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O Canada: An American's Notes on Canadian Culture
The esteemed American literary critic Edmund Wilson in depth study of Canadian literature, O Canada .
O Canada is made up of studies of Canadian writers and books, mostly contemporary. It represents perhaps the first attempt on the part on an American critic to deal at the same time with the literatures of both French and English Canada.
Among the authors discussed are Morley Callaghan, Hugh MacLennan, John Buell, E.J. Pratt, Anne Hebert, Marie-Claire Blais, Roger Lemelin, and Andre Langevin. Wilson also makes use of history, biography, and journalism to throw light on religious and political situation in Canada.
O Canada is made up of studies of Canadian writers and books, mostly contemporary. It represents perhaps the first attempt on the part on an American critic to deal at the same time with the literatures of both French and English Canada.
Among the authors discussed are Morley Callaghan, Hugh MacLennan, John Buell, E.J. Pratt, Anne Hebert, Marie-Claire Blais, Roger Lemelin, and Andre Langevin. Wilson also makes use of history, biography, and journalism to throw light on religious and political situation in Canada.
- GenresCanadaNonfiction
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
About the author
Edmund Wilson
304 books160 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database. See also physicist Edmund Wilson.
Edmund Wilson Jr. was a towering figure in 20th-century American literary criticism, known for his expansive intellect, stylistic clarity, and commitment to serious literary and political engagement. Over a prolific career, Wilson wrote for Vanity Fair, The New Republic, The New Yorker, and The New York Review of Books, shaping the critical conversation on literature, politics, and culture. His major critical works—such as Axel's Castle and Patriotic Gore—combined literary analysis with historical insight, and he ventured boldly into subjects typically reserved for academic specialists, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Native American cultures, and the American Civil War.
Wilson was also the author of fiction, memoirs, and plays, though his influence rested most strongly on his literary essays and political writing. He was instrumental in promoting the reputations of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Vladimir Nabokov, and many others. Despite his friendships with several of these authors, his criticism could be unflinching, even scathing—as seen in his public dismissal of H. P. Lovecraft and J. R. R. Tolkien. His combative literary style often drew attention, and his exacting standards for writing, along with his distaste for popular or commercial literature, placed him in a tradition of high-minded literary seriousness.
Beyond the realm of letters, Wilson was politically active, aligning himself at times with socialist ideals and vocally opposing Cold War policies and the Vietnam War. His principled refusal to pay income tax in protest of U.S. militarization led to a legal battle and a widely read protest book.
Wilson was married four times and had several significant personal and intellectual relationships, including with Fitzgerald and Nabokov. He also advocated for the preservation and celebration of American literary heritage, a vision realized in the creation of the Library of America after his death. For his contributions to American letters, Wilson received multiple honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His legacy endures through his extensive body of work, which remains a touchstone for literary scholars and general readers alike.
Edmund Wilson Jr. was a towering figure in 20th-century American literary criticism, known for his expansive intellect, stylistic clarity, and commitment to serious literary and political engagement. Over a prolific career, Wilson wrote for Vanity Fair, The New Republic, The New Yorker, and The New York Review of Books, shaping the critical conversation on literature, politics, and culture. His major critical works—such as Axel's Castle and Patriotic Gore—combined literary analysis with historical insight, and he ventured boldly into subjects typically reserved for academic specialists, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Native American cultures, and the American Civil War.
Wilson was also the author of fiction, memoirs, and plays, though his influence rested most strongly on his literary essays and political writing. He was instrumental in promoting the reputations of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Vladimir Nabokov, and many others. Despite his friendships with several of these authors, his criticism could be unflinching, even scathing—as seen in his public dismissal of H. P. Lovecraft and J. R. R. Tolkien. His combative literary style often drew attention, and his exacting standards for writing, along with his distaste for popular or commercial literature, placed him in a tradition of high-minded literary seriousness.
Beyond the realm of letters, Wilson was politically active, aligning himself at times with socialist ideals and vocally opposing Cold War policies and the Vietnam War. His principled refusal to pay income tax in protest of U.S. militarization led to a legal battle and a widely read protest book.
Wilson was married four times and had several significant personal and intellectual relationships, including with Fitzgerald and Nabokov. He also advocated for the preservation and celebration of American literary heritage, a vision realized in the creation of the Library of America after his death. For his contributions to American letters, Wilson received multiple honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His legacy endures through his extensive body of work, which remains a touchstone for literary scholars and general readers alike.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 7, 2012
I was expecting the broader reading of culture anthropological/sociological/ethnographic type stuff. And there is a little oef this, but not much. Mostly this is lit crit ... also, this is one of the times when I had to resist the urge to post a book in the face. (I know, books don't have faces. Details.) There is a lot of great folk music coming out of Canada, including a long and excellent Québecois tradition ... but apparently only orchestral music or opera would count for the purposes of culture? Meh.
Displaying 1 of 1 review