Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul

It brought up a number of different conflicts that really made you think. I was pleased that it dealt with Native and White antagonisms in a way that blamed neither side as the sole evil, but gave shared blame to everything that was happening in the novel. I also liked that it was recognized that the only way either side can heal from the evil that was done in the past is by moving forward and not clinging on to those horrific actions.

The book went on a lot lo This novel was an interesting read. The book went on a lot longer than I think it needed to. It jumped back and forth between other perspectives to show just how every individual character was responding and thinking about the incident and it just took so long to get to the climax that it became a drag near the end. The ending was so flat and disappointing that when I was thinking I could actually enjoy the book the end made me close it and decide it really wasn't that great. Despite so many things being solved, even in bittersweet ways, the way it dealt with Sky and Markus' relationship was the most lazy and terrible way to conclude anything, let alone a novel.

I was extremely disappointed and just kind of upset with Richards for thinking this was suitable ending. It gave me the impression he was coming to the realization his book was too long and just stopped writing there.

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I wouldn't read this book again. Nov 13, Lori rated it it was amazing Shelves: Words escape me in trying to capture my thoughts and feelings about this haunting, multi-layered and important novel. David Adams Richards is a fantastic storyteller. His books, as bleak as the outcomes generally are, paint an important picture of Canadian life that all of us from this country should contemplate.

The mysterious death of a First Nations youth unleashes catastrophic events in a Micmac community. Deep seeded prejudices, hatred and feelings of "being wronged" are unearthed Wow. Deep seeded prejudices, hatred and feelings of "being wronged" are unearthed and no one in this story escapes unscathed. All are permanently affected and irrevocably altered from the events that took place that summer in The main protagonist, Markus Paul, who was 15 at the time and now, in , a decorated RCMP officer, still cannot get past what happened that summer 21 years ago and, after ruining relationship after relationship in his life, commits to finally getting to the bottom of what happened back then that began with the death of 17 year-old Hector Penniac in the hold of a Scandinavian cargo ship.

Moving seamlessly between and , this story slowly and deliciously unfolds. We meet the wise but slow to act Chief, Amos Paul Markus' grandfather , the dynamic and politically driven Chief-in-Waiting, Isaac Snow, the hothead Joel Ginnish, Max Doran, the eager but suggestible journalist and the wronged and unfairly condemned white man in this, Roger Savage.

As the layers unfold in this story, we begin to see deep into the motivations of all characters and how each of them "cheat" the truth in some way either by inaction or overtly lying and acting for selfish or twisted reasons. Throughout this journey, the reader learns to appreciate the quiet strength and good heart of Amos although angered by his inaction at critical times. Comparing Amos' quiet, shy leadership with the more charismatic Isaac Snow's one can't help but reflect on leadership in general and how important a mix of charisma and confidence with wisdom and caution is in leading communities through crisis.

Markus's final actions in the book bring all of us full circle with someone who finally takes the steps necessary to allow this community to heal. He offered comfort where required like with the ill George Morrissey in the hospital, strength in action as is so desperately needed in his investigations and finally leadership to understand what is needed for healing is for the true story to be told and bringing together the two very people required in order to tell it. An amazing and thought-provoking book. Every Canadian should read it. Nov 21, Shonna Froebel rated it it was amazing Shelves: Wow, can Richards ever write.

In Markus Paul was a young man, living with his grandfather on the reserve. His grandfather Amos Paul was chief and Markus Paul was in love with a young woman Sky who lived nearby with her grandmother and younger brother, Little Joe. When a young native man, Hector, is killed in what seems at first to be an accident his first day on the job loading ships rumours start, and soon fingers at pointed Wow, can Richards ever write. When a young native man, Hector, is killed in what seems at first to be an accident his first day on the job loading ships rumours start, and soon fingers at pointed at another young white man, Roger Savage, who was waiting for a chance to work that day.

Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul

This novel follows the search for what really happened to Hector, and what a number of people do as a result of his death. One of these is Amos, a careful man with a good heart. Another is Isaac, a middle-aged man who seemed destined to be chief one day. Another is Joel, Hector's older brother, who has often been in trouble with the law before. And we also have Roger himself, and a young reporter Max Doran, who is excited about the assignment to cover this story, but not experienced enough to see the pitfalls. This is a book about how small actions have great outcomes, and these actions are laid out one by one before us, gradually revealing the truth and the politics, prejudice and beliefs that led to each action.

Years later Markus Paul is an RCMP officer still searching for the truth about what happened back in , still haunted by it. When he finally discovers the truth, it is surprising and yet one can see how it all seemed inevitable. Richards is an author that seems to see into characters and show the complexities of them. A novel that will haunt you.

Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul, by David Adams Richards - The Globe and Mail

I need to digest and savor the story as it unfolds Jul 16, Greg Prosser rated it it was amazing. Told in a way that is all Richards. Bleak in that particular Canada lit. A First Nations boy is killed in what at first seem an accident, but the finger is pointed at a white loner who was in a border dispute with the reservation.

Several people twist the event to their own political gain, and the media jumps on the bandwagon. More lives are lost or destroyed, because some won't speak up and others won't listen.

Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul – 1: A modern-day Dickens or Tolstoy

One young boy can't let the case go and spends 21 years intermit Bleak in that particular Canada lit. One young boy can't let the case go and spends 21 years intermittently trying to figure out what really happened. And in the end the question is if it is too late for the truth. Will it heal or cause more harm? Jun 30, Steven Buechler rated it it was amazing.

A great book telling us no matter how modern an age we may live in, we are still compelled by our identity and the labels applied to us to do things that are not the right thing to do. Page 79 There were a few grim reminders of the unfair play in Max Doran's approach - reminders that came from a few solitary and somehow unacceptable complaints to the paper about bias. These complaints would come more frequently over the summer. They came to the paper by way of scant letters to the editor, letter A great book telling us no matter how modern an age we may live in, we are still compelled by our identity and the labels applied to us to do things that are not the right thing to do.

They came to the paper by way of scant letters to the editor, letters saying nothing had been proven. At times there was also a halting statement from one of the youngest reporters, Gordon Young, who had lived long in that forbidding area near the reserve, and who did not trust Isaac Snow or Joel Ginnish, for as he said, Isaac Snow was a born politician and Joel Ginnish was a born thief, and he knew them both, better than Mr. And he said this without the least worry that those who measured themselves by conventional wisdom would think his statements insensitive.

Why he did not care what in hell people thought, him with his soft hand and his Hush Puppies, no one knew - but perhaps, some reflected in a pejorative way, he was a throwback to another time, whe discrimination against the First Nations was openly accepted. Or, perhaps, in a real way he cared very much for the reserve and could not allow an untrue sentiment to pass as true, even if others thought it true. And Gordon Young, who had come from a place even more remote than the reserve, wore silly clothes, and had been foolish enough, or perhaps not, to believe in integrity above anything else, even above irony, said that this is not what hew was questioning.

Doran" for he always called Max "Mr. Doran" "I am not questioning the suffering of the first peoples. I have First Nations nieces and nephews, and will not question that. No, I am questioning others using this suffering to exploit a story, and go in a wrong direction because of it.

And he decired in the most gentle way he could the idea of some people using an uneducated and solitary man like Roger Savage to satiate the already insatiable dislike of that kind of man, a dislike that many, many academics and some students applauding Mr. Doran seemed to feel - people who were writing to the paper with their "unending" support of the band.

Max looked at Gordon Young for a bit, and wondered about him a little. Then he replied, with the same bemusement he had felt with Amos Paul, "Ah, I know all of that, Gordon. Ive paid my dues, lad. Ive been on twenty stories like this. And I have come to this conclusion painfully. These guys are always the first to cry foul. And I do not want to blame. But what keeps hounding me is this: And Roger is a liar and a killer.

One he had an ongoing dispute with that family. Two, he fought with the brother over this dispute. Three, he expects to be hired. Four he arrives late and is surpised that his senoirity has been rebuffed. Five, he is angry and starts to drink. Six, he hooked as he got a chance - I went to the wharf and watched how it could be done. You know how long it took? Twenty five extra seconds" Jul 24, Carolyn rated it really liked it.

It starts with a tragedy murder or accident when a young native man is killed when a load of lumber falls which is being loaded onto a pulp boat. Blame is placed on an impoverished young white man living on the border of the reservation who has been in dispute with the community over fishing rights.

Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul, by David Adams Richards

The story deals with big themes: Lies are told due to fear, ambition, greed, bribery and simply because a person believes incorrectly what happened and decides it is the truth. The story reveals prejudice by whites against the natives, but also prejudice of the intellectual elite against the uneducated and poor, whom they presume to be right wing bigots.

Into the community comes an ambitious young reporter whose stories are in the news all over Canada, and he has escalated the the turmoil in his writings. He firmly believes in the guilt of the accused. Later he refuses to write any more articles as he begins to doubt. As a result he loses his life's work. Observing all this is the old chief's grandson, Markus. The old chief firmly believes the person blamed for the first tragedy is innocent but cannot prove it, and is losing any authority in the community as a result. Markus is blamed by the girl he loves for taking her little brother to watch events in aftermath of tragedy, and the young boy is killed.

Again blame is placed on the man who was felt to be guilty of the first death, and he is killed either by accident or intention. The story then moves to , when Markus is an RCMP officer and has been haunted by the events of He promised his grandfather he would try to find out what really happened in all three deaths.

I thought a lot of important ideas were left for us to ponder. Feb 16, Philip rated it liked it. I kinda liked reading this one but I have a few reservations No pun intended! At least I was able to finish this book unlike the first one by this author that I tried but found so depressing that I abhorted it! At least this one had a bit of a story but I found it very difficult to follow the story with the constant jumping back and forth between and and the middle half of the book bogged down and became rather slow, boring, dragged out and repetitive.

I've been trying to read my OK! I've been trying to read mysteries by Canadian Authors and, since reading another reader's review of Vicki Delaney's "Gold Digger" I, too, decided to try to read books set in every region of Canada. There are a few regions in which it is very difficult to find a mystery set in that region and that is available in some format in Canada. New Brunswick is one of them!

I thought this one would fill the bill but I think I'll try to find some others! I couldn't recommend this author's books to anyone. Mar 03, Mark Lisac rated it really liked it. An absorbing story about individuals, a particular social setting and the nature of right and wrong. Had to persist through the first half because the characters come close to or actually are caricatures.

Richards also starts out with descriptions from a distance. The effect is like watching Prospero play with people on his island if you're in a generous mood, or like watching a puppet play and being very much aware of the woodenness of the marionettes and the strings pulling them about if you'r An absorbing story about individuals, a particular social setting and the nature of right and wrong. The effect is like watching Prospero play with people on his island if you're in a generous mood, or like watching a puppet play and being very much aware of the woodenness of the marionettes and the strings pulling them about if you're not.

But the artificiality fades and intensity builds in the second half. May still, but the story is pulled together so well and powerfully in the end that I'm not sure whether I'd rate one book ahead of the other.

Jun 06, Carol MacInnis rated it liked it Shelves: Hector Penniac, a First Nations man who lives on a reserve in eastern Canada died on the first day of his job as a labourer on a ship loading the hold with pulpwood. This job was to help Hector monetarily on his way to university to someday be a doctor and to return to his homeland to aid his people. How did he die? I am not a huge fan of books that go back and forth in time throughout it. Although, once I read through the 'why's' and 'who done it's' and 'did someone lie', etc etc I was able to f Hector Penniac, a First Nations man who lives on a reserve in eastern Canada died on the first day of his job as a labourer on a ship loading the hold with pulpwood.

Although, once I read through the 'why's' and 'who done it's' and 'did someone lie', etc etc I was able to focus on Chapter VI which was the climax of the story and made for some very interesting turn of events. It was this chapter that I could not put the book down. I would have liked to give this a higher rating, but for the most part I felt I was doing an awful lot of repetitive reading. Jun 23, Carole rated it it was ok Shelves: David Adams Richards exposes many important political and racial issues within the context of the investigation but, unfortunately, I found it very difficult to become engaged in the story due to the bland writing style.

I found myself losing focus and having to read some pages more than once. The story is unrelentingly grim but I felt detached from it and could not really "Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul" focuses on the suspicious death of a young First Nations dockworker in New Brunswick. The story is unrelentingly grim but I felt detached from it and could not really identify with the characters and their lives. Nov 09, Andrew rated it it was amazing. It's odd how you can miss a writer who is apparently really well known but this was a random library choice I really enjoyed.

Set around a first nation reservation in and it tells of the consequence of a young boys death in the hold of a cargo ship on his first day a work. The eponymous hero at the time is the grandson of the chief who sees how the 'crime' rips his community apart, and in as a policeman is still obsessed by it. A really good read and I will look out for more now b It's odd how you can miss a writer who is apparently really well known but this was a random library choice I really enjoyed.

A really good read and I will look out for more now by the author! May 28, Vicki McEwan rated it really liked it Shelves: David Adams Richards is an incredible writer and one of Canada's true treasures. Once again, he forces us through his writing and story to examine our own lives, our own behavior and who we really are in respect to our actions and inactions with the people around us. Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul is filled with unique interesting characters whose actions and inactions bare on the lives of others.

Gripping from the beginning to end with suspense, fast moving events and a deep look at human David Adams Richards is an incredible writer and one of Canada's true treasures. Gripping from the beginning to end with suspense, fast moving events and a deep look at human behavior it beckons our attention, heart and minds. Roger Savage dies early in the story, but his fate pointedly and hauntingly demonstrates that attempting to redress sins of the past sometimes leads to victimizing innocent descendants of the sinners.

Rayyan Al-Shawaf is a writer and book critic in Beirut, Lebanon. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe. If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters globeandmail.

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