Description

<p>In <i>On the Eighth Day</i>, Antonine Maillet imagines a solution to the world’s problems: a wider and more exuberant world, with its right more left and its left more right, created on « the day when everything is dared and anything is possible. » She spins a tale of two brothers — a giant carved from an oak tree and a scamp shaped out of bread dough — born one remarkable night when magic made wishes come true. Thrilled to have a son to call their own, Mr. Goodman and Mrs. Goodwife play favourite and bicker over which creation is the better child, causing a rift in the family.</p> <p>To ease the fighting, John-Bear and Big-as-a-Fist decide to set off to seek their fortunes. But first they must visit their godmother, Clara-Galante, to receive their inheritance. A witch who lives deep in the woods, she gives them three wishes and some kind words, before sending the heroes « out into the world to follow their curious destiny beyond the hills on the horizon, » left foot first for good luck.</p> <p>Wending their way through unforgettable lands — the Timeless Village, the Upside-Down Town, the Path of the Vicious Circle — the lads make many strange friends, who, peculiar as they are, seem strangely familiar. But, wherever Life leads them, Death lurks close behind.</p> <p>A wonderful picaresque akin to a cheerful <i>Gulliver’s Travels</i>, a comic <i>Pilgrim’s Progress</i> or an Acadian <i>Wizard of Oz</i>, <i>On the Eighth Day</i> is a fast-moving tale starring richly developed characters in a funny and poignant road story in which allegory gains power by taking a back seat to enchantment.</p>