Voices in Time
Voices in Time by Hugh MacLennan, published by Penguin Group (Canada) in 1981, is a thought-provoking work of fiction that explores the impact of a nuclear holocaust on society’s memory. Set in a future where bureaucracy has erased knowledge of the past, the narrative follows André Gervais as he uncovers two metal boxes filled with manuscripts and diaries. He enlists the help of John Wellfleet, who delves into the lives of his relatives, revealing their experiences during pivotal historical moments, including the 1970 War Measures Act in Montreal and the dangers faced by a Jewish scholar in Nazi Germany.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of historical context woven into the personal stories of love and survival. The novel juxtaposes the chaos of life under oppressive regimes with the intimate struggles of its characters, offering insights into the human condition amid turmoil. Through Wellfleet’s journey, the book examines themes of memory, history, and the enduring quest for understanding in a world shaped by past events. This edition spans 313 pages and is presented in English, inviting readers to engage with MacLennan’s exploration of time and its implications.
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Product Description
In the 1980s the Bureaucracy eliminated all knowledge of the past in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. In 2030 André Gervais discovers two metal boxes containing manuscripts, diaries, and other personal papers that have somehow survived and asks an old man, John Wellfleet, to use these documents to discover the past. In doing so, Wellfleet learns the truth about two relatives: his older cousin Timothy Wellfleet, a Montreal TV journalist at the time of the 1970 War Measures Act, and his stepfather, Conrad Dehmel, a German scholar struggling to keep his Jewish fiancée and himself safe from Hitler’s Gestapo. Hugh MacLennan skillfully juxtaposes the insanity of life in Nazi Germany, the political climate of Montreal in the 1960s, and the perspective of an old man looking back on the conditions that led to world destruction as the background to an unforgettable love story.
Review
“Voices in Time is Hugh MacLennan’s greatest novel.” Elspeth Cameron, author of Hugh MacLennan: A Writer’s Life
About the Author
Born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Hugh MacLennan (1907-1990) taught at McGill University from 1951 to 1981 and wrote novels and essays that helped define Canadian literature. His novels include Barometer Rising (1941), Two Solitudes (1945), Each Man’s Son (
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