Volkswagen Blues
Encyclopedia
Volkswagen Blues is a novel by French-Canadian writer Jacques Poulin
. Volkswagen Blues was published in French in 1984; it was translated into English by Sheila Fischman
and published by McClelland & Stewart in 1988 and subsequently re-issued by Cormorant Books in 2002.
Volkswagen Blues was nominated for the Governor General's Award
in 1984 and was one of the selected novels in the 2005 edition of Canada Reads
, where it was championed by author and former National Librarian
of Canada, Roch Carrier
.
Volkswagen Blues is a road novel
, in the tradition of Jack Kerouac
, about a writer who has adopted the pen-name Jack Waterman (and, as the story begins, is experiencing a bout of writer's block
), which follows his search for his long-lost, rambling brother, Théo. Early in the narrative, Jack picks up a hitchhiker, a young Métis
woman, nicknamed "La Grande Sauterelle" (because of her long, grasshopper-like legs), as a travel companion and her cat, Chop Suey.
Together in Jack's Volkswagen Minibus
, they embark on a journey from Gaspé
to San Francisco, passing through Toronto
, Detroit, Chicago
, St. Louis
and the American West
on their way, exploring the history of European contact with the native people of the Americas
. While on the road, they discuss language, literature, American expansion, the Oregon Trail
, etc., and their trip becomes a metaphor
for the history of the French exploration
of North America. At the same time, La Grande Sauterelle, who is struggling with her own identity, presents another version of American history, as recounted by the natives, where "discovery" is viewed as "invasion." Throughout the novel a number of interesting and entertaining characters appear, including writers Saul Bellow
, Ernest Hemingway
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti
.
All in all, Jack's journey through an America that scholar Paul Socken describes as a "lost paradise" (see below) is one of disillusionment and self-discovery that allows him to break through the impasse he had met in his writing.
Jacques Poulin
Jacques Poulin is a Canadian novelist with a quiet and intimate style of writing.Poulin studied psychology and arts at the Université Laval in Quebec City; he started his career as commercial translator and later became a college guidance counselor...
. Volkswagen Blues was published in French in 1984; it was translated into English by Sheila Fischman
Sheila Fischman
Sheila Leah Fischman, CM is a Canadian translator who specializes in the translation of works of contemporary Quebec literature....
and published by McClelland & Stewart in 1988 and subsequently re-issued by Cormorant Books in 2002.
Volkswagen Blues was nominated for the Governor General's Award
1984 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1984 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Josef Skvorecky, The Engineer of Human SoulsOther Finalists:...
in 1984 and was one of the selected novels in the 2005 edition of Canada Reads
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
, where it was championed by author and former National Librarian
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
of Canada, Roch Carrier
Roch Carrier
Roch Carrier, OC is a Canadian novelist and author of "contes" . He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada....
.
Volkswagen Blues is a road novel
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
, in the tradition of Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
, about a writer who has adopted the pen-name Jack Waterman (and, as the story begins, is experiencing a bout of writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
), which follows his search for his long-lost, rambling brother, Théo. Early in the narrative, Jack picks up a hitchhiker, a young Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
woman, nicknamed "La Grande Sauterelle" (because of her long, grasshopper-like legs), as a travel companion and her cat, Chop Suey.
Together in Jack's Volkswagen Minibus
Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
, they embark on a journey from Gaspé
Gaspé, Quebec
Gaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819....
to San Francisco, passing through Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Detroit, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and the American West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
on their way, exploring the history of European contact with the native people of the Americas
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. While on the road, they discuss language, literature, American expansion, the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, etc., and their trip becomes a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for the history of the French exploration
French colonization of the Americas
The French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America...
of North America. At the same time, La Grande Sauterelle, who is struggling with her own identity, presents another version of American history, as recounted by the natives, where "discovery" is viewed as "invasion." Throughout the novel a number of interesting and entertaining characters appear, including writers Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow was a Canadian-born Jewish American writer. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts...
, Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
and Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
.
All in all, Jack's journey through an America that scholar Paul Socken describes as a "lost paradise" (see below) is one of disillusionment and self-discovery that allows him to break through the impasse he had met in his writing.
See also
- Paul G. Socken, The Myth of the Lost Paradise in the Novels of Jacques Poulin. Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 1993.
- Jean Morency, et al., Eds. Romans de la route et voyages identitaires. Québec: Nota Bene (collection "Terre américaine"), 2006.