La Logeuse

Selon une ancienne superstition, la jeune femme curieuse de savoir si la nouvelle année lui apportera un mari doit se mettre à la recherche d'une branche de lilas qu'elle coupera le 4 décembre, jour de la Sainte-Barbara. Cette branche doit être placée dans un verre d'eau et gardée dans la demeure. Si des feuilles apparaissent avant Noël, la jeune femme se mariera dans la nouvelle année. Si le lilas fleurit, il y aura mariage. 
Nul n'est cependant capable de prédire comment il se terminera, si le meilleur saura faire oublier le pire ni si le pire des cas est préférable au célibat. A celle qui n'aurait jamais dû dire toujours, le parfum envoûtant du lilas aura servi d'avertissement." Trois femmes traversent l'Amérique en camping-car, au rythme de la floraison du lilas. Chaque soir, elles se racontent des histoires, les leurs ou celles d'autres femmes qui ont en commun d'avoir dû se battre pour vivre leur vie, loin de toute forme de tutelle ou de codes sociaux. 
Pia, Shelly et Laura se révèlent leurs secrets, leur passé et leur humanité au long d'une fascinante suite d'histoires d'amour où se mêlent les aventures personnelles et la grande Histoire. Combinant l'essence du mythe, du suspense et du grand roman universel, La route du lilas est l'un de ces rares textes qui donnent un autre parfum à la vie.

La route du lilas

Mélanie Vincelette a « toujours eu l'impression d'être sauvée par les livres ». Lectrice boulimique, éditrice téméraire et exigeante (elle fonde les Éditions Marchand de feuilles en 2001 et la revue Zinc en 2003), elle est aussi auteure de trois romans et d'un recueil de nouvelles. Lettres québécoises trace le portrait de cette femme tout entière consumée par son art. Un dossier sur « l'écriture migrante » au Québec, un concept récent dans une littérature cherchant encore à se définir, est à découvrir. Parmi les critiques de ce numéro : le récit autobiographique Depuis toujours de Madeleine Gagnon, le roman historique L'horreur des filles du roi de Suzanne Desrochers et le recueil de poèmes de François Turcot, Mon dinausore.

Lettres québécoises. No. 152, Hiver 2013

Nadia Comaneci's gold-medal performance at the Olympic Games in Montreal is the starting point for a whole new generation. Eric Dupont watches the performance on TV, mesmerized. The son of a police officer (Henry VIII) and a professional cook-as he likes to remind us-he grows up in the depths of the Quebec countryside with a new address for almost every birthday and little but memories of his mother to hang on to. His parents have divorced, and the novel's narrator relates his childhood, comparing it to a family gymnastics performance worthy of Nadia herself.

Life in the court of Matane is unforgiving, and we explore different facets of it (dreams of sovereignty, schoolyard bullying, imagined missions to Russia, poems by Baudelaire), each based around an encounter with a different animal, until the narrator befriends a great horned owl, summons up the courage to let go of the upper bar forever, and makes his glorious escape.

Author

Born in 1970, Eric Dupont lives and works in Montreal. He has published 5 novels with Marchand de feuilles and in France with Éditions du Toucan and Éditions J'ai lu (Flammarion). He is a past winner of Radio-Canada's "Combat des livres" (the equivalent of the CBC's Canada Reads contest), a finalist for the Prix littéraire France-Québec and the Prix des cinq continents, and a winner of the Prix des libraires and the Prix littéraire des collégiens. Songs for the Cold of Heart is his fourth novel and his second to be published in English with QC Fiction. It was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Translation and the Giller Prize.

Reviews

"This novel from Dupont . the first from a new fiction imprint dedicated to publishing 'the very best of a new generation of Quebec storytellers in flawless English translation, ' lives up to that ambition.

Life in the Court of Matane - By 2018 Giller Finalist Eric Dupont

Nadia Comaneci's gold-medal performance at the Olympic Games in Montreal is the starting point for a whole new generation. Eric Dupont watches the performance on TV, mesmerized. The son of a police officer (Henry VIII) and a professional cook-as he likes to remind us-he grows up in the depths of the Quebec countryside with a new address for almost every birthday and little but memories of his mother to hang onto. His parents have divorced, and the novel's narrator relates his childhood, comparing it to a family gymnastics performance worthy of Nadia herself.

Life in the court of Matane is unforgiving, and we explore different facets of it (dreams of sovereignty, schoolyard bullying, imagined missions to Russia, poems by Baudelaire), each based around an encounter with a different animal, until the narrator befriends a great horned owl, summons up the courage to let go of the upper bar forever, and makes his glorious escape.

PRAISE FOR LIFE IN THE COURT OF MATANE

"This novel from Dupont ... the first from a new fiction imprint dedicated to publishing `the very best of a new generation of Quebec storytellers in flawless English translation,' lives up to that ambition. ... By turns poignant, playful, and nostalgic, the book evokes '70s Quebec with the quirky but successful device of combining an autobiographical family story with motifs drawn from fable, history, politics and myth. ... Translator McCambridge beautifully captures the joyous top notes and the darker undercurrents of this fascinating voice." (Publishers Weekly)

    "Dupont is a writer of such intelligence and skill that he is able to not only become a philosopher, but a poet, who not only understands the horrors of a dysfunctional childhood, but also knows what is beautiful about it. And this book is a testament to his unwavering generosity towards both his characters and the people of Quebec." (Heather O'Neill, author)

"Wildly imaginative ... a remarkably sensitive and intelligent coming-of-age story told with an irresistible blend of heartache, humour and magic." (Numéro Cinq)

"A beautiful, tragicomic coming-of-age story ... This translation is knocking my socks off." (Bronwyn Averett, Book Riot)

"With an excellent translation by McCambridge, one which reads smoothly and keeps the humour which undoubtedly pervades the original, Dupont's novel makes for an entertaining look at a Québécois childhood. ... It all makes for an impressive start for QC Fiction." (Tony's Reading List)

"a captivating voice that sharply trapezes between a heightened version of his parents' divorce and life in the countryside ... Eric's insights brim with intelligence." (Foreword Reviews)

"Tangential, expansive in its ability to capture youth at a crossroads, and unexpectedly piercing ... an inventive novel" (Foreword Reviews)

"QC Fiction has done a great service to English readers everywhere by translating this popular Quebec novel for us." (The Miramichi Reader)

"an irreverent cocktail ... a feast of a novel, calorie-filled and decadent" (Québec Reads)

"At the time, it seemed all of Quebec was trying to stay aloft between many sets of uneven bars. There was the feud between the sovereigntists and the federalists keeping society off-balance ... The conservative traditionalism of the Duplessis era was disappearing in favour of the more progressive values of the Quiet Revolution. Religious faith was dissipating in Quebec homes, yet children were still being taught by nuns in Catholic schools. Comaneci's gymnastics set the scene for an exploration of all these faultlines in Dupont's autobiographical novel, Life in the Court of Matane. ... For the informed, and for those prepared to laugh at Quebec's peccadilloes, this is a hilarious romp." (Quill & Quire)

"a classic coming-of-age novel worth pondering over" (Steven Buechler, The Library of Pacific Tranquility)

"a highly original read" (PRISM magazine)

"Dupont's gift is that his stories have never been told in such a way before, could only ever be told in that way, and will never again be told like that." (Buried in Print)

Eric Dupont was born in Amqui, Quebec, in 1970. He left his native Gaspé Peninsula at age 16 for Austria and other faraway locales, returning to Quebec in 2003 to accept a position as a lecturer in translation at the McGill University School of Continuing Studies. His fourth novel, La Fiancée américaine, released in 2012, won the Prix des libraires du Québec and the Prix littéraire des collégiens. Its English translation by Peter McCambridge, Songs for the Cold of Heart, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2018 and subsequently published by HarperVia, outside of Canada, under the title The American Fiancée. One of the hallmarks of Eric's writing is the juxtaposition of the supernatural and real worlds. The lighthearted tone of his work often belies undercurrents of deeper themes and meanings.

Originally from Ireland, Peter McCambridge holds a BA in modern languages from Cambridge University, England, and has lived in Quebec City since 2003. He runs Québec Reads and now QC Fiction. Life in the Court of Matane was the first novel he chose for this collection and the book that made him want to become a literary translator in the first place. His translation of the first chapter won the 2012 John Dryden Translation Prize. His translations have been World Literature Today Notable Translations, longlisted for Canada Reads, and finalists for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award for Translation.

Life in the Court of Matane - New Edition

Rosa Ost grows up in Notre-Dame-du-Cachalot, a tiny village at the end of the world, where two industries are king: paper and Boredom. The only daughter of Terese Ost (a fair-to-middling trade unionist and a first-rate Scrabble player), the fate that befalls Rosa is the focus of this tale of long journeys and longer lives, of impossible deaths, unwavering prophecies, and unsettling dreams as she leaves her village for Montreal on a quest to summon the westerly wind that has proved so vital to the local economy.

From village gossips, tealeaf-reading exotic dancers, and Acadian red herrings to soothsaying winkles and centuries-old curses, Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution is a delightful, boundary-pushing story about stories and the storytellers who make them - and a reminder that revolutions in Quebec aren't always quiet.

"By turns caustic, fierce and moving, this sinuous novel is chock full of interwoven stories, comical scenes and larger-than-life, hilarious characters. The novelist casts his spell to rework historical events in a magical world, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, between centuries past and the year 2000 . Brilliant and exhilarating." (Suzanne Giguère, Le Devoir)

"Delightful" (Marie-Claude Fortin, La Presse)

"A gem" (Didier Fessou, Le Soleil)

PRAISE FOR Eric Dupont's SONGS FOR THE COLD OF HEART

 "spectacular. original in every sense" (Literary Review of Canada)

 "masterful. heartbreaking and hilarious" (Publishers Weekly)

 "highly recommended" (Library Journal)

 "fiercely readable" (Toronto Star)

This book manages to capture the cultural zeitgeist of Quebec culture in the twentieth century. It reminded me of all the great French Canadian novels I read as a child, but pushed them to new, delightful, hilarious, epic levels. [.] I dare you not to read the first three pages and fall in love." (Heather O'Neill, jury member, 2018 Giller Prize)

"As magnificent a work of irony and magic as the boldest works of Gabriel García Márquez, but with a wholly original sensibility that captures the marvellous obsessions of the Québécois zeitgeist of the 20th century. It is, without a doubt, a tour de force. And the translation is as exquisite as a snowflake." (Giller Prize jury)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric Dupont was born in Amqui, Quebec, in 1970. He left his native Gaspé Peninsula at age 16 for Austria and other faraway locales, returning to Quebec in 2003 to accept a position as a lecturer in translation at the McGill University School of Continuing Studies. His fourth novel, La Fiancée américaine, released in 2012, won the Prix des libraires du Québec and the Prix littéraire des collégiens. Its English translation by Peter McCambridge, Songs for the Cold of Heart, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2018 and subsequently published by HarperVia, outside of Canada, under the title The American Fiancée. One of the hallmarks of Eric's writing is the juxtaposition of the supernatural and real worlds. The lighthearted tone of his work often belies undercurrents of deeper themes and meanings.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

Originally from Ireland, Peter McCambridge holds a BA in modern languages from Cambridge University, England, and has lived in Quebec City since 2003. He runs Québec Reads and now QC Fiction. Life in the Court of Matane was the first novel he chose for this collection and the book that made him want to become a literary translator in the first place. His translation of the first chapter won the 2012 John Dryden Translation Prize. His translations have been World Literature Today Notable Translations, longlisted for Canada Reads, and finalists for the Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award for Translation.

Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution

Paruline masquée, oriole de Baltimore, moqueur-chat... Connaissez-vous les noms des oiseaux qui habitent le ciel du Québec? Dans une suite de récits, Eric Dupont, auteur de La fiancée américaine, vous aidera à mieux connaître nos amis ailés. Regorgeant d'informations sur les chants, les habitudes de nidification, la capacité d'adaptation aux changements environnementaux et les comportements étonnants, Nos oiseaux est une promesse de communion avec la nature. Accompagné d'une cinquantaine d'illustrations inédites par Mathilde Cinq-Mars, Nos oiseaux est une occasion idéale pour les parents et grands-parents de partager leur amour des oiseaux avec les jeunes enfants.

Nos oiseaux

Dans la généalogie de la famille Lamontagne, le 14 janvier 1900 est un jour à marquer d'une pierre blanche. C'est ce jour-là que fit son apparition à Rivière-du-Loup, sur les bords du grand Saint-Laurent la lointaine nièce que Madeleine-la-mère avait fait venir du New Hampshire pour donner une épouse à son fils Louis-Benjamin. Entre les deux tourtereaux, c'est le coup de foudre - ou son équivalent nordique, l'aurore boréale. L'arrivée de la belle Américaine à Rivière-du-Loup changera à jamais le destin de cette famille aux yeux sarcelle.

La Fiancée américaine est une extraordinaire saga familiale campée entre Rivière-du-Loup, Rome et Berlin. On y retrouve la genèse et le destin d'une lignée rare, peuplée d'hommes forts, de religieuses québécoises et de petites filles aux yeux bleus qui utilisent les tartes au sirop pour tuer leur frère.

Inspiré de faits bien entendu réels, ce roman célèbre la femme de façon unique. C'est un récit qu'on lit la main sur le coeur et l'esprit porté par le vent qui souffle, paraît-il, du bar de Rivière-du-Loup jusqu'au château Saint-Ange de Rome.

Le grand succès de l'année 2013 au Québec !
Prix des Libraires du Québec 2013 et Prix des Collégiens 2013.

La fiancée américaine

Un après-midi de 1976, Nadia Comaneci, gymnaste affamée, remporte la note parfaite dans la palestre, devenue biodôme depuis, du Stade Olympique de Montréal. Ainsi commence le voyage de toute une génération. Eric Dupont, devant son poste de télé à 450 kilomètres de là est obnubilé par cette prestation. Né d’un père agent de police qui aura six femmes et d’une mère cuisinière de métier, il sera élevé dans les règles les plus strictes du patriotisme québécois. Envoyés à l’école épinglés d’une fleur de lys dans un comté fédéraliste, obligés de boycotter les chocolats Cadbury dont la très convoitée Caramilk car leurs usines avaient été déménagées à Toronto, prononçant le nom de René Lévesque comme celui d’un Dieu, Eric et sa sœur deviennent de petits combattants malgré eux. La terre tremble régulièrement en Gaspésie à cette époque et Eric ressent 200 fois par année un petit tremblement de terre, à tous les 1,82 jours. Son sismographe intérieur est plus sensible que celui des autres et donne lieu à une magnifique épopée dans les intérieurs d’une famille éclatée, en déménagement perpétuel. Le Bestiaire d’Eric Dupont nous montre comment les souvenirs peuvent devenir des armes. Un livre émouvant qui provoque le rire et les larmes. Le témoignage attendu des enfants d’Expo 67. En prime, l’apparition du premier timbre québécois.

La Logeuse

Plus de livres de Éric Dupont

Critiques

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