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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 30 general entries.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Canadian Literature
| What is the name of the protagonist in Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid's Tale'? | Canadian Literature
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Offred. Offred is the lead character in Atwood's haunting and memorable story.
| Stephen Leacock's characters, Mr. Peter Spillikins and Mr. Lucullus Fyshe appear in which novel? | Canadian Literature
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Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich. Mr. Spillikins and Mr. Fyshe are two of the memorable characters from Leacock's comic masterpiece 'Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich.'
Ethel Wilson. Written in 1954. A great read about a woman's strength and compassion.
Margaret Laurence. Written by Laurence in 1964. One of the most memorable characters in Canadian literature.
| Sinclair Ross' great novel 'As for Me and My House' is set during which era? | Canadian Literature
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the depression. Excellent look at life in the depression and inner dialogue.
Newfoundland. Author of the hilarious novel, 'The Story of Bobby O'Malley'.
W.O. Mitchell. Written about prairie life in the 1900s. Canadian classic.
E.J. Pratt. E.J. Pratt wrote 'Towards the Last Spike' about the of promise of MacDonald's government to B.C. that the railway to connect to the East would be completed within ten years of joining confederation. 'The Truant' is '...an indictment of absolute power without recognition of moral ends,' (in Pratt's own words).
Rohinton Mistry. Written in 1997 set in India in the '70s. Excellent novel.
| Alice Munro's first collection of short stories won the Governor General's Award - what was the title of this collection? | Canadian Literature and Awards
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Dance of the Happy Shades. It won the 1968 Governor General's Award for Fiction. The other titles are other works of Munro's and all are wonderful collections. In my opinion, she is unsurpassable as a writer of short stories.
Sweetness in the Belly. Gibb spent a year living in Ethiopa and this vivid and touching story is reflected in her real life experience; "Sweetness" was also nominated for the Giller Prize. "Mouthing the Words" was Gibb's first novel, and "The Petty Details... her third; both have been either nominated for or received awards. "Making it Work" - a made up title.
Alias Grace. "Alias Grace" won the Giller Prize and the Canadian Booksellers Association Author of the year Award for 1996. It would be hard to find a book of Atwood's that hasn't won an award. Although I haven't found every single one of her books fantastic, "Alias Grace" was fabulous.
| What is the name of Joseph Boyden's first novel, which describes the horrors of WW1 trench warfare through the experiences of two Metis soldiers? | Canadian Literature and Awards
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Three Day Road. Although this book is not easy to read due to the graphic depiction of war, it takes the reader on an amazing journey and tells the tale of two Metis friends and how they react so differently to their war experiences. It has been nominated for several awards, including the Books in Canada First Novel Award. "Born With a Tooth" is a collection of short stories by Boyden. "War and Peace" is penned by Tolstoy of course and "Soldiers" I just made up.
| What is the name of the award-winning Ken McGoogan novel that told the story of John Rae, a 19th century Arctic explorer? | Canadian Literature and Awards
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Fatal Passage. This book won four literary awards and was short-listed for three others. It solved two mysteries - who really discovered the final link in the Northwest Passage and what happened to the lost expedition of Sir John Franklin, famous British explorer. "Lady Franklin's Revenge" is about Franklin's wife and is amazing if only for the chronicling of her extensive travel. "Ancient Mariner" is another non-fiction work from Canadian writer McGoogan, and tells the life of Samuel Hearne, who was the first European to reach the Arctic coast of North America. "An Adventure in the Arctic" is a made up title.
| Claude Jutra directed an adaptation of this Anne Hébert novel which is a fictionalized account of a 19th century murder in rural Quebec. What is the name of the novel, the film, and the region where they are set? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Kamouraska. The story revolves around Elizabeth's murder of her oppressive husband, the Signeur (lord) of Kamouraska, aided by an American doctor. Elizabeth is played by the delightful Genevieve Bujold, the doctor by Richard Jordan.
| Timothy Findley's novella about the coming of age of young man during The Great War was made into a film of the same name directed by Robin Phillips. What was the two word title? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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The Wars. Brent Carver stars as Robert Ross, a son of the Toronto establishment, who journeys from innocence into experience while trying to act as an officer in the chaos of the First World War. No horses were harmed in the writing of this question.
| "Rachel, Rachel" is the name of the film adaptation of Margaret Laurence's classic novel, "A Jest of God." It stars Joanne Woodward and was directed by her blue-eyed hunk of a husband. What was his name? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Paul Newman. The film switches the setting from Saskatchewan to New England, but retains most of the plot that features a non-religious 'spinster' experiencing confusion as she receives the gift of tongues.
| W.P. Kinsella's mystical baseball novel "Shoeless Joe" became a very successful Kevin Costner film. What title did the movie carry? Remember the catch phrase, "if you build it, they will come." | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Field of Dreams. John Sayles' "Eight Men Out" also deals with the 'Chicago Black Sox' scandal. In "Shoeless Joe" an Iowa farmer receives a calling to build a ball diamond in his cornfield and lo and behold, the Sox of lore appear, somehow redeeming themselves. One interesting difference between the novel and the screenplay involves the character of the famous reclusive novelist contacted and rejuvenated by the protagonist. In the book, this novelist is the real J.D. Salinger; in the film it is the fictional Terry Mann, played by James Earl Jones. Apparently there was fear that the litigious Salinger might take legal action against the film.
| Here's a tricky one. What "Grey's Anatomy" star played the lead character in "The Diary of Evelyn Lau," the screen adaptation of Evelyn Lau's "Runaway," an autobiographical tale of her escape from her oppressive Chinese Canadian home to the mean streets of Vancouver? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Sandra Oh. Oh had recently graduated from the National Theatre School in Montreal when she was tapped to play the runaway teen in Lau's memoir of life on the streets. Lau went on to a literary career once she got off the streets. At one point she was romantically linked to the much older writer W.P. Kinsella.
| Willem Dafoe struggles with a Canadian accent in this adaptation of a Michael Ondaatje novel which was famously alluded to in a Seinfeld episode. What is the title of the book and the film directed by Anthony Minghella? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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The English Patient. The complicated story includes a severely burned "soldier" played by Ralph Fiennes (who turns out not to really be English), a Sikh bomb defuser (Naveen Andrews), an Anglo-Canadian thief (Dafoe), a Franco-Canadian nurse (Juliette Binoche) and a married British woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) who is up for a little extra-marital fun. Despite the complexity of the flashbacks and density of the story, Ondaatje and Minghella make it all riveting, no matter what Elaine Benes says.
| Speaking of Richler, 2010 saw the release of "Barney's Version," an adaptation of his 1998 novel of the same name. What American star played the role of Barney Panofsky? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Paul Giamatti. Giamatti won the Golden Globe Award for best actor in a comedy or musical for his version of Barney, a hard-drinking, cigar-chomping t.v. producer who somehow remains likeable through it all.
| Mordecai Richler's novels chronicle the men of his generation from his neighbourhood in Montreal, famous for bagels and... well... Mordecai Richler. What was the name of the book and movie that launched the career of a young Richard Dreyfuss, in the eponymous role? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Although cast a little against type, Dreyfuss is charming as the upwardly mobile schemer, Duddy, who seems to always have an angle. The parody of the English ex-pat from the National Film Board is particularly memorable.
| Sarah Polley wrote the screenplay and directed this beautiful film adaptation of Alice Munro's "The Bear Came Over the Mountain." It tells the story of Fiona (Julie Christie) suffering from senile dementia under the care of her formerly philandering husband, Grant (Gordon Pinsent). What did Polley name the movie? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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Away from Her. The dilemma posed by both the story and the film is delightful: does the former adulterer love his soul-mate enough to make her happy, even if it means replacing himself with her new love? Christie, Pinsent, and the supporting cast are all superb.
| Margaret Atwood is a droll writer who has explored a wide variety of genres and forms. Her dystopian sci-fi thriller about the U.S.A. after a right-wing religious take-over was made into a film which debuted in 1990. What was the name of the book and the movie? | Canadian Literature -- Film Adaptations
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The Handmaid's Tale. Robert Duvall is especially creepy as a hypocritical authority figure in this compelling, if flawed film. Miranda Richardson stars. British playwright Harold Pinter provided the screenplay.
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