The Crazy Man

by Pamela Porter

It is 1965, and twelve-year-old Emaline lives on a wheat farm in southern Saskatchewan. Her family has fallen apart. When her beloved dog, Prince, chased a hare into the path of the tractor, she chased after him, and her dad accidentally ran over her leg with the discer, leaving her with a long convalescence and a permanent disability. But perhaps the worst thing from Emaline's point of view is that in his grief and guilt, her father shot Prince and then left Emaline and her mother on their own.


Despite the neighbors' disapproval, Emaline's mother hires Angus, a patient from the local mental hospital, to work their fields. Angus is a red-haired giant whom the local kids tease and call the gorilla. Though the small town's prejudice creates a cloud of suspicion around Angus that nearly results in tragedy, in the end he becomes a force for healing as Emaline comes to terms with her injury and the loss of her father.


In the tradition of novels such as Kevin Major's Ann and Seamus and Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust, novelist and poet Pamela Porter uses free verse to tell this moving, gritty story that is accessible to a wide range of ages and reading abilities.

Genres: Poetry, Canada, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2005

About the author

Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 14, 1956, Pamela Porter of Sidney, B.C., has also lived in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and Montana. Her husband's family has operated a family farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan, for generations, and Pamela’s family goes to Saskatchewan every summer to work on the farm.

Having gained her undergraduate English degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Montana, Pamela Porter has taught writing at the University of Victoria and to adults at the tribal school on the Saanich peninsula.

Reviews

[cat (catherynereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in elementary school ages ago and just recently saw a book cover that reminded me of this which is what brought me here. I recall this book being so poetic and really excellent. I definitely would recommend this, and I'm going to reread it again soon.

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and essential for all libraries. An excellent fictional meditation on disablement and healing outside violently individualistic understandings of disabled bodyminds, and a look at the shifting nature of dis/ability in varying contexts (the town, hospital, or school landscape versus the farm or prairie).

[Samira]

The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter
A twelve year old girl broke her foot, watched her dad killed her only friend her pet dog right before her eyes and had her father leave her, all in the same day. Her mother and her didn't know where her father went or how they would support themselves and farm without a man figure in their home anymore. Not too far from their house was a mental institute where many unwanted crazy people lived. One day, a crazy man came to help and be the male figure in the girls life, her mother not knowing if he would attack or not, because he is a crazy man and that is a crazy idea, but being completely wrong, the crazy man isn't so crazy after all.
(5 Stars)

I absolutely loved all of these books and I am so extremely happy I've read them all, I might have to read again and again. Darren Shan is such a brilliant author, where his motif is to keep the reader turning pages and completely erase the words in the story and replace them with brief gory and bloody images. Absolutely my top favorite author.
Pamela Porter also has a brilliant mind where she changes my perspective from reading words to viewing images and feeling as if I were in the story with her characters. Throughout the book she gave a brief explanation of what she was writing about and throughout it she explained the theme in every single line, which is to never judge the book by it's cover and always never judge. Beautiful writer.

Bec: 241 pages
Blood Beast: 217 pages
The crazy man: 214 pages

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant and mesmerizing. I think this is the most affecting, original YA book I've read this year.

[bina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews on here but I literally could not just rate this book and leave it be. This book.... this book. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. You know how you stumble on a book every once in a while that changes you and sticks with you? This is one of them. The characters, the plot, the way it was crafted, all came together for a journey that transported me so fully into the world of The Crazy Man that I felt genuinely empty when I reached the last page. (I also cried, several times, reading this).

I didn’t have high hopes going into it as I usually read fantasy and romance and romantic fantasy but damn if I wasn’t proved wrong. The author has a way with words that sucks you in and makes you want to read the whole book in one sitting (which is totally doable by the way). This is one of those novels that has a little bit of magic in it and I strongly recommend it to everyone!

[Storm Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another childhood re read - it was really interesting to see what I remembered from reading it as a kid vs what impacted me this time around. It’s a really good, raw insight and I love the style it’s written in.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Angus gotta forgive. But Angus didn’t know how to forgive.
So in my mind I put her in a basket
Put balloons on the basket.
In my mind. And I let her rise up into the sky,
Till she was a wee speck.”
“Did that every day.”

[Rosamund Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emmeline lives in rural Saskatchewan, where her family struggles to eke out a living on a small farm. Her father has never wanted to be a farmer, and when he accidentally injures Emmeline with his tractor, he leaves the farm without saying goodbye. Emmeline now has a permanent disability in the form of an injured and shortened leg, and meanwhile her mother struggles to keep the farm going. At last, she decides to take on Angus, a former inmate of the state's psychiatric hospital, to work her land. Angus is at the heart of this novel: Emmeline gradually befriends him, and realises that the stigma and cruelty he encounters is baseless. Overall, this novel-in-verse is quietly uplifting, as Emmeline learns to make sense of her life without her father and with a disability, and learns to trust Angus and hears his story. It's sensitive and thoughtful, but somehow lacks passion: Emmeline isn't angry or sad enough for this reader to really feel with her, and though the story covers big themes, it manages not to maintain any tension. I'm very interested in the issues of personhood and recovery that Porter raises here, yet I don't think I will find this book very memorable.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad, disturbing themes imparted by appealingly poetic prose and etched with slivered glimmers of metamorphic compassion and understanding. A cheerlessly contemplative book. (Minor pet peeve--when the illustrator pays no attention to vivid details. The man on the cover should have flaming red hair.)

[Anna Marie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book as a kid and I just re-read it as an adult thinking like an idiot I wouldn't cry cause I'm grown now and man was I WRONG.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lovely balance of grittiness and sweetness, of people caring for one another, and people acting out of fear and ignorance. The author has wonderful insight into human behaviour. And, I enjoyed the setting in rural Saskatchewan.

I will read other work by this author.

Not included in the review:
>the poetry-prose style did not translate well to my ebook reader - many sentences end-up as a single vertical line of letters with no spaces between words, making the reading more difficult.
>A pet peeve: the book is set in Canada, featuring Canadian characters, who would see colo* U *rs. A particular problem because Angus's seeing of colours is important to the story, so the word is mis-used (without the u) frequently in the story
>the man on the cover should have bright-red hair. It is a short book, did the cover's artist not read it? (again, Angus's red hair is key feature for this character so fairly important in the book).

[Room 204 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crazy Man

Have you ever lost a family member? Imagine it. Emmaline has lost her father, got her leg mangled by a tractor and lost her dog Prince. A “crazy man” seeds her fields while her dad is away. This man eats the food her mother cooks. While Angus the crazy man from the local mental hospital works on their Farm, many townspeople complain and grow scared even though Angus is very kind. At the end of the book there is someone that you thought would come back but never does…

I like this book because it has a lot of twists and turns. It is a hard book to put down. It is a good book if you like shorter stories. If you don't like short stories I don't recommend this book
I enjoyed this book very much. I would give this book a four out of five stars. I wish Pamela Porter put more to the story. I wish to read more of this author. - by G.L.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this of my daughter when we boarded a plane to Auckland because I had nothing to read and I couldn't face reading the airline magazine. Initially, I refused it, thinking it was poetry. But daughter said it wasn't and demanded I give it a fair go. So I did. I finished the whole thing during the 1-hour plane flight - which makes it a light and easy read. It's sweet and peaceful - although some bleak, disturbing moments. The black is outweighed by the optimistic outlook on life by Emaline and Angus.

[Tangerine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm starting to wonder just what makes a person
crazy."

I never took myself as a person to like poetry. I'm glad I picked this book up because people told me not to get it. This book goes over mental disorders how they are perceived at the time as crazy or dangerous.

As I read this book, a song come on and forwards beckon rebound came on it really describes the characters and the overall mood of this book

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in free verse, this children's novel (character in grades 6-7) explores life in Prairies in the late 1960's when there is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness. When a string of incidents lead to the protagonist, Emmaline, and her mom needing help on the family farm, Angus from "The Mental" comes to help out. Lots of stereotypes and stigma need to be addressed.

[Lynda Archer]

A poetic children's book about mental illness and physical disability and the Canadian prairies. Even though it is classed as a children's book I highly recommend for adults, the kindness and caring in which people with a mental illness are dealt with. And being from the prairies, I love the descriptions of the land and sky.

[Chantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Me, I’m filled with the wind, sky, smell
of ground, harvest dust in my nose,
my lungs, the land in my skin and hair.

I’m land, I’m sky.
I’m Saskatchewan.

This book is so special. Heart-warming story of love, loss, healing and kinship from the perspective of young Emaline growing up in Saskatchewan in the 60’s.

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book, written in free verse from a 12 year-old girl’s point of view. In spite of her young age, Emaline grows up fast on a farm in Saskatchewan over the year and deals with adult challenges well - being in a farm accident, losing her father and her dog, and learning about adult prejudice.

[Gisele · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Absolutely worthy of all its awards! Written in free verse, it is at once a simple yet complex read.
It touches on important themes (mental health, acceptance of self and others, resilience, the meaning of family and others) and tells a heart wrenching and touching story. Loved it!

[Alexis Armit · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first verse-novel and I was impressed - both at the ease of read and the depth of the discussions around mental health and stigma.
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely share it as a read aloud in my classroom.

[Maverick Schindel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has always been a favourite of mine! The plot is excellent and it just speaks to me personally on different levels, I believe all school and public libraries should have a copy of this book! Would definitely recommend!

[rocío · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Absolutely phenomenal. The way it's written makes it a light read but makes you want to really focus on what's being said as well. Emaline is just a endearing character, and her friendship with Angus is magical.

[martha ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

another school novel!!
3.5 stars

surprisingly enjoyed this. easy read because of the small amount of words on each page and ouh this made me sympathize so much for angus, everyone treated him so badly😞

[Melanie Viguería · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful book I’ve ever read.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Heather Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple story with many complicated issues that still face us today. Kindness is something we need to adopt to continually better ourselves in this not so simple thing called life.

[Nyna Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all time favourite

[Jennifer Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this book for my grade 6 classroom!! I love it!!

[Jaellayna Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story - elegantly written, too. Lots for young readers to think about and to discuss.

[Diane Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent fast read. Looking forward to reading more from this author