Life in the Clearings versus the Bush

Memoirs #3

by Susanna Moodie, Carol Shields

In the sequel to Roughing It in the Bush , Susanna Moodie portrays the relatively sophisticated society springing up in the clearings along Lake Ontario. During a trip from Belleville to Niagara Falls, Moodie acts as a meticulous observer of the social customs and practices of the times.

Invaluable as social history and as a candid self-portrait, Life in the Clearings versus the Bush chronicles, with wit and wisdom, Canadian society in the mid-19th century.

The NCL edition is an unabridged reprint of the complete original text.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada, Biography, Classics, Canadian Literature

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1853

About the author

Susanna Moodie (born Strickland; 6 December 1803 – 8 April 1885) was an English-born Canadian author who wrote about her experiences as a settler in Canada, which was a British colony at the time.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was originally written in 1853 and was a sort of sequel to her memoir "Life in the Bush." The first book was about her family's emigration to Canada from England and settling in the Canadian wilderness. This sequel was more about life in the "city" as it were. I was interested in reading it because it was referenced as a source for Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace" - a fictionalized account of a true life murder mystery. Susanna Moodie had met Grace Marks, "the celebrated murderess" and had written a chapter about her. It's kind of funny to read this book and her observations of prison life and the lunatic asylum. She makes them almost sound like spas! Quite different from other reports of the times. I'm thinking that as an upper class gentlewoman, she maybe was shown a "sanitized" version. Anyway, if you are interested in this period of Canadian history, it is a good basis for further reading.

[Amy Proulx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to Roughing it in the Bush, Life in the Clearings is rambling, and sometimes amusingly antiquated in its thought processes. Certain passages describing the landscape of the Bay of Quinte and the Belleville region sparkle with their lush descriptions. However, contrasting the vignettes of life in 1850s Upper Canada with Moodie's preaching on the depravities of alcoholism or the moral character of various immigrant classes, the book feels less coherent, and more rambling than the first book.

[Laura VanZant]

I didn’t read the whole thing, just cherry-picked parts I was interested in. Her writing overall is amateur and dramatic in my opinion, but keep in mind she’s a woman of her time.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moodie takes the reader on a unique journey from Belleville to the roaring falls of Niagara. Her narrative, I imagine, would be an excellent companion for the literary tourist and historian. On her way she makes a stop at the Kingston Penitentiary to view the notorious Grace Marks (the subject of Atwood's Alias Grace), later finding her at Toronto's "Lunatic Asylum". Moodie paints a portrait of our nation using anecdotes of those she meets along the way. Her travel writing is certainly one-half biographical snapshots of Canada's diverse people.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting context to Atwood’s Alias Grace.

[Velvetink]

epub version

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honesty, I had to work o get through this. So many of the descriptions and anecdotes were delightful and moved me to laughter, while others were at times tragic or horrifying, yet giving a striking account of Moodie’s life and how she understood her society. The difficulty lay in the numerous sermons she would enter into, where the reader can feel that she has told the story so she could, by-the-by, give her opinion on x.

All in all, an important work on early Canada. I enjoyed the Afterword written by Carol Shields. I’m glad I read it afterwards so that I could relate her words to various parts of the work, but if I was to read a second time, I’d want to refresh my memory with her words. Shields’ words softened my opinion of Moodie, as I was prepared to dislike this book entirely. They gave me pause and an opportunity for reflection for which I am grateful.

Grade 11 +, not a required book but definitely good addition to the recommended book list for Canadian History living books. Narrating this book or having an opportunity for discussion would be so beneficial to help process it.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

I had to read this for my Canadian Literature class about a year ago and I couldn't finish it. I read about 50 pages before I just gave up and read any summary I could find so that I was prepared for class. Honestly, it felt like a book filled with random anecdotes that were unrelated to each other.

I won't be trying to read this again. I'm just glad that my prof didn't assign Roughing it in the Bush!

[James A. [Redacted] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bland, long, and plotless.

[･:* ana asha šahzíja]

Read the Grace Marks bits to gain more insight and context on what I’ve read about it before. It’s a case and story (Atwood’s ‘Alias Grace’) that has interested me for years, especially because of its ambiguity. Interesting read, even after knowing that Moodie wrote most of the visits from memory. The ambiguity lives on— ‘…the true character of the historical Grace Marks remains an enigma.’