Inside.

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta, co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities: British
Views of Canada, 1880–1914, and author of The Salvation Army and the
Public.

“Mister Myrden” is his name. Hardly do we know him as anything else, for his personality is subsumed by his tragedy. After 14 years in jail he is now released, with an acknowledgement that he has been falsely accused of murder, and will expect a healthy financial settlement (after the hefty legal fees). Things should be looking up: “The money came through like the lawyer said it would. He was free and clear. Back on his feet again.” But the tough neighbourhood of St. John’s to which he returns, the grasping, ungenerous family who mainly stay close for their share of the money, will not release him from their grip and he soon succumbs to old habits and wasteful extravagance. There are glimmers of hope represented by the granddaughter he loves, but the novel is unrelenting in its bitterness, its depiction of overwhelming odds, and its sense of tragic fate.

Though it is difficult not to feel depressed by the story, Harvey’s handling of personal relationships, his portrayal of Myrden’s doubts and fears, and his sure sense of bitter irony make this a memorable (if not always enjoyable) novel.