What do you think?
Rate this book
Some Great Thing
Mahatma Grafton is a disillusioned university graduate burdened with a famous name, and suffering from the curse of his generation — a total lack of interest in the state of the world. The son of a retired railway porter from Winnipeg, he returns home for a job as a reporter with The Winnipeg Herald. Soon Mahatma is scoping local stories of murder and mayhem, breaking a promise to himself to avoid writing victim stories.
As Mahatma is unexpectedly drawn into the inflammatory issue of French-language rights in Manitoba, with all its racial side-channels, he is surprised to find that he has a social conscience. Combating his boss’s flair for weaving hysteria into his stories, Mahatma learns that to stay afloat he must remain true to himself.
Populated with colourful characters — including an unlikely welfare crusader, a burned-out fellow reporter, a French-language-rights activist, and a visiting journalist from Cameroon — Some Great Thing is a fascinating portrait of a major urban newspaper and a deeply perceptive story of one man’s coming of age.
As Mahatma is unexpectedly drawn into the inflammatory issue of French-language rights in Manitoba, with all its racial side-channels, he is surprised to find that he has a social conscience. Combating his boss’s flair for weaving hysteria into his stories, Mahatma learns that to stay afloat he must remain true to himself.
Populated with colourful characters — including an unlikely welfare crusader, a burned-out fellow reporter, a French-language-rights activist, and a visiting journalist from Cameroon — Some Great Thing is a fascinating portrait of a major urban newspaper and a deeply perceptive story of one man’s coming of age.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 1992
20 people are currently reading
780 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Hill
35 books1,756 followersHill is the author of ten books of fiction and non-fiction. In 2005, he won his first literary honour: a National Magazine Award for the article “Is Africa’s Pain Black America’s Burden?” published in The Walrus. His first two novels were Some Great Thing and Any Known Blood, and his first non-fiction work to attract national attention was the memoir Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada. But it was his third novel, The Book of Negroes (HarperCollins Canada, 2007) — published in some countries as Someone Knows My Name and in French as Aminata — that attracted widespread attention in Canada and other countries.
Lawrence Hill’s non-fiction book, Blood: The Stuff of Life was published in September 2013 by House of Anansi Press. Blood is a personal consideration of the physical, social, cultural and psychological aspects of blood, and how it defines, unites and divides us. Hill drew from the book to deliver the 2013 Massey Lectures across Canada.
In 2013, Hill published the essay Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book: An Anatomy of a Book Burning (University of Alberta Press).
His fourth novel, The Illegal, was published by HarperCollins Canada in 2015 and by WW Norton in the USA in 2016.
Hill is currently writing a new novel and a children’s book, and co-writing a television miniseries adaptation of The Illegal for Conquering Lion Pictures. Hill is a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, in Ontario.
Lawrence Hill’s non-fiction book, Blood: The Stuff of Life was published in September 2013 by House of Anansi Press. Blood is a personal consideration of the physical, social, cultural and psychological aspects of blood, and how it defines, unites and divides us. Hill drew from the book to deliver the 2013 Massey Lectures across Canada.
In 2013, Hill published the essay Dear Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book: An Anatomy of a Book Burning (University of Alberta Press).
His fourth novel, The Illegal, was published by HarperCollins Canada in 2015 and by WW Norton in the USA in 2016.
Hill is currently writing a new novel and a children’s book, and co-writing a television miniseries adaptation of The Illegal for Conquering Lion Pictures. Hill is a professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, in Ontario.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 24, 2022
A "black" comedy on Canadian culture!
While not quite up to the level of his best-selling THE BOOK OF NEGROES, his debut novel, SOME GREAT THING is a perfect metaphor for the future of Lawrence Hill's writing. Just as Lawrence Hill was born to produce superb and important literature, Mahatma Grafton's father knew, from the very date of his birth, that he was destined for "some great thing"! Just as, when writing as a reporter, Lawrence Hill knew that he was destined to squeeze something more from his life, Mahatma Grafton, a young black man, also understood that he must at all costs avoid the cynicism and sleaze of tabloid "journalism" and find a way to write with integrity and self-esteem about those things he felt were most important to himself and to his potential Canadian readers.
One review I read termed SOME GREAT THING a "crackling good yarn". I think it's more a thinking man's noir comedy, a wonderful story of Canadian values and issues set in the context of biting satire peopled by a list of exceptionally colourful characters - a sleazy tabloid reporter who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the story (facts, of course, are beside the point!); a visiting black journalist from the Cameroons whose utter inability to understand Canadian culture and the dynamics of western male-female interpersonal relationships is both touching and absolutely hilarious; and a black judge who has worked hard to rise above humble beginnings as a railroad porter but demonstrates exceptionally bad judgment in his professional life and ultimately retires unhappy and unfulfilled. Of course, what self-respecting Canadian story would be complete without touching on the French language issue, in this case, through the eyes of an intriguing French language rights activist.
Winnipeg, Manitoba is the unlikely setting for SOME GREAT THING, a story that is so many different things - a compelling story of personal professional growth for a young black man struggling with himself and his abilities in the field of journalism; an essay on multiple aspects of Canadian culture but, most obviously, the issue of French language rights outside of the province of Quebec; and some fascinating history about black Canadians and their relegation to subservient, low paid jobs such as railway porters. Last but hardly least, SOME GREAT THING explores some pieces of the ever shifting relationship between Canada and its nearest and most-friendly(?) ally, that behemoth directly to our south, the US of A!
SOME GREAT THING is great reading under any circumstances. But it would be especially interesting for those foreign readers who would like to learn a little more about what makes Canadians tick! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
While not quite up to the level of his best-selling THE BOOK OF NEGROES, his debut novel, SOME GREAT THING is a perfect metaphor for the future of Lawrence Hill's writing. Just as Lawrence Hill was born to produce superb and important literature, Mahatma Grafton's father knew, from the very date of his birth, that he was destined for "some great thing"! Just as, when writing as a reporter, Lawrence Hill knew that he was destined to squeeze something more from his life, Mahatma Grafton, a young black man, also understood that he must at all costs avoid the cynicism and sleaze of tabloid "journalism" and find a way to write with integrity and self-esteem about those things he felt were most important to himself and to his potential Canadian readers.
One review I read termed SOME GREAT THING a "crackling good yarn". I think it's more a thinking man's noir comedy, a wonderful story of Canadian values and issues set in the context of biting satire peopled by a list of exceptionally colourful characters - a sleazy tabloid reporter who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the story (facts, of course, are beside the point!); a visiting black journalist from the Cameroons whose utter inability to understand Canadian culture and the dynamics of western male-female interpersonal relationships is both touching and absolutely hilarious; and a black judge who has worked hard to rise above humble beginnings as a railroad porter but demonstrates exceptionally bad judgment in his professional life and ultimately retires unhappy and unfulfilled. Of course, what self-respecting Canadian story would be complete without touching on the French language issue, in this case, through the eyes of an intriguing French language rights activist.
Winnipeg, Manitoba is the unlikely setting for SOME GREAT THING, a story that is so many different things - a compelling story of personal professional growth for a young black man struggling with himself and his abilities in the field of journalism; an essay on multiple aspects of Canadian culture but, most obviously, the issue of French language rights outside of the province of Quebec; and some fascinating history about black Canadians and their relegation to subservient, low paid jobs such as railway porters. Last but hardly least, SOME GREAT THING explores some pieces of the ever shifting relationship between Canada and its nearest and most-friendly(?) ally, that behemoth directly to our south, the US of A!
SOME GREAT THING is great reading under any circumstances. But it would be especially interesting for those foreign readers who would like to learn a little more about what makes Canadians tick! Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
March 6, 2011
Having read The Book of Negroes first, and enjoyed it very much, I was curious about how Lawrence Hill started as a writer; what was the book that had to go through the mill of rejection before he was crowned and accepted into that hallowed crowd of CanLit authors? And I wasn’t disappointed in reading this book. He picked two winning strategies with this debut novel – humour and controversy.
Some Great Thing could be renamed “Days in the Lives of Journalists” for it follows the episodic scoops and shenanigans of a bunch of journalists at a newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The central character is an autobiographical version of the author (if I follow Hill’s resume), with the unlikely name of Mahatma Grafton, who is on a mission not only to explore black-white relations but English-French tensions in the province as well, while his boss, editor, Don Betts, is determined to re-write Mahatma’s filings for more nefarious and personal ends. The supporting cast is a delightful but motley crew: Edward Slade the reporter from the rival newspaper who lacks empathy and sensitivity as he zeroes in on the “scoop” at all costs (he and Betts would make a good duo), Judge Melvyn Hill (any relation of the author?) who is looking for any form of publicity to promote his cause as he has topped out on the career ladder (not a bad climb for he was once a railway porter), Helene Savoie who is ashamed of the childhood drubbing she received from her teacher for being French and prefers to be known now as Helen Savoy, Jake Corbett the welfare junkie who looks for any public forum to denounce the government for cheating him off his well(fare) earned money (he and the Judge would make good partners for the return of Socialism), and Hassane Moustafa Ali (aka Yoyo), the optimistic reporter from Cameroon who finds Canadians somewhat daft. And of course, the wisest one of the lot, Mahatma’s father Ben, a retired porter and a former colleague of Judge Hill, who is compiling a black history of Canada, and who loves and steers his son through the travails of journalism and motivates him to do “some great thing” with his life.
Some situations are hilarious and typically Canadian. Mahatma, who is second generation Canadian-born, is asked “Where are you from?” His answer: “Winnipeg”, a puzzled comeback: “Where is your father from?” Reply: “Winnipeg.” An even more puzzled, “But I thought you were Pakistani.” Priceless!
Some observations are chilling: “One drop of coloured blood made you black.”
The prose is unsophisticated and shouts “first time writer,” there are too many character names in some scenes, and many of the characters are funny but caricature-like. Even Mahatma is underdeveloped on the romantic side and I wondered if this guy had any other depth or vulnerabilities other than to fight for what is right as egged on by his father.
Everyone winds up in Cameroon by a freak of fate and circumstance (the only other French-English bilingual country in the world according to Yoyo), and the novel has its denouement which saves it from the upsy-downsy “days in the lives...” theme, and all ends well. I would have cut out the epilogue, for it tries (too hard) to tie up all the loose ends and tell us where the survivors end up.
The most useful part of the book for me was the tacked-on interview and behind-the-scenes story of how the author came to write the book – a great scoop indeed!
Some Great Thing could be renamed “Days in the Lives of Journalists” for it follows the episodic scoops and shenanigans of a bunch of journalists at a newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The central character is an autobiographical version of the author (if I follow Hill’s resume), with the unlikely name of Mahatma Grafton, who is on a mission not only to explore black-white relations but English-French tensions in the province as well, while his boss, editor, Don Betts, is determined to re-write Mahatma’s filings for more nefarious and personal ends. The supporting cast is a delightful but motley crew: Edward Slade the reporter from the rival newspaper who lacks empathy and sensitivity as he zeroes in on the “scoop” at all costs (he and Betts would make a good duo), Judge Melvyn Hill (any relation of the author?) who is looking for any form of publicity to promote his cause as he has topped out on the career ladder (not a bad climb for he was once a railway porter), Helene Savoie who is ashamed of the childhood drubbing she received from her teacher for being French and prefers to be known now as Helen Savoy, Jake Corbett the welfare junkie who looks for any public forum to denounce the government for cheating him off his well(fare) earned money (he and the Judge would make good partners for the return of Socialism), and Hassane Moustafa Ali (aka Yoyo), the optimistic reporter from Cameroon who finds Canadians somewhat daft. And of course, the wisest one of the lot, Mahatma’s father Ben, a retired porter and a former colleague of Judge Hill, who is compiling a black history of Canada, and who loves and steers his son through the travails of journalism and motivates him to do “some great thing” with his life.
Some situations are hilarious and typically Canadian. Mahatma, who is second generation Canadian-born, is asked “Where are you from?” His answer: “Winnipeg”, a puzzled comeback: “Where is your father from?” Reply: “Winnipeg.” An even more puzzled, “But I thought you were Pakistani.” Priceless!
Some observations are chilling: “One drop of coloured blood made you black.”
The prose is unsophisticated and shouts “first time writer,” there are too many character names in some scenes, and many of the characters are funny but caricature-like. Even Mahatma is underdeveloped on the romantic side and I wondered if this guy had any other depth or vulnerabilities other than to fight for what is right as egged on by his father.
Everyone winds up in Cameroon by a freak of fate and circumstance (the only other French-English bilingual country in the world according to Yoyo), and the novel has its denouement which saves it from the upsy-downsy “days in the lives...” theme, and all ends well. I would have cut out the epilogue, for it tries (too hard) to tie up all the loose ends and tell us where the survivors end up.
The most useful part of the book for me was the tacked-on interview and behind-the-scenes story of how the author came to write the book – a great scoop indeed!
January 26, 2016
This book was soo precious, I loved every word of it. I loved the characters, and the setting. Definitely adding this to the list as one of my favourite Canadian books, and favourite books period. For a debut novel from Lawrence Hill I loved every minute of it and I can't wait for his new book :)
August 9, 2020
This is a good book -- not a great one, like The Book of Negroes, but a first-rate first novel by an author who was writing from his own early experience.
One can just picture the rookie reporter Mahatma Grafton as Lawrence Hill himself, who toiled at a newspaper in Winnipeg for a couple of years before following his true passion for fiction. And as a former Winnipeg journalist, I can vouch for the veracity of the weird and wonderful characters that inhabited newsrooms in the 1980s, when this story takes place.
The protagonist, who is a third-generation black Canadian, explores racial tension between Anglos and Francophones on his job, and deals with the darker history and experience of racism in his personal life. BUT the book manages to be comical at the same time, with a bunch of really funny incidents! The author's humour and intelligence forecast the greater books that lie ahead.
One can just picture the rookie reporter Mahatma Grafton as Lawrence Hill himself, who toiled at a newspaper in Winnipeg for a couple of years before following his true passion for fiction. And as a former Winnipeg journalist, I can vouch for the veracity of the weird and wonderful characters that inhabited newsrooms in the 1980s, when this story takes place.
The protagonist, who is a third-generation black Canadian, explores racial tension between Anglos and Francophones on his job, and deals with the darker history and experience of racism in his personal life. BUT the book manages to be comical at the same time, with a bunch of really funny incidents! The author's humour and intelligence forecast the greater books that lie ahead.
February 17, 2017
this was a good read, but i found the flow and continuity inconsistent and disjointed. as well, characters and storylines were underdeveloped in some cases. but the premise and characters were interesting and i was mostly engaged with the book and entertained. hill tried to cover a lot of ground here and while it didn't all come together wonderfully, it did help shine a light on many issues that are still problems today.
this is hill's first novel, and i liked very much seeing what his first outing as a novelist was like. i appreciate that the three books i have read from him (incl. The Book of Negroes and The Illegal) are all so different from one another. it's impressive when an author can do this and not always sound the same.
the "p.s." materials included at the end of the novel are terrific!
this is hill's first novel, and i liked very much seeing what his first outing as a novelist was like. i appreciate that the three books i have read from him (incl. The Book of Negroes and The Illegal) are all so different from one another. it's impressive when an author can do this and not always sound the same.
the "p.s." materials included at the end of the novel are terrific!
January 20, 2012
How could a book that examines in some depth the issues of racism, francophobia, welfare, police brutality and media corruption, be charming and light hearted?LH has managed to pull this off in this novel written before his more well known Book of Negroes.
LH is a skillful and confident story teller.His penetrating gaze is softened by compassion and sly humour. We get the facts with the merest trace of didacticism. His keen awareness of the vagaries of fate brings together a disparate cast of characters and an ending that provided a delightful twist. I laughed a lot, and cried a bit.
Running through the action, which meanders across a range of years spanning the late 6o's, is a love affair with Winnipeg. Yes Winnipeg!
LH is a skillful and confident story teller.His penetrating gaze is softened by compassion and sly humour. We get the facts with the merest trace of didacticism. His keen awareness of the vagaries of fate brings together a disparate cast of characters and an ending that provided a delightful twist. I laughed a lot, and cried a bit.
Running through the action, which meanders across a range of years spanning the late 6o's, is a love affair with Winnipeg. Yes Winnipeg!
October 22, 2010
Before there was the award-winning The Book of Negroes, there was Some Great Thing, Lawrence Hill's debut novel. Recently re-released, Some Great Thing tells the story of Mahatma Grafton, a young, arrogant black man who tries his hand at writing for the newspaper The Winnipeg Herald. Lawrence moves back home to live with his father, Ben, while he takes a stab at journalism, but he ends up getting far more than he bargained for as he discovers that his hometown is brimming with racial tensions as well as tensions related to the issue of French-language rights in Manitoba.
While dealing with his boss' unusal take on ethics, as well as his smarmy competition, Mahatma must decide if it is more important for him to get ahead at his job or if he should remain true to himself.
Some Great Thing reflects on a time period in Canada that was rife with unrest. The subject matter certainly doesn't shy away from the controversial issues that were prominent in the 1980's. Hostile Anglo-French relations are covered, as well as the racial issues still prominent at the time. In spite of the fact that the subject matter is not always pleasant and is often deeply controversial, Hill writes with humour and an abundance of wit, making his debut novel a fast-paced, compulsive read.
Especially noteworthy is the fact that Hill created a large cast of characters that seemed to jump off the page. They are all flawed and human, yet incredibly endearing. I wanted to have most of them over for dinner. My favourite was Ben, Mahatma's elderly father, a gentle man with deep convictions and a love for his son. I loved the fact that he slept better when his son was home- that's fatherly love. I also loved YoYo, the journalist from Cameroon who was visiting Canada for a year and found everything about Canada fascinating. Chuck, one of Mahatma's most genuine friends at the newspaper, had a wisdom and raw honesty that I could almost feel.
I savoured the final pages of this clever novel with a smile on my face, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that isn't afraid to tackle difficult issues with sensitivity, wit and charm.
While dealing with his boss' unusal take on ethics, as well as his smarmy competition, Mahatma must decide if it is more important for him to get ahead at his job or if he should remain true to himself.
Some Great Thing reflects on a time period in Canada that was rife with unrest. The subject matter certainly doesn't shy away from the controversial issues that were prominent in the 1980's. Hostile Anglo-French relations are covered, as well as the racial issues still prominent at the time. In spite of the fact that the subject matter is not always pleasant and is often deeply controversial, Hill writes with humour and an abundance of wit, making his debut novel a fast-paced, compulsive read.
Especially noteworthy is the fact that Hill created a large cast of characters that seemed to jump off the page. They are all flawed and human, yet incredibly endearing. I wanted to have most of them over for dinner. My favourite was Ben, Mahatma's elderly father, a gentle man with deep convictions and a love for his son. I loved the fact that he slept better when his son was home- that's fatherly love. I also loved YoYo, the journalist from Cameroon who was visiting Canada for a year and found everything about Canada fascinating. Chuck, one of Mahatma's most genuine friends at the newspaper, had a wisdom and raw honesty that I could almost feel.
I savoured the final pages of this clever novel with a smile on my face, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book that isn't afraid to tackle difficult issues with sensitivity, wit and charm.
April 16, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and managed to read it in about 4 days while on vacation. Main character is interesting and likeable, the plot seems realistic, and is influenced by some important Canadian history and culture. I recommend this book, not sure whether reading Hill's debut after "Book of Negroes" will impress all readers, but for me it didn't matter one bit.
September 16, 2011
This started slowly for me, but then I could not put it down. It is Lawrence Hill's( Book Of Negroes) debut novel. His protagonist is a black journalist in the 80's in Winnipeg, roughly the same as Hill started his career. Background events and attitudes in Manitoba are very interesting, as are his fabulous characters. A great read, and informative.
March 3, 2025
Hill is best known for "The Book of Negoes" and it is indeed a splendid book. But I enjoyed this, his debut novel, even more - it is seldom that I read a novel of this size in one sitting.
Set in Winnipeg, the novel explores issues of race and class in Canada against the backdrop of simmering French-English tensions in Manitoba that explode with lethal consequences is that quintessentially Canadian arena - a hockey rink. The main character is a young black journalist who has returned to his hometown to work for a local newspaper locked in a fierce competition with a rival paper. For this journalist, the newsroom tensions, banter and copy come across as authentic. Set in the early 1980s, it is also a reminder of a time when newspapers actually had budgets and staff.
A communist mayor and a press junket to Cameroon cap this riveting narrative.
A splendid book indeed ...
Set in Winnipeg, the novel explores issues of race and class in Canada against the backdrop of simmering French-English tensions in Manitoba that explode with lethal consequences is that quintessentially Canadian arena - a hockey rink. The main character is a young black journalist who has returned to his hometown to work for a local newspaper locked in a fierce competition with a rival paper. For this journalist, the newsroom tensions, banter and copy come across as authentic. Set in the early 1980s, it is also a reminder of a time when newspapers actually had budgets and staff.
A communist mayor and a press junket to Cameroon cap this riveting narrative.
A splendid book indeed ...
May 30, 2021
I know that my star ratings are not consistent, so I should probably fix them sometime.
I did enjoy this books. The setting, the timing, the characters, and the events all came together, in an interesting well-written story.
I found myself searching for more info about some of the events referenced in the book. I have not read anything relating to the French/English tensions in Manitoba before, and haven't read much about the struggle of black people with the labor market and inhumane work conditions.
The author created a large group of very interesting characters with vastly different backgrounds, and it was fascinating to see all their storylines intertwine the way they did.
I did enjoy this books. The setting, the timing, the characters, and the events all came together, in an interesting well-written story.
I found myself searching for more info about some of the events referenced in the book. I have not read anything relating to the French/English tensions in Manitoba before, and haven't read much about the struggle of black people with the labor market and inhumane work conditions.
The author created a large group of very interesting characters with vastly different backgrounds, and it was fascinating to see all their storylines intertwine the way they did.
June 18, 2023
An interesting story on the perspective and angle of stories. Filled with unique characters and political issues such as race, language, and poverty, it’s a fast-paced and good reflective read. I enjoyed reading the settings in Winnipeg and Cameroon.
April 8, 2012
Black Canadian novelist Lawrence Hill has won international acclaim with his novel The Book of Negroes but my review is of his first novel, Some Great Thing, first published in 1992 and reissued in 2009 by Harper Collins Canada.
I chose to read Some Great Thing while travelling by bus to Winnipeg, where the novel is set. This was my first trip to Manitoba and I had a 33 hour bus ride to survive. I easily lost myself in Some Great Thing, with its array of contrasting characters, its insights on Canadian local media, and the cultural context of Canada in the early 1980s.
The central character of the novel is 25 year old Mahatma Grafton, a light-skinned Black Canadian who has reluctantly taken a job as a journalist with The Winnipeg Herald after taking a Double Major in History and French at Laval University and a Masters in Economics at the University of Toronto. Hill describes Mahatma as:
…an intellectual bum. No. He was worse than a bum. He was an M.A. graduate over his head in student loans. He had no particular job skills and no goals in life. What thinking citizen would place his life, or his liberty, or even his bank savings in the hands of an economics major? What Mahatma had discovered about journalism was this: it was the only pseudo-profession left in the world that still hired bums.
Mahatma has also had to move back in with his father, Ben Grafton, a widower and a former Railroad Porter, who he hasn’t kept in touch with during his studies. It was his father who decided to name his son Mahatma, feeling that it was necessary that his son have the name of a great man.It is been who urges his son to do “Some Great Thing”, which is what African American pioneers who came to the Canadian West were urged to do. Ben Grafton’s past as a Railroad Porter is a tribute to the Black presence in early 20th Canadian History, unlike the US, Canada has a relatively small Black population of recent origin. Black Railroad Porters, often originally from the US, worked and sometimes settled in Canadian cities like Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. In the novel, we get to learn about Ben Grafton’s and his fellow Railroad Porters experiences of racism. The relationship between Ben and Mahatma as they rediscover each other is subtly developed throughout the novel.
To read my complete review visit:
http://woyingi.wordpress.com/2011/03/...
I chose to read Some Great Thing while travelling by bus to Winnipeg, where the novel is set. This was my first trip to Manitoba and I had a 33 hour bus ride to survive. I easily lost myself in Some Great Thing, with its array of contrasting characters, its insights on Canadian local media, and the cultural context of Canada in the early 1980s.
The central character of the novel is 25 year old Mahatma Grafton, a light-skinned Black Canadian who has reluctantly taken a job as a journalist with The Winnipeg Herald after taking a Double Major in History and French at Laval University and a Masters in Economics at the University of Toronto. Hill describes Mahatma as:
…an intellectual bum. No. He was worse than a bum. He was an M.A. graduate over his head in student loans. He had no particular job skills and no goals in life. What thinking citizen would place his life, or his liberty, or even his bank savings in the hands of an economics major? What Mahatma had discovered about journalism was this: it was the only pseudo-profession left in the world that still hired bums.
Mahatma has also had to move back in with his father, Ben Grafton, a widower and a former Railroad Porter, who he hasn’t kept in touch with during his studies. It was his father who decided to name his son Mahatma, feeling that it was necessary that his son have the name of a great man.It is been who urges his son to do “Some Great Thing”, which is what African American pioneers who came to the Canadian West were urged to do. Ben Grafton’s past as a Railroad Porter is a tribute to the Black presence in early 20th Canadian History, unlike the US, Canada has a relatively small Black population of recent origin. Black Railroad Porters, often originally from the US, worked and sometimes settled in Canadian cities like Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal. In the novel, we get to learn about Ben Grafton’s and his fellow Railroad Porters experiences of racism. The relationship between Ben and Mahatma as they rediscover each other is subtly developed throughout the novel.
To read my complete review visit:
http://woyingi.wordpress.com/2011/03/...
June 10, 2018
As he did in The Illegal, Lawrence Hill created quirky memorable characters the reader would enjoy getting to know. I did not know the author's background but the book sounded autobiographical right from the start. The contrast of cultures between Winnipeg where most of the story takes place, and Cameroon where several of the characters end up at one point in the story, is more than interesting. It makes me look at my own culture with fresh eyes. To some degree, this feels like a Terry Fallis novel, especially in the fun created by characters and situations which arise between them.
October 20, 2013
Can't get enough of Lawrence Hill. His characters become your family and best friends.
July 2, 2014
I loved how the story focussed on news and newspaper work. As a journalist, there were things I appreciated. I think there`s probably a lot of young Lawerence in this book.
February 15, 2016
Such a great writer! A great book.
January 28, 2019
I have followed Lawrence Hill's works avidly. I was first introduced to his writing through Book of Negroes and have since read *almost* all of his works. I have never found myself to be disappointed by his works. Unfortunately, I was unable to rate Some Great Thing higher than 3/5 stars.
Some Great Thing is the story of Mahatma Grafton, a young adult man living in Winnipeg, dark skinned without knowledge or interest in his heritage. He rolls his eyes at his father's proselytizing over their shared heritage and the discrimination that black people face in Canada.
Unfortunately, Mahatma is not very well fleshed out. He is a journalist for a Winnipeg paper and spends his time chasing stories as we are introduced to several other "funk" characters. Despite Hill attempting to grow his large cast of characters, I felt that having so many varied people with different characteristics spun out of control quickly. I wanted to enjoy the characters and learn more about them, but there were just too damn many.
Furthermore, on top of the characters being too confusing and poorly rounded, the plot was lacking. Mahatma spent his time attempting to break a story on the French culture in Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba, but nothing really comes out of that. Some random tragedies occur that you don't care much about. People die quickly and you're left scratching your head.
At the end of the book I paused and I couldn't place my finger on *what* exactly this novel was about. Yes, your eyes are opened to the fact that minorities in Canada face discrimination (and that's important to raise awareness of), but other than that, the comparison of the French discrimination and the black discrimination was confusing and didn't segue well into each other.
In my humble opinion, Hill writes best when he focuses on a smaller cast of characters in his novels versus a large jumbled assortment of people that he tries to draw together in a forced way. I still enjoyed this novel though...just not as much as his other ones.
Some Great Thing is the story of Mahatma Grafton, a young adult man living in Winnipeg, dark skinned without knowledge or interest in his heritage. He rolls his eyes at his father's proselytizing over their shared heritage and the discrimination that black people face in Canada.
Unfortunately, Mahatma is not very well fleshed out. He is a journalist for a Winnipeg paper and spends his time chasing stories as we are introduced to several other "funk" characters. Despite Hill attempting to grow his large cast of characters, I felt that having so many varied people with different characteristics spun out of control quickly. I wanted to enjoy the characters and learn more about them, but there were just too damn many.
Furthermore, on top of the characters being too confusing and poorly rounded, the plot was lacking. Mahatma spent his time attempting to break a story on the French culture in Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba, but nothing really comes out of that. Some random tragedies occur that you don't care much about. People die quickly and you're left scratching your head.
At the end of the book I paused and I couldn't place my finger on *what* exactly this novel was about. Yes, your eyes are opened to the fact that minorities in Canada face discrimination (and that's important to raise awareness of), but other than that, the comparison of the French discrimination and the black discrimination was confusing and didn't segue well into each other.
In my humble opinion, Hill writes best when he focuses on a smaller cast of characters in his novels versus a large jumbled assortment of people that he tries to draw together in a forced way. I still enjoyed this novel though...just not as much as his other ones.
February 24, 2018
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book that exposes some of the disturbing social issues from 20th century Canada, in particular French-English conflict and black-white inequalities, without reverting to blatant soapbox rhetoric. The cast of characters, populated mostly by journalists and the people they interact with, brings a wide range of perspectives to the narrative, the least conventional no doubt being that of a young correspondent from Cameroon who gently exposes and pokes fun at the curious ways of the Canadians he comes into contact with. The story is set in the early 1980’s, and while the technology that is available to the journalists is vastly different from today, it is unsettling to reflect on how similar many of the socio-political issues that are the defining elements of the story, such as racism, intolerance and ignorance remain as common concerns today, a full 35 years later.
August 16, 2024
Some Great Thing by Lawrence Hill is a historical fiction set primarily in Winnipeg during the 1970s. The main character, Mahatma, moves back to his family home after going away to college, and accepts a job at a local newspaper. Told over the course of about a year, this story shows Mahatma's ever-changing perspective of the city he grew up as he analyzes it through a reporters eyes, and through the perspectives of a variety of new friends and acquaintances he meets along the way. Themes related to poverty, racism, segregation, French language rights and political views are all highlighted throughout the story, both in the historical context of Mahatma's father's life as a Black railway porter, as well as in the 1970s. With a cast of unusual secondary characters, including a man on welfare fighting for his plight to be heard, to a reporter on location for a year in Winnipeg from Cameroon, to a Black judge who is known for dealing out harsher sentences to Black offenders, the interconnected stories expertly bring to life the idea that everyone in Winnipeg knows each other.
I loved this book, the very clear descriptions of Winnipeg landmarks and events were so well done. I loved the focus on French minority rights as that is a huge part of our history that has quickly been all but forgotten. The stealing stories and other behind the scenes stories of journalism in the 70s was also super interesting. My favourite storyline was the poor, forgotten White man in Winnipeg becoming a hero in Cameroon. This is a great book to read if you are a Winnipegger, and even if not, I think the comedic approach to this historical fiction has a little something for everyone!
I loved this book, the very clear descriptions of Winnipeg landmarks and events were so well done. I loved the focus on French minority rights as that is a huge part of our history that has quickly been all but forgotten. The stealing stories and other behind the scenes stories of journalism in the 70s was also super interesting. My favourite storyline was the poor, forgotten White man in Winnipeg becoming a hero in Cameroon. This is a great book to read if you are a Winnipegger, and even if not, I think the comedic approach to this historical fiction has a little something for everyone!
February 25, 2025
I found this book when searching for a book set in Winnipeg (of which there are few) and a book published in 1992. This one met both criteria, and also happened to be one I’d not read before.
While interesting, and a rollicking pace, the various story threads were too all over the place, and very few were ended satisfactorily by the end. Several of the characters were also far too colourful (even caricature) to be believable.
It helped that I was familiar with Winnipeg, as my memory of places and events enhanced some of the scenes. However, it also had the unfortunate distraction of having me look up streets on Google Maps, and being perturbed when there were geographical inaccuracies (for example, if one lives at Wolesey and Lipton, one would not cross the Osborne Bridge on the way to downtown). This led to much searching while reading, slowing my already slow reading pace.
I enjoyed it, but likely won’t rush to read more Lawrence Hill any time soon.
While interesting, and a rollicking pace, the various story threads were too all over the place, and very few were ended satisfactorily by the end. Several of the characters were also far too colourful (even caricature) to be believable.
It helped that I was familiar with Winnipeg, as my memory of places and events enhanced some of the scenes. However, it also had the unfortunate distraction of having me look up streets on Google Maps, and being perturbed when there were geographical inaccuracies (for example, if one lives at Wolesey and Lipton, one would not cross the Osborne Bridge on the way to downtown). This led to much searching while reading, slowing my already slow reading pace.
I enjoyed it, but likely won’t rush to read more Lawrence Hill any time soon.
December 26, 2025
Some Great Thing explores the pressure of potential and the burden of living up to it. To be given a name with immense meaning, Mahatma or “Great Soul,” is to inherit expectations that can shape and complicate an entire life.
What I appreciated most was Lawrence Hill’s convincing portrayal of life in a newsroom. It captures the experience of paying one’s dues and how persistence can slowly turn into a career. I found myself wishing I had read a book like this when I was younger. This was exactly the book I needed when I left University.
The novel is very readable throughout, and the scenes involving the African journalist are particularly sharp and often genuinely funny.
What I appreciated most was Lawrence Hill’s convincing portrayal of life in a newsroom. It captures the experience of paying one’s dues and how persistence can slowly turn into a career. I found myself wishing I had read a book like this when I was younger. This was exactly the book I needed when I left University.
The novel is very readable throughout, and the scenes involving the African journalist are particularly sharp and often genuinely funny.
October 13, 2020
Mahatma Grafton is a newspaper reporter in Winnipeg following Canadiana news. Well written character driven story
by Lawrence Hill is an interesting character portrait of life in Canada stories about french lanugage rights, welfare and politics.
by Lawrence Hill is an interesting character portrait of life in Canada stories about french lanugage rights, welfare and politics.
October 31, 2017
I must admit, that I truly loved The Book of Negroes, so perhaps that is why I had a difficult time with this book. I will give this one another try at a later date, and hopefully the second time around will be better. Plus I ended up in the hospital around this time and had a difficult time concentrating.
September 5, 2020
Quirky characters set amidst the language debates that took place during the 80s in Winnipeg. Mahatma Grafton takes a job as a reporter for lack of any other job options. He soon meets an array of interesting folk and discovers a passion for writing the truth. My description cannot do justice to Hill's work.
August 25, 2019
For a retired newspaper editor this book had some great humor, some great observation of our North American culture and the news gathering business, and some great discomfort knowing that there are journalists working who embarrass the profession. All in all, some great reading.
April 3, 2023
Total 90s nostalgia and some probably fairly accurate and insightful glimpses into the new media industrial complex, as well as the politics of "benevolent" Canadian classism, racism, and sexism.
I always appreciate Hill's style of writing, but just wasn't super compelled by the story.
I always appreciate Hill's style of writing, but just wasn't super compelled by the story.
August 14, 2024
Mid-80s in Manitoba's Winnipeg, where a disinterested 25 year old starts working at the newspaper, covering the police beat and finally finding his voice and calling. A nice twist with a reporter from Cameroon writing about Canadians' quirks and sense of democracy.
January 15, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about an over educated man who takes a job as a journalist in Winnipeg. Struggles with his editor, assigned stories and unsolicited help from his father as he develops the chops to become a solid respected writer.
December 20, 2017
Black newspaper reporter in Winnipeg. Easy read- good yarn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews