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Great resource for teaching!
This contains Callaghan's short stories that he wrote for the New Yorker, including the popular "All The Years Of Her Life". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The last summer that Paris was Paris
Canadian writer Morley Callaghan was a 20-year-old student who had talked his way onto the reporting staff of the Toronto Star when a star war correspondent named Ernest Hemingway came on board.Hemingway knew another writer by instinct and took the younger man under his wing, continuing to advise and advocate for him after decamping to Paris.Thanks to Hemingway's letters of introduction, Callaghan had begun publishing and lusting after the utopian writers' community he envisioned the Paris of the Lost Generation to be.Finally, in the spring of 1929, he and his bride Loretto took off for France where things were slightly different than expected.Thirty years later, a photographer who had recently met Hemingway in Idaho relayed that Hemingway had recalled Callaghan rather fondly, especially a boxing match they had, with Fitzgerald as timekeeper. The message casually relayed by the photographer unleashed powerful memories of that pivotal summer and the result is this book.

Callaghan looked forward to the camaraderie of Hemingway, Joyce, Fitzgerald and the others.He was eager to talk literature, debate one another's work in a like-minded group and draw creative energy from its air. Instead, Hemingway seemed to value their friendship most when the short, fat Callaghan was expertly challenging him in the boxing ring.Hemingway was avoiding the café culture and especially an old friend, Fitzgerald.Callaghan ended up meeting Fitzgerald, Joyce and Hemingway's first publisher, Robert McAlmon, on his own.He and his wife enjoyed the lifestyle all the same but sensed change in the air.As someone observed, the Lost Generation was no longer lost.It had found an anchor in Paris and grown quickly into so many famous names.American tourists were traveling to Paris to gawk at them.Zelda Fitzgerald was on the psychotic edge; Hemingway had left one marriage for another.

That Summer in Paris reads like a well-constructed novel. The boxing match Hemingway would remember thirty years later becomes the climax, after which everyone begins moving on.Callaghan muses on the irony of how quickly the players would change: the stock market crash took away the world of which Fitzgerald wrote with authority, Hemingway and others who had never been particularly political would become involved in political causes and New York would take over as the intellectual center that Paris had been.This is an interesting account not only of the end of the Lost Generation in Paris but a meditation on the role of community in a writer's life and one man's opinion of his peers and what art is and is not. This does not compete with A Moveable Feast; it is a valuable first-hand account by an insider of the end of the era Hemingway's memoir more fully chronicles.

A note about this edition:There is no critical introduction but someone clobbered together book club discussion questions, some of which are okay and some of which reveal certain biases behind them.

*the* must-read literary memoir of Paris in the 1920s
Canadian writer Morley Callaghan (1903-1990) published 16 novels and more than 100 works of short fiction, and he was one of the first Canadian authors to make his living solely from his craft. Callaghan believed in capturing the bare truth and honest emotional content of people's lives, so his prose shuns stylistic busyness. Edmund Wilson called him "the most unjustly neglected novelist in the English-speaking world," and Maxwell Perkins called him the world's best short story writer.

THAT SUMMER IN PARIS, as a memoir of Paris in the 20s, is every bit as engaging a book, if more limited in scope, as Hemingway's A MOVEABLE FEAST. The book begins with Callaghan's inspiring story of meeting Hemingway while working on the same paper in Toronto--at the time Callaghan was in his early 20s (still in college), and Hemingway was a couple years older. Hemingway had temporarily left Paris and was in town working for the paper to provide his wife Hadley with the benefits of Toronto hospitals during childbirth. Hemingway quickly became a sort of literary patron for Callaghan and, when he returned to Europe, took Callaghan's short stories with him and passed them around Paris. Fitzgerald became enthusiastic about Callaghan's work and also began championing him with Paris and New York publishers. After Callaghan published 2 books of fiction (in no small part due to the help of his "Paris friends"), Callaghan finally made his own visit, with his wife, to Paris in 1929. The anecdotes he recounts are simply marvelous, and I can't recommend the book highly enough. Boxing matches with Hemingway, Fitzgerald's drunken histrionics, a strange evening with Joyce and a phonograph... it's priceless stuff.

extremely readable
I had never heard of Morley Callghan before reading this book. Which is unfortunate because the book is hard to put down. It is well-written, informative, amusing, thought provoking and gives insight into several notable literary figures from a first hand perspective.

Timing is everything
They say that timing is everything and the fact that this particular writer just happened to be sitting on the Boulevard Montparnasse on the right evening of the right year, means we have a further insight into thelives of those Paris expatriates, Hemingway and Fitzgerald and others. Atthe same time, this may be an opportunity for some people to discoverMorley Callaghan, who is a very fine writer in his own right. His life ranparallel to Hemingway's for some time, as they met in Toronto and later inParis and remained friends thereafter, even if they saw each other onlyrarely. In a sense, he is just the person to give us a penetrating lookbehind the legends that were being created in the cafés and bars of theville lumière at the end of the thirties. This is a delightful book aswell; Callaghan is nobody's fool, which means he's not writing for themundane reasons that might otherwise be expected, and you can trust him. Heis painting a portrait of a world teetering on the very brink (it is thesummer of 1929), and in his own artful way, he has succeeded in giving us arare glimpse into the ill-lit streets and nightclubs just before it allfades away into the decade of hopelessness that followed. It's well worthfinding this book if you can - it's a little gem.

Closer to the truth but still fun
That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan is another version of Hemingway in Paris which is probably a lot closer to the truth.

If you need or want to know the truth, read this book. Hemingway sure made a seductivemyth about himself. We don't fault him for improving on the truth. TheHemingway version is fun to read but this one is fun too.

Bythe way,Callaghan wrote an outstanding short story called "Luke Baldwin'sVow." You can see why Hemingway thought highly of him. ... Read more

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One of the great novels of the 1930s, Such Is My Beloved recounts the tragic story of two down-and-out prostitutes and the young priest who aspires to redeem their lives. The novel is at once a compassionate portrait of innocence and idealism, and an emphatic condemnation of a society where the lines between good and evil are essentially blurred.

Such Is My Beloved is widely considered to be Morley Callaghan’s finest novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Classic


I first read this book in a Canadian Lit class in College. The class was made up of all women axcept for myself. I should say, relevent to this, that my background is in Social Work. I was taking this class mainly out of interest rather than requirement.

The novel I found took a while to work up. The lead charactor of the Catholic Priest was a positive one for me as I saw him as a figure who merely wanted to help people. He was altruistic to the core and really believed in what he was doing. In the end we find that his high state of conviction had gotten him into deep trouble with the people he was trying to help as well as the institution which he represented to the very core of its teachings.

I don't think this book was written to be criticism towards the Catholic Church or even to higher classes. The lawyer friend in the book was a very likable fellow and is balanced to the two prostitutes. I do however believe that this book is commenting on the small line between passion and obsession. MOst of the women in my class felt that the main charactor got what he had coming as he seemed a stalker like figure who took things too far. I interpreted it as a tragedy because we see the core of this mans beliefs and see what he is trying to do- merely to help others. This is not worong and he placed much effort inbto this plight. Total tragedy.

Read the book anyways. It is good stuff and maybe respond to this entry and tell me what you think. I have also heard some criticism on sexual uundertones. I don't really think that this was prevalent, but if that's what it takes you to get you to read this, well, I guess it has done the trick.

I want to add how beliebvable the settings are for this. It takes place in Montreal, but I think it is believable to be any city in Canada. I live in Calgary myself and see the Cecil tavern and hotel being the setting, or if you are in Medicine Hat, I think the Sin Bin relates. Try reading this book with that in mind.

thought that it was very moving
i felt very sorry for the priest and the grils the way societyshuned all of themm because they acted in a uncoth method. ... Read more

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Canadian Fiction Studies are an answer to every librarian's, student's, and teacher's wishes. Each book, about 80 pages in length, contains clear, readable information on a major Canadian novel. These studies are carefully designed readings of the novels; they are not substitutes for reading them. Each book is attractively produced and follows the same format, so students will know exactly what to expect:

A chronology of the author's lifeThe importance of the bookCritical receptionReading of the textSelected list of works cited ... Read more

Product Description
Canadian Fiction Studies are an answer to every librarian's, student's, and teacher's wishes. Each book, about 80 pages in length, contains clear, readable information on a major Canadian novel. These studies are carefully designed readings of the novels; they are not substitutes for reading them. Each book is attractively produced and follows the same format, so students will know exactly what to expect:

A chronology of the author's life The importance of the book Critical reception Reading of the text Selected list of works cited ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Brian Kernighan, Irlando-Canadiens, Morley Callaghan, Frank Mcgee, Red Kelly, Colm Feore, Darren Mccarty, Ching Johnson, Jamie Mcginn, Charles Ramsay Devlin, Catherine O'hara, Ryan O'marra, Dennis O'brien, Lexa Doig, James Doohan, Alan Doyle, Irlando-Terreneuviens, Irlando-Québécois, Carly Pope, Brendan O'brien, Joe Mcguire, Thomas Louis Connolly, Dan Mcteague, Francis Alexander Anglin. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Les Irlando-Canadiens ou Canadiens Irlandais sont des Irlandais ou des personnes de descendance irlandaise vivant au Canada. Les Canadiens Irlandais sont présents partout dans le pays et 12,9% de la population canadienne s'identifie comme étant de descendance irlandaise. L'histoire des Irlandais au Canada est longue et riche, et date de plusieurs siècles. La première présence irlandaise documentée au Canada date de 1536, lorsque des pêcheurs irlandais de Cork se rendirent à Terre-Neuve. Suivant l'établissement permanent d'Irlandais (principalement originaires du comté de Waterford) à Terre-Neuve au début des années 1800, l'immigration irlandaise au Canada s'est accrue vers 1820. Des projets d'immigration subventionnés amenèrent des fermiers irlandais (dont beaucoup originaires du comté de Cork) et leur famille dans le but de peupler les terres sauvages du Haut-Canada (aujourd'hui l'Ontario). Toutefois, la grande majorité des Irlandais arrivèrent au Canada pendant et après la Grande Famine dans le milieu du siècle. Durant cette période, le Canada était la destination des Irlandais les plus pauvres et démunis. Ceci était principalement dû au fait que le prix du trajet vers le Canada était beaucoup plus bas que ceux vers les États-Unis, l'Australie et la Nouvelle-Zélande. Plusieurs i...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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In this biography of Morley Callaghan, Gary Boire celebrates the life of one of the world's most prolific writers. Author of over twenty novels and a hundred short stories, Callaghan enjoyed a glorious career of international recognition and respect. His coterie of friends included Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Joyce. His admirers have called him a "professional contrarian, an inveterate counter-puncher." Critics have described him as an "intellectual/personal/literary harlequin." Although a man of contradictions, he was consistent in one thing: be it as novelist, journalist, lawyer, playwright, amateur boxer, sports commentator, or social critic, Callaghan was always engaged with his world. ... Read more

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Based on a real-life character, More Joy in Heaven is a gripping account of the tragic plight of young Kip Caley, a notorious bank-robber released early from prison and feted by society as a returning prodigal son.

Earnest, optimistic, and fired by reformist zeal, Kip eventually comes to realize that the welcome of his supporters is superficial and that their charity is driven by self-interest.

More Joy in Heaven was first published in 1937. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A frustrating and moving book.
I read "More Joy in Heaven" by Morley Callaghan in a few short hours. I don't think I have ever been so frustrated and moved by a book. It lays the most horrible and beautiful aspects of human nature out along side one another, and I can't understand how a man (Callaghan) can have such clear vision.

The main character (Kip) is a convicted bank robber who believed that he was above everyone else. It was this sense of detachment that allowed him to commit his crimes without guilt, and which eventually got him stuck in prison. But once in prison Kip began to realize that there was more to life than being a headline. He began to slowly reform himself. He wanted to be like other people, to be with them, as friends and as equals. He wanted to lead a normal life.

The novel starts as he is being released on parole. His release was organized by a chairitable senator, inspired by the completeness of Kip's reform. Once free, Kip had intended to work as a garbage man, or as a street cleaner, but he finds himself a sudden celebrity. I don't want to ruin the novel, so I won't describe any more, but I will say that Callaghan does not write one dimensional characters. This book is captivating and has a ring of truth that makes the mistakes of the main character all the more harrowing.

I strongly reccomend this book.

Plays on real life
I found this book hard to get into at first but as it progressed I got a better understanding of the character's and situations they were faced with.This book displays such motives as once a bankrobber always a bankrobber.Kip Caley let his goals defeat him.When he relized his dreamcouldn't come true he felt as if his world was falling around him and allhe could do was sit and watch.

Great book about the life and times of an ex-con
Morley Callghan portrays Kip Caley as a man who is released from prison due to his good behaviour. As a result of his good behaviour he is praised amongst the town. Things turn bad when Kip loses his job and the town getstired of his image.

Startling revelation into the mind of a criminal
A well written novel based on the life of a born again criminal who's life goes from bad to good to worse, very dramatic, quick read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One of Callaghan's best works
After reading this book, I have a newfound appreciation for this author.The way he juxtaposes racial segregation with a relationship between two caucasians, one who has a unique fondness for negroes in a very prejudiced 1950's Montreal, leaves readers spellbound.After awhile, you feel as if you are in the book yourself, looking on as the characters and the plot develop.By the time I made it to the climax of the story, i was in tears, and I felt every emotion that the characters in the book felt.This truly is one of Morley Callaghan's best novels, and deserves the governor General's award that it received, if not more than that.

The loved and the Lost Interest
After reading this book, I have lost total respect for this author (Morley Callaghan).The book is highly redundant, and I think that it should be discredited from his list of works.I have read a few of his books over the year such as Such is my Beloved and More Joy in heaven, and this book by far has been the worst.He tries to capture the essence of a segregated society in 1950's Montreal, as well as a love story, which I was led to believe was between a Caucasian male and an afro-canadian female, but instead he told a story of a caucasian female that was unaccepted by both races, and that repeated its events throughout the book.This unexpectedaspect, which I suppose was there to change things up, in a way cheapened the story.A variation of the events leading up to the climax would have made for a better plot.Overall, this book did not deserve the governor generals award that it received, and truly is not one of Callaghans best works. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Tremendous fiction
Morley Callaghan is one of the finest Canadian writers I have come across. His themes may not always appeal to a broad readership, since they are sometimes fairly parochial in nature, giving him a wide claim to being agenuine "Canadian" author (rather than North-American). However,he is a truly international writer as well, of a calibre I've not oftenencountered. Perhaps his career didn't quite have the impact of ErnestHemingway's (with whom he was quite friendly in the thirties) or GrahamGreene's, but the quality of his work puts him very much in their class."A Time for Judas" is a good example of this. Callaghan takes us,in a Gore Vidal-like fashion, back to the time of Christ and recounts amarvellous tale set in and around Jerusalem. It is not only well-writtenand exciting, but as a purported account of the "true" events ofthe time (left to be discovered on papyrus centuries later), it falls intoa sort of mystery tradition which is very hard to pull off, from a writingpoint of view. With complete confidence, Callaghan tells a tale which willthrill and perhaps even enlighten you, and have you seeking out more of hiswork. Fortunately, there is a relative abundance so find this one if youcan. ... Read more

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First published in 1935, this novel is a penetrating study of a father and son caught in the moral and economic undertow of the Great Depression. The action hinges upon a sudden mischance in which accident and intention tragically coincide. Swept along by the inexorable logic of events, Callaghan’s protagonists are forced to re-examine the nature of individual conscience and responsibility. In their personal struggle is expressed the mood of the age, its cynicism and anger, its desperate idealism, and its agonized longing for redemption. ... Read more