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A review by saareman
Sweetland by Michael Crummey
5.0
You'll Be Some Sorry
Review of the Anchor Canada paperback edition (June 30, 2015) of the Doubleday Canada hardcover original (August 19, 2014).
I read Michael Crummey's Sweetland several years ago in my pre-reviewing days so did not leave much of a review at the time. Having now seen the 2023 film adaptation of the novel, I wanted to read it again. This was to fill in more of the background to the film, to confirm some of my understanding of the Newfoundland English that was used. Also, I've just been so continually impressed with Crummey's historical fiction about his home province, recently so with his 2023 novel The Adversary, that a re-read of an earlier book would be of interest.
Threatening note sent to Moses Sweetland: "You get out or you'll be some sorry." Screengrab from the movie trailer.
Sweetland doesn't go very far back for historical fiction. It is set in an imagined small island outport community named after its founding family. The town is voting on resettlement (1954-ongoing), a process by which the provincial government closes isolated communities to save on services and pays the inhabitants compensation in turn for them to move to more populated areas. The outports had thrived during the cod fishery boom, but employment has been scarce since the 1992 collapse of the industry.
The town is 99% for resettlement, but it can't happen unless 100% agree to the payout offers and consent to move. Moses Sweetland, a crusty old fisherman and former lighthouse keeper, is one of the holdouts, along with 2 others. But as events evolve, Moses becomes the single holdout and is the object of disparaging remarks, anonymous threatening notes and even arson attacks.
It is a moving novel about swimming against the tide, wanting to hold onto the old ways, defiance against the mob and finally a man finding his own peace regardless of what others think. The film adaptation did it justice even though huge elements of the plot had to be cut in order to fit the reduced time frame (1 hour and 45 minutes in the movie version).
Trivia and Links
You can read an interview with Michael Crummey about How I wrote Sweetland at CBC Books from 2017.
There is a great interview with Michael Crummey giving the background to the book and his own life in The Scotsman from 2015 when the author was at the Ullapool Book Festival in Scotland.
You can watch the movie trailer for the film adaptation written and directed by Christian Sparkes on YouTube here.
Author Michael Crummey and screenwriter/director Christian Sparkes will be appearing at the Lakefield Literary Festival on Friday, July 19, 2024 to discuss the process of adapting the novel for film.
Review of the Anchor Canada paperback edition (June 30, 2015) of the Doubleday Canada hardcover original (August 19, 2014).
I read Michael Crummey's Sweetland several years ago in my pre-reviewing days so did not leave much of a review at the time. Having now seen the 2023 film adaptation of the novel, I wanted to read it again. This was to fill in more of the background to the film, to confirm some of my understanding of the Newfoundland English that was used. Also, I've just been so continually impressed with Crummey's historical fiction about his home province, recently so with his 2023 novel The Adversary, that a re-read of an earlier book would be of interest.
Threatening note sent to Moses Sweetland: "You get out or you'll be some sorry." Screengrab from the movie trailer.
Sweetland doesn't go very far back for historical fiction. It is set in an imagined small island outport community named after its founding family. The town is voting on resettlement (1954-ongoing), a process by which the provincial government closes isolated communities to save on services and pays the inhabitants compensation in turn for them to move to more populated areas. The outports had thrived during the cod fishery boom, but employment has been scarce since the 1992 collapse of the industry.
The town is 99% for resettlement, but it can't happen unless 100% agree to the payout offers and consent to move. Moses Sweetland, a crusty old fisherman and former lighthouse keeper, is one of the holdouts, along with 2 others. But as events evolve, Moses becomes the single holdout and is the object of disparaging remarks, anonymous threatening notes and even arson attacks.
It is a moving novel about swimming against the tide, wanting to hold onto the old ways, defiance against the mob and finally a man finding his own peace regardless of what others think. The film adaptation did it justice even though huge elements of the plot had to be cut in order to fit the reduced time frame (1 hour and 45 minutes in the movie version).
Trivia and Links
You can read an interview with Michael Crummey about How I wrote Sweetland at CBC Books from 2017.
There is a great interview with Michael Crummey giving the background to the book and his own life in The Scotsman from 2015 when the author was at the Ullapool Book Festival in Scotland.
You can watch the movie trailer for the film adaptation written and directed by Christian Sparkes on YouTube here.
Author Michael Crummey and screenwriter/director Christian Sparkes will be appearing at the Lakefield Literary Festival on Friday, July 19, 2024 to discuss the process of adapting the novel for film.