"Mercy Among the Children" received effusive praise from the critics, was nominated for a Governor General's Award and won the Giller Prize. It was named one of 2000's best books, became a national bestseller in hardcover for months, and would be published in the US and UK. It is seen, however, as being at odds with literary fashion for concerning itself with good and evil and the human freedom to choose between them -- an approach that puts Richards, as "Maclean's" magazine says, firmly in the tradition of Tolstoy and ...
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"Mercy Among the Children" received effusive praise from the critics, was nominated for a Governor General's Award and won the Giller Prize. It was named one of 2000's best books, became a national bestseller in hardcover for months, and would be published in the US and UK. It is seen, however, as being at odds with literary fashion for concerning itself with good and evil and the human freedom to choose between them -- an approach that puts Richards, as "Maclean's" magazine says, firmly in the tradition of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Author Wayne Johnston recounts hearing Richards read in 1983 and being struck by his unqualified love for every one of his characters, even though "it was not then fashionable to love your characters."" Pottersfield Portfolio" editor Tony Tremblay calls Richards the most misunderstood Canadian writer of the century, and a "great moralist," comparing him to Morley Callaghan, Kafka and Melville. As a boy, Sydney Henderson thinks he has killed Connie Devlin when he pushes him from a roof for stealing his sandwich. He vows to God he will never again harm another if Connie survives. Connie walks away, laughing, and Sydney embarks upon a life of self-immolating goodness. In spite of having educated himself with such classics as Tolstoy and Marcus Aurelius, he is not taken seriously enough to enter university because of his background of dire poverty and abuse, which leads everyone to expect the worst of him. His saintly generosity of spirit is treated with suspicion and contempt, especially when he manages to win the love of beautiful Elly. Unwilling to harm another in thought or deed, or to defend himself against false accusations, he is exploited and tormentedby others in this rural community, and finally implicated in the death of a 19-year-old boy. Lyle Henderson knows his father is innocent, but is angry that the family has been ridiculed for years, and that his mother and sister suffer for it. He feels betrayed by his father's passivity in the face of one blow after another, and unable to accept his belief in long-term salvation. Unlike his father, he cannot believe that evil will be punished in the end. While his father turns the other cheek, Lyle decides the right way is in fighting, and embarks on a morally empty life of stealing, drinking and violence. A compassionate, powerful story of humanity confronting inhumanity, it is a culmination of Richards' last seven books, beginning with "Road to the Stilt House." It takes place in New Brunswick's Miramichi Valley, like all of his novels so far, which has led some urban critics to misjudge his work as regional -- a criticism leveled at Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad and Emily Bronte in their own day. Like his literary heroes, Richards aims to evoke universal human struggles through his depiction of the events of a small, rural place, where one person's actions impact inevitably on others in a tragic web of interconnectedness. The setting is extremely important in Richards' work, "because the characters come from the soil"; but as British Columbia author Jack Hodgins once told Richards, "every character you talk about is a character I've met here in Campbell River."
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Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $3.68, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $4.64, like new condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $12.99, good condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $13.99, very good condition, Sold by The Book Scouts rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hamilton, ON, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada, Limited.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine jacket. Size: 9x6x1; We're happy to combine shipping to save you some money. We're also always buying collectible book collections. Contact us for details. We're happy to provide pictures of any and all books for you, please just ask! Canadian first edition, first printing. Published by Doubleday Canada in 2000. Contains numberline 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Virtually no wear to jacket. Jacket is NOT price clipped. Covers are clean and bright. Edges are sharp. No tears or creases. The book itself is in Fine condition with no bumps or marks. The binding is straight and tight. NO remainder mark.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $17.99, good condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by A Good Read rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Toronto, ON, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 0385259174. Flat signed by author on title page. Bumping to top corners of d/j and of boards. PO name in ink on ffep. A Good Read ships from Toronto and Niagara Falls, NY-customers outside of North America please allow two to three weeks for delivery.; 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall; Signed by Author.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children (Signed Copy) to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by JWMah rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by McClelland & Stewart.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Signed by Author (CAD) SIGNED BY AUTHOR to the title page, owner's inscription as well, no other markings, slight fading of extreme cover edges not protected by the dust jacket, Very Good in unclipped Very Good dust jacket with top edge not quite crisp. Blue bds, 371pp. This novel is the co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize with Michael Ondaatje's ANIL'S GHOST. (1.9 JMLVR 206/b4.
Add this copy of Mercy Among the Children: a Novel to cart. $18.00, very good condition, Sold by Hourglass Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Vancouver, BC, CANADA, published 2000 by Doubleday Canada.
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Very Good in Very Good, Not Price Clipped jacket. Book. Inscribed by Author(s) Inscribed by David Adams Richard on the title page; some edge wear to boards and dust jacket; otherwise a solid, clean copy with no marking or underlining; collectible condition.
