Two Quebec novels about the Second World War

Even if the Second World War did not take place on Quebec soil, it left its mark on the nation. Many citizens volunteered and came back transformed, women began to work, families experienced bereavement. Quebec novels of the period often speak of it indirectly, by adopting the point of view of civilians, but few speak of it directly, by adopting the point of view of soldiers.

As part of a class, I read two prominent books in the latter category. Here are my thoughts on them.

Neuf jours de haine ("Nine Days of Hate")

The author, Jean-Jules Richard, volunteered in the army in 1944, at the age of 33. In 1946, he was wounded and repatriated. A freelance journalist for Radio-Canada, he has written several novels, and co-wrote the series Le Canada en guerre ("Canada at war")of the NFB. It is thus to say that his experience marked him.

Even if the story is qualified as a novel, it is a typical war story. Jean-Jules Richard claims to be a combatant, and thus assumes his credibility in telling the story: the soldiers he writes about, he knew them, and he was one of them.

Story from the front, Neuf jours de haine ("Nine Days of Hate") describes the day-to-day military operations, through the points of view of several soldiers of "compagnie C". There is no one point of view that is privileged, we go from one soldier to another, rather quickly. As a result, we don't get attached to the characters. When one of them dies, we don't feel much pain. It is a bit strange to remain indifferent to dramas, but in a way, this indifference makes it possible to better understand the point of view of those who live the war. We must remain strong. We have to keep going.

This is not a maudlin story, but a factual one. We see through the eyes of soldiers who advance in a battlefield without really understanding why, we even see through the eyes of the dead, as in a strange scene where the spirit of a killed soldier floats above the field and comments on everything, but very rarely do we have the point of view of civilians. So it's an extremely narrow view, but it's done on purpose. It shows the blindness of the soldiers. They participate in the war, but they don't understand it, because the war is incomprehensible.

If it is a novel, one should not expect a story. The elements are placed end to end without any precise structure. It is to mimic the nature of war, brutal, unassimilable, unintelligible.

It took me a while to enjoy my reading. The writing is a bit strange, and the disinterest is easy. But it left an impression on me: some images stuck in my head, and I kept a strange but tenacious impression.

Les Canadiens errants ("The Stray Canadians")s

Jean Vaillancourt was also a veteran, but when he enlisted, he was much younger than Richard: when the war ended, he was only 23. He published a few articles in La Presse, but Les Canadiens errants ("The Stray Canadians") est son seul roman.

In Les Canadiens errants ("The Stray Canadians"), the author wants to show that the war was not foreign, but well anchored in Quebec. First, by the title: "Le Canadien errant", the title of a song by Antoine Gérin-Lajoie, in homage to the Patriotes exiled after the failure of the Rebellions of 1837-38. Then, by the language, very oral:

"It seems that the people of these old countries are happier than us. That they don't have our worries, or that they don't care. They're often as poor as salt, and yet, with the little they have, it seems they know how to take life better than the rest of us. What do you think, Xavier?
- I don't have any worries either. That's the way to live.

This statement drew criticism when his book was published. As if we were attached to the idea that war is exotic, that it's not happening at home, that it doesn't really concern us.

This novel is perhaps more accessible than Neuf jours de haine ("Nine Days of Hate"). The characters are more sympathetic to us; we have access to their thoughts, their feelings, and their past. The soldiers, here, are not only soldiers. The writing is more poetic.

And above all, the novel introduces an unusual aspect: the return of the soldiers at the end of the war. While the propaganda had pushed them to go and fight, when they return, nobody knows what to do with them. While at least in the war there was solidarity between men, when they return, they are truly lost. Wounded, traumatized, damaged, they never manage to reintegrate into civilian life. They wander.

Conclusion

Les Canadiens errants ("The Stray Canadians") is, I think, easier to approach. It is more human, more touching. But there's something about Neuf jours de haine ("Nine Days of Hate") that marked me: it is singular. The writing, the narrative, the war scenes, everything was strange. I can't claim to understand anything about war: and that's Neuf jours de haine ("Nine Days of Hate") which, paradoxically, made me realize it.

These books are unfortunately difficult to find. They are not on leslibraires.ca, and not always available on Amazon. So keep your eyes open.