A World Elsewhere

by Wayne Johnston

Beloved author Wayne Johnston returns to the territory of his #1 national bestseller The Colony of Unrequited Dreams with this sweeping tale of ambition, remorse and hope.
 
A World Elsewhere is an astounding work of literature with all the hallmarks of Wayne Johnston's most beloved and acclaimed outsiders yearning for acceptance, dreams that threaten to overpower their makers, and unlikely romance. The beating heart of this story is the touching relationship between a father and his adopted son. This sweeping tale immerses us in St. John's, Princeton and North Carolina at the close of the 19th century. Landish Druken is a formidable broader than most doorways, quick-witted and sharp-tongued. As a student at Princeton, he is befriended by Padgett "Van" Vanderluyden, son of the wealthiest man in America. Years later, when Landish and his son turn to Van for help, he invites them to his self-constructed castle and pulls them into his web of lies and deceit.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Historical Fiction, Literature, Literary Fiction, Canadian Literature, Book Club

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

Wayne Johnston was born and raised in Goulds, Newfoundland. After a brief stint in pre-Med, Wayne obtained a BA in English from Memorial University. He worked as a reporter for the St. John's Daily News before deciding to devote himself full-time to writing.

En route to being published, Wayne earned an MA in Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick. Then he got off to a quick start. His first book, The Story of Bobby O'Malley, published when he was 27 years old, won the WH Smith/Books in Canada First Novel award for the best first novel published in the English language in Canada in that year. The Divine Ryans was adapted to a film, for which Wayne wrote the screenplay. Baltimore's Mansion, a memoire dealing with his grandfather, his father and Wayne himself, won the Charles Taylor Prize. Both The Colony of Unrequited Dreams and The Navigator of New York were on bestseller lists in Canada and have been published in the US, Britain, Germany, Holland, China and Spain. Colony was identified by the Globe and Mail newspaper as one of the 100 most important Canadian books ever produced.

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In May 2000 I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I had presented a paper at a conference in nearby Antigonish and had a free day before my flight back. I spent part of that day indulging in a tour of the local bookstores. I visited The Book Room, one of the oldest bookstores in North America. At that time it had been a going concern for 161 years -- it lasted eight more, succumbing in 2008 to the plague that has overtaken bookstores everywhere. I asked a staff member at the bookstore to recommend some great Maritimes fiction. After some back and forth about what kind of fiction I liked she came up with two suggestions. First was Alastair MacLeod's No Great Mischief and the second Wayne Johnston's The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. I loved both of these books. Of the two Johnston is the more prolific, MacLeod has published but two short story collections in addition to No Great Mischief. Johnston has published eight novels and I have read (and in some cases, reread) five of them.

A World Elsewhere is, to be blunt, an unremittingly sad book. It is sad with scenes of poverty, of death, of love gone wrong, and of the tyranny of the powerful. To be fair, these same themes permeate all of Johnston's later novels but as this new one is a shorter work than the others the compression of sorrow finds little relief. That is one way I would explain many of the negative reviews on GoodReads. Despite all this sorrow the book is filled with Johnston's beautiful writing and intricate wordplay. The book begins in the late-19th century, in Newfoundland, the setting of three of his previous novels, as Landish Druken, the main protagonist, reflects on his sad fate, there are stories of his life at Princeton and how he met Padgett Vanderluyden, the youngest son of the wealthiest man in America. Vanderluyden and Landish become fast friends until a scandal separates them. Landish now lives in a St John's attic, disowned by his father and attempting to write a novel. Every night he fills pages with his thoughts, every morning he burns the result. He has done so for five years. Through a convoluted but deep sense of honor he adopts an orphan boy and when he can no longer support them he reluctantlly writes to his wealthy friend.

Vandeluyden has come into his inheritance and he has retired from the world. He has built a mansion in the North Carolina wilderness unlike any other, located near the town of "Ashton" It is called "Vanderland." It is no feat of interpretation to see that Johnston has based the Venderluyden home on George Vanderbilt's Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Johnston admits and explains the appropriation in a charming endnote.

Eventually, Vanderluyden responds to Landish's entreaties with money and an offer of sanctuary at Vanderland. Landish reluctantly accepts, since at Princeton Vanderluyden had invited Landish to come to North Carolina and help him build Vanderland. Landish refused, a decision that begins to widen the gulf between the two friends. The remaining two-thirds of the book tells the story of what happens when Landish and his young charge journey to Vanderland. This is the core of the book, since Johnston having established his characters through the backstories of Princeton and St John's can now bring them together in this bizarre, gigantic home in the pines. All of the people at Vanderland have some idiosyncrasies and Vanderluyden the most of all. It's a fascinating story -- Edith Wharton and Henry James drop by one night and advise Landish on his writing - it's almost gothic in it's cadences and a most fascinating story.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I didn't have to read this book for book club, I don't think I would've struggled through and continued til the end. I found the first three quarters of the book tragically boring but the last quarter kept me turning pages. I still give it 2 stars because you should have your reader engaged at page 1, not page 200. The puns were witty and funny, but I found it unbelievable that like 3-4 characters kept using them. I think that kind of humour should have just been part of Landish's character. It was also interesting to learn that the book was partly based on the Vanderbilt family as I had no idea until I read the author's note at the very end of the novel. All in all, it was an okay book. Struggle through it if you wish. You just might be satisfied by the end of it.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The motto of Vanderland is 'There is a world elsewhere.' It's taken from Shakespeare's Coriolanus.”

“It seems an ironic motto,” Landish said, “given that it's the complaint of everyone at Vanderland that the entire world is elsewhere.”

I love me some Newfie storytellers and Wayne Johnston is among the best of the lot. A World Elsewhere opens at the turn of the twentieth century with us meeting Landish Druken living in a drafty two room garret apartment, late of not quite graduating Princeton, disinherited by his sealing skipper father (in whose boots Landish refused to follow); a young man determined to listen to his own heart and become an author. I will write a book that will put in their places everyone who has ever lived. It may take me as long as a month, but I will not falter. After five years of daily writing – and daily destroying – his magnum opus, Landish lives a life of squalor and dissipation; the only laudable thing he has ever achieved being the adoption of the infant son of a man whose death his own father caused. When Landish's poverty threatens the health of young Deacon – and when it seems that the authorities might swoop in to take the boy away at any moment – Landish writes to his old friend from school – Padgett (Van) Vanderluyden; youngest son of the wealthiest man in America – asking for employment at Van's palatial home in the mountains of North Carolina (yes, modelled on the Vanderbilts and the sensational Biltmore; erected as the largest private residence in America by a lesser heir of the family). I was enjoying everything about the story to this point – the hills and snowstorms and busybodies of St. John's – but once Landon and Deacon moved to Vanderland, the book became something else, no longer quite a Newfie story, and I'm left divided in my opinion of it.

Van sought out Landish's friendship at Princeton because he admired the Newfie's punning wit and wicked turns of phrase. While the pair had formerly both been friendless outsiders, once they rented a house together and began to hold weekly salons – with meals that outdid the famous Princeton dinner clubs – other students began to flock to them; wanting Landish to give them a clever nickname; hoping to hear one of Van's famous bon mots (which had been scripted beforehand for him by Landish). It became Van's dream that Landish would join him at the home – Vanderland – that he was planning to build as soon as he gained his inheritance upon graduation. The punning here is very clever and pretty much relentless, but in the context of college kids stretching their imaginations, it raises more smiles than cringes. In the present of the cold and meager attic, there is something charming and roguish about the way that Landish uses wordplay to explain the ways of the world to the growing Deacon.

Landish told him that on this ship, the men in charge of engines had what were known as “engine ears”, which meant that they were deaf from the noise the engines made. Also, there were pursers who made sure that no one’s purse was stolen. There were men called stewards who were in charge of serving stew. And other men called porters who were in charge of serving port. “I’ll give you my stew if you give me your port,” Landish said, but Deacon shook his head.

And in that context, I still found the wordplay charming. But when they get to Vanderland and Landish is still speaking in puns, and getting drunk daily, and threatening the stability of his employment there, I found him a lot less sympathetic; when will Landish grow up, at least for Deacon's sake? When Van takes a shining to the boy and expresses an interest in adopting him, despite the fact that the zillionaire is a bit of a sociopath, and also despite knowing that Deacon is totally bonded to the man who keeps failing him, I had to wonder (just a little) if the sickly and undersized boy wouldn't be better off a rich man's son. It made me think back to the squalor of the attic room and Landish getting drunk on the rent money, needing to bring the boy along as he picked up work shovelling snow, living off Church charity and food vouchers, and just why would I have been worried that the authorities might come in and take Deacon away?

In a foreword, Johnston explains that he was inspired to write A World Elsewhere after a series of extended visits to the actual Biltmore, and it might have been an interesting fish-out-of-water story to send a wide-eyed Newfie there (à la A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), but Landish isn't exactly awestruck by what he sees (he didn't grow up poor and he quite easily walked away from his own inheritance), and after having been betrayed by Van in the past, Landish feels morally superior in his presence; he nearly feels sorry for Van's life in opulent self-imposed exile. Johnston also explains that he derived the name “Vanderluyden” from characters in Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, and as both Wharton and Henry James were known to have visited Biltmore, Johnston inserts their presence into this book; arranging a meeting between the celebrated writers and the wannabe. After the briefest of introductions, James declares that Landish will never be a successful author because 1) He gave up his inheritance, and 2) Encumbered himself with the boy; thereby denigrating the only two morally commendable choices that Landish had ever made. I really didn't like or see the importance of this scene.

Much is made of fatherhood in this book – who wears the cuckhold's hat, who has disappointed their father, the deeper meanings of inheritance – and it irked me that Landish never referred to himself as Deacon's father (the boy called him Landish). Even when he was very young and Landish explained to the boy the “hoods” in life that he would go through (from childhood to oldhood), when Deacon asked him what stage Landish was then in, he considered answering “fatherhood” but decided on “manhood”. Although there is so much obvious love between Landish and Deacon, I never got a handle on their relationship. Was the boy an encumbrance to Landish's writing? If he really cared about supporting Deacon, why did Landish think his only two options were to stay in St. John's (where his father apparently had the power to block full time employment in the one field – teaching – that Landish would consider) or putting himself in Van's hands (who had the power and reach to destroy Landish's prospects anywhere in the world)? I was waiting for Landish to grow up and begin to act like the father in his relationship with Deacon, and meanwhile Van is having some Daddy issues of his own, and the whole thing comes to an unsatisfying, incredible, and pat climax.

I really enjoyed the parts set in Newfoundland, but it all fell apart for me when Landish and Deacon left for Vanderland. Landish spends most of his time in the mansion observing instead of reacting, so he didn't necessarily come off as a Newfoundlander anymore; he could have been from anywhere. I probably wouldn't even have questioned the suitability of Landish acting as Deacon's guardian if they had stayed in the attic – they were only barely more poor than their neighbours on home turf. Meh. Johnston is still one of my favourite Newfie storytellers, this just isn't one of my favourite stories.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story revolves around the love/hate relationship between two men. Landish Druken is a poor Newfoundlander, disowned by his father, who adopts a delightful little boy. Driven to provide for the boy, who is in fragile health, he contacts his wealthy and powerful friend George Vanderluyden, a former Princeton classmate, who invites them to live at his isolated estate and then effectively makes them his prisoners. A power struggle ensues between Landish and George, who wants to control the movements of everyone around him. Wayne Johnston is a wordsmith. One of Landish's characteristics is to turn almost every word and phrase into a pun and he does so with extraordinary skill. The estate itself is modelled after Biltmore, built by George Vanderbilt in the North Carolina countryside in the late 1800s. Reading this novel made me want to visit Biltmore, now a museum. And the story does have a satisfactory resolution, which is one of my personal requirements for a good book.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had never read any books by this author but a friend passed along the book with a favourable recommendation. I personally didn’t like the novel. It was slow from the get go but I persevered and finished it. The story line was interesting but it really dragged throughout and most of the characters were depressing. Many of the reviews suggested this author to be funny but I didn’t find his puns and play on words that humorous at all.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book review in years, so please bear with me; I'll try not to include any spoilers!

This novel actually has a lot of similarities to Bram Stoker's Dracula, with innocents being drawn to a castle-like house in an isolated mountainous area, and being unable to leave without danger to themselves at the hands of a mad man. This book has very good "bones" but, generally, I found the book much weaker than Wayne Johnston's other books. It was good enough to keep me going, but ultimately unsatisfying in it's conclusion. Nowhere near as good as his "Navigator of New York", and "Colony of Unrequited Dreams", which were superb.

I would have liked to see more character development, especially in Van and Godwin, and a more gradual build up of tension. The climax seemed contrived, as if the author wanted to quickly wrap the story up and get on with something else. Tension builds up, but there's simply not enough of it. The characters give away their secrets too "matter of factly", without the tension of gradually being forced to. This is unfortunate, since I think the book had so much potential, with the grand gothic house of Vanderland as it's main backdrop and a very interesting story-line.

The chapters that occur in Newfoundland are charming, as is Landish's way with words and stories. The relationship between Landish and Deacon is heart-warming, but Landish's decisions about it don't have the full emotional impact I think they could of had; that part is just too flat to me.

To summarize: a good, quick read, but could have been so much more.

[Cardmaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, another author who is so in love with his own writing that he overdoes everything he writes. I bought this book thinking that it was set in modern times. Unfortunately for me, it was not. It's set back in the late 1800s. I have nothing against novels written during that time period ... if they're interesting. This one is not, at least for me.

The author does have some witty sayings but they're so few and far between that they cannot begin to hold my attention. He's writing about a would-be writer who's trying to write a novel. He writes, then he rereads what he's written and then he burns it because it isn't good enough in his mind. At one point, he said that it was so bad he wished he could burn it twice. I thought that was amusing.

I cannot recommend this to anyone but if you wish to try it, go ahead. Just don't say i didn't warn you. Actually, it would be a good book to keep on hand if you sometimes have trouble falling asleep.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected surprise read. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Wayne Johnston books I have read, this one wasn't on my radar until recommended by a friend. Once started I couldn't put it down. Was it filled with incredible suspense and intrigue? No, filled instead with larger than life characters, settings that almost took over the plot, and a writing style that made me laugh, feel shocked, saddened and surprised all at once.

[Kim DiLello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fell in love with Landish and Deacon - held my breath when I thought Van was going to harm the boy - but felt the ending was a little too abrupt. Beautifully crafted, witty and at times, a very tender story.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Landish Druken is from Newfoundland and, while attending Princeton, meets George Vanderluyden. They have a falling out, but years later, Vanderluyden has since built a mansion, is married, and has a daughter. He takes in Landish and the boy Landish has taken in, Deacon.

I have to admit to being quite distracted as I read the first 2/3 of the book, so I know I missed some things. For the first 1/3 of the book, I kept reading Landish’s last name as “Drunken”. Oops! It got better (though still wasn’t terribly exciting) for the last 1/3 of the book, when I was able to better focus on it. There were a few twists at the end.

I actually smiled at the dedication and the acknowledgments: I knew his parents and it was dedicated “in loving memory” of them. I was a good friend of his youngest sister so have met some of her siblings, as well (all mentioned in the acknowledgments), though I’ve never met Wayne. Of course, that’s just a personal reaction to those parts of the book that really don’t have to do with the book itself!

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a very long buildup (at least the first 100 pages), the story finally took off and became a page-turner for me. All the main characters are flawed, but interesting, and the author shows some pretty amazing wordplay skills. Years ago I visited Biltmore, which is the model for Vanderland in the story, and I liked the idea of some true overlay to the story. But the actual story line is quite original, though the ending seemed a bit rushed. This was my first Wayne Johnston book, and I have Colony of Unrequited Dreams to look forward to soon.

[David]

Increasingly frustrated with the “hidden identity” of the parent (usually father) motif. Landish Druken does much of the same wordplay as Reg Ryan (The Divine Ryans) but rarely makes me crack a smile. There’s a profound sense of “been there, did that” about the later material.

[Maureen Lauzier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, so uniquely written, humour , drama, suspense.

[Harold Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The least pleasing of Johnston's books that I have read. Glad I bought it at a bargain price.

[Danielle Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and clever, well-crafted settings (Newfoundland & North Carolina), early 1900s poverty and opulence, flawed but likeable main character and an engrossing plot.
This is my third Wayne Johnston book (the other two being 5 stars as well) and I can’t wait to read more.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Landish B. Druken is a struggling Newfoundland writer who adopts Deacon, a child whose father died while sealing with Landish's father. Destitute because he is disowned by his father for not taking up sealing, Landish contacts his one-time friend, the ultra-wealthy Padget (Van) Vanderluyden, for help. Their friendship ended because of a plagiarism scandal in Princeton but their relationship, albeit a toxic one, is resumed when Van "rescues" Landish and Deacon by bringing them to Vanderland, his great American castle in North Carolina. (Yes, the Vanderbilt's Biltmore is the inspiration.)

Landish is totally unsuccessful as a novelist; he made a vow to "'write a book that will put in their places everyone who has ever lived'" (1) but "Landish wrote every night, and every night burned what he wrote because it wasn't good enough" (10). His best stories are those he tells Deacon to explain the world. For example, he explains the duties of a ship's crew: ". . . the men in charge of engines had what were known as 'engine ears,' which meant that they were deaf from the noise the engines made. Also there were pursers who made sure that no one's purse was stolen. There were men called stewards who were in charge of serving stew. And other men called porters who were in charge of serving port" (109). Landish is a drunkard and wastrel, but one cannot but admire his quick wit, and his love for Deacon is certainly a redeeming quality.

Van, on the other hand, is an emotional cripple. He is a totally selfish man who sees people as possessions which he can control with his money. He will stop at nothing to get what or who he wants. In Princeton he devises a scheme to have Landish expelled in the hopes that Landish will then have no choice but to join him as his "'lifelong guest'" (22) in the Vanderland he proposes to build. When the two are eventually reunited, Van tells Landish, "'You may not leave Vanderland for any reason without my permission . . .'" (138). Likewise, he keeps his daughter a prisoner: "'[Godwin] has lived all her life at Vanderland and will not leave it, not even for a minute, until she is twenty-one . . . '" (138). Deceit, bribery and blackmail are techniques he employs with skill.

A major theme is father-son relationships. Van's father rarely spoke to him and treated him with scorn when he did; he even left him only one-tenth of what the other children received. Abram Druken disowns Landish and bequeaths him only a whitecoat hat. It is the relationship between Landish and Druken that seems to be the exception.

The outstanding quality of the book is its prose. Anagrams, puns, rhymes and neologisms abound. Food is a pre-occupation when Landish and Deacon have barely enough to survive; to take his mind off his hunger pangs, Landish makes up food puns: "The Merchant of Venison. Broth fresh from the brothel. A sacrificial lamb was a mutton for punishment. . . . He would write Van and tell him they had dined tonight on Sham Chowder, Lack of Lamb, Crazed Ham and Duck a Mirage. Steam of Mushroom Soup and Perish Jubilee" (52). Landish's description of the stages of life is ingenious: "You go from the Womb of Time into the womb of your mother and from there into the world. The world leads to the Tomb of Time, the place from which no one knows the way back home. . . . [Y]ou passed from the Womb of Time into what he called your birth 'Murk,' which was the interval between your 'commencement screech' and the first moment of your life that you remembered. . . . Landish also told Deacon about Just Mist - the realm of things that at one time were possible but had never happened" (35 - 37).

It is this wonderful prose that makes the book worthy of reading. It is not my favourite of Johnston's books, but I would recommend it for its wonderful playfulness with language.

Please check out my blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[librarianka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed A World Elsewhere on and off. I'm one of those readers who loved the word play, the puns and all the linguistic inventions. Some expressions I have adopted immediately and I know they are going to be mine from now on, The Murk, Just Mist, The Womb of Time and The Tomb of Time. I liked the premise of the collision of two extremes, two very different worlds colliding under one roof (however big, still one roof) that of money and power of Vanderluyden and that of poverty and deprivation of Landish Druken. The resulting creation is a very sad, oppressive world with only two sympathetic characters, I'm thinking Deacon and Esse, the governess. I don't regret reading the book even though it was not an uplifting experience. I appreciated the complexity of the human emotions and actions at play. The message I got from the book wasn't new but it was told in an interesting, innovative and at times involving manner, that the world we create around us ultimately flows from within. Emotionally scarred Vanderluyden was deluding himself that he could keep the evil of the world on the outside of the castle he built while he ultimately created a prison and filled it with all he had to offer from within himself. And none of that was good or happy creation. His masterpiece mirrored his internal and emotional world. Like Vanderluyden we spend so much energy working, so to speak, on the outside of ourselves, yet so much work is needed inside. But it is easier to collect things, build mansions, manipulate people than work on becoming whole. All the time I wondered about the kind of world the two sympathetic characters were creating in their small way. The people around them were drawn to Deacon and Esse and loved to take from them energetically, but they weren't really understood or loved or emulated. Yet they were the shining stars of the Vanderland. The witty (Druken) and the rich (Vanderluyden) were angry, sad, miserable, tormented and hard to love, no matter their wit or their wealth. At times I thought that Deacon and Druken were really one complex character. Adult Druken and his inner child Deacon. The ending, inconclusive and somewhat inconsistent with the tone of the book was a bit of a disappointment.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in three frozen landscapes: Princeton, St. John's Newfoundland and the mountains of North Carolina. On the one hand, this amusing book filled with clever wordplay, brainy puns, and silly songs was delightful. On the other hand it tells a profoundly sad tale about broken people who only know how to manipulate in order to get their needs met. While I couldn't put it down, the story left me aching. #canlit

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book by a Canadian Author, this was on the list for one of the book prizes, Giller i think. It's about two men, Landish and Padget (Van) Vanderluyden who meet at Princeton just at the end of the 19th century. Landish comes from Newfoundland and Van is rich, based on one of the Vanderbilts. Van and Landish are close but Van seems to use that friendship. Van is spoiled and selfish and Landish is a bit of a hanger on and a bit over fond of the drink but otherwise not a bad fellow. Van's actions cause Landish to be expelled and he goes back to St. John's but since he will not follow in his father's footsteps and become a fishermen on the seal boats, he is disowned. His father is responsible for the death of some of his crew and one of them has a little boy. Landish feels somewhat responsible and when the boy's mother dies, he takes the child in though he is barely able to feed himself let alone take care of a child.

They are very poor but manage to get on. Soon, however, he's desperate enough to write to Van for help. He is refused at first and then is sent tickets on a ship and train to come to the huge estate Van has built in North Carolina, called Vanderland, based on the Biltmore estate the Vanderbilts built. He is beholden to Van and is one of a band of tutors that live there to teach Van's little girl. The little boy, Deacon, takes classes with her.

The book has a lot of father-son themes running through it, not just about Deacon and Landish but the relationships the two men had with their fathers also plays an important part in their lives. The book is well written though there's not a huge amount of plot. Lots of play with words and expressions and the characters are drawn quite well.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the Goodreads giveaway. I had never read anything by Wayne Johnston, but my daughter has and enjoys his work. I have to say I was not disappointed and will certainly be reading more of his books.

This is a piece of historical fiction that is based on a real place, but not on real people. It is the story of Landish Druken, a failed writer disowned by his father for refusing to join the family business. In order to support himself and his adopted son, Deacon, he is forced to leave his native Newfoundland and accept the charity of his university friend Padgett Vanderluyden, an emotional and social cripple, at his estate in North Carolina. This estate, Vanderland, is based on the famous Biltmore Mansion, which the author felt compelled to write about. The Vanderluydens who live there do not depict the real life Vanderbilts, however, and are solely the creation of the author.

The writing style is very readable, and the prose contains many hilarious plays on words and puns - Landish is so witty that you shake your head over his failure to write his novel. Much of the humor is expressed through his beautiful relationship with his adopted son whom he entertains with stories to make up for their lack of material possessions.

This a novel about family, friendship, and the way that the past influences us, and can ultimately destroy us. I fell in love with Landish and Deacon, and found myself wishing that I could see what happened to them after the story was over.

I prefer my historical fiction to have a little more reality in it, and thus be a little more educational, but this is a good read.

[Maryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wayne Johnston has magic in his veins that bubbles through in his exquisitely drawn characters. The characters in A World Elsewhere struggle internally and with each other in a way that had me cheering for them or hating them. This story is about the relationship between Landish, a rebellious son of a successful, controlling, capitalistic seal captain in Newfoundland and Van, son of the very wealthy American Vanderluyden. The men met each other at Princeton where Van developed an intricate fantasy of his own kingdom Vanderland with Landish as a central character. Landish, to keep his work to his father, returns to Newfoundland, is disowned because he rejects sealing and falls into a life of poverty and alcoholism. When the child of a father who died due to his father's ruthlessness enters his life things change and he returns to Van desperate for financial support for the boy, Deacon. Johnston creates a vocabulary for the boy to help him understand the world, words that really should be part of our language. The womb of time (before birth) the tomb of time (after death). Life lies between the two. The interval between your "commencement screech" and your first memory is called the Murk. While in the Murk you learn things you remember when you left but did not remember learning them. After the Murk come the series of "hoods" with oldhood coming next to last. Phases like "Just Mist" are amusing and appropriate to the descriptions. This is a book about control, lost dreams, vengeance, deep love and loyalty. Its world is worth entering and savouring.

[N.C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A World Elsewhere is a historical fiction novel about a struggling writer’s life with his adoptive son. The concept of the plot is very interesting; it is different from many of the other books I have read. Also, the characters in A World Elsewhere are quite fascinating. Wayne Johnston has excellently described the characters to a point where they come to life as you read. Additionally, the numerous witty remarks such as the “tomb of time” and “just mist” are near genius. They add a light humour the novel that makes it even more desirable to read. I personally enjoyed reading this novel. It was a first by Wayne Johnston for me. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A World Elsewhere surprisingly and I fear unfortunately refers not to Wayne Johnston’s beloved Newfoundland as much as to the landmark monument to ostentation and greed the Vanderbilt’s created in North Carolina at the turn of the previous century: Biltmore. His novel is built on the nearly cartoon contrast of evil/ megalomania/ and Trump-like narcissism to self-effacing honour/ grinding poverty/ and saintly duty. Peppered with clever prose and dramatic turns of fortune, there is both gritty detail and rollicking action to keep the reader engaged, but what it lacked, for me, was the warmth, the soul that dazzled in Johnson’s earlier work. Sometimes I only "liked;" sometimes I "really liked."

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing and moving tale about identity and love, set in turn of the century Newfoundland and North Carolina. I've never Wayne Johnston before, although I have read a lot of Canadian historical fiction for school, and I wanted to read this one because it sounded a lot like Guy Vanderhaage. I was not disappointed. Landish Druken could have been a total caricature, but he is written with such grace and humanity, and his relationship with Deacon is adorable. I would give this book 4.5 stars if goodreadds would let me.
Oh and I won this book from the goodreads giveaways, so thank you very much to the publisher!

[Kristin Maillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I friggin' LOVE Wayne Johnston! This may be tied with Colony of Unrequited Dreams for me.

This is a beautiful story about what family is and what it isn't - for better and for worse.

What a fantasy-land! From the grimness of Newfoundland in the dead of a drafty winter attic to a windswept mega-mansion in a perfectly manicured landscape, hemmed in by rolling hills and far worse.

Read it, read it, read it.

[Niki Mclaren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Johnston definitely knows his way around the English language, I'll give him that much. That being said, I felt as if he was showing off. His constant puns and random stories distracted me and took away from what little story and characterization there was. It was an interesting read because it is based on the Vanderbilt's and the famous Biltmore House but overall it was a mediocre novel.

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

It kind of felt rushed at the end, but I still loved it. It's just so enjoyable to read. I loved Landish's take on the world for Deacon, his word play explanations. Wayne Johnston's writing is beautiful, and he's an excellent storyteller.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was greatly disappointed with this novel. The characters were silly and ridiculous and the plot wasn't even fantasy material. The author does write beautiful description but when he begins playing with words, the story becomes unenjoyable.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant, one-of-a-kind characters that you won't forget, some twisted history that gives you the feeling of the times and the idea that Newfoundlanders were part of much important history

[Bob Shepherd · Rating 2 out of 5]

The clever wordplay and wit never ended and that was a lot of fun. The story was oh so slow. I kept falling asleep.