Canada Reads: Timothy Findley's Not Wanted on the Voyage

If you know me at all, you know I love the religious themes in literature. It all stems from first-year English Lit with the yummilicious Professor Santesso (oh, I wish we hadn't parted on such bad terms, Aaron). There, with the daunting Paradise Lost before me, I discovered the rich mythos behind the dull Gospel stuff and rediscovered all those books we like to call the Old Testament. Some of my favourites stories are from there: Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, Moses and Red Sea, Esther and the Judges... so compelling was Milton's work, I actually read the Bible (cover to cover) for the first time (and many times since). Can't say it strengthened my faith or anything, but it gave me a whole new appreciation for it. Since then, I've read and loved Diamant's Red Tent, Spenser's Faerie Queene, Julian Barnes' History of the World in 10-1/2 Chapters, etc.

Enter Not Wanted on the Voyage. While reading Barnes, someone had complained it was a Findley ripoff. I must confess I avoided Findley like the plague after an unfortunate run-in with The Wars. Even though I knew it was a re-telling of the Noah story, I couldn't get over my emotional trauma. But this year's Canada Reads list has it on there and I really wanted to read all five books this year, so... I thought I'd start with my least loking-forward-to.

Wow. I may give up the Findley-ban.

Of course, everyone knows the basic Noah-story: God disappointed with humans (again), tells Noah to build ark and board his entire family and every animal two-by-two, God floods Earth, much dying ensues; many months later, Noah sends a dove, it comes back with olive branch, God loves humans again and promises to never lose his temper. Pinky swears, with a rainbow and everything.

NWOTV was a GREAT read: sarcastic, sad, full of deep characters and insightful dialogue. And the characters stay with you a long time. Japeth, Hannah, Mrs. Noyes and Lucy were fabulous to read. But my runaway favourite is Mottyl (that beautiful cat on the cover, and after whom, if I could abide by cats, would name mine), whose anger and sorrow are so eloquently expressed that I actually cried several times when reading her lines. But there's also humour and joy to balance out all the sadness, which is really how life is no? Findley tells you about the Ark in detail, about the sons and their wives, about cruelty and senility, camaraderie and overcoming adversity. Mostly, though, he tells you about the animals (One-Tusk, Hippo, Crowe, Unicorn and his Lady, the Cormorant, Demons - both one and two-headed - Gryphons and the singing sheep) who are truly the heroes of this story. A fabulous read and a great start to Canada Reads.