People of the Deer
| People of the Deer | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Farley Mowat |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Travel, sociology |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Publication date | Feb. 26, 1952 (rev. 1975) |
| Pages | 344 |
| ISBN | 9780316586429 |
| OCLC Number | 419715 |
| Dewey Decimal | 917.940049 |
| LC Classification | 52-5023 |
| Followed by | The Desperate People |
People of the Deer (published in 1952, revised in 1975) is Canadian author Farley Mowat's first book, which brought him literary recognition.
The novel is based upon a series of travels the author undertook in the Barrens region, west of Hudson Bay, out of which the most important one was in the winter of '47-'48. During this period he studied the lives of the Ihalmiut, a small population of Inuit people, whose existence heavily relied on the very large population of caribou that lived there.
Besides fascinating descriptions of nature and life in the Arctic, Mowat's book tells a sad story of how this population, once prosperous and widely spread, slowly degraded to the brink of extinction due to unscrupulous economic interest and lack of understanding.
Contents |
[edit] Criticism
The factuality of this book was debated in the House of Commons of Canada in 1953.[1] Mowat was derided as a liar by Jean Lesage (then Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources) and the existence of the Ihalmiut was questioned.[2][3]
[edit] Awards
The book was awarded the Anisfield-Wolfe Book Award by the Anisfield-Wolfe Foundation in 1953.
[edit] Reviews
The New York Times Book Review published a dismissive review on February 24, 1952.[4] The Beaver was quite hostile in its first review. The second review, by A.E. Porsild, was equally hostile, questioning the existence of the Ihalmiut.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Hansard 96 (31): 1243. Tues, Jan. 19, 1953.
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS: FARLEY MOWAT". As It Happens. CBC.ca. December 30, 2010. http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/episode/2010/12/30/thursday-december-30-2010/. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
- ^ Mowat, Farley (2010). Eastern Passage. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-0771064913.
- ^ Mowat, Farley (2010). Eastern Passage. p. 60. ISBN 978-0771064913.
- ^ Eastern Passage, pp. 66-67
- Mowat, Farley. People of the Deer. Little, Brown and Co., 1952. ISBN 0786714786 (excerpt; Table of Contents)
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