and live to tell their stories? With bleakness and bare bones, the stories come tumbling out through the past, future and present tense. You want these pople to live, at least some of them, and you hope for the best, while fearing the worst.Paul Quarrington, the author, was a Giller Prize Finalist for this book, "Galveston". The hurricane of the century for this author.
Highly recommended. prisrob

The Giller Jury Disapoints Me
It is beyond me why anyone would enjoy this novel, better yet,
how the esteemed jury for the Giller Prize could think of nominating
this book. It is poorly written and the plot and characters are silly
and inconsequential. None of the story is believable nor is any
of it particularly interesting or amusing. And I fail to see where any
of the humour is in the book. The humour that does exist is of the
jock locker room variety, not very sophisticated or particularly interesting. The event that brings the characters together is so silly
and unbelievable, that the novel reminded me of an episode of
Gilligan's Island. The whole thing reads falsely. And there is notone
appealing character among the bunch. I couldn't wait for the novel
to be over and done with and on many occasions thought of giving
it up because I found it so dull and silly. A dreadful read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Disappointing
Not a good book AT ALL, and I'm sorry I bought it.I've actually donated it without even finishing it. ... Read more

Book Description
After a slow climb out of the strip clubs and flesh pots of Europe, Jurgen and Rudolfo have hit the big time in Las Vegas, headlining a slick and well-oiled magic act. Rudolfo, a true misfit, is content orchestrating the spectacle, but Jurgen, stricken since childhood with the irrational desire to make magic, hungers for more. He finds it in a musty, mysterious collection of old manuscripts and magic cabinetry that once belonged to Houdini. And when he turns into the miracle-working saint of Las Vegas, chaos results. In a narrative that is whimsical, comic and melancholy by turns, Quarrington takes dead aim at the place in the human heart that hopes that doves can bloom from top hats and illusions can come true. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Spirit Fusion
"The Spirit Cabinet" uses the world of magicians and magic as an allegory for an exploration of self-worth.Much of the story takes place through the eyes of Rudolfo, who is the showman partner of Jurgan.The two come from colorful pasts.They are lovers as well as partners in a magic act.The novel contains several romantic graphic gay sexual encounters, one in a hail storm & one on an exercise bike.Rudolfo has a flare for working with animals, most notably Samson whose thoughts & fears are most humanely told.Samson is like the cowardly lion, although at times he's alternately bored or suffering from indigestion.The plot revolves around an auction where Jurgan buys a collection of books & magical equipment that belonged to Harry Houdini.This apparently contains secret magical information.We're not absolutely clear about what happens within the spirit cabinet, but Jurgen appears to undergo a transformation where he becomes increasingly less material, his body translucent, and less responsive to physical gravity.The culmination event reminded me of the idea of spirit fusion presented in The Urantia Book.Other magicians swirl in subplots.Preston the Adequate steals Jurgen & Rudolfo's lovely assistant Miranda.Envious magician Kaz tries to steal the Houdini collection.There is also a chauffeur from the African Dogon tribe who appears to have magical qualities.Quarrington peoples the novel with a collection of oddballs who all seem to question their self-worth.The quasi-mystical becomes magical and possible.Jurgen's climax where he seems to explode skyward into luminous bits is wonderful.The barriers to enjoyment come from the construction which is a bit hard to follow.One chapter is in the present, the next in flashback, and another in a dream.Sometimes it's hard to tell what's what, which may be the point.Overall, this is an interesting and entertaining tome, if a bit off-center. Enjoy!

difficult
I was a big fan of Whale Music and a couple other Quarrington books, so I jumped at the chance to buy this, not knowing it existed. I have tried for weeks to get into it, but so far... after six chapters, I am just not there. There is no doubt that Paul Quarrington is an amazing writer, but this story has just not grabbed me yet.

Good writing, a little hard to swallow
I have to say I enjoyed this book, but saw room for improvement. While Quarrington's descriptive and narrative style is quite tasty and the plot decidedly provocative and well-researched, I found the telling a little loose and frayedaround the edges and the last portion of the book seemed rushed and clumsily tied together. It takes place in a believable world (if you can call Las Vegas believable) where magic (not mere illusions) exists and animals have emotional and intellectual maturity. These devices worked and their "unrealness" was "believable" andenjoyable. Yet, for example, when one's lover/partner starts to turn literally translucent, begins wasting away before your eyes and performing ACTUAL magic learned from ancient books & scrolls and paraphernalia, one wouldprobably react with something other than sulking, annoyance and self-centered anger. This is the sort of unbeleivability that I disliked about this book, even for it's well drawn characters, good humor and surprising twists of plot. Also,some of the out-of-chronological-order storytelling left me confused and back-tracking rather than being able to watch the subplots eventually fall satisfyingly into place. In sum: Enjoyable but not wholly satisfying.

This strange life
Superstar magicians and entertainers Jurgen and Rudolfo buy Houdini'scollection of magicians' artifacts and paraphernalia, including theDavenport Spirit Cabinet, at an auction. As Jurgen delves into thecollection, he drifts from his partner and lover, as well as becoming moredisconnected from their show. Jurgen disappears, leaving Rudolfo adrift anddepressed, until he ultimately follows his love. Shifting between thepresent and the past, Quarrington explores the notions of faith in eachcharacter's life. Maybe not as potent as Katherine Dunn's "GeekLove" or anything by John Irving, Quarrington's book is quite aremarkable story of oddball characters that compels the reader onward.

The world of magic
On Terry Pratchett's Discworld, there are eight colours in the rainbow.The eighth is The Colour of Magic.Like the other colours, itsintensity may be measured - using a thaumometer.

On our world, as Paul Quarringtondepicts here, magic is measured with a bank account book.Itspractitioners are showmen notwizards.They are sleight-of-hand artists,illusionists well versed in the motto 'the hand is quicker than the eye'. They are highlycompetitive for audiences and recognition.The issue ofselecting routines for their performances looms large, both for the sake oftheaudience and thier competitors.

Performance magic relies heavily ondeception and devices.Quarrington relates how little novelty there is inthis trickery.Manueversand mechanisms are frequently handed down overgenerations to apprentices or favored associates.In The Spirit Cabinet itis acollection of material derived, almost inevitably, from the greatestmagical showman of them all, Henry Houdini.

Assembled from such diffuseorigins as Germany, Switzerland and Saskatchewan, a melange of conjurersgathers in Las Vegas toacquire a collection of Houdini memoribilia. Quarrington takes great pains in demonstrating the trade draws unusualpeople.Jurgenand Rudolfo are an unusal couple, in more ways than one. A rarity in the craft, they are a team.Most magicians, such as Kaz and Preston the Adequate [his father was Preston the Magnificent] work alone,or with no more than a decorous assistant.All covet theHoudinimaterial, although why, since so much of it has been duplicated, remainshidden.Jurgen and Rudolfo acquire the collection. From that point on,their relationship takes a new course.A hint of real magic emerges,confounding all their lives.

Quarrington has drawn these people well. In describing their origins, there are numerous unexpected twists.Thememory of Preston'sfather overshadows his life.Jurgen and Rudolfo havewhat can only be described as bizarre childhoods.As partners inperformanceand life, they become lovers.Few books reach publicationthese days without some form of sexual dysfunction as at least a minor theme.Kaz is Jewish, causing him to view every slight or competition asanti-Semetically based.Only Miranda seems stable; theaccount of hershow business career is one of the best episodes in the book.

Quarrington obviously spent much effort researching this book. Combining this information with his prose skills he restores the valueofpersonal performance to a generation inundated with special effects in TVand film.As he did in Whale Music, he depicts the life ofentertainers. Stage magic is not for the inept and Quarrington portrays well the stressesthese practitioners endure.This book is a fineaddition to any library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Original Six
The essay on Charles Gardiner (Chicago Black Hawks), by Dave Bidini, is a literary masterpiece worthy of the books 5-star rating all by itself. This is a very inspirational piece. Two of the other essays are very good (Canadiens and Bruins), and three are just OK (Wings, Leafs and Rangers). Also worthy of the 5-star rating are the wonderful illustrations by Sean Thompson(?) that front each essay. These color illustrations too, are almost alone worth the price of the book, but the artist, Thompson? (can't be sure) is given no real credit. If you're the guy, Mr. Thompson, congratulations, this is great work!

A great inside look on unsual experiences for the 6 best!
This was a great book! I first bought it for my 5 year old daughter who became interested with the original 6 teams but in the end we both found it different than most hockey books. It told stories about these beyondthrilling players and it made me look at them with a different perspectiveand proved things that for me, were just random suggestions, but now arereal facts. For example, the book proved that The Rocket, the best playerof all time even though I never saw him play, really is the high temper manwho never gives up and always sticks to what he honestly believes is trueand honest.

Traditiona dn myth of hockey revisited.
Before the Mighty Ducks of Disney and the Molson Center of Montreal and the Fleet Center of Boston there were the Gardens of New York and Boston and the Forum of Montreal.There were the "local" teams that so well reflected their respective cities and peoples.Teams and players became part of the fixtures of the city.Trades were catastrophic events.I remember the trade of Eddie Giacomin from the Rangers to the Red Wings.The chants of "EDDIE" were no more.What were the feelings of the Beantown fans when Espo was traded to the hated Rangers?Society and sport have changed and it is difficult to become attached to anything or anyone emotionally now.National marketing blitzes have rendered "local" teams a thing of the past.

Paul Quarrington has complied six stories (he penned the Bruins piece) centered on the Original Six era of the National Hockey League.These six stories take the reader back to the days when fans trully identified with their team.Two gems standout in this collection.The first is the Red Wings piece whose author recalls the days and nights spent with her grand father listening to Wings-Maple Leafs games.Each rooting for their own team.This is a wonderful piece on how these two people related to each other and the sport they so dearly loved.

The second gem is the New York Rangers' story.The Ranger fan has always been a different breed, withstanding decades of misses and near hits at achieving the Cup.This story embodies the real Ranger fan and the depth of the emotional attachment to the team.All Ranger fans will identify with this story.

For those hockey fans looking for something from the past "The Original Six" will bring them respite from the corporate sports world of today

Hockey the way it used to be.
This collection of stories on the original six NHL teams, brings the sport to life.Each team's story is written by a different author and Paul Quarrington edited this volume.His story is sadly, the weakest in the collection. The New York Ranger's story is the most poignant...a real twist at the end.

This one is for hockey fans that can't wait for a hockey fix until the start of next season.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Turned me into a hockey fan
I'd read Whale Music by Paul Quarrington and loved it, so when I spotted "Logan in Overtime" I gave it a go.I never laughed out loud for so long since losing a number of tickle contests as a kid.

I'd always known that Goalies were a little strange - my perspective being old enough that I'd known a couple of kids who would play without masks or padding.They were nuts.Logan is such a goalie - nuts.

The premise is that Logan is a fellow with an alcohol problem and some minor dementia.He believes that space aliens (are there any other kind?)are out to get him.He is also a semi-professional goalie in a hockey league with a minor problem.They have no overtime rule for their play-offs.Everyone plays until the game is over (kind of like European soccer, I guess).

The team he plays for is mentioned in a book by the same author, "King Leary" which is a lot easier to find, let me tell you.In fact, I'd be very interested in finding a copy of "Logan" if that were at all possible...

A low-quality offering from a high-quality author
LOGAN IN OVERTIME, written by Paul Quarrington, is not lacking in ambition.It aspires to the magical quality achieved by W.P. Kinsella in his baseball stories, and to the large, often bizarre cast of charactersseen in the novels of Dickens and Irving.But LOGAN is a mess, a slight,sometimes amusing riff on the sport of hockey that achieves nothing morethan the creation of a nostalgic feeling for Quarrington's far better, morefully realized novels.In WHALE MUSIC and CIVILIZATION, and theautobiographical THE BOY ON THE BACK OF THE TURTLE, Quarrington mixes theodd with the realistic, creating memorable characters that come to life notonly because of their eccentricities, but because of Quarrington's verypalpable fondness for them.In LOGAN, his characters feel half-finished,coasting by on their oddness, and not creating any real empathy with thereader.It's not the subject matter:Kinsella achieved a far greaterstory with his similar IOWA BASEBALL CONFEDERACY.There, as in LOGAN,unusual, somewhat magical events are mixed with a story surrounding asingle game, but Kinsella balances his mystical-realism with a flair forfully-functioning characters that exist long after the tale is ended. Here, the effort is half-baked, as if Quarrington read Kinsella's novel,changed baseball to hockey, and hoped the rest would fall into place. Sadly, he fails. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Paul's Book of Fish *
Paul Quarrington's fishing adventures are a delightful read.Almost a sequel to his previous "Fishing With My Old Guy", this work is broader in scope and deeper in insight.Quarrington isn't afraid to examine himself closely while travelling or fishing.The result is a strongly personalised account of who he is and who he relates to in the sport.Anavid fisherman, he makes clear that "Catching", while desireable, is clearly secondary to "fishing" itself.There's obviously far less stress involved in "fishing" than occur when landing a record size is the goal."Fishing" for itself offers a greater variety of experiences, which he recounts in his jocular style.

It's the variety that makes this "Paul's Book of Fish".Beginning with a quest for the majestic Steelhead on Vancouver Island, he crosses the Rockies to the Bow for Rainbow, and the Red River near Winnepeg for the monstrous Catfish found there.An opportunity to examine wider vistas takes him to the Bahamas for the quirky Bonefish.It's difficult to resolve which is more humorous, the antics of the Bonefish or those of the guides he encounters there.As he relates, guides are a major element in fishing away from local waters.Their status is always an issue.When their self-image confronts that of the fisherman's, the clash can be explosive.

Fishing, to Quarrington, is not idle time.It can be ideal time, but when introspection intrudes, the result can be serenity or distress.Quarrington was surely almost unique in choosing fishing as a means of coping with the events of 11 September 2001.He confesses it was his form of escape from the "disaster of unexampled order" that had occured that morning.His personal disasters, a lost marriage and a lost father, further weighted his burdened mind.In the Bow River, well within urban boundaries, he reminds us that Isaak Walton, dean of fishers, declared fishing a "contemplative pursuit".While thus employed Quarrington floats in thoughts "like a shipwrecked man in a sea of debris and sharks". He ponders, for example, what proportional disaster might befall the fish he seeks.By the end of the evening, a small moment of good fortune helps redeem the day.

In the final essay, he returns to Vancouver Island.Always a self-effacing man, the Tsunami Lodge, Canada's most up-market fishermen's haven, nearly overwhelms him.He uses devious means to be sent there, knowing it's beyond his reach.He's in constant fear of exposure, but wants to record the extravagance some fishermen will expend in their pursuit.It's a compelling piece, especially given that the article "never got written".Until now.This finale is Quarrington at his finest.His evasive dealings with the lodge owner, his alcoholic ramblings with colleague Jake MacDonald, and, of course, time on the water all provide an image of a man for whom fishing is far more than idle sport.The whole collection provides views of fishing no "outdoors" magazine can offer.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

* With humble apologies to Richard Flanagan

Paul's Book of Fish *
Paul Quarrington's fishing adventures are a delightful read.Almost a sequel to his previous "Fishing With The Old Guy", this work is broader in scope and deeper in insight.Quarrington isn't afraid to examine himself closely while travelling or fishing.The result is a strongly personalised account of who he is and who he relates to in the sport.Anavid fisherman, he makes clear that "Catching", while desireable, is clearly secondary to "fishing" itself.There's obviously far less stress involved in "fishing" than occur when landing a record size is the goal."Fishing" for itself offers a greater variety of experiences, which he recounts in his jocular style.

It's the variety that makes this "Paul's Book of Fish".Beginning with a quest for the majestic Steelhead on Vancouver Island, he crosses the Rockies to the Bow for Rainbow, and the Red River near Winnepeg for the monstrous Catfish found there.An opportunity to examine wider vistas takes him to the Bahamas for the quirky Bonefish.It's difficult to resolve which is more humorous, the antics of the Bonefish or those of the guides he encounters there.As he relates, guides are a major element in fishing away from local waters.Their status is always an issue.When their self-image confronts that of the fisherman's, the clash can be explosive.

Fishing, to Quarrington, is not idle time.It can be ideal time, but when introspection intrudes, the result can be serenity or distress.Quarrington was surely almost unique in choosing fishing as a means of coping with the events of 11 September 2001.He confesses it was his form of escape from the "disaster of unexampled order" that had occured that morning.His personal disasters, a lost marriage and a lost father, further weighted his burdened mind.In the Bow River, well within urban boundaries, he reminds us that Isaak Walton, dean of fishers, declared fishing a "contemplative pursuit".While thus employed Quarrington floats in thoughts "like a shipwrecked man in a sea of debris and sharks". He ponders, for example, what proportional disaster might befall the fish he seeks.By the end of the evening, a small moment of good fortune helps redeem the day.

In the final essay, he returns to Vancouver Island.Always a self-effacing man, the Tsunami Lodge, Canada's most up-market fishermen's haven, nearly overwhelms him.He uses devious means to be sent there, knowing it's beyond his reach.He's in constant fear of exposure, but wants to record the extravagance some fishermen will expend in their pursuit.It's a compelling piece, especially given that the article "never got written".Until now.This finale is Quarrington at his finest.His evasive dealings with the lodge owner, his alcoholic ramblings with colleague Jake MacDonald, and, of course, time on the water all provide an image of a man for whom fishing is far more than idle sport.The whole collection provides views of fishing no "outdoors" magazine can offer.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

* With humble apologies to Richard Flanagan ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Paul (Lewis) Quarrington, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 3070 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Amazon.com
The plain truth is that Paul Quarrington seems, from his writing and stories, to be exactly the sort of guy you'd want to go fishing with. And if you aren't into fishing, then he's the sort of guy to spin the tall tales for which fishing is known. Very funny and likably down-to-earth, Quarrington imparts his enthusiasm for clever brookies, elegant fly casts, and the wind-blown reaches of Quebec as he wades the cold streams in search of the legendary, record-breaking speckled trout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I are Paul's 'Old Guy'!Great book on a difficult subject.
I am still amazed that Q was able to write such a readable and hillarious book about a trip that turned into a disaster.Only an author blessed with superior skills and humour could pull it off, but he did and 'in spades!' As Q's 'Old Guy' I am putting the finishing touches on a sequel to hisbook, Fishing With Paul Quarrington by His Old Guy.It delves further intoour fishing and casting lives together since we met fifteen years ago andincludes Paul's second trip to the Broadback, this time to my territory andwith superb fishing.

I are the 'Old Guy'.Great book on a difficult subject!
I talked Paul into making this trip with us.We had fished and worked on his angling skills for over ten years and I felt he was ready to go affter the 'Big One'.Howeverr it was not to be.We ran into just about theworst conditions that anybody could imagine and due to circumstances wereunable to go to the Deval territory, one with which I was familiar.Ididn't think it was possible for anybody to construct a readable tale as aresult of this venture, but Paulie not only pulled it off, but wrote his'Old Guy' book with all the flair and humour that only a superb authorcould.I am just putting the finishing touches on a sequel to hiswonderful account of that mis-adventure, 'Fishing With Paul Quarrington byHis Old Guy'.It fills in the holes that 'Q' left out and includes hisnext trip with us, this time into my territory and with superb fishing. ... Read more

Book Description
Received with almost unanimous accolades from critics and readers alike, Civilization is the amazing tale of Thom Moss, a young man who sets out in the early twentieth century in search of a grand adventure.  He soon finds himself in the thick of Hollywoodland, employed as an actor by the renowned Caspar Willison, master of the two-reel cowboy flicker.  However, Thom's fortune quickly takes a ruinous turn and he lands in the Penitentiary, where he writes the story of his downfall.  At once hilarious and courageous, Civilization is a daring work by one of Canada's finest novelists. ... Read more

Book Description
Des Howell is a former rock 'n' roll star who never leaves his secluded oceanfront mansion. Naked, rich and fabulously deranged, he subsists on a steady diet of whiskey, pharmaceuticals and jelly doughnuts and occasionally works on his masterpiece, "Whale Music." One day, upon awakening from his usual drunken stupor, Des discovers on his sofa a young alien from the faraway universe of Toronto. This girl has made the trek to Des' hideaway because she believes in the "Whale Music" and she's crazy enough to think that Des can make a comeback hit with his mad magnum opus--


From the Trade Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

What would Brian Wilson think?
I remember reading some years ago that Brian Wilson is reported to have remarked - "Whale Music is the best book about the Beach Boys that I have read." Why not?

Fantasy is Reality
Anyone who has been semi conscious on Earth over the last 40 years knows that "Whale Music" draws it's inspiration from The Beach Boy's creative genius; Brian Wilson. As I recollect, Mr. Quarrington's book hit the shelves at about the same time as Mr. Wilson's autobiography. Having read both, I would choose to re-read 'Whale Music'. At it's worst, it's fictionalized take off on the man's life is extremely entertaining. At it's best, it's a great satire of the media's reporting of Mr. Wilson's every ingested cheeseburger. I love this book and, I especially love Brian Wilson's contribution to the world.

Smile ...
It has been at least ten years since I read this book but I still remember it fondly.It is largely a thinly-fictionalized account of the turbulent life of Brian Wilson, not exactly, but he is obviously the prototype for the eccentric musical genius protagonist and former songwriter/producer/singer of a California-based brother act.I was insipred to try to track it down again after reading about an all-star Brian Wilson tribute concert.My dim memory of this book is that the narrator is the Wilson-based character, who also reminded me a bit of the hero of John Kennedy Toole's great rambling novel "A Confederacy of Dunces."There are some laugh-out-loud sequences in this book as well as the expected tortured-artist tales.I would gladly read it again.

Fantastic 1st Person Narrative!
Quarrington's Whale Music is as decadent and sincere as its main character. A touching story doused in an absurd fondue of drug abuse, money, rock and roll, and agoraphobia. Track this one down!

Quarrington knows us better than we know ourselves.
There are a rare few writers in our society that can capture the paradox between the fragility and strength of the human spirit like Paul Quarrington. The alcoholic, drug-addicted main character spends his time talking to ghosts of his past, dunking his naked, corpulent body in the pool, and working on a composition for the whales below his cliff-side house. An uninvited visitor from another universe turns his life upside-down and he is forced to face the ghosts of his past, present, and future. In the process he lays bare those things that we most hide about our own selves, that make up the very essence of those things which make us human. If you like books which forever change the way you look at life, "Whale Music" is for you ... Read more

Book Description
“A dazzling display of fictional footwork...The author has not written just another hockey novel; he has turned hockey in a metaphor for magic.” Maclean's
 
Percival Leary was once the King of the Ice, one of hockey’s greatest heroes. Now, in the South Grouse Nursing Home, where he shares a room with Edmund “Blue” Hermann, the antagonistic and alcoholic reporter who once chronicled his career, Leary looks back on his tumultuous life and times: his days at the boys’ reformatory when he burned down a house; the four mad monks who first taught him to play hockey; and the time he executed the perfect “St. Louis Whirlygig” to score the winning goal in the 1919 Stanley Cup final.

Now all but forgotten, Leary is only a legend in his own mind until a high-powered advertising agency decides to feature him in a series of ginger ale commercials. With his male nurse, his son, and the irrepressible Blue, Leary sets off for Toronto on one last adventure as he revisits the scenes of his glorious life as King of the Ice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the funniest books you will ever read
King Leary is an old man now, but in his heydey he was the king of the ice, leaving opponents clutching at air as he executed the famous St Louis Whirligig. He is tracked down by an androgyous advertising company hack topromote a brand of ginger ale, and together they commence alaughter-inducing trip to the big city to make ads.

This book will haveyou holding your stomach and wiping your eyes. It would be worth the readjust to find out the real meaning of the King's Indian nickname, Loofweda,which he translates as "skates like the wind".

Canadian Humour about a Canadian sport
King Leary is a very funny novel.I really enjoyed this book because its setting is right around where I live.The characters in this novel seemed real and alive.Paul Quarrington is an author who really gets involved inhis work.This novel is a great recommendation to anyone who reallyenjoy's a good Canadian laugh!

Happy Reading and enjoy!

Hilarious, very human, and touching
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Based loosely on hockey as it was earlier in the 20th century. Written in the first person, a style of which Quarrington is a master (see also "Whale Music"). Also, like Whale Music,very touching at times. ... Read more

Book Description
Paul rolls into Hope—Population 1001—late at nigh on his thirtieth birthday, on the lam from his wife and a surprise party he has known about for weeks He is trying to escape the Big city and get some serious work done on his second novel, but finds the diversions of Hope no less seductive than those he has fled.

One of those diversions is the two-hundred-year-old legendary fish, Ol' Mossback.  Paul could hardly pass up the chance to land such a fish.  He puts aside his work-in-progress in an attempt to discover the mysteries of Hope, with all its quirky characters, and to finally be able to answer the question, "talked with Ol' Mossback lately?" ... Read more

Book Description
Received with almost unanimous accolades from critics and readers alike, Civilization is the amazing tale of Thom Moss, a young man who sets out in the early twentieth century in search of a grand adventure.  He soon finds himself in the thick of Hollywoodland, employed as an actor by the renowned Caspar Willison, master of the two-reel cowboy flicker.  However, Thom's fortune quickly takes a ruinous turn and he lands in the Penitentiary, where he writes the story of his downfall.  At once hilarious and courageous, Civilization is a daring work by one of Canada's finest novelists. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Every childhood contains at least one “ravine”–one episode where the normal fabric of everyday life rips and the monsters come roaring out. But only Giller-nominated novelist Paul Quarrington could make that moment both profound and profoundly funny.

Phil McQuigge’s marriage is over, he has lost his job as the producer of a wildly successful TV series, and has also lost the star of that series, who died on the set under mysterious circumstances that seem to be all Phil’s fault.
So Phil, who self-medicates for guilt and despair with liberal quantities of alcohol and what remains of his wit, sets out on a redemptive quest. He has narrowed down the source of his mid-life freefall to the lingering consequences of an ugly incident that happened in a suburban ravine when he was a boy, on an afternoon of adventure with his little brother, Jay, and their hapless tagalong, Norman Kitchen. Phil decides that if he can only find and make amends to Norman Kitchen then just maybe the planets will once again align benevolently with his fate.

Paul Quarrington describes his tenth novel as what would happen if he had written Mystic River. He has a point: in his hands, comedy rides on top of a tragic undertow as the novel follows the surprising echoes of boyhood trauma in the lives of all three men. The extra surprise twist at the end? What Phil ends up having to atone for is not the sin he thinks he has committed. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on May 4, 2007. The length of the article is 480 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Quarrington tour combines his love of words and music.(Music - Articles)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 4, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: d7

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more