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Traplines
Only 28, the Canadian author Eden Robinson writes blood-curdling prose in a deadpan, unsparing voice that gives her stories a disturbing quality. Most of these tales take place in British Columbia, where the vast tracts of forest and small suburban enclaves apparently give the residents a large dose of madness and mayhem. The narrator in "Dogs in Winter" is the daughter of a serial-killer mom, who painfully recreates her horrific childhood. Tom, in "Contact Sports," welcomes the arrival of his eccentric but generous cousin Jeremy, only to discover that Jeremy is a maniacal tyrant with sadistic tendencies. Robinson treads the thin line between shocking modernist terror and prurient bloody fantasy in these stories. In the gorgeous northwestern woods, her violent characters stand out like drops of blood in snow.
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First published October 1, 1996
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About the author
Eden Robinson
20 books1,228 followersEden Victoria Lena Robinson (born 19 January 1968) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer.
Born in Kitamaat, British Columbia, she is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. She was educated at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.
Born in Kitamaat, British Columbia, she is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations. She was educated at the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
September 21, 2015
This combined review of Traplines and Blood Sports was first posted on BookLikes.
If there is such a category as BC Noir, then Eden Robinson's books Traplines (4*) and Blood Sports (3*) epitomize this category for me.
I'm combining the review of both books here because Blood Sports is the continuation of Contact Sports, one of the short stories contained in Traplines.
Having discovered Robinson's work through her novel Monkey Beach, I was not quite sure whether her other work would follow paths and include similar themes or whether it would be wholly different.
As in Monkey Beach, both Traplines and Blood Sports are written from the point of view of teenagers or people who have had to learn to become adults rather early. However, where the rites of passage in Monkey Beach are accompanied by a sense of community based on legends and a presence of the supernatural, all the stories in Traplines and Blood Sports are focused on people growing up trapped in the gritty and dysfunctional fringes of society, dealing with violence, addiction, despair, and seemingly unable to grasp at any opportunity that could lead a way out of it, even if it seems to be offered.
Violent and gritty but at the same time moving. And none more so than Contact Sports / Blood Sports which is set in Vancouver's East Side at a time when it was classed as the most dangerous place in Canada.
The story follows Tom, who wants to escape the world of crime and addiction and settle down with his young family. Tom is haunted and - literally - hunted by his drug-dealing, video-blogging psychopath cousin Jeremy, who will stop at nothing to wage revenge on people who he thinks have betrayed him.
If you need trigger warnings - this book pretty much has all of the ones I can think of, and more.
It's still a pretty good read.
"Nothing existed. Nothing had ever existed but the pain. He squealed, he heard the sounds ripping through his throat, and he fought the ropes. He screamed and he screamed and he threw himself forward so the ropes would tighten and it would end."
If there is such a category as BC Noir, then Eden Robinson's books Traplines (4*) and Blood Sports (3*) epitomize this category for me.
I'm combining the review of both books here because Blood Sports is the continuation of Contact Sports, one of the short stories contained in Traplines.
Having discovered Robinson's work through her novel Monkey Beach, I was not quite sure whether her other work would follow paths and include similar themes or whether it would be wholly different.
As in Monkey Beach, both Traplines and Blood Sports are written from the point of view of teenagers or people who have had to learn to become adults rather early. However, where the rites of passage in Monkey Beach are accompanied by a sense of community based on legends and a presence of the supernatural, all the stories in Traplines and Blood Sports are focused on people growing up trapped in the gritty and dysfunctional fringes of society, dealing with violence, addiction, despair, and seemingly unable to grasp at any opportunity that could lead a way out of it, even if it seems to be offered.
Violent and gritty but at the same time moving. And none more so than Contact Sports / Blood Sports which is set in Vancouver's East Side at a time when it was classed as the most dangerous place in Canada.
The story follows Tom, who wants to escape the world of crime and addiction and settle down with his young family. Tom is haunted and - literally - hunted by his drug-dealing, video-blogging psychopath cousin Jeremy, who will stop at nothing to wage revenge on people who he thinks have betrayed him.
If you need trigger warnings - this book pretty much has all of the ones I can think of, and more.
It's still a pretty good read.
"Nothing existed. Nothing had ever existed but the pain. He squealed, he heard the sounds ripping through his throat, and he fought the ropes. He screamed and he screamed and he threw himself forward so the ropes would tighten and it would end."
April 1, 2017
This collection of four novellas from Canadian writer Eden Robinson received extravagant praise from critics and fellow-authors alike when it was first published in 1996. She was hailed as a young writer with enough literary promise to eventually become a Carol Shields or even an Alice Munro.
Now let me admit straightaway that I cannot for the life of me see what all the fuss was about. True enough, these stories highlight the plight of forgotten adolescents existing on a knife edge in a world of narcotics, casual sex, uncaring parents and physical abuse -- a world where worries about a telephone bill or the next rent payment are constant companions, where every second girl sports a purple or a pink Mohawk and where home-made tattoos are the norm. I will be the first person to admit that the social conditions prevalent in these tales need to be spotlighted, and that Robinson have a right and a duty to tap into this substandard world. I will also go so far as to say that she brings this sometimes-alien milieu to light in images that have the power to move and to dismay in equal measure. But try as I might, I could not really engage with any of the characters to the extent that I could share in their pain and frustrations. Of course, this is not the writer's fault. I suspect that I am perhaps not part of the demographic of the book's intended target audience. Fact is, I found some of the stories rather drawn-out and pointless.
The best story in the collection is "Dogs in Winter". (Although I am at a loss as to why it is called that. Maybe I'm missing some vital reference here. If I am, and all you sharp and attentive people haven't, I apologize for my obtuseness.) The story concerns itself with the unimaginable effect on a young girl of having a serial killer for a mother. What I like about this one, is the fact that Robinson tells it in a non-linear fashion. She gives us tantalizing flashes of key incidents without any attempt to spoon-feed the reader. The lack of chronology may be confusing and disorientating at first glance, but everything comes together with a very satisfying click -- and even then, there are some questions purposely left unanswered that just add to the strangeness of it all.
"Contact Sports" is the longest tale in the book -- and the only one that, in my opinion, could be defined as a proper novella. I got the impression that this was perhaps intended as the high point of the collection. It started off intriguingly enough, with an epileptic high school student awaiting the arrival of his older cousin -- a young man who recently suffered a dishonorable discharge from the military and now on his way to Vancouver to find something else to do. (It was not very clear, at least to me, what exactly his purpose was -- another example of my obtuseness.) But although the narrative came on like a rampant lion, it soon resembled a little whipped cur with its tail between its legs. It carried on for far too long and did not say all that much in the end.
The remaining "novellas" -- the title piece "Traplines" and the concluding story "Queen of the North" -- had two more protagonists eking out intolerable existences in less than ideal circumstances. The first one featured a set of parents not worthy of the name, while the second one was enhanced by a sadly-ironic ending.
Now let me admit straightaway that I cannot for the life of me see what all the fuss was about. True enough, these stories highlight the plight of forgotten adolescents existing on a knife edge in a world of narcotics, casual sex, uncaring parents and physical abuse -- a world where worries about a telephone bill or the next rent payment are constant companions, where every second girl sports a purple or a pink Mohawk and where home-made tattoos are the norm. I will be the first person to admit that the social conditions prevalent in these tales need to be spotlighted, and that Robinson have a right and a duty to tap into this substandard world. I will also go so far as to say that she brings this sometimes-alien milieu to light in images that have the power to move and to dismay in equal measure. But try as I might, I could not really engage with any of the characters to the extent that I could share in their pain and frustrations. Of course, this is not the writer's fault. I suspect that I am perhaps not part of the demographic of the book's intended target audience. Fact is, I found some of the stories rather drawn-out and pointless.
The best story in the collection is "Dogs in Winter". (Although I am at a loss as to why it is called that. Maybe I'm missing some vital reference here. If I am, and all you sharp and attentive people haven't, I apologize for my obtuseness.) The story concerns itself with the unimaginable effect on a young girl of having a serial killer for a mother. What I like about this one, is the fact that Robinson tells it in a non-linear fashion. She gives us tantalizing flashes of key incidents without any attempt to spoon-feed the reader. The lack of chronology may be confusing and disorientating at first glance, but everything comes together with a very satisfying click -- and even then, there are some questions purposely left unanswered that just add to the strangeness of it all.
"Contact Sports" is the longest tale in the book -- and the only one that, in my opinion, could be defined as a proper novella. I got the impression that this was perhaps intended as the high point of the collection. It started off intriguingly enough, with an epileptic high school student awaiting the arrival of his older cousin -- a young man who recently suffered a dishonorable discharge from the military and now on his way to Vancouver to find something else to do. (It was not very clear, at least to me, what exactly his purpose was -- another example of my obtuseness.) But although the narrative came on like a rampant lion, it soon resembled a little whipped cur with its tail between its legs. It carried on for far too long and did not say all that much in the end.
The remaining "novellas" -- the title piece "Traplines" and the concluding story "Queen of the North" -- had two more protagonists eking out intolerable existences in less than ideal circumstances. The first one featured a set of parents not worthy of the name, while the second one was enhanced by a sadly-ironic ending.
April 11, 2021
I knew this book contained a prequel to Blood Sports but I didn't realize it also contained a companion to Monkey Beach (Karaoke's perspective). I am glad I read Monkey Beach first as Queen of the North is more or less a description of the big spoiler in Monkey Beach.
Robinson is so good at writing about teenagers in really broken situations. It's interesting that all of these stories are about kids with dysfunctional (to put it nicely) parents, yet she dedicates the book to her own parents and notes how lucky she was to have such kind and gentle people for parents.
These stories are all really haunting and heartbreaking. It was a good but tough read. I would recommend it, but if you're new to Eden Robinson I would probably start with the Trickster trilogy or Monkey Beach and see if you can handle going darker than those.
Robinson is so good at writing about teenagers in really broken situations. It's interesting that all of these stories are about kids with dysfunctional (to put it nicely) parents, yet she dedicates the book to her own parents and notes how lucky she was to have such kind and gentle people for parents.
These stories are all really haunting and heartbreaking. It was a good but tough read. I would recommend it, but if you're new to Eden Robinson I would probably start with the Trickster trilogy or Monkey Beach and see if you can handle going darker than those.
January 5, 2014
There are four short stories in Traplines; the first two, "Traplines" and "Dogs in Winter," I found to be a bit bland, but "Contact Sports" (the original basis for the later book Blood Sports) is a fucking ride, and "Queen of the North" is cathartic and a joy to read as well. One of the things I would note about Robinson's writing is that it's often as gripping as any thriller but also socially conscious and thought-provoking, regardless of whether or not a reader immediately recognizes the context out of which Robinson is writing. I would recommend her work to students of literature and self-described common folk alike.
October 19, 2022
'queen of the north' (read for uni)
this is literary EXCELLENCE. such a multi-layered story,, so many things to say... but do check some trigger warnings before reading bc it has raw violence and implications of rape.
this is literary EXCELLENCE. such a multi-layered story,, so many things to say... but do check some trigger warnings before reading bc it has raw violence and implications of rape.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
A very early collection of stories, published first in 1996. Very different each in terms of content and characters. Interesting in the context of Eden Robinson's writing evolution. More to follow.
June 9, 2025
So basically Eden Robinson was a great writer from the start I guess. A really strong story collection.
November 13, 2020
*read for literature of BC class*
this was so good
this was so good
Read
August 17, 2023Beautiful.
Devastating.
Devastating.
March 20, 2017
Very few short stories in this collection. In fact, one is 100+ pages. More of a novella. It was apparently combined or used for another book. This BC noir First Nations writer has so many acclaims that I was daunted to rate this book only three stars! Kidding. I'm honest to a fault sometimes. I did enjoy the stories, but they didn't have me hankering to hunt down everything she's ever written. The stories were raw, sometimes funny, but just didn't grab me like I thought they would.
April 22, 2012
I'll take this story by story.
Traplines: I felt so sad and so frustrated that Will didn't take advantage of this out being given to him for the sake of appearances. It didn't make sense to be but it totally made sense to him. It was just hard hitting and a good intro. Sort of tamer than the others but that was the point. We're just warming up here.
Dogs in Winter: We read this in third year Canadian Literature and it is a harrowing tale of a girl who turned in her serial murderer mother. You see the same traits in her and she struggles to remain good. It's amazing and definitely one of my favourite short stories ever.
Contact Sports: Jeremy Rieger is one of the most fucked up character's I've ever had the fortune (or misfortune) to meet in literature. He's a cartoon and a real riot until you realise that you really shouldn't be laughing at this lunatic's antics. This one's the longest story, almost a novella, and it keeps you clinging to the book until the very end.
Queen of the North: This is the denouement of the collection but that doesn't mean it doesn't hit you as hard as the others. Kareoke's struggle to break out of this cycle of abuse, and Jimmy's alluded entry into it makes me really want to see what happens on that boat when Jimmy and Uncle Josh are left alone together.
Overall: This collection is amazing.
Traplines: I felt so sad and so frustrated that Will didn't take advantage of this out being given to him for the sake of appearances. It didn't make sense to be but it totally made sense to him. It was just hard hitting and a good intro. Sort of tamer than the others but that was the point. We're just warming up here.
Dogs in Winter: We read this in third year Canadian Literature and it is a harrowing tale of a girl who turned in her serial murderer mother. You see the same traits in her and she struggles to remain good. It's amazing and definitely one of my favourite short stories ever.
Contact Sports: Jeremy Rieger is one of the most fucked up character's I've ever had the fortune (or misfortune) to meet in literature. He's a cartoon and a real riot until you realise that you really shouldn't be laughing at this lunatic's antics. This one's the longest story, almost a novella, and it keeps you clinging to the book until the very end.
Queen of the North: This is the denouement of the collection but that doesn't mean it doesn't hit you as hard as the others. Kareoke's struggle to break out of this cycle of abuse, and Jimmy's alluded entry into it makes me really want to see what happens on that boat when Jimmy and Uncle Josh are left alone together.
Overall: This collection is amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2013
I friggin' love this book. When I read it in uni, for whatever reason, it felt like one of the most honest and hard-hitting books I'd ever read. I think I devoured it in one sitting.
Robinson focuses squarely on issues relating to teenagers growing up in rural communities, specifically the simple fact that, no matter what bad things are happening to you, you have literally nowhere to go to get away, because you're surrounded by nothing. Her spare and direct style drives this point into your gut whenever you watch the characters sublimating themselves to their horrible situations because they have no way out.
A must read.
Robinson focuses squarely on issues relating to teenagers growing up in rural communities, specifically the simple fact that, no matter what bad things are happening to you, you have literally nowhere to go to get away, because you're surrounded by nothing. Her spare and direct style drives this point into your gut whenever you watch the characters sublimating themselves to their horrible situations because they have no way out.
A must read.
July 13, 2023
Average rating: 4★
I first came across Eden Robinson’s writing in the anthology So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy Her short story Terminal Avenue was one of my favourites, and since then I’ve been interested in reading more by her. So, when my library had a copy of this available through Libby I jumped at the opportunity. And I’m really glad I did. This was a very solid collection of stories, with only one story being less than a 4 star for me. Now I really need to read some long fiction by her, if I can only find a copy…
Story 1: Traplines – ★★★★☆
⇨ I could use many words to describe this short story. Desolate, devastating and bleak all comes to mind. In some ways it even reminded of the cyclical hopelessness portrayed in The Long Walk by Stephen King. However, if I were only allowed to use one word it would be unflinching. What a way to kick off this collection!
Story 2: Dogs in Winter – ★★★★★
⇨ Oh. Wow. What a ride. I’m really happy I picked up this collection now.
Story 3: Contact Sports – ★★★☆☆
⇨ So, this was a novella and therefore it was a bit longer than the previous two stories. I think because I’d gotten used to the stories being short and concise, this ended up feeling drawn out and repetitive. I overall liked it, but I think it was too long.
Story 4: Queen of the North – ★★★★☆
⇨ Great way to finish off the collection, and it made me even more intriguied to read Monkey Beach.
I first came across Eden Robinson’s writing in the anthology So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy Her short story Terminal Avenue was one of my favourites, and since then I’ve been interested in reading more by her. So, when my library had a copy of this available through Libby I jumped at the opportunity. And I’m really glad I did. This was a very solid collection of stories, with only one story being less than a 4 star for me. Now I really need to read some long fiction by her, if I can only find a copy…
Story 1: Traplines – ★★★★☆
⇨ I could use many words to describe this short story. Desolate, devastating and bleak all comes to mind. In some ways it even reminded of the cyclical hopelessness portrayed in The Long Walk by Stephen King. However, if I were only allowed to use one word it would be unflinching. What a way to kick off this collection!
Story 2: Dogs in Winter – ★★★★★
⇨ Oh. Wow. What a ride. I’m really happy I picked up this collection now.
Story 3: Contact Sports – ★★★☆☆
⇨ So, this was a novella and therefore it was a bit longer than the previous two stories. I think because I’d gotten used to the stories being short and concise, this ended up feeling drawn out and repetitive. I overall liked it, but I think it was too long.
Story 4: Queen of the North – ★★★★☆
⇨ Great way to finish off the collection, and it made me even more intriguied to read Monkey Beach.
October 6, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Eden Robinson is one of my favourite Canadian authors, and this is her first published work. All the things I like about Robinson - complicated, vivid characters, a compassionate and probing look into the experience of being Indigenous in Canada, settings central to story - are here in nascent form. Robinson gives us four stories, and you can see some of the themes she’ll explore in later work.
I’m glad to have read this, but would recommend Monkey Beach or the Trickster trilogy for your first Robinson read.
Eden Robinson is one of my favourite Canadian authors, and this is her first published work. All the things I like about Robinson - complicated, vivid characters, a compassionate and probing look into the experience of being Indigenous in Canada, settings central to story - are here in nascent form. Robinson gives us four stories, and you can see some of the themes she’ll explore in later work.
I’m glad to have read this, but would recommend Monkey Beach or the Trickster trilogy for your first Robinson read.
December 12, 2021
So maybe I’m biased cuz I love Eden Robinson but this one was so good I quickly got pulled in right away and didn’t put it down until I was finished. It was just four short stories and I finished them in a day. I just love the writing style and the stories were great.
December 22, 2020
Very real, disturbing short stories about life growing up in Canada
January 4, 2023
Monkey Beach is one of my favourite books ever (hence why i own two copies of it - one to lend out and one to cherish), so reading Karaoke's perspective in "Queen of the North" was something else.
October 5, 2021
four stars | ☆☆☆☆ | 80%
tw / abuse, murder, violence, substance abuse, sexual assault, animal cruelty/abuse (there's probably a bunch more that i'm missing but please exercise caution if you want to pick this one up)
i would never have picked this up if not for the indigenous literature class i'm taking, and i'm honestly very happy that i got to read robinson's work. each of the four stories are quite different, but they all centre on more gruesome aspects of life as a human. 'traplines,' the first story, is the slowest of them but it still paints a picture of a kid caught between his abusive household and the english teacher that wants to take him in. my favourite story of the bunch was probably 'dogs in winter.' i think it would make an absolutely brilliant horror film. i had to read 'contact sports' for class, which is a doozy. i was so fascinated with tom and jeremy's relationship, which is further explored in robinson's follow up novel Blood Sports. i also really enjoyed 'queen of the north,' especially the little surprise box (again super disturbing but i did laugh so...)
i really have to stress how dark these stories are. the subject matter can be super disturbing at times, so i wouldn't just recommend this to everyone. like i listed in the trigger warnings, there's pretty graphic description of violence and murder, especially in 'dogs in winter' and 'contact sports.' as well, 'queen of the north' deals with sexual abuse. i just wanted to make sure there was a review out there that highlighted these things, because i hadn't seen one yet. if you can stomach some dark, messed up shit, then i think robinson's work is really interesting.
tw / abuse, murder, violence, substance abuse, sexual assault, animal cruelty/abuse (there's probably a bunch more that i'm missing but please exercise caution if you want to pick this one up)
i would never have picked this up if not for the indigenous literature class i'm taking, and i'm honestly very happy that i got to read robinson's work. each of the four stories are quite different, but they all centre on more gruesome aspects of life as a human. 'traplines,' the first story, is the slowest of them but it still paints a picture of a kid caught between his abusive household and the english teacher that wants to take him in. my favourite story of the bunch was probably 'dogs in winter.' i think it would make an absolutely brilliant horror film. i had to read 'contact sports' for class, which is a doozy. i was so fascinated with tom and jeremy's relationship, which is further explored in robinson's follow up novel Blood Sports. i also really enjoyed 'queen of the north,' especially the little surprise box (again super disturbing but i did laugh so...)
i really have to stress how dark these stories are. the subject matter can be super disturbing at times, so i wouldn't just recommend this to everyone. like i listed in the trigger warnings, there's pretty graphic description of violence and murder, especially in 'dogs in winter' and 'contact sports.' as well, 'queen of the north' deals with sexual abuse. i just wanted to make sure there was a review out there that highlighted these things, because i hadn't seen one yet. if you can stomach some dark, messed up shit, then i think robinson's work is really interesting.
November 2, 2017
I’ve literally just finished this book and I am completely enamoured by it. My brain is a wash with so many thoughts and feelings about this collection of short stories. First and foremost each story packs an emotional punch. The stories are unique. They are raw. They each tackle characters who are struggling with difficult home environments. With psychotic or mentally disturbed family members who impede on their development or who are responsible for psychological damage to the main protagonists. Each of the stories are dark and harrowing. But the characters within each are completely fascinating . The first two stories and the last I would have loved more development of those individual stories and for the third story I feel that plot could of been condescended down more. However the writing style, the suspense and the characters were fantastically constructed. The book is intoxicating. You become drawn into each dark story. These characters and plots will haunt you and stay with you long after the final page. And I feel for myself I need to re read these stories again to gleen out even more of the wonders of Eden Robinson’s storytelling. An effortless 4.8/5 out of 5 stars. Such a fascinating and enthralling short story collection. Please go read it!
June 10, 2012
Admittedly, I liked the least by-far the longest story of the collection (i.e. Contact Sports, which at 100+ pages seems to lose its strength a little towards the end). However, all four stories were amazing. Gritty, bloody and powerful, they were teeming with the often not-so-quiet desparation of abused youth. Highly recommended, and without doubt Traplines will be one of my favourite books of the year.
January 22, 2014
another intense creation by Eden. I appreciate her writing immensely - I have to sometimes take a break because it is such difficult material, but she also sheds a light on realities I know the youth I counsel face.
May 2, 2022
Robinson is doing so much in these stories—all of it just really quite excellent. I will definitely need to do a reread at some point to see what else comes to the surface. Also how dare this be her master’s thesis. Strong evidence of her genius.
October 17, 2016
Queen of the north is a great addition to monkey beach.
September 4, 2009
violent and beautiful, written with verve and skill
Read
February 17, 2020Eden Robinson’s collection of short stories, Traplines, brings four troubled teenagers to life. Each of the four, Will, Lisa, Tom, and Adeline, is victimized by adults who should have protected them. Will has two alcoholic parents, the only one of the four with both parents in the home. Their alcoholism contributes to the fact that the father physically abuses the older, who in turn, takes his rage out on Will.
Lisa is the daughter of a serial killer. Her mother’s victims include Lisa’s father and her aunt. Aunt Genna, along with Lisa’s foster parents, are the only adults in her life to show her real love.
Tom’s mother, both alcoholic and promiscuous, leaves him alone most of the time. Her mental abuse is augmented by Tom’s psychotic cousin, who after being acquitted of killing a fellow soldier, comes to live with them. He mentally and physically abuses the boy.
The fourth story, the best, is jam-packed with vivid descriptions, and use of subtext to show the dreadful abuse. Her mother’s live-in boyfriend sexually abuses sixteen-year-old Adelaine. The reader never sees the sex, but Robinson is masterful in her use of subtext to make the unseen rape, all the more horrific. She convinces the reader that Adelaine’s mother is aware of the ongoing sexual abuse but chooses to ignore it.
Robinson’s portrayal of these troubled teenagers struggling with dysfunctional families has the reader’s attention from the first line to the last. Each story begins with a sentence that provides a strong visual image, but not necessarily something seemingly important.
Traplines begins with, “Dad takes the white marten from the trap” (3). This short sentence tells the reader a great deal. Father and son are working together, most likely in a Canadian forest, trapping for profit, not food. Trapping of fur animals is one of the few activities father and son share. This relationship may be what Robinson uses to establish the fact that the father limits his physical abuse to the older son who in turn, abuses his younger brother.
In “Frog Song,” Robinson treats the reader to an opening scene full of imagery followed by paragraphs that give the reader palpable sensations.
Felt—cold, wind, grass, sand, water,
Seen—sunset, fishing boat, river and current, dark silhouettes,
Heard—hiss of grass in wind, croaking of frogs, old diesel engine,
Smelled—sea air, rotting smell, old and abandoned buildings.
Her choice of words fills the pages with imagery—imagery that pulls the reader into one after another. “Whenever I see abandoned buildings, I think of our old house in the village, a rickety shack by the swamp where the frogs used to live. It’s gone now” (185).
In “Contact Sports, Robinson shows just how psychotic the cousin is while torturing Tom. “Jeremy smoked his cigarette until it was almost gone, and then he stubbed it out on Tom’s shoulder” (177). If this isn’t visceral enough, she continues the torture a few paragraphs later. “Jeremy started a third cigarette, which he slowly inserted up Tom’s nostril” (177).
Robinson doesn’t limit the delivery of physical harm to that provided by her antagonists. In “Dogs in Winter,” Lisa attempts suicide on three separate occurrences, each time failing miserably. For her first attempt, she counts on aspirin as her gateway to death. “Deciding to get it all over with at once, I stuffed a handful into my mouth. God, the taste. Dusty, bitter aspirin crunched in my mouth like hard-shelled bugs. My gag reflex took over, and I lost about twenty aspirin on my quilt” (51). No one who has ever tasted a dry aspirin can fail to experience the imagery in this scene.
If for no other reason than a lesson in imagery, Trap Lines is worth the read. Each of these four troubled teenagers is trapped within the lines surrounding their lives.
Lisa is the daughter of a serial killer. Her mother’s victims include Lisa’s father and her aunt. Aunt Genna, along with Lisa’s foster parents, are the only adults in her life to show her real love.
Tom’s mother, both alcoholic and promiscuous, leaves him alone most of the time. Her mental abuse is augmented by Tom’s psychotic cousin, who after being acquitted of killing a fellow soldier, comes to live with them. He mentally and physically abuses the boy.
The fourth story, the best, is jam-packed with vivid descriptions, and use of subtext to show the dreadful abuse. Her mother’s live-in boyfriend sexually abuses sixteen-year-old Adelaine. The reader never sees the sex, but Robinson is masterful in her use of subtext to make the unseen rape, all the more horrific. She convinces the reader that Adelaine’s mother is aware of the ongoing sexual abuse but chooses to ignore it.
Robinson’s portrayal of these troubled teenagers struggling with dysfunctional families has the reader’s attention from the first line to the last. Each story begins with a sentence that provides a strong visual image, but not necessarily something seemingly important.
Traplines begins with, “Dad takes the white marten from the trap” (3). This short sentence tells the reader a great deal. Father and son are working together, most likely in a Canadian forest, trapping for profit, not food. Trapping of fur animals is one of the few activities father and son share. This relationship may be what Robinson uses to establish the fact that the father limits his physical abuse to the older son who in turn, abuses his younger brother.
In “Frog Song,” Robinson treats the reader to an opening scene full of imagery followed by paragraphs that give the reader palpable sensations.
Felt—cold, wind, grass, sand, water,
Seen—sunset, fishing boat, river and current, dark silhouettes,
Heard—hiss of grass in wind, croaking of frogs, old diesel engine,
Smelled—sea air, rotting smell, old and abandoned buildings.
Her choice of words fills the pages with imagery—imagery that pulls the reader into one after another. “Whenever I see abandoned buildings, I think of our old house in the village, a rickety shack by the swamp where the frogs used to live. It’s gone now” (185).
In “Contact Sports, Robinson shows just how psychotic the cousin is while torturing Tom. “Jeremy smoked his cigarette until it was almost gone, and then he stubbed it out on Tom’s shoulder” (177). If this isn’t visceral enough, she continues the torture a few paragraphs later. “Jeremy started a third cigarette, which he slowly inserted up Tom’s nostril” (177).
Robinson doesn’t limit the delivery of physical harm to that provided by her antagonists. In “Dogs in Winter,” Lisa attempts suicide on three separate occurrences, each time failing miserably. For her first attempt, she counts on aspirin as her gateway to death. “Deciding to get it all over with at once, I stuffed a handful into my mouth. God, the taste. Dusty, bitter aspirin crunched in my mouth like hard-shelled bugs. My gag reflex took over, and I lost about twenty aspirin on my quilt” (51). No one who has ever tasted a dry aspirin can fail to experience the imagery in this scene.
If for no other reason than a lesson in imagery, Trap Lines is worth the read. Each of these four troubled teenagers is trapped within the lines surrounding their lives.
January 17, 2025
Traplines- the collections opening story, while violent, has a lot of classroom potential for older teens. The strained relationship with the family is still loving, the challenging circumstances that have inspired this dynamic, an important conversation. The seemingly deranged , violent, and obsessive family member that appears here feels like a trope for Robinson. Something that appears in other narratives that I don’t fully understand. Each of these stories feel,like they hold clues for her later work in Son of a Trickster. There are slivers of Jared in this story and Contact Sports for sure.
Dogs in Winter- another with potential for an older teen , classroom audience. The serial killer as an Indigenous woman is a way of taking back power , but that doesn’t feel the purpose here, so instead, it’s more heartbreak for the child left behind. I really liked this one, but again, the deranged family member whom just won’t quit here is so extreme and I don’t really understand.
Contact Sports - the longest of the stories, this tale of family plagued by a stalker that is one of their own , didn’t land with me. The harm for the sake of harm and the ongoing suffering of the teen protagonist isn’t a story I’d go back to nor recommend for my class
Queen of the North- the story that brought me to this collection, is an excellent companion for Monkey Beach. While there are trigger warnings that need to be offered for students, if they are reading Monkey Beach, this one is essential. Seeing events through Karaoke’s perspective is a welcome addition to the last quarter of the novel. While I’m sure it stands alone, this story is a real winner alongside the novel.
Dogs in Winter- another with potential for an older teen , classroom audience. The serial killer as an Indigenous woman is a way of taking back power , but that doesn’t feel the purpose here, so instead, it’s more heartbreak for the child left behind. I really liked this one, but again, the deranged family member whom just won’t quit here is so extreme and I don’t really understand.
Contact Sports - the longest of the stories, this tale of family plagued by a stalker that is one of their own , didn’t land with me. The harm for the sake of harm and the ongoing suffering of the teen protagonist isn’t a story I’d go back to nor recommend for my class
Queen of the North- the story that brought me to this collection, is an excellent companion for Monkey Beach. While there are trigger warnings that need to be offered for students, if they are reading Monkey Beach, this one is essential. Seeing events through Karaoke’s perspective is a welcome addition to the last quarter of the novel. While I’m sure it stands alone, this story is a real winner alongside the novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
This is one of the most fucked up books I've read in a long time...and I mean that as a compliment. Each of the four stories is full of depraved, miserable characters: abusers, rapists, alcoholics, and even a serial killer. The style is minimalist; it's a fairly easy book to get through if you can deal with the subject matter. One thing I really enjoyed about these stories is that, although some plot points were predictable, the endings are unexpected. The stories are also chillingly realistic—although I would not classify them as part of the horror genre, they are far more gruesome than some King-esque fiction simply because they seem so believable.
While I was happy to go along on this twisted ride, I can't see myself re-reading any of these stories. The writing style doesn't interest me and there is nothing profound to be gleaned from anything in this collection. It's just a few tales of some unfortunate, impoverished souls.
While I was happy to go along on this twisted ride, I can't see myself re-reading any of these stories. The writing style doesn't interest me and there is nothing profound to be gleaned from anything in this collection. It's just a few tales of some unfortunate, impoverished souls.
May 20, 2018
This is the first time I've read Eden Robinson's work, although I've gone to readings where she's been featured. It's so hard to square the squelchy darkness of these stories with the vivacious woman with the huge laugh who wrote them!
These are some tough tales - the novella-length story of Tom and Jeremy put a rotting pit in my stomach and I'm still carrying it around; what a harrowing story of psychological torment! Robinson's got a gift for details. And she doesn't waste any dialogue. The opening story leaves you with a raw throat - the depths of loyalty, the decisions made that are a betrayal of one's future, present and past - and that last story does the same.
This is a terrific, far-too-short collection. (And hands down one of the ugliest covers I've ever seen - who did this injustice to this beautiful, haunting book!?)
These are some tough tales - the novella-length story of Tom and Jeremy put a rotting pit in my stomach and I'm still carrying it around; what a harrowing story of psychological torment! Robinson's got a gift for details. And she doesn't waste any dialogue. The opening story leaves you with a raw throat - the depths of loyalty, the decisions made that are a betrayal of one's future, present and past - and that last story does the same.
This is a terrific, far-too-short collection. (And hands down one of the ugliest covers I've ever seen - who did this injustice to this beautiful, haunting book!?)
April 23, 2019
This was a really powerful small collection of four short stories. There are haunting and disturbing elements in all of them, and after reading Son of a Trickster and Trickster Drift, I can kind of see Robinson working through some of the themes in her novels here, including teenage protagonist(s), dealing with various forms of trauma and abuse, poverty, drug and alcohol use/abuse, familial bonds and breakdowns. A lesser writer could write about these themes in a way that feels sensational and exploitative, but Robinson has managed to avoid doing so - I felt like her writing felt sympathetic and compassionate, though also unflinchingly realistic.
The one concern I have about this book is that it could be triggering for survivors of certain types of abuse to read.
The one concern I have about this book is that it could be triggering for survivors of certain types of abuse to read.
November 24, 2020
Eden Robinson has an uncanny ability to make her characters come alive. This is a collection of three short stories and one novell that focus on the lives of adolescents who face contingencies which they are too young and inexperienced to know how to deal with. They live in a world as outsiders but with a compelling internal need to conform and fit in. These are not people who are going t change teh world. There strongest desire is to be like everyone else. Their reaction to difficulty is to retreat into anger and self-hatred and self-abuse. These are compelling reads with insigght into teh adolescent mind.
The novella and one of teh short stories ahve been expanded by Eden into here novels "Blood Sports" and "Monkey Beach"
The novella and one of teh short stories ahve been expanded by Eden into here novels "Blood Sports" and "Monkey Beach"
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