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Literary Criticism Canadian

Tay John and the Cyclical Quest

by (author) Ella Tanner

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
Jan 1990
Category
Canadian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781550221329
    Publish Date
    Jan 1990
    List Price
    $15.00
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781550221305
    Publish Date
    Jan 1990
    List Price
    $25.00

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Description

This is the first book-length study of Howard O'Hagan's Tay John. Tanner's examination suggests how this earth-oriented saga must be read slowly, with full attention to all details of words and story, in order to appreciate its coded subtext, and how it must then be reread to experience the work's powerful cyclic form. Her story draws on previously inaccessible material: personal interviews with O'Hagan, comments by his fellow writers, and an early editorial by O'Hagan on “Truth and Style.”

About the author

Contributor Notes

Ella Tanner is a freelance writer living in Montreal.

Editorial Reviews

"Admirable study. Tanner writes helpfully and perceptively on various aspects of Tay John." — Canadian Book Review Annual

"Written in a clear, direct style...[I]t is a detailed and loving examination of the novel's peculiar cyclic rhythm." — Westmount Examiner