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And Miles To Go Before I Sleep
Away From Her meets Strangers on a Train in this follow-up to cult bestseller And the Birds Rained Down "A journey as geographical as it is interior... a bumpy route, but one punctuated by contemplative pleasures, by small, lost joys... Simultaneously introspective and captivating, [ And Miles to Go Before I Sleep ...] reconnects us to what is essential." � Les Libraires “Nostalgic and beautifully grotesque, this novel is delightfully baroque and, although short, so striking it simply will never leave you.� � The Coast , on And the Birds Rained Down "Cleaving closely to the award-winning Jocelyne Saucier novel on which it’s based, this eco-friendly, elegantly delivered tale about the sunset changes in the lives of a trio of graybeards living in the woods is engaging, thought-provoking and ultimately moving." � The Hollywood Reporter , on the film adaptation of And the Birds Rained Down After And The Birds Rained Down , a stunning meditation on aging and freedom (with more than 3,000 ŷ ratings), Jocelyne Saucier is back with this unsettling story about a woman’s disappearance. Gladys might look old and frail, but she is determined to finish her life on her own terms. And so, one September morning, she leaves Swastika, her home of the past fifty years, and hops on the Northlander train, eager to put thousands of miles of northern Quebec between her and the improbably named village, and leaving behind her perennially tormented daughter, Lisana. Our mysterious narrator, who is documenting these disappearing northern trains, is on a quest to uncover the truth of Gladys’s voyage, tracking down fellow passengers and train employees to learn what happened to Gladys and her daughter, and why.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
15 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Jocelyne Saucier
12books75followersJocelyne Saucier (born 1948 in Clair, New Brunswick) is a Canadian novelist and journalist based in Quebec.
Educated in political science at the Université Laval, Saucier worked as a journalist in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec before publishing her debut novel, La Vie comme une image, in 1996. That book was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction at the 1996 Governor General's Awards. Her second novel, Les Héritiers de la mine, was a finalist for the Prix France-Québec in 2001, and her third novel, Jeanne sur les routes, was a finalist at the 2006 Governor General's Awards. Her fourth novel, Il pleuvait des oiseaux, won the Prix France-Québec, the Prix Ringuet, the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie, the Prix des lecteurs de Radio-Canada and the Prix littéraire des collégiens, while And the Birds Rained Down (its English translation by Rhonda Mullins), was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for French to English translation at the 2013 Governor General's Awards.
Il pleuvait des oiseaux was selected for the 2013 edition of Le Combat des livres, where it was championed by dancer and broadcaster Geneviève Guérard. And the Birds Rained Down will be defended by Martha Wainwright in the 2015 edition of Canada Reads.
Educated in political science at the Université Laval, Saucier worked as a journalist in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec before publishing her debut novel, La Vie comme une image, in 1996. That book was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction at the 1996 Governor General's Awards. Her second novel, Les Héritiers de la mine, was a finalist for the Prix France-Québec in 2001, and her third novel, Jeanne sur les routes, was a finalist at the 2006 Governor General's Awards. Her fourth novel, Il pleuvait des oiseaux, won the Prix France-Québec, the Prix Ringuet, the Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie, the Prix des lecteurs de Radio-Canada and the Prix littéraire des collégiens, while And the Birds Rained Down (its English translation by Rhonda Mullins), was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for French to English translation at the 2013 Governor General's Awards.
Il pleuvait des oiseaux was selected for the 2013 edition of Le Combat des livres, where it was championed by dancer and broadcaster Geneviève Guérard. And the Birds Rained Down will be defended by Martha Wainwright in the 2015 edition of Canada Reads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
November 24, 2021
"And Miles to Go Before I Sleep" is written by Jocelyne Saucier and translated by Rhonda Mullins.
Gladys has taken the Northlander Train to get as far as she can from the town she's lived in for 50 years in Northern Ontario, Canada. Why has she left her adult daughter, Lisana, behind?
This story documents the search to find Gladys and is written by the mysterious narrator of this story. This is a book within a book, so to speak.
With a passion for trains, the mysterious narrator has thrown the same commitment into investigating Gladys' disappearance. He recalls interviews and face-to-face visits with individuals riding the same trains as Gladys. He recants the numerous phone calls to her friends and neighbors who help in the search and who are bewildered about how and why Gladys simply disappeared.
This audiobook is one of the few I haven't enjoyed this year and I was glad for the shorter listen. I found the narrator, J. Jean Elliott, to have a mostly monotone voice and his gender voicing to be virtually non-existent. Sadly, it felt longer than the actual listening time of 5 hours, 44 minutes.
What I did enjoy was Gladys' portion of the story. The most interesting parts were her history with the trains and her struggles with her chronically disconnected daughter. Listening to how much her neighbors & friends worried about her welfare and then seeing all the pieces of her disappearance come together were additional highlights for me.
What distracted me was hearing about the mysterious narrator's train stories and his love relationship with one of the characters in this story. Was this his story or was it Gladys'? This entanglement causes me to have mixed feelings about this book.
This is a much darker story than I anticipated. I had trouble making a connection with any of the characters so enjoying the story became a difficult task.
3 stars for the story, 2.5 stars for the audiobook averaging 2.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Coach House Books, and Jocelyne Saucier for a free ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. This book is available now.
Gladys has taken the Northlander Train to get as far as she can from the town she's lived in for 50 years in Northern Ontario, Canada. Why has she left her adult daughter, Lisana, behind?
This story documents the search to find Gladys and is written by the mysterious narrator of this story. This is a book within a book, so to speak.
With a passion for trains, the mysterious narrator has thrown the same commitment into investigating Gladys' disappearance. He recalls interviews and face-to-face visits with individuals riding the same trains as Gladys. He recants the numerous phone calls to her friends and neighbors who help in the search and who are bewildered about how and why Gladys simply disappeared.
This audiobook is one of the few I haven't enjoyed this year and I was glad for the shorter listen. I found the narrator, J. Jean Elliott, to have a mostly monotone voice and his gender voicing to be virtually non-existent. Sadly, it felt longer than the actual listening time of 5 hours, 44 minutes.
What I did enjoy was Gladys' portion of the story. The most interesting parts were her history with the trains and her struggles with her chronically disconnected daughter. Listening to how much her neighbors & friends worried about her welfare and then seeing all the pieces of her disappearance come together were additional highlights for me.
What distracted me was hearing about the mysterious narrator's train stories and his love relationship with one of the characters in this story. Was this his story or was it Gladys'? This entanglement causes me to have mixed feelings about this book.
This is a much darker story than I anticipated. I had trouble making a connection with any of the characters so enjoying the story became a difficult task.
3 stars for the story, 2.5 stars for the audiobook averaging 2.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Coach House Books, and Jocelyne Saucier for a free ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. This book is available now.
January 21, 2025
Kayıp Tren, vagonlarına okuyucunun da yerleşip yolculuk yaptığı, Kanada'nın Ontario bölgesindeki küçük kasabalar arasında gidip gelen duygusal bir roman.
Anne olmayı, doğa ile uyumu, yaşamı ve yaşatmayı onurlandıran bakış açısı ile yazılmış.
Yazar, tarihsel gelişimiyle tren hattının bu coğrafya üzerindeki önemini bir kayboluş hikayesi ile aktarırken unutulmuş "Okul Treni" mucizesi,
" Ormanın Çocukları"nın dostluk ve dayanışması, maden kazalarındaki kayıplar, göçmenlerin ülkeye yaptıkları katkılar kurgusal karakterler etrafında dile getiriliyor.
Sonunda kayboluşun gizemi çözülürken, sıradışı bir kadın olan Gladys, doğumundan ölümüne ilginç yaşamı ile ilham verenler arasına katılıyor.
Anne olmayı, doğa ile uyumu, yaşamı ve yaşatmayı onurlandıran bakış açısı ile yazılmış.
Yazar, tarihsel gelişimiyle tren hattının bu coğrafya üzerindeki önemini bir kayboluş hikayesi ile aktarırken unutulmuş "Okul Treni" mucizesi,
" Ormanın Çocukları"nın dostluk ve dayanışması, maden kazalarındaki kayıplar, göçmenlerin ülkeye yaptıkları katkılar kurgusal karakterler etrafında dile getiriliyor.
Sonunda kayboluşun gizemi çözülürken, sıradışı bir kadın olan Gladys, doğumundan ölümüne ilginç yaşamı ile ilham verenler arasına katılıyor.
January 7, 2022
For some reason, I thought this latest work by Jocelyne Saucier would be a continuation of . It's not, but I wasn't too far off. Both books are studies in aging, and both are set in Ontario, mostly Northern Ontario. So as I began to read it felt almost like visiting an old friend.🤗
The book follows Gladys as she spends her final few days riding the trains that were such an important and happy part of her life. And it follows an unnamed narrator as he travels the same routes, attempting to piece together the mystery of this beloved old woman, the distressed daughter she left behind, and the related people he meets along the way.
Saucier has a special talent for character development. Her characters are warm and engaging—the kind of people you wish were your friends. Towards the end of the book our "mystery narrator" is describing the many nights the group has spent at Suzan's table, on her porch, or around a campfire, and I felt a yearning to be there with them—in the warmth of that friendship. Saucier's characters are people you'd like to spend time with, even after you've closed the book.
And this is difficult to explain—probably even impossible—but there are a handful of authors in this country who seem able to capture the very essence of Canada, and of Canadians. Saucier is one of them. There's just something so familiar and comfortable about her novels—like pulling on a comfy old sweater on a chilly evening. Reading her stories can make you feel like you're home.
So... 5 "there's no place like home" stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
The book follows Gladys as she spends her final few days riding the trains that were such an important and happy part of her life. And it follows an unnamed narrator as he travels the same routes, attempting to piece together the mystery of this beloved old woman, the distressed daughter she left behind, and the related people he meets along the way.
Saucier has a special talent for character development. Her characters are warm and engaging—the kind of people you wish were your friends. Towards the end of the book our "mystery narrator" is describing the many nights the group has spent at Suzan's table, on her porch, or around a campfire, and I felt a yearning to be there with them—in the warmth of that friendship. Saucier's characters are people you'd like to spend time with, even after you've closed the book.
And this is difficult to explain—probably even impossible—but there are a handful of authors in this country who seem able to capture the very essence of Canada, and of Canadians. Saucier is one of them. There's just something so familiar and comfortable about her novels—like pulling on a comfy old sweater on a chilly evening. Reading her stories can make you feel like you're home.
So... 5 "there's no place like home" stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
February 1, 2025
Ben tüm yıldızları Northlander trenine verdim gitti. Kanada’da 1976 yılında başlayıp, kapandığı 2012 yılına kadar yolcu taşımış. Neyseki iyi haber 2026’da tekrar trenin rayların üzerinde gidip gelmesi plana alınmış. İyi habere sebep belki de bu kitap. Eminim:)
Wikipedia bilgileri ama sanki YouTube’da faaliyet halinde gibi gözüküyor:
�.
Kayıp Tren’i okuyunca nesne ile hem zorunlu hem de tutkulu ilişki kuran insanları düşünmekten kendimi alamadım. Sadece belli zamanlarda gelip geçen bir tren için garda olmasam bile o an bulunduğum yerden, evimden, bahçemden sesini dinlemeye özlem duydum. Nehirde balık avlamaya gelenleri bırakıp, sizi alacağım deyip bu sözü tutma endişesini taşıyan bir tren şefi ile tanışmak istedim. Kitaptaki gibi endişemi sonlandırdığı için trene binince ‘tekrar seni görmek güzel ahbap� derken omzuna dostça dokunmak istedim�
�
“Tuke tuk.
Rayların birleştiği yerde vagonların tekerleklerinin çıkardığı sestir tuke tuk. Vagonun her iki ucunda iki tekerlek vardı yani vagon başına iki tuke tuk eder. Toplam vagon sayısını elde etmek için tuke tukları sayıp sonrasında ikiye bölmeniz gerekir.�
Wikipedia bilgileri ama sanki YouTube’da faaliyet halinde gibi gözüküyor:
�.
Kayıp Tren’i okuyunca nesne ile hem zorunlu hem de tutkulu ilişki kuran insanları düşünmekten kendimi alamadım. Sadece belli zamanlarda gelip geçen bir tren için garda olmasam bile o an bulunduğum yerden, evimden, bahçemden sesini dinlemeye özlem duydum. Nehirde balık avlamaya gelenleri bırakıp, sizi alacağım deyip bu sözü tutma endişesini taşıyan bir tren şefi ile tanışmak istedim. Kitaptaki gibi endişemi sonlandırdığı için trene binince ‘tekrar seni görmek güzel ahbap� derken omzuna dostça dokunmak istedim�
�
“Tuke tuk.
Rayların birleştiği yerde vagonların tekerleklerinin çıkardığı sestir tuke tuk. Vagonun her iki ucunda iki tekerlek vardı yani vagon başına iki tuke tuk eder. Toplam vagon sayısını elde etmek için tuke tukları sayıp sonrasında ikiye bölmeniz gerekir.�
December 31, 2021
In the style of other Saucier books. this tale is soft and kind on the mind. There’s an intellect that requires pause. The characters burrow under the skin, and there is no pat ending that wraps things up nice and tight.
I’m pleased I read it. I feel I missed some of its depth, but am not totally sure where or why. But I’ll always pick up a book by this author and will do so again the future.
I’m pleased I read it. I feel I missed some of its depth, but am not totally sure where or why. But I’ll always pick up a book by this author and will do so again the future.
January 19, 2025
Tek başıma okusam sever miydim veya aynı hissi yaşar mıydım bilemiyorum. Ama grupla birlikte okumak cidden kitabı daha iyi yaptı.
Gladsy'nin ortadan kaybolmasıyla başlayan bir tren yolculuğu hikayemiz. Gladsy'i anlamak veya onu anlamlandırmak yerine bolca treni Kanada'daki tren kültürünü bizlere cok güzel anlatmış. Çocukluğumda birkaç kez tren görmüşlüğüm var ama hiç binmemistim. Kitabı okurken sanki yıllardır tren yolculuğu yapıyor gibi, sanki o school train gibi bizde olmayan tren kültürünü o an yaşıyormuşum gibi hissetmem çok eşsiz bir deneyimdi. Gladsy'nin kaçışını arayan yazarımızın aslında onun kilit taşı olduğunu herkesi bir araya getiren bir hikayenin ilk bağlantı ve en önemli bağlantı noktası olması sonuna kadar ne olacak diye merak ettirdi. Tabi ne oldugunu öğrendikten sonra devam etse de kitap hala aynı mutluluğu, aynı hazzı sunmaya devam etmesi kitap bitmesin diye çabalamaya başladığımı gösterdi. Tabi dediğim gibi tek okusam belki bu kadar cok sevmezdim bazı noktaları tartışmalarla birlikte daha da anlamlandırabildim ama yazara da haksızlık etmek istemem. Bende eksik olan bir parçayı gösterdi ve bir tren yolculuğuna çıkma hevesiyle yanıp tutusturdu.
Tabi tek bu anlamda değil geçmiş ve modern arasında, yeniliklerle birlikte eskideki kalbe dokunan şeylerin son bulmalarının arkasındaki anlamlı hikayeler de o günlerin değerini bilmemiz gerektiğine beni itti. Sosyolojik anlamda tamamen incelenip bizlere kültürel, sosyal, ekonomik, felsefi ve psikolojik anlamda birer ders verip ışık tutabilen yegane güzel kitaplardan biriydi.
Gladsy'nin ortadan kaybolmasıyla başlayan bir tren yolculuğu hikayemiz. Gladsy'i anlamak veya onu anlamlandırmak yerine bolca treni Kanada'daki tren kültürünü bizlere cok güzel anlatmış. Çocukluğumda birkaç kez tren görmüşlüğüm var ama hiç binmemistim. Kitabı okurken sanki yıllardır tren yolculuğu yapıyor gibi, sanki o school train gibi bizde olmayan tren kültürünü o an yaşıyormuşum gibi hissetmem çok eşsiz bir deneyimdi. Gladsy'nin kaçışını arayan yazarımızın aslında onun kilit taşı olduğunu herkesi bir araya getiren bir hikayenin ilk bağlantı ve en önemli bağlantı noktası olması sonuna kadar ne olacak diye merak ettirdi. Tabi ne oldugunu öğrendikten sonra devam etse de kitap hala aynı mutluluğu, aynı hazzı sunmaya devam etmesi kitap bitmesin diye çabalamaya başladığımı gösterdi. Tabi dediğim gibi tek okusam belki bu kadar cok sevmezdim bazı noktaları tartışmalarla birlikte daha da anlamlandırabildim ama yazara da haksızlık etmek istemem. Bende eksik olan bir parçayı gösterdi ve bir tren yolculuğuna çıkma hevesiyle yanıp tutusturdu.
Tabi tek bu anlamda değil geçmiş ve modern arasında, yeniliklerle birlikte eskideki kalbe dokunan şeylerin son bulmalarının arkasındaki anlamlı hikayeler de o günlerin değerini bilmemiz gerektiğine beni itti. Sosyolojik anlamda tamamen incelenip bizlere kültürel, sosyal, ekonomik, felsefi ve psikolojik anlamda birer ders verip ışık tutabilen yegane güzel kitaplardan biriydi.
January 26, 2025
Kayıp Tren'i birlikte okuyup nokta atışı yorum yaptılar:
Hatice Çakır
Anne olmak; evladını yaşatmak için yaşamayı, bazen de kaybolmayı gerektirir.
Kaptan Huk
Mutlu insanların edebiyatı yapılamaz denir, şöyle bir düşündüğünde evet çok doğru yapılamaz yapılamıyor; fakat Jocelyne Saucier yaptı.
Ramazan Atlen
Yaşamı da ölümü de gülümseyerek karşılamak.
Özben Yıldız
Yaşam ve ölümü birbirine bağlayan raylar.
Hatice Çakır
Anne olmak; evladını yaşatmak için yaşamayı, bazen de kaybolmayı gerektirir.
Kaptan Huk
Mutlu insanların edebiyatı yapılamaz denir, şöyle bir düşündüğünde evet çok doğru yapılamaz yapılamıyor; fakat Jocelyne Saucier yaptı.
Ramazan Atlen
Yaşamı da ölümü de gülümseyerek karşılamak.
Özben Yıldız
Yaşam ve ölümü birbirine bağlayan raylar.
March 28, 2022
Was für eine tolle Geschichte!
In eine Familie wird man eben nicht immer hineingeboren, mache Familie bekommt man im Leben auch geschenkt.
Und auch wenn es mal aussichtslos scheint, so ist doch immer Hoffnung da, auch auf das Gute im Menschen! Man muss nur genau hinschauen!
Ich mag Sauciers Geschichten sehr! So ruhig und doch so viel Tiefgang!
Edit 28.03.2022
Jocelyne Saucier hat sich mit „Ein Leben mehr� schon vor Jahren in mein Herz geschrieben. Auch mit „Niemals ohne sie� konnte sie mich überzeugen, aber mit „Was dir bleibt� bin ich ihr wohl auf Ewig verfallen.
Ich habe das Buch schon im Januar gelesen, aber die Geschichte lässt mich bis heute einfach nicht los.
Gladys ist 76 Jahre alt und eines Tages besteigt sie ohne jede Ankündigung den Nordländer-Zug und verschwindet. Und niemand versteht, wie sie ihre kranke (erwachsene) Tochter zurück lassen konnte�.
Ganz ehrlich, diese Geschichte ging mir am Ende sehr ans Herz. Wahrscheinlich, weil auch ich eines Tages vor der Frage stehe, was aus meiner „besonderen� Tochter mal wird, wenn ich mal nicht mehr bin.
Vielleicht bin ich deswegen auch ein klein wenig voreingenommen, aber trotzdem bin ich der Meinung: Wow…was für eine tolle Geschichte!
Ein bisschen Krimi: Warum ist sie weg? Findet man sie? Was ist passiert?
Ein bisschen Geschichte: Man erfährt einiges über die Canadian School Trains. Hatte ich vorher nie was darüber gehört oder gelesen.
Und natürlich einiges für Herz. Dass man nicht nur in eine Familie geboren wird, sondern dass man eine Familie auch einfach so finden kann, oder sie dich.
Dass es immer Hoffnung gibt und dass es sich bis zum letzten Atemzug definitiv immer lohnt zu hoffen und an das Gute zu glauben! Auch das Gute im Menschen!
Ich habe am Ende geweint. Nicht, weil es so traurig war, nein, ich habe geweint, weil die Geschichte so sehr JA zum Leben sagt und mir persönlich etwas Hoffnung für die Zukunft gegeben hat.
Saucier findet einfach die richtigen Worte, ohne kitschig zu werden. Bei ihren Geschichten bin ich immer nah dran, meist schon mittendrin und wenn ich ihre Bücher am Ende zuschlage, ist es, als tauchte ich aus einem anderen Leben wieder auf.
Leseempfehlung, ganz klar!
In eine Familie wird man eben nicht immer hineingeboren, mache Familie bekommt man im Leben auch geschenkt.
Und auch wenn es mal aussichtslos scheint, so ist doch immer Hoffnung da, auch auf das Gute im Menschen! Man muss nur genau hinschauen!
Ich mag Sauciers Geschichten sehr! So ruhig und doch so viel Tiefgang!
Edit 28.03.2022
Jocelyne Saucier hat sich mit „Ein Leben mehr� schon vor Jahren in mein Herz geschrieben. Auch mit „Niemals ohne sie� konnte sie mich überzeugen, aber mit „Was dir bleibt� bin ich ihr wohl auf Ewig verfallen.
Ich habe das Buch schon im Januar gelesen, aber die Geschichte lässt mich bis heute einfach nicht los.
Gladys ist 76 Jahre alt und eines Tages besteigt sie ohne jede Ankündigung den Nordländer-Zug und verschwindet. Und niemand versteht, wie sie ihre kranke (erwachsene) Tochter zurück lassen konnte�.
Ganz ehrlich, diese Geschichte ging mir am Ende sehr ans Herz. Wahrscheinlich, weil auch ich eines Tages vor der Frage stehe, was aus meiner „besonderen� Tochter mal wird, wenn ich mal nicht mehr bin.
Vielleicht bin ich deswegen auch ein klein wenig voreingenommen, aber trotzdem bin ich der Meinung: Wow…was für eine tolle Geschichte!
Ein bisschen Krimi: Warum ist sie weg? Findet man sie? Was ist passiert?
Ein bisschen Geschichte: Man erfährt einiges über die Canadian School Trains. Hatte ich vorher nie was darüber gehört oder gelesen.
Und natürlich einiges für Herz. Dass man nicht nur in eine Familie geboren wird, sondern dass man eine Familie auch einfach so finden kann, oder sie dich.
Dass es immer Hoffnung gibt und dass es sich bis zum letzten Atemzug definitiv immer lohnt zu hoffen und an das Gute zu glauben! Auch das Gute im Menschen!
Ich habe am Ende geweint. Nicht, weil es so traurig war, nein, ich habe geweint, weil die Geschichte so sehr JA zum Leben sagt und mir persönlich etwas Hoffnung für die Zukunft gegeben hat.
Saucier findet einfach die richtigen Worte, ohne kitschig zu werden. Bei ihren Geschichten bin ich immer nah dran, meist schon mittendrin und wenn ich ihre Bücher am Ende zuschlage, ist es, als tauchte ich aus einem anderen Leben wieder auf.
Leseempfehlung, ganz klar!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2025
Kitabı çok yoğun bir süreçte okudum, bazı yerlerde çok bölündüm çok dağıldım bu tamamen benden ve okuduğum ortamdan kaynaklıydı. Yine de beğendim, okuması zevkli ve akıcıydı. İlk başlarda merak uyandırdı, hafiften bir gizem yarattı bende. Sonrasında kitap beklediğimden farklı gelişti ama kötü bir gelişme değildi.
Karakterler güzel anlatılmıştı, hikaye güzeldi, çeviri güzeldi.
1 puanı bazı anlarda kitapta zaman dilimini kaybettiğim için kırıyorum. Nerede veya ne zamanda olduğumu ara ara unuttum.
Karakterler güzel anlatılmıştı, hikaye güzeldi, çeviri güzeldi.
1 puanı bazı anlarda kitapta zaman dilimini kaybettiğim için kırıyorum. Nerede veya ne zamanda olduğumu ara ara unuttum.
July 18, 2021
After reading And the Birds Rained Down, I was excited to pick up And Miles to Go Before I Sleep. The translation is dense, the story slowly picks up the pace (much like a train slowly leaving the station and gathering speed) and the characters are rich and full of life and challenge.
Like And the Birds Rained Down, death is a central character as the reader waits to see when death will arrive and what the aftermath will be as the narrator chases memories of Gladys, who left her home to ride the rails at the end of her life. Questions arose as to how she could leave her daughter, who struggled with suicidal thoughts and why she would pick up and leave.
Of course, I had to check out whether the school trains were truly a part of Ontario history and they were, teaching kids from isolated town to town so readers learn about the geography, the trains and the travelling schools. Check out this CBC article:
Overall, this was a terrific, reflective book and I am looking forward to my book club discussion. I also have to mention the great paper that Coach House books has printed this story on. As a tactile reader, I appreciated the texture and quality of each page!
Like And the Birds Rained Down, death is a central character as the reader waits to see when death will arrive and what the aftermath will be as the narrator chases memories of Gladys, who left her home to ride the rails at the end of her life. Questions arose as to how she could leave her daughter, who struggled with suicidal thoughts and why she would pick up and leave.
Of course, I had to check out whether the school trains were truly a part of Ontario history and they were, teaching kids from isolated town to town so readers learn about the geography, the trains and the travelling schools. Check out this CBC article:
Overall, this was a terrific, reflective book and I am looking forward to my book club discussion. I also have to mention the great paper that Coach House books has printed this story on. As a tactile reader, I appreciated the texture and quality of each page!
July 6, 2021
This is a quiet, deeply moving novel with a charming cast of characters in search of meaning and connection. I couldn’t put it down!
October 27, 2021
"When you have known happiness, it's impossible to believe that it's no longer possible."
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP written by Jocelyne Saucier and translated by Rhonda Mullins.
Gladys grew up on a train, the school train that endlessly criss-crossed the vast, remote wilderness of Northern Ontario. It was a childhood of great happiness. And although life has brought her plenty of sorrow � the early death of her husband, a perennially troubled daughter - she always carries inside her the joy of the train. 'When you have known happiness', she likes to say, 'it's impossible to believe that it's no longer possible'.
And now, nearing the end of her life, Gladys wants nothing more than to return to the rails. And so she disappears one day, leaving everything behind.
Our narrator, a train buff fighting to save the northern railways, becomes obsessed with Gladys's story, retracing her journey back and forth across the lonely landscape in search of answers, and tangling himself in the mystery as he does.
'Worth the long wait, this new novel rides the rails of Northern Ontario in an intimate investigation with many junctions� Addressing themes of aging and friendship, the author's serene style transports us with grace, like a train on rails that disappear into the distance.'
- Coup de Pouce
3 stars
AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP written by Jocelyne Saucier and translated by Rhonda Mullins.
Gladys grew up on a train, the school train that endlessly criss-crossed the vast, remote wilderness of Northern Ontario. It was a childhood of great happiness. And although life has brought her plenty of sorrow � the early death of her husband, a perennially troubled daughter - she always carries inside her the joy of the train. 'When you have known happiness', she likes to say, 'it's impossible to believe that it's no longer possible'.
And now, nearing the end of her life, Gladys wants nothing more than to return to the rails. And so she disappears one day, leaving everything behind.
Our narrator, a train buff fighting to save the northern railways, becomes obsessed with Gladys's story, retracing her journey back and forth across the lonely landscape in search of answers, and tangling himself in the mystery as he does.
'Worth the long wait, this new novel rides the rails of Northern Ontario in an intimate investigation with many junctions� Addressing themes of aging and friendship, the author's serene style transports us with grace, like a train on rails that disappear into the distance.'
- Coup de Pouce
3 stars
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February 9, 2024Un bon matin, Gladys décide de prendre le train et de partir sans destination précise. N’ayant avisé personne et la sachant malade et âgé, ses amis s’inquiètent de son départ hâtif et tentent par tous les moyens de la retrouver et de suivre le chemin qu’elle a emprunté.
Sur les rails, elle fera une rencontre marquante qui s’avèrera être une personne clé pour la suite de son voyage.
�
J’ai pris du temps à lire ce livre.
Il y a beaucoup d’informations sur l’univers des trains. Malgré qu’elles soient pertinentes, j’avais de la difficulté garder le focus sur les chapitres qui élaboraient davantage sur ce sujet.
Ce qui m’a surtout comblé de cette lecture, c’est la touchante histoire de Gladys. J’ai pris plaisir à dévorer les chapitres où l’on suivait son aventure. Son histoire est riche en émotion. On y voit du courage, de l’espoir et la force de l’amour inconditionnel. Celle d’une mère pour son enfant. C’était beau.
Sur les rails, elle fera une rencontre marquante qui s’avèrera être une personne clé pour la suite de son voyage.
�
J’ai pris du temps à lire ce livre.
Il y a beaucoup d’informations sur l’univers des trains. Malgré qu’elles soient pertinentes, j’avais de la difficulté garder le focus sur les chapitres qui élaboraient davantage sur ce sujet.
Ce qui m’a surtout comblé de cette lecture, c’est la touchante histoire de Gladys. J’ai pris plaisir à dévorer les chapitres où l’on suivait son aventure. Son histoire est riche en émotion. On y voit du courage, de l’espoir et la force de l’amour inconditionnel. Celle d’une mère pour son enfant. C’était beau.
March 18, 2025
La justesse, l’intrigue, le talent de Jocelyne Saucier. Le développement des personnages est superbe, difficile de s’arrêter de lire!
January 30, 2022
Le thème est intéressant et l’autrice a une belle plume. J’ai par contre eu de la difficulté à embarquer et je n’ai pas particulièrement aimé les allers-retours dans le temps.
September 15, 2024
J'ai trouvé "À train perdu" assez surprenant. J'ai grandi dans la région du nord d'Ontario où les événements de ce roman se déroulent et je continue d'y vivre en été depuis les vingt-cinq dernières années. Le projet de l'auteure Jocelyne Saucier de créer une mythologie de notre coin du monde est audacieux. Hélas elle ne réussit pas tout à fait.
L'action commence à Swastika (la croix gammée), une bourgade à l'intérieur de la ville de Kirkland Lake dont les fiers habitants ont refusé de changer le nom lors de la deuxième grande guerre. Leur devise étant: "To Hell with Hitler, we came up with our name first." (p. 38) Dans ma famille on approuvait entièrement la prise de position des Swastikois. L'intention de Saucier est probablement de mettre en lumière une certaine indépendance d'esprit dans la communauté ou évoluent ses personnages. Néanmoins elle finit dans son roman par accorder importance à un anecdote historique mineur.
Le nord 'Ontario a connu son époque de gloire avant la deuxième grande mondiale grâce aux multiples découvertes des gisements de minerai surtout de l'or. Depuis les années 1950 les gisements s'épuisent et on ferme les mines. Depuis le début du vingt-et-unième siècle les tarifs américains sur le bois canadien ont beaucoup augmenté la détresse économique de la région. Les scieries fermement et la population est en chute libre.
Saucier nous présente un nord d'Ontario qui a perdu sa raison d'être. Ses personnages vivent tous dans un passé très lointain. Gladys la protagoniste ne se remet pas de la mort de son mari survenue cinquante ans plutôt lors d'un accident dans la mine Lake Shore. Pourtant elle n'est pas folle, est noble. On pense à la chanson de Richard Desjardins, un célèbre chansonnier de la région: "Quand j'aime une fois, j'aime toujours".
Gladys est une héroïne superbe. Son amour pour sa fille dépressive et suicidaire est aussi fort que celui qu'elle a pour son mari défunt. "À train perdu" raconte l'histoire d'un voyage que fait Gladys sur les trains de l'Ontario Northlands et du Canadien National qui semble être une fugue absurde mais qui est en réalité un dernier tentative de sauver la vie et l'âme de sa fille. Gladys meurt comme le grand écrivain Léon Tolstoï qui avait fui son domaine sur un train dans un petit village isolé loin de son chez elle.
"À train perdu" est un beau roman. Il y a des passages qui font penser à "The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year" de Jay Parini. Cependant la qualité du texte est très inégale. En plus le lecteur doit vraiment vouloir rentrer dans le jeu de l'auteur. Malgré tout je dois avouer comme bien d'autres qu'il fait une excellente suite au grand succès de Saucier "Il pleuvait des oiseaux".
L'action commence à Swastika (la croix gammée), une bourgade à l'intérieur de la ville de Kirkland Lake dont les fiers habitants ont refusé de changer le nom lors de la deuxième grande guerre. Leur devise étant: "To Hell with Hitler, we came up with our name first." (p. 38) Dans ma famille on approuvait entièrement la prise de position des Swastikois. L'intention de Saucier est probablement de mettre en lumière une certaine indépendance d'esprit dans la communauté ou évoluent ses personnages. Néanmoins elle finit dans son roman par accorder importance à un anecdote historique mineur.
Le nord 'Ontario a connu son époque de gloire avant la deuxième grande mondiale grâce aux multiples découvertes des gisements de minerai surtout de l'or. Depuis les années 1950 les gisements s'épuisent et on ferme les mines. Depuis le début du vingt-et-unième siècle les tarifs américains sur le bois canadien ont beaucoup augmenté la détresse économique de la région. Les scieries fermement et la population est en chute libre.
Saucier nous présente un nord d'Ontario qui a perdu sa raison d'être. Ses personnages vivent tous dans un passé très lointain. Gladys la protagoniste ne se remet pas de la mort de son mari survenue cinquante ans plutôt lors d'un accident dans la mine Lake Shore. Pourtant elle n'est pas folle, est noble. On pense à la chanson de Richard Desjardins, un célèbre chansonnier de la région: "Quand j'aime une fois, j'aime toujours".
Gladys est une héroïne superbe. Son amour pour sa fille dépressive et suicidaire est aussi fort que celui qu'elle a pour son mari défunt. "À train perdu" raconte l'histoire d'un voyage que fait Gladys sur les trains de l'Ontario Northlands et du Canadien National qui semble être une fugue absurde mais qui est en réalité un dernier tentative de sauver la vie et l'âme de sa fille. Gladys meurt comme le grand écrivain Léon Tolstoï qui avait fui son domaine sur un train dans un petit village isolé loin de son chez elle.
"À train perdu" est un beau roman. Il y a des passages qui font penser à "The Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy's Last Year" de Jay Parini. Cependant la qualité du texte est très inégale. En plus le lecteur doit vraiment vouloir rentrer dans le jeu de l'auteur. Malgré tout je dois avouer comme bien d'autres qu'il fait une excellente suite au grand succès de Saucier "Il pleuvait des oiseaux".
April 14, 2023
Très beau roman! J'ai tout de suite été happée par le récit de cette vielle dame qui décide de partir en errance sur les chemins de fer. Le mystère de ses motivations était un élément narratif très fort durant toute la première moitié du livre. J'ai aussi beaucoup aimé les personnages du récit, à l'exception peut-être du narrateur dont je n'ai pas très bien compris le rôle jusqu'à la conclusion. Toutes les petites histoires sur la vie des différents personnages étaient très intéressantes et les aidaient à bien se distinguer les uns des autres. On retrouve beaucoup de thèmes communs avec Il pleuvait des oiseaux que j'avais adoré et de nouveaux thème comme le rapport au bonheur (entre ceux qui refusent de cesser d'y croire et ceux qui semblent le fuir). Je ne sais pas ce qui s'est passé à l'édition mais j'ai trouvé ;e premier chapitre nettement moins bien écrit que le reste du roman qui était à la hauteur de la réputation de l'autrice. Je préfère toujours Il pleuvait des oiseaux mais j'ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture et j'ai moi aussi envi de me lancer dans des recherches sur les school trains!
February 5, 2021
Bon petit roman dans la même lignée que - Il pleuvrait des oiseaux. Même lenteur dans le développement de l’errance ou la quête du protagoniste et dans un univers particulier celui des trains et d’une autre époque. Très bien mené. Une belle phrase : Quand on a connu le bonheur, il est impossible de croire qu’il n’est plus possible.
March 30, 2022
Es ist eine schöne Geschichte (kein Roman, kein Essay, keine Geschichte) von normalen Menschen, mit Problemen sowie die Beschreibung einer wunderschönen Landschaft.
Ein Buch, das sicherich noch lange Nachwirken wird.
Ein Buch, das sicherich noch lange Nachwirken wird.
May 2, 2025
j'ai adoré l'histoire autant que l'histoire des trains du nord.
August 22, 2022
3.5 C'était mon premier roman de Saucier, après avoir vu le film Il pleuvait les oiseaux. Ce livre me rappelle les voyages en train Montréal - Chambord l'hiver que j'ai fait souvent. On sent bien le territoire et ses habitants, et la partie sur les school trains est vraiment passionnante. On voit plusieurs personnages interpellés par le périple de Gladys, dont le narrateur lui - même, un jeune prof qui est fasciné par cette cavale et qui cherche à comprendre, et le personnage de Janelle, qui aura un rôle centrale dans l'histoire. Le livre est efficace et haletant, jusqu'au 2/3. Ensuite, ça s'essouffle un peu, et je me questionne sur le choix du narrateur, peut être avoir été dans la peau de plusieurs personnages narrateurs aurait été intéressant, surtout pour sa fille qui est centrale dans l'histoire, mais qu'on comprend très peu. Un beau roman très profond et humain certe, mais qui perd de son souffle avant la fin.
December 31, 2020
3.7 Le narrateur nous rapporte ses 4 ans de recherche et de témoignages sur la disparition de Gladys, la femme de Swatiska. Il y a quelque chose de beau et de triste à la fois.
September 23, 2020
J’ai mis beaucoup de temps à comprendre où s’en allait ce roman. Trop?
November 12, 2021
A beautiful and unique story told in an understated, descriptive style. The story is told from the point of view of a train enthusiast searching for an elderly woman named Gladys who disappeared from her home in a small village in Northern Ontario to travel on the Northlander train. Those who know her can't believe she would leave her troubled adult daughter Lisana alone . But Gladys was born and raised on the school trains which criss-crossed Northern Ontario, so this is a familiar place for her. At first this seems like an odd premise and point of view, but as the story unfolds everything comes together naturally, like the simple beauty of Jocelyne Saucier's writing. I wish I could experience her stories in their original French version but even the English translation is transcendent, a truly lovely experience! J. Sean Elliott's narration of the audiobook was a perfect fit for the voice of the train enthusiast trying to uncover this mystery.
March 10, 2021
Grosse déception pour moi. Je n’ai pas aimé du tout. L’auteure nous balance toutes sortes d’informations sur les témoins que le personnage principal interroge; ce qui enlève le focus sur l’histoire. C’est extrêmement décousu.
En plus, l’écriture n’ai pas facile à suivre, pas fluide.
Bref, j’ai rapidement décroché. J’ai lu environ 100 pages...puis le dernier chapitre et je l’ai rangé. Il y a trop de livres à lire pour se faire souffrir pour rien!
J’avais déjà trouvé “Il pleuvait des oiseaux� moyen alors je ne compte pas continuer à lire les autres romans de cette auteure.
En plus, l’écriture n’ai pas facile à suivre, pas fluide.
Bref, j’ai rapidement décroché. J’ai lu environ 100 pages...puis le dernier chapitre et je l’ai rangé. Il y a trop de livres à lire pour se faire souffrir pour rien!
J’avais déjà trouvé “Il pleuvait des oiseaux� moyen alors je ne compte pas continuer à lire les autres romans de cette auteure.
November 12, 2021
A simple, sweet and moving story about one woman’s last train journey and the impact it has on all those around her. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was fantastic, really brought it to life. The sweeping landscapes and small towns described make the whole thing very cinematic, it’d make a fantastic Wes Anderson film. Overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for something short and different to listen to/read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Coach House Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Coach House Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2021
Ich bin ein Riesenfan von "Ein Leben mehr" und daher habe ich mir auch das neueste Buch von Jocelyn Saucier gekauft. Sprachlich ist es top, doch die Geschichte der alten Dame Gladys, die sich in einen Zug setzt und ihr bisheriges Leben hinter sich lässt, konnte mich nicht überzeugen.
September 19, 2021
As the daughter of a North Ontario railroad engineer, the setting of this story felt to me like coming home. I might only have wished to know the narrator earlier in the story, in order to relate to him better towards the end.
October 29, 2021
I learned some interesting things about trains and communities in northern Ontario which I found interesting. I just can't put my finger on why I wasn't a little bit more enthused about the book. I think it is a lovely story, but perhaps had a clinical feel to it.
October 7, 2021
DNF. Much as I liked And the Birds Rained Down, this one just didn’t seem to be going anywhere and took a long time doing it.
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