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The Cashier
In Alexandre Chenevert, the Montreal bank teller trapped by his narrow environment and acutely aware of his loneliness, Gabrielle Roy has created a vivid and poignant portrait of an ordinary man and his attempts to transcend his circumstances and his fate.
Set in 1947 amid the crumbled dreams of the post-War world, and drawing on modern themes of personal alienation and of the restorative force of nature, The Cashier is a tour de force of characterization and empathy by a literary virtuoso.
Set in 1947 amid the crumbled dreams of the post-War world, and drawing on modern themes of personal alienation and of the restorative force of nature, The Cashier is a tour de force of characterization and empathy by a literary virtuoso.
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
11 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Roy
55 books112 followersGabrielle Roy was born in March 1909 in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, the youngest of eleven children. Her mother and father, then, were relatively old at the time of her birth -- 42 and 59 respectively. Like Christine's father in Rue Deschambault (Street of Riches), Léon Roy worked as a colonisation officer for the Department of Immigration, a position he held between 1897 and 1915. His politically motivated dismissal occurred six months before his retirement, thus leaving Roy with no pension to support his family. The family's financial predicament during Gabrielle's youth precluded any chance of her attending university, despite having earned stellar marks throughout high school which put her as one of the top students in the entire province. In 1927, after graduating from grade twelve, she enrolled at the Winnipeg Normal Institute where she completed her teacher training.
After teaching in the rural communities of Marchand and Cardinal, where she taught for a year, Roy returned to Saint-Boniface. There she accepted a teaching job at the Académie Provencher boy's school, a position she held from 1930-37. During this period, Roy began actively pursuing her interest in acting and joined the Cercle Molière theatre troupe. Her experiences as an actor inspired her to leave her teaching position and travel to Europe to study drama. Spending between 1937 and 1939 in Britain and France, the fluently bilingual Roy studied acting for six months before concluding that she did not desire to pursue a career in the theatre. In the meantime, she had also begun to write articles about Canada for newspapers in Paris and pieces on Europe for newspapers in Manitoba and came to realize that writing could be her vocation.
Over the course of her lengthy and prolific career, Gabrielle Roy received many honours, including three Governor General's Awards (1947, 1957, 1978), the Prix Fémina (1947), the Companion of the Order of Canada (1967), the Medal of the Canada Council (1968), the Prix David (1971), and the Prix Molson (1978).
After teaching in the rural communities of Marchand and Cardinal, where she taught for a year, Roy returned to Saint-Boniface. There she accepted a teaching job at the Académie Provencher boy's school, a position she held from 1930-37. During this period, Roy began actively pursuing her interest in acting and joined the Cercle Molière theatre troupe. Her experiences as an actor inspired her to leave her teaching position and travel to Europe to study drama. Spending between 1937 and 1939 in Britain and France, the fluently bilingual Roy studied acting for six months before concluding that she did not desire to pursue a career in the theatre. In the meantime, she had also begun to write articles about Canada for newspapers in Paris and pieces on Europe for newspapers in Manitoba and came to realize that writing could be her vocation.
Over the course of her lengthy and prolific career, Gabrielle Roy received many honours, including three Governor General's Awards (1947, 1957, 1978), the Prix Fémina (1947), the Companion of the Order of Canada (1967), the Medal of the Canada Council (1968), the Prix David (1971), and the Prix Molson (1978).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 4, 2015
This is a glimpse into mid-century working class Montreal, before universal public health care, during a time when workers had few rights, and the social services network was not yet fully developed. Against this perilous background, the prudent man will carefully and meticulously count his pennies, wasting none, begrudging those that must be parted with.
The Church, which in Quebec was almost always the Roman Catholic Church, exerted enormous influence and control, especially over the poor and working class. There was an ever-present need to conform to society's expectations of a proper marriage, to be an obedient and slavish worker, and to lead a righteous and proper life.
This is against human nature. So much of human nature must be stifled and repressed. But this happens with widely varying degrees of success. Monsieur Chenevert, a lowly bank teller, just wanted to do right, to be a righteous person, but he is a pinched, crabbed, irritable little man. Life didn't balance out on the books the way he thought it should. He is exasperating to everyone around him, and even to himself. And yet as Gabrielle Roy fleshes out his complexities, the reader becomes sympathetic to this man who has struggled so long with the only chance at life he gets.
One of the favourite characters of CanLit, the Great Canadian Outdoors, makes an appearance to justify its role as a restorative.
Roy's writing provides graceful and profound insights into the human condition, frequently leavened with flashes of humour.
Poor Monsieur Chenevert.
The Church, which in Quebec was almost always the Roman Catholic Church, exerted enormous influence and control, especially over the poor and working class. There was an ever-present need to conform to society's expectations of a proper marriage, to be an obedient and slavish worker, and to lead a righteous and proper life.
This is against human nature. So much of human nature must be stifled and repressed. But this happens with widely varying degrees of success. Monsieur Chenevert, a lowly bank teller, just wanted to do right, to be a righteous person, but he is a pinched, crabbed, irritable little man. Life didn't balance out on the books the way he thought it should. He is exasperating to everyone around him, and even to himself. And yet as Gabrielle Roy fleshes out his complexities, the reader becomes sympathetic to this man who has struggled so long with the only chance at life he gets.
One of the favourite characters of CanLit, the Great Canadian Outdoors, makes an appearance to justify its role as a restorative.
Roy's writing provides graceful and profound insights into the human condition, frequently leavened with flashes of humour.
Poor Monsieur Chenevert.
September 26, 2017
Je suis déchirée sur la note à accorder à ce titre. D'un côté, je suis parfaitement consciente que c'est une oeuvre littéraire bien rédigée avec beaucoup de trouvailles et dont le message reste actuel et percutant.
D'un autre côté, je n'ai pas aimé le lire. C'était long, répétitif et souvent sans véritable moteur narratif (pas pour rien que ça m'a pris autant de temps à poursuivre ma lecture). Je suis parfaitement consciente que c'est là un effet de style qui renforce le propos sur l'aliénation du personnage principal. Cependant, je reste sur l'impression que la prose habituellement si riche de Roy se trouve ici diluée. L'idée du livre ayant tué la magie et la connivence que je trouve habituellement quand je lis un livre de cette auteure. Encore une fois, c'est une complément au propos, d'où mon déchirement.
J'accorde donc une note médiane et je continue d'y penser.
D'un autre côté, je n'ai pas aimé le lire. C'était long, répétitif et souvent sans véritable moteur narratif (pas pour rien que ça m'a pris autant de temps à poursuivre ma lecture). Je suis parfaitement consciente que c'est là un effet de style qui renforce le propos sur l'aliénation du personnage principal. Cependant, je reste sur l'impression que la prose habituellement si riche de Roy se trouve ici diluée. L'idée du livre ayant tué la magie et la connivence que je trouve habituellement quand je lis un livre de cette auteure. Encore une fois, c'est une complément au propos, d'où mon déchirement.
J'accorde donc une note médiane et je continue d'y penser.
November 16, 2014
I usually love Gabrielle Roy's books but this one I found a little too tedious. I get that the tedium was part of the intended experience for the reader (to mirror Chenevert's own experience of his day to day life), but I sooo wanted it to end that I was . There wasn't much plot (just insomnia; wife's illness; doctor's appointment; a week of solitude in the bush; ). I don't know if it could have been done, but as a short story I think I could have borne it better. I wanted Chenevert to push his questioning and doubt about God all the way to concluding that humanity is better off without that dragging anchor, but ah well.
ETA: I forgot to mention that the general malaise of Chenevert's life seems to be an echo of the general Zeitgeist in Europe/America/Antipodes after the Second World War and the onset of the Cold War. I mention it because there are similar currents in my other read right now, The Acrobats.
ETA: I forgot to mention that the general malaise of Chenevert's life seems to be an echo of the general Zeitgeist in Europe/America/Antipodes after the Second World War and the onset of the Cold War. I mention it because there are similar currents in my other read right now, The Acrobats.
November 13, 2014
Alexandre Chenevert raconte la vie d'un petit employe de banque qui est mal aime et malheureux. Il finit par mourir bien avant son temps d'un cancer.
Pour moi, Alexandre Chenevert est le Quebecois type de l'epoque avant la revolution tranquille. Il est condamne a passer sa vie dans un emploi au dessous de ses talents. Il lisent les journaux avec acharnement et il est attriste par les malheurs qu'il voit partout au monde. Cependant il constate qu'il ne peut y rien faire.
Enfin, Alexandre Chenevert est le Quebecois qui veut etre chez lui non par egoisme mais pour mieux contribuer a la vie. Helas, ce sera pour un autre generation.
Sur son lit de mort, il decouvre la bonte de l'humanite.
Alexandre Chenevert est souvent decrie comme etant un petit melodrame sur un type sans interet. Je l'ai trouve plutot touchant possiblement parceque j'avais rencontre tant de personnes comme lui dans la vie.
Alexandre Chenevert vaut la peine d'etre lu. Il n'y a pas de roman qui represente mieux le Zeitgeist du Quebec des annees avant la revolution tranquille.
Pour moi, Alexandre Chenevert est le Quebecois type de l'epoque avant la revolution tranquille. Il est condamne a passer sa vie dans un emploi au dessous de ses talents. Il lisent les journaux avec acharnement et il est attriste par les malheurs qu'il voit partout au monde. Cependant il constate qu'il ne peut y rien faire.
Enfin, Alexandre Chenevert est le Quebecois qui veut etre chez lui non par egoisme mais pour mieux contribuer a la vie. Helas, ce sera pour un autre generation.
Sur son lit de mort, il decouvre la bonte de l'humanite.
Alexandre Chenevert est souvent decrie comme etant un petit melodrame sur un type sans interet. Je l'ai trouve plutot touchant possiblement parceque j'avais rencontre tant de personnes comme lui dans la vie.
Alexandre Chenevert vaut la peine d'etre lu. Il n'y a pas de roman qui represente mieux le Zeitgeist du Quebec des annees avant la revolution tranquille.
Read
December 24, 2019A book I will only read once, but that is only to say it was a tough read that forces the eye upon the often mundaity of existence. Gabrielle Roy is a master of examination of the working class; all her books could be analyzed from a Marxist perspective, if you are into that sort of freaky shit. Also, it's pleasing to read a Canadian classic that isn't about building a Homestead
January 6, 2011
I used this book for a comparative essay in Grade 12 and I hated it. It went no where at all and the middle part of the book seemed pointless. There was also very little about the man's job as a cashier and the whole book was one big complaint. Don't read it if you don't have to.
September 22, 2022
English review below the Greek one...
Μου θύμισε κάπως τον Στόουνερ του Γουίλιαμς, επειδή περιγράφει την ζωή ενός κοινού ανθρώπου, χωρίς να συμβαίνουν και πολλά στην ιστορία.
Δυστυχώς ενώ αγγίζει αρκετά σημαντικά θέματα, οι συνεχείς νευρώσεις και σκέψεις του κεντρικού ήρωα, καθώς και ο τρόπος που περιγράφει η συγγραφέας αυτές τις σκέψεις, καταντάνε υπερβολικά βαρετές και επαναλαμβανόμενες. Δεν είναι το χειρότερο βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει, ωστόσο από κάποιο σημείο και μετά ήταν βαρετό. Κανονικά θα έπρεπε ειδικά προς το τέλος να αισθανθώ μία συμπάθεια για τον πρωταγωνιστή, αλλά μου ήταν αδιάφορος.
This book reminded me of Stoner by John Williams a bit. It centers around the life of an ordinary man and not much happens in it. The protagonist, Alexandre Chenevert, is living in Montreal, works as a teller/cashier in a bank, is married and has an adult daughter living elsewhere, he tries to keep up with world affairs through the radio and newspapers and that been shortly after the end of WW2, he constantly worries about world peace, global affairs and where humanity is going. His closest friend is Godias, another employer in the bank, but he is not that much intimate even with him.
He is a nerdy, narrow-minded guy who constantly thinks and constantly worries about his place in the world, about how to make ends meet, about if he takes enough space on this earth more valuable to other people, about if he makes enough effort to indirectly support others, if he is the only person having dignity to think deeper, if he has a right to be happy, if it's fair for him to suffer, what his relationship is with god, if he has a right to buy a second suit to wear or to have vacations and so on...
The book touches on many themes that are timely even today, while it is also a product of its time and somehow dated on some aspects. But unfortunately, it didn't impress me much. The self-awareness and constant quest for a meaning, the neurosis of Alexandre and his thoughts, were very tiring after a while.
I appreciated what the author tried to do here, but the book got boring and I couldn't connect with the main character or like him or feel compassion towards him, even when his neurosis and chronic symptoms turned into fatal illness. The way many themes and scenes are handled left me cold too. There are many more interesting reads out there, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to give this a try, I'm sorry to say.
Μου θύμισε κάπως τον Στόουνερ του Γουίλιαμς, επειδή περιγράφει την ζωή ενός κοινού ανθρώπου, χωρίς να συμβαίνουν και πολλά στην ιστορία.
Δυστυχώς ενώ αγγίζει αρκετά σημαντικά θέματα, οι συνεχείς νευρώσεις και σκέψεις του κεντρικού ήρωα, καθώς και ο τρόπος που περιγράφει η συγγραφέας αυτές τις σκέψεις, καταντάνε υπερβολικά βαρετές και επαναλαμβανόμενες. Δεν είναι το χειρότερο βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει, ωστόσο από κάποιο σημείο και μετά ήταν βαρετό. Κανονικά θα έπρεπε ειδικά προς το τέλος να αισθανθώ μία συμπάθεια για τον πρωταγωνιστή, αλλά μου ήταν αδιάφορος.
This book reminded me of Stoner by John Williams a bit. It centers around the life of an ordinary man and not much happens in it. The protagonist, Alexandre Chenevert, is living in Montreal, works as a teller/cashier in a bank, is married and has an adult daughter living elsewhere, he tries to keep up with world affairs through the radio and newspapers and that been shortly after the end of WW2, he constantly worries about world peace, global affairs and where humanity is going. His closest friend is Godias, another employer in the bank, but he is not that much intimate even with him.
He is a nerdy, narrow-minded guy who constantly thinks and constantly worries about his place in the world, about how to make ends meet, about if he takes enough space on this earth more valuable to other people, about if he makes enough effort to indirectly support others, if he is the only person having dignity to think deeper, if he has a right to be happy, if it's fair for him to suffer, what his relationship is with god, if he has a right to buy a second suit to wear or to have vacations and so on...
The book touches on many themes that are timely even today, while it is also a product of its time and somehow dated on some aspects. But unfortunately, it didn't impress me much. The self-awareness and constant quest for a meaning, the neurosis of Alexandre and his thoughts, were very tiring after a while.
I appreciated what the author tried to do here, but the book got boring and I couldn't connect with the main character or like him or feel compassion towards him, even when his neurosis and chronic symptoms turned into fatal illness. The way many themes and scenes are handled left me cold too. There are many more interesting reads out there, so I wouldn't encourage anyone to give this a try, I'm sorry to say.
April 14, 2018
The title of the English translation of this novel is "The Cashier" while the tile of the French original is "Alexandre Chenevert". Each of these titles has implications that can be justified within the novel but I prefer the original French title. Alexandre Chenevert is the protagonist of this novel. His job is that of a bank teller and hence the cashier of the title. As Chenevert's physician, Dr. Hudon, observes Chenevert is legion. He is the ordinary man of Montreal who goes to work in the morning by the thousands and worries about his job, his marriage, his finances... Chenevert is someone who cannot find joy in life. he is beset by his worries. His instinct is to protect and support those around him. He finds that he cannot influence them as he tries to direct them for the good. He worries about the suffering in the world. he obsesses over global poverty, famines in China etc.. His inability to effect good in the world produces a deep hatred for himself that denies himself any relief. Dr. Hudon urges Chenevert to relax and enjoy life but Chenevert cannot do this.
Chenevert's affliction is not that of his own but affects almost everybody in society. Dr. Hudon despairs because he sees so many like Chenevert and does not have the capacity to cure them all. Father Marchand supports Chenevert in his final illness, but he despairs because he cannot truly understand the suffering of those he is supposed to comfort. The book is 'The Cashier" because Chenevert is legion. However, it is "Alexandre Chenevert" because with his final illness, Chenevert finds that the people in his life recognized his concern and love for them. They came to support him in the time before his death. In the last days of this life, Chenevert was able to give up his hopeless task of ending suffering in the world and accept what was around him. He was able to overcome his self-hatred and accept himself. He was able to see himself as others saw him – as worthy.
The them of the novel that I see is just that. That is to accept that there is suffering in the world and attempt to alleviate it. However, do not lapse into despair. Accept that that you are worthy and deserve happiness. This alone will end much of the suffering that people see around them.
Chenevert's affliction is not that of his own but affects almost everybody in society. Dr. Hudon despairs because he sees so many like Chenevert and does not have the capacity to cure them all. Father Marchand supports Chenevert in his final illness, but he despairs because he cannot truly understand the suffering of those he is supposed to comfort. The book is 'The Cashier" because Chenevert is legion. However, it is "Alexandre Chenevert" because with his final illness, Chenevert finds that the people in his life recognized his concern and love for them. They came to support him in the time before his death. In the last days of this life, Chenevert was able to give up his hopeless task of ending suffering in the world and accept what was around him. He was able to overcome his self-hatred and accept himself. He was able to see himself as others saw him – as worthy.
The them of the novel that I see is just that. That is to accept that there is suffering in the world and attempt to alleviate it. However, do not lapse into despair. Accept that that you are worthy and deserve happiness. This alone will end much of the suffering that people see around them.
October 14, 2025
J'apprécie habituellement beaucoup les œuvres de Gabrielle Roy, mais celle-ci ne m'a pas plu. Peut-être que c'est parce que Gabrielle, avec sa plume si habile, a réellement réussi à rendre ennuyant et triste un livre qu'elle écrivait au sujet du personnage le plus ennuyant et triste du monde...
Comme à son habitude, elle arrive à bien décrire le quotidien de gens "ordinaires", et à dépeindre des interactions communes avec beaucoup de justesse. Je crois que ce qui accroche ici est simplement que le personnage principal soit si terne et négatif.
J'ai dû m'accrocher pour me rendre au bout, et j'avoue avoir sauté de longs paragraphes au fur et à mesure que j'avançais.
J'ai cependant aimé lorsque le personnage finit par sortir de sa torpeur pour aller en vacances dans une cabane au Lac Vert, et j'ai trouvé intéressantes aussi les interactions qu'il a alors qu'il sombre dans la maladie, avec son médecin, l'abbé, son voisin de chambre, sa femme, des anciens collègues et d'anciens clients de la banque.
Comme à son habitude, elle arrive à bien décrire le quotidien de gens "ordinaires", et à dépeindre des interactions communes avec beaucoup de justesse. Je crois que ce qui accroche ici est simplement que le personnage principal soit si terne et négatif.
J'ai dû m'accrocher pour me rendre au bout, et j'avoue avoir sauté de longs paragraphes au fur et à mesure que j'avançais.
J'ai cependant aimé lorsque le personnage finit par sortir de sa torpeur pour aller en vacances dans une cabane au Lac Vert, et j'ai trouvé intéressantes aussi les interactions qu'il a alors qu'il sombre dans la maladie, avec son médecin, l'abbé, son voisin de chambre, sa femme, des anciens collègues et d'anciens clients de la banque.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2019
Le livre raconte l'histoire ordinaire d'un employé de banque et on baigne dans la médiocrité de la vie de la classe moyenne que Gabrielle Roy décrit avec précision et une certaine tendresse. J'aime beaucoup cette auteure, mais malgré son grand talent, il n'est pas facile de raconter l'ennui sans que l'auteur n'y tombe un peu... Cela dit, l'écriture reste toujours aussi lumineuse.
November 13, 2017
"[...] le bonheur semblait encore la façon la moins coûteuse de guérir."
"Si je n'ai rien à gagner, je n'ai rien à perdre..."
"Si je n'ai rien à gagner, je n'ai rien à perdre..."
November 30, 2023
Started slow, and stayed that way. But I came around eventually.
February 15, 2024
The idea of exposing in this book the hard reality of the middle class was nicely done. But. This book could be 100 pages and not 277.
December 22, 2024
really really sad book. very brilliant. like a canadian death of a salesman. got to re read!
February 14, 2025
shitty book hated it
January 12, 2017
Troisième roman de Gabrielle Roy à avoir été publié, Alexandre Chenevert dépeint le récit d'un homme pour qui la vie n'a pas de sens et qui y cherche un sens. Aussi, il cherchera à trouver à ce qui le distingue de la masse. Voilà le principal enjeux que l'auteur cherchait à dépeindre dans le Québec du beau milieu des années 50.
Ayant été reçu plutôt froidement par le public et par la critique de l'époque, Roy cherche à questionner sur l'existence de l'humain et son but. Malgré le contingent de l'époque, l'auteure réussit à relever ce défi des plus difficiles.
Ayant été reçu plutôt froidement par le public et par la critique de l'époque, Roy cherche à questionner sur l'existence de l'humain et son but. Malgré le contingent de l'époque, l'auteure réussit à relever ce défi des plus difficiles.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews