Hugh MacLennan

About this book

Since the publication of Two Solitudes in 1945, Hugh MacLennan has been generally accepted as one of Canada's premier novelists. However, recent studies suggest the need for a reappraisal of MacLennan's status. This need is confirmed by a close examination of his writing in recent years, which has raised questions about the depth of the quality of his works, his scope and inclusiveness, his modernism, as well as other issues. In this volume, leading scholars offer fresh perceptions of MacLennan's personality, character, and artistry. Among other issues, they examine the quality of his writing, the influences on his work, and its importance for Canadian literature. Moreover, conclusions are offered about his international, national, regional, and civic intent; his love-hate relationship with the nationalist literary agenda; his attitude toward women; his own "feminine side"; the authenticity of the father-son conflict central to his fiction; his attitude toward his own and other writers' works, the role of critics, the future of literature. An annotated bibliographic update is also included.