Bock book bores a bit

The Communist’s Daughter: as thrilling as collectivized agriculture

CLARK SHELDON

Dennis Bock’s novel is a fictional account of Dr. Norman Bethune, a real Canadian doctor who revolutionized combat medicine in the 1930s. Its format is letters from Bethune to his daughter. The pre-publication hype insisted The Communist’s Daughter was one of “the books of the season.” Perhaps that’s why I expected great things. I didn’t get them.

I must say, though, that many people will enjoy this book. There is nothing particularly wrong with it. Bock is a smooth writer. His words flow nicely, and you can slip into his style comfortably. But that’s also the problem. The Communist’s Daughter is like a long drive down a straight highway on a warm, overcast day. It’s easy, it’s brainless, and it becomes a blur.

Bock attempts to liven up his narrative by abandoning chronology. He jumps every few paragraphs between Chinese and Spanish civl wars, as well as to Bethune’s time in the trenches of the Great War. To support his epistolary contrivance, Bock chops the book into bits by blunt “envelope 1,” “envelope 7” sections. Instead of adding interest, however, his ploys simply add distraction. It’s like the air conditioning in your car cutting in and out on that long, straight drive — it’s not going to keep you from pushing on to the end, and you expect that after awhile you’ll get used to it, but it manages to annoy you the entire length of the trip.

Bock doesn’t ever reach for a metaphor, and I found his utilitarian descriptions and lack of creativity uninteresting. I don’t think there is a single phrase in The Communist’s Daughter that I haven’t encountered before. A long drive down a straight highway may be more desirable than a highspeed chase down an icy mountain road from a navigator’s viewpoint, but it doesn’t leave you with much of a story to tell. After reading Bock’s book, I have little to say to support or condemn it. There is nothing to separate this book from the hundreds of others that will come out this season. It is firmly average. It is ink on paper, without further depth.





Volume 94 Issue 9	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	October 18, 2006

Home About Us Advertise Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Personals Volunteer	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly Bock book bores a bit The Communist’s Daughter: as thrilling as collectivized agriculture CLARK SHELDON Dennis Bock’s novel is a fictional account of Dr. Norman Bethune, a real Canadian doctor who revolutionized combat medicine in the 1930s. Its format is letters from Bethune to his daughter. The pre-publication hype insisted The Communist’s Daughter was one of “the books of the season.” Perhaps that’s why I expected great things. I didn’t get them. I must say, though, that many people will enjoy this book. There is nothing particularly wrong with it. Bock is a smooth writer. His words flow nicely, and you can slip into his style comfortably. But that’s also the problem. The Communist’s Daughter is like a long drive down a straight highway on a warm, overcast day. It’s easy, it’s brainless, and it becomes a blur. Bock attempts to liven up his narrative by abandoning chronology. He jumps every few paragraphs between Chinese and Spanish civl wars, as well as to Bethune’s time in the trenches of the Great War. To support his epistolary contrivance, Bock chops the book into bits by blunt “envelope 1,” “envelope 7” sections. Instead of adding interest, however, his ploys simply add distraction. It’s like the air conditioning in your car cutting in and out on that long, straight drive — it’s not going to keep you from pushing on to the end, and you expect that after awhile you’ll get used to it, but it manages to annoy you the entire length of the trip. Bock doesn’t ever reach for a metaphor, and I found his utilitarian descriptions and lack of creativity uninteresting. I don’t think there is a single phrase in The Communist’s Daughter that I haven’t encountered before. A long drive down a straight highway may be more desirable than a highspeed chase down an icy mountain road from a navigator’s viewpoint, but it doesn’t leave you with much of a story to tell. After reading Bock’s book, I have little to say to support or condemn it. There is nothing to separate this book from the hundreds of others that will come out this season. It is firmly average. It is ink on paper, without further depth.


Terms of Use \| Member of the CUP \| RSS Newsfeeds © Copyright 2006 The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation