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The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's series of novels set in the fictitious town of Manawaka, Manitoba. In parallel narratives set in the past and the present-day (early 1960s), The Stone Angel tells the story of Hagar Currie Shipley. In the present-day narrative, 94-year-old Hagar is struggling against being put in a nursing home, which she sees as a symbol of death. The present-day narrative alternates with Hagar's looking back at her life.

Plot summary

In a series of vignettes, The Stone Angel tells the story of Hagar Shipley, a 90-year old woman struggling to come to grips with a life of intransigence and loss. "Pride was my wilderness, the demon that led me there was fear."

Literary significance and criticism

The book, amongst other titles by Laurence, has been banned by some school boards and high schools, usually following complaints from fundamentalist Christian groups labelling the book blasphemous and obscene^[1].

Awards and recognition

The Stone Angel was one of the selected books in the 2002 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by Leon Rooke.
Made into movie The Stone Angel, filmed in Winnipeg and Hartney, Manitoba. Stars Ellen Burstyn.

I read the book and personal I didn't feel it was being blashpemus or obscur but a honest view of an elder women' struggle to accept aging , death and just accepting that her life was not what she wished it would of bee. Yes thier is some using of God's name in vain, cause her unability and anger towards of God maybe cause of her mothers early death in childbirth and what book doesn't use God's name in vain. Wow look at Grapes of Wrath every second page has that in it. So i think  that the banding of this book from schools is purely wrong. I think she wrote so honestly that people don't like that, some people seem them selves in characters and books and condem the book cause the cant seem to face them selves. I suggest for any one to read the book ,it is funny, real and most of all a real unique insite in to a women's heart and mind .Even though this book is fictional it could be real.I think also thought if Margret Laurence was here she would agree that people need to start facing getting older honestly .Maybe this was her way of growing old , show wrote a story but was brutally honest in it.Now if she would have put the book in first person then the I in it wouldnt been so interestigng but because it is written in third person it much more intimate .

Footnotes

^ Archived CBC coverage regarding the banning of the book

External links

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[1] Archived CBC coverage regarding the banning of the book

[1]

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 *''The Stone Angel'' was one of the selected books in the [[2002 in literature|2002]] edition of ''[[Canada Reads]]'', where it was championed by [[Leon Rooke]].
 *Made into movie ''The Stone Angel'', filmed in [[Winnipeg]] and [[Hartney, Manitoba|Hartney]], Manitoba.  Stars [[Ellen Burstyn]].
+ I read the book and personal I didn't feel it was being blashpemus or obscur but a honest view of an elder women' struggle to accept aging , death and just accepting that her life was not what she wished it would of bee. Yes thier is some using of God's name in vain, cause her unability and anger towards of God maybe cause of her mothers early death in childbirth and what book doesn't use God's name in vain. Wow look at Grapes of Wrath every second page has that in it. So i think  that the banding of this book from schools is purely wrong. I think she wrote so honestly that people don't like that, some people seem them selves in characters and books and condem the book cause the cant seem to face them selves. I suggest for any one to read the book ,it is funny, real and most of all a real unique insite in to a women's heart and mind .Even though this book is fictional it could be real.I think also thought if Margret Laurence was here she would agree that people need to start facing getting older honestly .Maybe this was her way of growing old , show wrote a story but was brutally honest in it.Now if she would have put the book in first person then the I in it wouldnt been so interestigng but because it is written in third person it much more intimate .
 ==See also==