Review Essay: The Making of Margaret Laurence\u27s Epic Voice

George Woodcock, international man of letters, once referred to Margaret Laurence as Canada\u27s Tolstoy. To some the comparison seems far-fetched, out of scale, but for others it has substance. Certainly, both writers were from continental plains and were drawn to large events in their country\u27s history; they wrote at length about the relations of the sexes, about injustice and the harsh impact of war, and about the plight of poor people. One could also note they both turned away from writing fiction in midcareer, feeling they had lost the gift, and instead addressed with moral authority the pressing issues of their times, trying to recover and practice the fundamentals of the Christian gospel. And for their large readerships they wrote in such a clear, straightforward, unadorned prose that they have been likened to forces of nature