Sweetland by Michael Crummey: Home
Articles, Interviews, and Reviews
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Filthy Lucre Michael Crummey’s ‘Sweetland,’ and MoreNY Times
By William D. Cohan March 20, 2015 -
Sweetland: A superb fourth novel from Michael CrummeyMaclean's
Brian Bethune
August 31, 2014 -
Interview: Michael Crummey on new book SweetlandThe Scotsman
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“The Past is Never Dead”: an interview with Michael CrummeyThe Winnipeg Review
January 8, 2015 -
Michael Crummey’s Sweetland is like a song of mourningThe Globe and Mail
Other Works by Michael Crummey
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Galore by
ISBN: 9781590514344When a whale beaches itself on the shore of the remote coastal town of Paradise Deep, the last thing any of the townspeople expect to find inside it is a man, silent and reeking of fish, but remarkably alive. The discovery of this mysterious person, soon christened Judah, sets the town scrambling for answers as its most prominent citizens weigh in on whether he is man or beast, blessing or curse, miracle or demon. -
River Thieves by
ISBN: 9780618145317In a masterly debut, the award-winning poet and short-fiction writer Michael Crummey crafts a haunting novel set on the rugged coast of Newfoundland at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Videos
Discussion Questions
(General Discussion Questions from Lit Lovers)
1. How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to
"get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused,
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?
2. Describe the main characters—personality traits, motivations, inner qualities.
• Why do characters do what they do?
• Are their actions justified?
• Describe the dynamics between characters
(in a marriage, family, or friendship).
• How has the past shaped their lives?
• Do you admire or disapprove of them?
• Do they remind you of people you know?
3. Do the main characters change by the end of
the book? Do they grow or mature? Do they learn something about themselves and how the world works?
4. Is the plot engaging—does the story interest you? Is this a plot-driven book: a fast-paced page-turner? Or does the story unfold slowly with a focus on character development? Were you surprised by the plot's complications? Or did you find it predictable, even formulaic?
5. Talk about the book's structure. Is it a continuous story...or interlocking short stories? Does the time-line move forward chronologically...or back and forth between past and present? Does the author use a single viewpoint or shifting viewpoints? Why might the author have chosen to tell the story the way he or she did—and what difference does it make in the way you read or understand it?
6. What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.) Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas?
7. What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or poignant or that encapsulates a character? Maybe there's a particular comment that states the book's thematic concerns?
8. Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?
9. If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask? Have you read other books by the same author? If so how does this book compare. If not, does this book inspire you to read others?
10. Has this novel changed you—broadened your perspective? Have you learned something new or been exposed to different ideas about people or a certain part of the world?
Reserve a copy
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Sweetland by
ISBN: 9780871407900The scarcely populated town of Sweetland rests on the shore of a remote Canadian island. Its slow decline finally reaches a head when the mainland government offers each islander a generous resettlement package--the sole stipulation being that everyone must leave. Fierce and enigmatic Moses Sweetland, whose ancestors founded the village, is the only one to refuse.
Suggestions for further reading
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Infinite Home by
ISBN: 9781594633638Edith is a widowed landlady who rents apartments in her Brooklyn brownstone to an unlikely collection of humans, all deeply in need of shelter. Crippled in various ways--in spirit, in mind, in body, in heart--the renters struggle to navigate daily existence, and soon come to realize that Edith's deteriorating mind, and the menacing presence of her estranged, unscrupulous son, Owen, is the greatest challenge they must confront together. -
A Man Called Ove by
ISBN: 9781476738017A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. -
The Winter Vault by
ISBN: 9780307270825From the author of the acclaimed "Fugitive Pieces" comes a mesmerizing love story that juxtaposes historical events with the most intimate moments of individual lives.