Apologia

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Great literature is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has their own definition of great and their own interpretation for what makes good writing. It is in my opinion that a body of work that can relate to people is worthy of being deemed good literature. Spanish Fly by Will Ferguson demonstrates human struggle, passions, ideals, and beliefs. The story relates so well to humanities issues and brings to the foreground unforgettable plots, characters, and themes. The history and research also spent into writing this novel is extraordinary and kept me entertained as the reader right from the beginning.

Although Will Ferguson is a world traveller “spending 5 years in Japan and living for a while in South America" ("Ferguson's Biography"), his roots are deeply Canadian “as he has lived cross country, from Prince Edward Island to Calgary, to everywhere in between” ("Ferguson's Biography"). Perhaps his somewhat nomadic lifestyle has allowed him to realize the importance of indulging in one’s own culture but also drawing on experiences and resources learned and gathered elsewhere. As Ferguson commented on CBC’s “Word at Large” Radio Interview Show, “[Travelling] has influenced my travel memoirs. In travel memoirs you need to evoke place and time, you use dialogue to reveal character, you rely on vignettes and the telling detail. Just like fiction” ("Words at Large"). His travels and lifestyle are represented well in his writing. The multiculturalism and unique diversity allows him to bring more to the table and could be one of the main attributes for the strength of his writing (Hunt).

What I believe makes this novel such an amazing and captivating piece of writing is Ferguson’s ability to create such fascinating and intriguing characters. As Ferguson commented on CBC Radio, it’s “the sheer, brazen confidence that they embody. They are self-invented, charming, brash and utterly unhindered by such restrictions as class, income, social position or a conscience” ("Words at Large"). I also find it interesting how as the reader I fell in love with the anti-hero. Ferguson comments “It's always the bad guys that fascinate us, isn't it? Not the noble hero, strong of jaw and pure of heart. It's the rascals that we find compelling” ("Words At Large"). Their personalities set the stage for an amazing plot line. Jack McGreary, the novel’s protagonist surprised me at the oddest of moments. At times I believed him to be this quiet, intrapersonal character, and then the next he will be daring and brute. He is simply an endearing character and is such a relatable character, pondering the ideas of morals and ethics. At the same time however, Jack is complex. Ferguson subtly drops hints and cleverly has the ability of “keeping his cards close to his chest”("Reviews of Spanish Fly"). His development of the plot through the little tid bits of information that revealed Jack’s true nature had me guessing as the reader to the very end. I would also wish to note that the complexity and strength of the research put in by Ferguson allows the reader to really understand the cons and the unfolding plot.

Furthermore, Ferguson undoubtedly delivers a great theme in Spanish Fly. For someone as big-hearted as Jack, he learns from his partners in crime that “it’s impossible to trust anyone in a world where you shouldn’t believe your eyes” (Kubik), in reference to the cons they pull. On one hand, the characters see the thrill of a well-orchestrated con, but on the other, Jack is troubled and empathizes with his “marks” as they say. The theme relates so well to the human condition and the fact that we all face moral dilemmas. Each of us can understand the torment it causes Jack through out the novel, but also applaud Jack for his strength of character and his ability to walk away from a life of crime to carve his own.

In closing, Spanish Fly is a remarkable work of Canadian literature. Ferguson digs deep into history and knowledge of the cons and characters. Rooted in the story, Ferguson timelessly embeds the morality and ethics of the human heart and its soul. It’s no trick or swindle that Will Ferguson has created such an amazing piece of good Canadian literature.