Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! Requiem for a Divided Country is a book by Canadian novelistMordecai Richler. Published in 1992, it parodied the evolution of language policy in Quebec, and spoofed the Canadian province of Quebec's language laws that restrict the use of the English language. The book, a best-seller, grew out of a long article published in a September 1991 issue of The New Yorker.
Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!
The first edition of Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!: Requiem for a Divided Country
With a sure satirical eye, Richler takes a look at what he calls "the western world's goofiest and most unnecessary political crisis. English-speaking Quebecers endure Draconian language laws prohibiting English or bilingual signs in Montreal because they are seen as an affront to the city's visage linguistique.[1]
Reactionedit
Following the publication of Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! Richler faced a great deal of criticism from Quebec nationalists in the French media and some in English-Canada.[2]Pierrette Venne, a Bloc Québécois MP called for the book to be banned.[3] Daniel Latouche compared the book to Mein Kampf.[4]Jean-François Lisée said "The contempt that he has for Quebecers, and for the facts, that trickles from every page, hurt me, as a Quebecer, [...] as a journalist also, as an author, the intellectual dishonesty with which he plays with the facts, he makes comparisons that are absolutely unacceptable, it gave me an enormous headache to read this book, it stopped me from sleeping. [...] Evidently, here in Quebec, we know that he exaggerates, but someone has to say it to English Canadians". He did so in a televised debate on the then-fledgling CBC Newsworld network, facing Richler.[5]
Nadia Khouri believes that there was an anti-semitic undertone in some of the reaction to Richler, emphasizing that he wasn't "one of us," as Richler was Jewish. [6] or that he wasn't a "real Quebecer."[7] Additionally some passages were deliberately misquoted, such as the section about Quebec women being like "sows".[8] Other French writers also thought there had been an overreaction, including Jean-Hugues Roy, Étienne Gignac, Serge-Henri Vicière, and Dorval Brunelle.
^"Controverse autour du livre Oh Canada Oh Québec!" video, Archives, Société Radio-Canada, March 31, 1992, retrieved September 22, 2006
^"Richler, Trudeau, Lasagne et les autres", October 22, 1991. Le Devoir
^Sarah Scott, Geoff Baker, "Richler Doesn't Know Quebec, Belanger Says; Writer 'Doesn't Belong', Chairman of Panel on Quebec's Future Insists", The Gazette, 20 September 1991.
^Khouri, Nadia. Qui a peur de Mordecai Richler. Montréal: Éditions Balzac, 1995.
January 01, 1970
canada, quebec, requiem, divided, country, book, canadian, novelist, mordecai, richler, published, 1992, parodied, evolution, language, policy, quebec, spoofed, canadian, province, quebec, language, laws, that, restrict, english, language, book, best, seller, . Oh Canada Oh Quebec Requiem for a Divided Country is a book by Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler Published in 1992 it parodied the evolution of language policy in Quebec and spoofed the Canadian province of Quebec s language laws that restrict the use of the English language The book a best seller grew out of a long article published in a September 1991 issue of The New Yorker Oh Canada Oh Quebec The first edition of Oh Canada Oh Quebec Requiem for a Divided CountryAuthorMordecai RichlerCover artistMartin Gould design Hames Seeley photograph CountryCanadaLanguageEnglishGenreNon fictionPublisherPenguin BooksPublication date1992Media typePrint Paperback Pages277 first edition paperback ISBN0 14 016817 6 first edition paperback OCLC26256070Preceded byWriters on World War II Followed byThis Year in Jerusalem According to the book cover With a sure satirical eye Richler takes a look at what he calls the western world s goofiest and most unnecessary political crisis English speaking Quebecers endure Draconian language laws prohibiting English or bilingual signs in Montreal because they are seen as an affront to the city s visage linguistique 1 Reaction editFollowing the publication of Oh Canada Oh Quebec Richler faced a great deal of criticism from Quebec nationalists in the French media and some in English Canada 2 Pierrette Venne a Bloc Quebecois MP called for the book to be banned 3 Daniel Latouche compared the book to Mein Kampf 4 Jean Francois Lisee said The contempt that he has for Quebecers and for the facts that trickles from every page hurt me as a Quebecer as a journalist also as an author the intellectual dishonesty with which he plays with the facts he makes comparisons that are absolutely unacceptable it gave me an enormous headache to read this book it stopped me from sleeping Evidently here in Quebec we know that he exaggerates but someone has to say it to English Canadians He did so in a televised debate on the then fledgling CBC Newsworld network facing Richler 5 Nadia Khouri believes that there was an anti semitic undertone in some of the reaction to Richler emphasizing that he wasn t one of us as Richler was Jewish 6 or that he wasn t a real Quebecer 7 Additionally some passages were deliberately misquoted such as the section about Quebec women being like sows 8 Other French writers also thought there had been an overreaction including Jean Hugues Roy Etienne Gignac Serge Henri Viciere and Dorval Brunelle See also editCharter of the French Language Delisle Richler controversyReferences edit Oh Canada Oh Quebec Requiem for a Divided Country Penguin Books Canada 1992 Smart Pat Daring to Disagree with Mordecai in Canadian Forum May 1992 p 8 Johnson William 2001 07 07 Opinion Oh Mordecai Oh Quebec The Globe and Mail Retrieved 2021 11 14 Le Grand Silence Le Devoir March 28 1992 Controverse autour du livre Oh Canada Oh Quebec video Archives Societe Radio Canada March 31 1992 retrieved September 22 2006 Richler Trudeau Lasagne et les autres October 22 1991 Le Devoir Sarah Scott Geoff Baker Richler Doesn t Know Quebec Belanger Says Writer Doesn t Belong Chairman of Panel on Quebec s Future Insists The Gazette 20 September 1991 Khouri Nadia Qui a peur de Mordecai Richler Montreal Editions Balzac 1995 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oh Canada Oh Quebec amp oldid 1204678305, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
