Eric McCormack (1) (1938–)

I have now finished what appear to be the complete works of Eric McCormack--what a sad occasion. I wish in retrospect, I had read (or listened) to his books in chronological order, since he tells so many of the same stories and various characters and themes recur. But in any order, it is a remarkable body of work. In the Dutch Wife, he again delves into the mysteries of human existence and human relations. A woman accepts a man who shows up at her doorstep saying he is her husband, although she knows he isn't. Why? The author/narrator, through a series of conversations with the woman's son, tries to get to the truth. Along the way, of course, as anyone who has read McCormack knows, we are going to be treated to a series of stories, each of them strong enough to stand alone. All his usual themes are present--ships, shipwrecks, islands, 17th century literature, dreams, weird food, strange cultural practices, and so on. This is a fascinating and rewarding read, and, as I have said before, the pleasure in reading McCormack is as much the journey as the destination. Although he is in his 80s and his last book was published in 2014, let's hope there is more coming. In the meantime, start with his excellent collection of short stories, "Inspecting the Vaults", as I did. If that hooks you, read the rest in order. He is a great writer.… (més)

Published in Canada in 1992, but not in the US until 1994, The Mysterium is Eric McCormack's third book. It lacks the scope of later novels such as First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women or Cloud, both of which I have read. It does deal with his favorite themes, however: the nature of the truth, mysterious events, Scotland (obvious but never named in this book), dreams, and the evil that men do. A reporter is called to a small village where the population is rapidly dying, but not before spending their last days talking almost nonstop (with weird variations, such as shouting or profanity). The reporter interviews the key players in the story--but does he have the truth at last? The pleasure here, as in most of McCormack's other work, isn't so much the destination as the journey. He is simply a superb writer, making every incident fascinating, and every page enticing. Once you read more than one of his works, you fall into his spell, as his books make frequent references to events in his other works. The "talking disease" of the village of Carrick will reappear, for instance. There's not much else to say without spoiling the pleasure. Just know that McCormack has one of the oddest and darkest imaginations you'll ever come across. As you read his works, you can't but wonder how many of the common traits his characters have may come from his own life.… (més)

This is another marvelous, digressive tale from Eric McCormack, who has become one of my favorite authors. As is a common theme in his work, the protagonist is a Scot who after a series of strange adventures finds himself in Canada. Along the way, he passes through Africa and South America. McCormack's obsessions are all here: old books, ships, doctors, coincidence, islands, odd sexual practices, strange cultures, and a host of quirky individuals, such as Doctor DuPont, whom we meet first in Africa, then later in the United States in very different circumstances. The plot, which somewhat connects the various sections, is a strange book discovered in Mexico, called "The Obsidian Cloud", which concerns a mysterious weather event in a Scottish village where the protagonist once lived and met the love of his life. But the research into the truth of that book and its unknown author is just part of the wonderful collection of stories McCormack manages to tell in this endlessly fascinating book. You should be able to tell early on if he is a writer for you. If he is, you'll be hooked and end up being a completist--something I'm well on my way to becoming.

I listened to the audiobook, which was read extremely well by Robert Ian Mackenzie.… (més)