Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Description

40 pages
Contains Photos, Maps, Bibliography
$6.95
ISBN 0-920427-21-9
DDC C818'.309

Year

1990

Contributor

Reviewed by George A. Rawlyk

G.A. Rawlyk is a history professor at Queen’s University and the
author of Champions of the Truth: Fundamentalism, Modernism, and the
Maritime Baptists.

Review

This book is a good idea that just does not work. We all need to know
more about famous Maritimers; young Canadians especially need to know a
lot more about their rich historical legacy. Haliburton (1796-1865) was
a remarkable writer and humorist as well as a distinguished lawyer and
politician. But Langille’s little book about him adds absolutely
nothing to our understanding of the great Anglo-Nova Scotian.
Langille’s Haliburton fails to take into account recent
historiography—neglecting even to mention Fred Cogswell’s 1976
Dictionary of Canadian Biography article. In addition, her book is
awkwardly written, presenting a dull, lifeless, one-dimensional picture
of Haliburton.

If this Famous Maritimers series hopes to succeed, the editors will
have to ensure that the authors know a great deal about their subjects,
and that they can write serviceable prose for younger audiences.

Citation

Langille, Jacqueline., “Thomas Chandler Haliburton,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed December 3, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/11823.