Diviners, The

by Margaret Laurence (1974)

(9/10)

I really didn’t want to read this book, not at all in the mood for “literary fiction” or “good writing” by an affluent white North American, but I forced myself to do it anyway by making this the only book I brought on my 2-week vacation, a trip which would have a lot of downtime.

The highest praise I can give is that I finished the book with three days to spare, finding it amazingly compelling and affecting in a way I never anticipated. The only other author I’ve encountered who can make such captivating storytelling out of extremely mundane events is Wallace Stegner (e.g. Angle of Repose).

But Laurence one-ups even Stegner by somehow writing a book in the 70s that was not only captivating storytelling but which also remains politically topical today, with its major theme of women’s lib. She even anticipates the #MeToo movement with her remarkable depiction of an emotionally and psychologically abusive marriage. It’s something I imagine people didn’t have too much vocabulary for back in her day, but the depiction is crystal clear without being too heavy-handed. Just extremely masterful writing.

I can’t say I’ll seek out more of Laurence’s writing — hers is a genre I’ve moved far away from since adding this to my to-read list years ago — but I’m extremely glad I read this and I’d highly recommend it to any fans of literary fiction.