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Great Canadian Short Stories
An anthology of short stories from Canadian writers, first published in 1971.
- GenresShort Stories
355 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
About the author
Alec Lucas
9 books1 followerThe youngest of Bert and Emma, Alec grew up on a farm near Cobourg with his siblings Eva Fisher, Vera Forsyth, and Leonard Lucas. Here, his love of nature and books was nurtured. His wife was Sharon. He was formerly married to Margaret and Coula. Alec's children are George and daughter-in-law Charlotte in White Rock, Suzanne and son-in-law Allan in Kingston, Edward in Halifax and he has five grandchildren.
Schooling began at two-roomed Cook's School and he taught there while studying for a BA and MA from Queen's University. He obtained a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University in 1951. He accepted an offer from University of New Brunswick to return to Canada, teaching English until 1957. Then he taught and wrote at McGill University for 30 years. In his 1984 retirement, he was made an Emeritus Professor. He worked part-time, with a visiting lectureship in Iqaluit. He continued to write, until having a stroke in December 1995.
Alec was an early advocate for the importance of teaching Canadian literature. He was the founding coordinator of the Canadian Studies Program, forerunner of The McGill Institute For The Study Of Canada. He wrote extensively on Canadian literature, including articles for “The Oxford Companion To Canadian Literature” and the “Literary History Of Canada”. He published books on writers such as Hugh MacLennan, Farley Mowat and Peter MacArthur and edited several anthologies of short stories; including the best selling “Great Canadian Short Stories”.
His passion for literature and teaching was matched by his concern for nature. An active conservationist, he bequeathed most of his woodland property at Plaisance, Québec for a nature reserve: the Québec Society Of The Protection Of Birds. Dr. Alec Lucas died of illness in Ottawa at nearly age 90.
Schooling began at two-roomed Cook's School and he taught there while studying for a BA and MA from Queen's University. He obtained a Ph.D. in English from Harvard University in 1951. He accepted an offer from University of New Brunswick to return to Canada, teaching English until 1957. Then he taught and wrote at McGill University for 30 years. In his 1984 retirement, he was made an Emeritus Professor. He worked part-time, with a visiting lectureship in Iqaluit. He continued to write, until having a stroke in December 1995.
Alec was an early advocate for the importance of teaching Canadian literature. He was the founding coordinator of the Canadian Studies Program, forerunner of The McGill Institute For The Study Of Canada. He wrote extensively on Canadian literature, including articles for “The Oxford Companion To Canadian Literature” and the “Literary History Of Canada”. He published books on writers such as Hugh MacLennan, Farley Mowat and Peter MacArthur and edited several anthologies of short stories; including the best selling “Great Canadian Short Stories”.
His passion for literature and teaching was matched by his concern for nature. An active conservationist, he bequeathed most of his woodland property at Plaisance, Québec for a nature reserve: the Québec Society Of The Protection Of Birds. Dr. Alec Lucas died of illness in Ottawa at nearly age 90.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 30, 2017
This an interesting collection of CanLit short stories. It contains many familiar names from Canadian fiction and a number of stories and authors that I had not heard of before. At the back of the book, the editor has included short biographies of the collections contributing authors along with a short statement of existing critiques and analysis of their works. Most interestingly, the collection was published in the early 1970s, some of the familiar authors of today had not yet achieved the household reputations they have gained today. Thus, the short biographies offer an academic viewpoint of some of the Giants of CanLit at an early point in their writing careers. A delightful little collection that contained some unexpected surprises.
July 9, 2018
Somewhere in my travels, I picked up a used copy of this 1971 book advertised on the back cover as "A unique collection spanning 150 years of twenty-seven great Canadian short stories." Call it a hidden gem on my bookshelf: a celebration of Canadian writers.
Between the pages are early tales by such master storytellers as Mavis Gallant, Margaret Laurence, Stephen Leacock, Gabrielle Roy, Mordecai Richler, and more. I highly recommend it to those individuals seeking an introduction to the CanLit literary scene as it stood over 40 years ago.
Between the pages are early tales by such master storytellers as Mavis Gallant, Margaret Laurence, Stephen Leacock, Gabrielle Roy, Mordecai Richler, and more. I highly recommend it to those individuals seeking an introduction to the CanLit literary scene as it stood over 40 years ago.
April 18, 2020
Especially enjoyed Uncle T by Brian Moore, Anguish Of God by Yves Theirault, and When Twilight Falls on the Stump Lots by Sir Charles G. D. Roberts from this collection.
November 8, 2020
Some great story selections - Canadian fiction has come a long way since 1971!
September 21, 2024
Some excellent stories and some difficult to follow. A variety of famous authors over many years
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews