The True Life Adventures of Sparrow Drinkwater

Description

404 pages
$24.95
ISBN 0-00-223891-8
DDC C813'.54

Year

1993

Contributor

Reviewed by Stan Chung

Stan Chung teaches English at the College of New Caledonia in Prince
George, B.C.

Review

Trevor Ferguson is one of the most magical, inventive, and imaginative
Canadians writing fiction. So why is his brilliant, offbeat fourth novel
ultimately unsatisfying? Sparrow Drinkwater, the hero, is an eccentric
creation, partly because he originates out of a Georgia swamp,
supposedly sired by a raven and born of a madwoman who pees in the woods
nightly. But as Sparrow grows up, so does the rationality in his wild
and unfettered voice. By the end, everything makes sense, to Sparrow and
to the reader. When the novelist and his hero are imbued with such
vibrant magic, it is a shame that the urge to explain seems to triumph,
especially when the enchantment is such a strength. Trevor Ferguson’s
talent is indisputable; the writing is inspired, but, unfortunately, the
novel underachieves.

Citation

Ferguson, Trevor., “The True Life Adventures of Sparrow Drinkwater,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed October 15, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/6330.