Thoughts on the controversial novel Bear?

Submitted by StrawberryFields_ t3_11cmsge in books

I recently read Marian Engel's Bear after seeing it referred to as a classic Canadian novel. Here is the description of the book:

> The story tells of a lonely archivist sent to work in northern Ontario, where she enters into a sexual relationship with a bear.

Personally, I thought it was no Lolita. The language is forgettable, a surrealist atmosphere anywhere near the greats (Kafka, Beckett) is not achieved nor does the heart of the story feel authentic to me. What do we think?

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ahardblue t1_ja3zlm9 wrote

She does what now?

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StrawberryFields_ OP t1_ja45gpq wrote

Like The Metamorphosis, the main character feels alienated by the life around her. Which leads to her seeking out sexual relations with a bear. (as in this infamous passage)

It is intended to be a meditation on loneliness and companionship, I presume.

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BastetSekhmetMafdet t1_ja4k574 wrote

This gives “exit, pursued by bear” a whole new meaning.

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tangnapalm t1_ja5rufm wrote

Well, if you compare it to the greatest novels of all time, no it doesn't hold up. I just read it because a co-worker had a copy. I liked the journey of the archivist woman, and the themes of isolation and discovery. I could have done without the woman shitting with the bear every morning. I was prepared for the bear sex, I wasn't prepared for this horny ass woman trying to fuck this bear when the bear didn't really want anything to do with her. But you shouldn't be comparing it to Kafka or Beckett, you should be comparing it to other Canadian literature. It's more like an Alice Munro or early Margaret Atwood, just with more bear sex. There's all that stuff about being a woman in a man's world, and being viewed as an object of sexual desire by everyone (her boss, Homer), and her desire for the bear seems sort of related to that.

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No_Cod6498 t1_ja4137j wrote

I honestly forgot I read this book until seeing your post. It was that forgettable

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showard995 t1_ja45cqe wrote

I live in the Adirondacks where we have plenty of black bears. I cannot picture a scenario where these smelly musty creatures are at all desirable. And I don’t want to picture it.

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Luton_Enjoyer t1_ja51f2x wrote

I purchased a copy from Waterstones a couple of years ago and enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't too difficult to read so I finished it within a week. I loved Marian Engel's writing and love a good story about interspecies relationships.

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nyet-marionetka t1_ja7psqf wrote

Did the author intend me to burst into laughter at the summary of their book?

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ElegantVamp t1_ja6cpda wrote

You could probably watch "Zoo" and get the same effect. >!Except the horse has a higher casualty.!<

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OfficerFuzzy t1_ja6l7vs wrote

I wouldn't call it forgettable. I mean, there's an erotic scene with a bear.

I don't think it's simply a book on isolation or even just a feminist take--though it is both of those things--I think it's also a discussion on the natural world.

Beyond the everything else about the novel--the fact that the bear stays so thoroughly a bear, although "domesticated" really stuck with me.

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Riricake t1_ja7kwap wrote

Someone above saying it’s like Munro or Atwood and Atwood is undeniably the best writer alive so I’m like hmmmm? What’s up with Canada ? Can anyone elaborate

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kinkofpizza t1_ja8v2ak wrote

So now I know why a bear might seek cocaine.

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karakickass t1_ja96920 wrote

I'm Canadian and read it anticipating some lulz. I was surprised to discover that I really enjoyed it. The protagonist, through attempting to connect with the bear, establishes a connection with herself.

It's short, readable and somehow... Relatable? Not the bear stuff, but the way she has pushed out her own sense of her needs and desires in favour of others at the beginning.

The bear is always a bear, but it's also a blank being. It doesn't actually want her, it doesn't need anything from her, so she's free to find out what she wants and needs.

9/10. Would recommend.

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bauhaus12345 t1_ja68d4p wrote

Huh why are Lolita, Kafka, and Beckett “the greats”? That’s such a specific list - is there some particular reason you’re comparing those to this book?

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StrawberryFields_ OP t1_ja697l9 wrote

I interpreted the novel to be in the modernist vein because I found it while searching these authors. But it appears that I am incorrect and it is a feminist novel.

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bauhaus12345 t1_ja69uqc wrote

Well it could be both! But that’s interesting, I have heard of this book but haven’t read it yet bc I wasn’t sure what the tone/writing style would be like.

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LordXak t1_ja4so4b wrote

And people say I'm an asshole when I tell them Canada is Cringe: The Country.

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