I'm disappointed about the non-existence of squid burgers, but I don't have many objections to Proulx's depiction of the place itself. And while I have eaten flipper pie (wouldn't recommend it), the only place I've ever come across mention of a squid burger is in this novel.' Proulx is an evocative stylist, but the book is more of an imaginative fantasia on Newfoundland than any sort of accurate representation of it – not, of course, that that's necessarily a bad thing. There might be much to admire about the book, but the culture it describes isn't one that I recognise at all (and I grew up spending a fair amount of time visiting relatives and family friends who lived not that far from the part of the coast she's describing). 'I'm also from Newfoundland' Millieb added, 'and I agree with frankthefist. Typical Yank making it up to seem more real.' The whole book is full of bullshit 'observations' that make a Newfoundlander's skin crawl.

The idea that they would use a Bible to wipe their arses with is too insulting to pass. Those people are particularly religious and tidy. She has people put a Bible in an outhouse to use for toilet paper. 'But one detail in particular made me angry. 'I live in Newfoundland and have spent some time up on the coast whose environment and people she 'describes' and I can tell you that book is a bunch of malarky from page one,' frankthefist wrote. Judging from the comments under the first few Reading Group articles about the book, however, not all Newfoundland residents feel quite so fondly of Proulx as she does about them. When he got there, he was able to have a shot at happiness. Quoyle was trampled on everywhere apart from Newfoundland.

Equally importantly, she also explained that her story could only have happened in a place 'where people are kind'.

The shipping news book reviews