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The Man From Glengarry: A Tale of the Ottawa
The Man from Glengarry by Ralph CONNOR (1860 - 1937)
With international book sales in the millions, Ralph Connor was the best-known Canadian novelist of the first two decades of the Twentieth Century. The Man from Glengarry was his most popular and accomplished work. Immediately after its publication in 1901, the novel spent several months in the top ranks of the New York Times "Books in Demand" list.
We follow the story of Ranald Macdonald, who is shaped by family and community in rural eastern Ontario in the early decades after Canadian confederation. This is a book about the making of men, but also, ultimately, about the making of a nation, as the mature Ranald moves west to take a leadership role in the fledgling province of British Columbia.
The Man from Glengarry features adventure and romance, and is, above all, a work of serious moral purpose. "Ralph Connor" was the pen-name of the Reverend Charles Gordon, a prominent Canadian minister, and his stories are woven through with his religious convictions. His is a two-fisted Christianity — or, as he said in his autobiography, a religion that can appeal to "red-blooded" people who aren't afraid to engage in physical conflict for causes that they know are right. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)
With international book sales in the millions, Ralph Connor was the best-known Canadian novelist of the first two decades of the Twentieth Century. The Man from Glengarry was his most popular and accomplished work. Immediately after its publication in 1901, the novel spent several months in the top ranks of the New York Times "Books in Demand" list.
We follow the story of Ranald Macdonald, who is shaped by family and community in rural eastern Ontario in the early decades after Canadian confederation. This is a book about the making of men, but also, ultimately, about the making of a nation, as the mature Ranald moves west to take a leadership role in the fledgling province of British Columbia.
The Man from Glengarry features adventure and romance, and is, above all, a work of serious moral purpose. "Ralph Connor" was the pen-name of the Reverend Charles Gordon, a prominent Canadian minister, and his stories are woven through with his religious convictions. His is a two-fisted Christianity — or, as he said in his autobiography, a religion that can appeal to "red-blooded" people who aren't afraid to engage in physical conflict for causes that they know are right. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)
473 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1901
9 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Connor
124 books7 followersUniversity of Toronto educated Charles William Gordon, ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1890. Under the pseudonym Ralph Connor, he published more than thirty novels, including
The Man from Glengarry
(1901) and
Glengarry School Days
(1902). These novels made him an internationally best-selling author.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 7, 2016
Years and years ago, I picked this book up in a used bookstore. When I read it, I loved it so much that I've been hunting for Ralph Connor books ever since!
January 30, 2016
One of my favorite books. A great read!
March 6, 2012
The rough and tumble lives of men and women in the years of Ontario, Canada's growth are focused on, especially those in the lumbering business. Their lives are deeply influenced by the godly example of the local minister's wife. I adore how she expresses her faith in loving and bold ways to the young people she teaches in and out of her Bible class. She discerns the character growth of these teenagers, and expresses strong Scriptural principles to them as she advises and counsels them. Romance blossoms among the young people as we see them at their quaint country gatherings for taffy pulls, corn shuckings, dances, clearing neighbors' fields, funerals, brawls, feuds, and gambling. The story especially focuses on Ranald, a very strong, independent, and influential young man who faces numerous struggles in his life. I listened to this book as a free download from Librivox.org.
July 15, 2025
Charming old out of print book about laborers and immigrants to the logging community of Canada. I really appreciated the 1900 perspective it gave on life and religion. It captured a bit of a lost world. Connor's portrayal is a bit idealized and romanticized.
October 15, 2016
Important historical work set in the 1800s in the Belleville area settled by Scots from Glengarry. Lumbermen, shanties, log drives, and maple sugar times combines with the earnest heart of a preacher's wife as she helps a local young man find his way to reach his full potential and find his true calling.
September 29, 2017
About as didactic and religious and wildly, nationalistically optimistic as you'd expect from 1901 CanLit.
September 13, 2020
What lively characters, and so well portrayed. The writing is lovely! Full of description and imagery. Connor's skill with dialect is put to excellent use, making the characters and their interactions wedge themselves firmly into the imagination.
The first chapter was difficult to follow. There are so many characters, and with overlapping clan and family names! I had to make a chart to follow along. But by the third or fourth chapter I was trapped inside the book; by the end of the first quarter I could throw away the character chart; by the middle of the book I'd been in tears twice!
The writing falls off towards the end of the book. There is a lot of explaining, politics muddies the waters a bit, we lose touch with our man somewhat. But the central questions remain and the book is good to the last drop, it being a bit watered down after the strength of the first hundred sips notwithstanding.
The first chapter was difficult to follow. There are so many characters, and with overlapping clan and family names! I had to make a chart to follow along. But by the third or fourth chapter I was trapped inside the book; by the end of the first quarter I could throw away the character chart; by the middle of the book I'd been in tears twice!
The writing falls off towards the end of the book. There is a lot of explaining, politics muddies the waters a bit, we lose touch with our man somewhat. But the central questions remain and the book is good to the last drop, it being a bit watered down after the strength of the first hundred sips notwithstanding.
January 31, 2024
This just barely made 3 stars for me. The first two chapters are nothing but pure violence. Two gangs of loggers get in a bar fight over who has the right of way down the river.
It is violent and written in sometimes hard to read dialect. Then, we are taken from that scene to the Glengarry manse where the minister’s wife is an overworked kind woman, who spends all of her time trying to get their parishioners to live more peaceful lives.
She gets through to a man and his son, Ranald, who the book then follows for many years. There is quite a lot of the author’s religion preached throughout, while at the same time, there is derogatory language used about people of color, native people, and people from Asia. Not to mention a barb thrown at Methodists and Jews, apparently for the heck of it.
The underlying story is quite good. I liked Ranald’s character, and the character of the minister’s wife. The minister himself left a lot to be desired.
It is violent and written in sometimes hard to read dialect. Then, we are taken from that scene to the Glengarry manse where the minister’s wife is an overworked kind woman, who spends all of her time trying to get their parishioners to live more peaceful lives.
She gets through to a man and his son, Ranald, who the book then follows for many years. There is quite a lot of the author’s religion preached throughout, while at the same time, there is derogatory language used about people of color, native people, and people from Asia. Not to mention a barb thrown at Methodists and Jews, apparently for the heck of it.
The underlying story is quite good. I liked Ranald’s character, and the character of the minister’s wife. The minister himself left a lot to be desired.
February 2, 2021
Wow! That was a good read!
I really felt rather ambivalent about reading this book. However, since my husband is Canadian - and from Ontario - I finally took the plunge last week. I'm very glad I did. A lot of insights but spiritually and culturally. The plot was pretty interesting - as it started winding down I wasn't at all sure it would end well. But it did.
And I have a new heroine... the minister's wife, Mrs. Murray.
I really felt rather ambivalent about reading this book. However, since my husband is Canadian - and from Ontario - I finally took the plunge last week. I'm very glad I did. A lot of insights but spiritually and culturally. The plot was pretty interesting - as it started winding down I wasn't at all sure it would end well. But it did.
And I have a new heroine... the minister's wife, Mrs. Murray.
March 22, 2021
“You go Maimie,” said her aunt, to whom every offered pleasure simply furnished an opportunity of thought for others. Mrs Murray is a fictional character in this historical fiction book written in 1901 by a Canadian Presbyterian minister.
Mrs Murray was a role model to everyone in the community both young and old, male and female. She was “one of those to whom it is given to speak words that will not die with time but will live for that they fall from lips touched with the fire of God.” Spoken as a minister because the author Ralph Connor’s real profession was as a Presbyterian preacher whose real name was Charles Gordon.
Ralph Connor was a hugely successful Canadian author in the nineteenth century. This novel has adventure and romance as good as any popular author in the twenty first century. The love affair of 18 year old Ranald and Maimie is classic. The foreshadowing of trouble to come is intense, causing the reader to worry as deaths by accident in the lumber industry were common as were the bar fights with competitors from Quebec.
Any reader raised in the Presbyterian faith will understand the messages being given in the novel. The Glengarry area of Ontario was settled largely by the Scottish clans. I truly loved reading this classic novel for its Canadian history and for the portrayal of the strong moral character of our ancestors.
Mrs Murray was a role model to everyone in the community both young and old, male and female. She was “one of those to whom it is given to speak words that will not die with time but will live for that they fall from lips touched with the fire of God.” Spoken as a minister because the author Ralph Connor’s real profession was as a Presbyterian preacher whose real name was Charles Gordon.
Ralph Connor was a hugely successful Canadian author in the nineteenth century. This novel has adventure and romance as good as any popular author in the twenty first century. The love affair of 18 year old Ranald and Maimie is classic. The foreshadowing of trouble to come is intense, causing the reader to worry as deaths by accident in the lumber industry were common as were the bar fights with competitors from Quebec.
Any reader raised in the Presbyterian faith will understand the messages being given in the novel. The Glengarry area of Ontario was settled largely by the Scottish clans. I truly loved reading this classic novel for its Canadian history and for the portrayal of the strong moral character of our ancestors.
April 16, 2022
Fiction - an interesting book set in the early years of Canadian Confederation. The MacDonalds are a family on the Ottawa River. They are great rivermen, filled with pride, occasional drink and a fixed orthodoxy. There is a love story with Ranald and Maimie. The minister's wife plays a large role in keeping the peace. A florid writing style but it was still enjoyable.
No pharmacy references.
Set in Canada.
No pharmacy references.
Set in Canada.
Read
May 2, 2020It reads like an Alcott novel, where goodness and love are all extensions from above, and despite the bad things that happen to good people, and vicie versi, it is part of God's plan. Okay, if you like that sort of thing, outside of that it was a traditional north american novel of the time in many respects.
January 9, 2026
I am so grateful to the person who introduced me to this Canadian author. This is now one of my favourite books…it ranks up there with Barrie’s The Little Minister for me. I loved his insight into the Scottish settlers’ religion, and knowing the history of revival here in PEI, I found it true to life. I can’t wait to share this with people who will appreciate it.
December 18, 2018
Very old fashioned, but so beautiful. Looks deeply at the relationships between the sexes and across generations. Particular focus on the impact faith can have when allowed to truly influence the behavior of its devotees.
August 16, 2017
Wonderful. Reminiscent of Freckles but with greater scope, this book was a poignant journey along the road to manhood
August 27, 2021
Cheesy muscular Christian fiction, but affectionately so. Ranald MacDonald saves Canada!!
October 4, 2021
A quite dry historical novel I read in school
May 29, 2023
Where is the option for "no stars"? a three month struggle....
November 18, 2024
I felt transported back to an earlier time and an old-fashioned morality when I read this. And it was an enjoyable trip. Glengarry forever!
September 27, 2010
Another one from Project Gutenberg.
Tells the story of the building of Canada and a group of lumberjacks. The story concentrates on one young man left to his own to run wild and to develop his skills. I was not surprised to find this book was written by a Canadian Minister since the lumberjacks are populated with Irish Presbyterians and much attention is given to the spiritual side of things. Though at times this novel can lapse into being a sermon instead of a novel. Though I liked the characters for the most part, especially the young man involved and the influence of the minsters wife on him.
Tells the story of the building of Canada and a group of lumberjacks. The story concentrates on one young man left to his own to run wild and to develop his skills. I was not surprised to find this book was written by a Canadian Minister since the lumberjacks are populated with Irish Presbyterians and much attention is given to the spiritual side of things. Though at times this novel can lapse into being a sermon instead of a novel. Though I liked the characters for the most part, especially the young man involved and the influence of the minsters wife on him.
November 21, 2010
I would have enjoyed this book much more if it were lighter on the religious aspects, although it does portray the sense of community in small rural areas of the time. Many wonderful descriptions throughout the book of how life was, although a few phrases/events that the author took for granted at the time of writing were lost on me. The expressions used in the book often reminded of my mother, who grew up on a farm north of London, ON, and the way he painted the landscape conjured up thoughts of the generations that preceded her and cleared the land.
December 15, 2010
A sermon, a funeral, a conversion, a Christian "revival": Tedious, painful torture. One star.
A young man and his friends being young people in Quebec City: Great fun, enjoyable. Eight stars.
A young man establishing himself in his career (and his love life) and single-handedly making sure Confederation with BC did not turn into a disaster:
Good, but not developed enough: Six stars.
A young man and his friends being young people in Quebec City: Great fun, enjoyable. Eight stars.
A young man establishing himself in his career (and his love life) and single-handedly making sure Confederation with BC did not turn into a disaster:
Good, but not developed enough: Six stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2011
Very interesting story of the Ontario/Quebec - Protestant/R.Catholic issues of the 20's in Canada. Explains much of the mutual antagonisms and distrust on both sides. Writing is dated, but revealing for the time period.
July 30, 2012
Want to know why Canada is the way it is? Read Ralph Connor. The writing is a bit melodramatic at times and postcolonialism has not been good to this Canadian icon, but this book and the rest of Connor's œuvre is extremely vital in the shaping of the contemporary Canadian identity.
June 13, 2008
Interesting story of a time long past, but a picture of a good and a great man!
November 23, 2012
A great book, it was really enjoyable! A few times it slowed down in pace and then all of a sudden BAM, you just read 80 pages without taking a breath. A really fun read.
March 22, 2015
The systemic racism and colonialism in this book far outweighs any story value.
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December 11, 2009Read for www.roughingitinthebooks.com
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews