The Watch That Ends the Night

This is a very interesting book on two main counts, it describes the political climate amongst the intelligentsia in ther 1930's and it also offers a glimpse of what Montreal was like during the great depression.Hugh Mclennon was a Montreal author, originally from Nova Scotia whoe was also a distinguished classics teacher teaching in Mcgill University.The story is basically the relationship between Jerome Martell, a Monreal surgeon and his alter ego. George. Both are in love with the same women Catherine. Catherine is George's childhood friend who eventually marries Jerome then a successful surgeon. Jerome is someone from a modest background who had fought in WW1 and was notably damaged by his experience. He is a somewhat heroic charecter loosely based on Dr. Norman Bethune. At first he is happy with Catherine who is barely clinging to life with a damaged heart. However when Jerome becomes politically active, the relationship deteriorates and he abandons Catherine and their daughter Sally and goes off to fight on the Republican side in thr Spanish Civil War. He eventually disappears and is presumed dead. Catherine then turns to her old friend George and they marry. Jerome reappears twelve years later at the height of the Korean War and Catherine nearly dies of shock when she meets her ex husband.The stregnth of the book is the descrition of St.Catherine Street, the main Montreal thoroughfare during the thirties with its unemployed crowds shuffling aimlessly. It is also good in the social ferment, in particular between the commuunist and the right wing French Canadians. Mclennon tries to use Jerome as a political everyman showing how devotion to a cause though well intentioned leads only to misery all around. He does this very well. In style the book sometimes reminds me of a Canadian Hemingway with occasional touches of A.J. Cronin. The weakness of the book is the sometimes unconvincing dialogue and the sketchy portraits of the female charecters. In summary this is a very informed and entertaining novel.

Very interesting book. Takes you back to the time when the "in" thing to do was to go off and fight for a noble cause. Contains the piece of the Tragically Hip sound "Courage" in it. A bit difficult to get into but once you do, you're captured.

I found this a very good book. Hugh Maclennan described each character very well to the point where i felt that i was part of the characters' lives. It was enjoyable to read what Montreal was like then and compare it to Montreal today, and read about the same streets that i walk on almost every day (I live in Montreal). In all, a good book.