16 - Friday, July 8, 1988 - North Shore News IT WOULD be a rare Canuck indeed who is blissfully un- aware of the concerns expressed by many Canadian publishers, writers — and of course the latter’s agents — as to the possible effects of a Free Trade deal on ‘Can.Lit.’ In some cases of course those fears of a wave of American ink are justified: aggressive marketing, larger print-runs and bigger budgets south of the border would give U.S. publishing houses a decided edge over our domestic industry. But, as with so many other pro- ducts (and, yes, books are in the final analysis precisely that), the reading public’s buying preferences will be a major determining factor. MIKE STEELE book reviewer Which brings us to a BOOKS NOW quiz, a sort of mini-quest in search of Truth and other myths. Be honest now: given the.choice, sight unseen, author unknown and title unrevealed, would you prefer to chance a novel by a Canadian writer or one from an author well-established in the American market place? To all those who replied ‘the Canadian one’, would your answer change if your anonymity was guaranteed? Ah, thought so... Sadly, the inferiority complex we nurse where most facets of Ca- nadian culture are concerned ex- tends to books as well as films and television (though not without reason where television is concern- ed). True; some Canadian writing is peopled with cheracters revelling in masochistic explorations of guilt, inadequacy, and other dead ends of despondency that would turn even Pollyanna into a certifiable manic depressive. ‘Or, as fellow book reviewer, James Dunn, commented recently, “As with most Canadian novels, each poignant moment of utter despair is followed by an even BC BEST SELLERS THIS WEEK FICTION Figures in brackets indicate iast week’s position 1. (1) Icarus Agenda ....Ludlum 2. (2) Zoya ..ccccceccens . Steel 3. (4) Rockstar i 4, (8) Alaska .......... Mitchner 5. (3) The King — of Murgos 6. (9) Treasure 7. (-) Red Wolf Eddings Kussler 8. (-) Memory Board 9. (5) The Last NON-FICTION 1. (1) Brief History Hawkings 2. (3) Moonwalk Jackson 3. (2) Thriving on 4. (6) The Power of Myth 5. (-) The Natural History of Canada Lawrence 6. (40) Talking Straight ..Iacecca 7. (8) Light Hearted Cookbook 8. (5) Spilsbury’s Coast ....White/Spilsbury 9. (4) Art ofthe Deal ....Truup , As compiled by United Communications Research Campbell Lindsay more poignant moment of utter despair.’’ True, all true; but not without the odd glimmer, even glare, of hope. With increasingly greater fre- quency, Canadian authors are ap- pearing who are more than capable of holding their own in the inter- national market place. Writers like Christopher Hyde (Styx) and John Ralson Saul (The Birds of Prey, Baraka, The Para- dise Eater) are, at least in com- mercial terms, extremely successful both within and beyond our borders. Perhaps the true acid test though is whether we can produce a writer able to create a uniquely Cana- “The Canadian West was never this good dian-set novel that is a) funny and b) of a quality and subject matter with international appeal. Impossible you say? Not so. Vancouver author, George Bower- ing, has done just that and suc- ceeds magnificently with his latest work, Caprice. ; This two-time winner of the Governor-General’s Award has written a delightfully humorous story of the Canadian West that might well have been titled The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful. if, like me, you would not nor- mally deign to read a western novel, much less one that is basically a romance at that, tem- porarily put your prejudices in the corral, grab a bottle of Old Crow and settle down for a real, home- grown treat. Caprice is without a doubt the exception that proves the rule, a joyous gallop through the sagebrush and greasewood of our own Canadian West. Some of this tale is of a West that was, some of a West that might have been and some of a West that, regretfully, could never have been.... Down to the basic story: a cowpoke is gunned down over a bottle of whiskey; his avenging sister (a woman Of great. stature, beauty and mysterious background) scours the West alone, both above and below the border, in search of his killer. Armed with charm, determina- tion, competence that rivals and exceeds that of most any hombre on the range — and a deadly bullwhip — Caprice is a heroine GARDENS FRIDAY SMORGASI LUNCH SORD 5% OVER 20 DELICIOUS ITEMS | 119 East Second Street, NVan. Pout ener a ee Jes THE LIVELIEST DINE & DANCE CLUB IN THE HEART OF GASTOWN 2 FOR 1 ON ALL DINNER ENTREES WITH THIS AD WED. & THURS. ALSO FEATURING NIGHTLY ONE OF VANCOUVER'S FINEST IRISH & TOP 40's BANDS KILLARNEY TUESDAYS ARE FOLK NIGHT W. IRISH DANCERS 216 CARRALLE ST. 687-4322 Paty 986-4175 | unlike any other. Equal parts fem- inine and feminist she sits tall in the saddle in her unrelenting pur- suit. Dressed like a man but far from manly, she inspires fear, amazement, lust and envy in the hearts of all she encounters, depending on their gender and disposition. Throughout this adventure (which centres on the Okanagan), the major part of the wit and humor is provided by two dispas- sionate observers, a young Indian and his older mentor. Intrigued by the strange occupations of the white men and women involved in this dusty drama, they note and analyze every idiosyncrasy and event in an attempt to make sense of the behavior of the interlopers. If anything, their observations make them rivals of this novel’s heroine for interest; surely never before have two Native North Americans been portrayed with the intelligence and wry humor that is their part in Caprice. Still not convinced? Well, this is pure fun and funny to boot. It’s certainly not to be taken seriously or to suggest that our West was anything remotely like this, but Caprice is guaranteed to entertain and amuse even the most sceptical of readers. There is, however, one touch of irony here: Caprice, a unique Ca- nadian work, was published by Penguin Books, a firm with head- quarters in Britain. (Caprice; 266 pp.; $5.95 in paperback). EAE NA SPRING & SUMMER BLOWOUT Fall Samples have arrived— We need space! MEN’S & LADIES’ SAMPLES CLEARING | 0 lo WHOLESALE 1000 Mainland oe — on the North Shore 1987 “Big Burgers with all the fixings thrown in for one price, no interminable list of extras that can 50 cent a diner to death.” — Tim Renshaw, North Shore News Ali Burgers served with fries Jan 1, 1988 $495 We deliver them tool Chicken & Burger Bistro LICENSED PREMISES ra f 1377 Marine Drive, Ambleside _ 925-3335 : |