The Stone Angel

The Stone Angel, first published in 1964 by McClelland and Stewart, is perhaps the best-known of Margaret Laurence's series of novels set in the fictitious town ofManawaka, Manitoba. In parallel narratives set in the past and the present-day (early 1960s), The Stone Angel tells the story of Hagar Currie Shipley. In the present-day narrative, 90-year-old Hagar is struggling against being put in a nursing home, which she sees as a symbol of death. The present-day narrative alternates with Hagar's looking back at her life.

Contents

 * 1 Plot summary
 * 2 Literary significance and criticism
 * 3 Recognition and adaptions
 * 4 References
 * 5 External links

Plot summary[edit]
In a series of vignettes, The Stone Angel tells the story of Hagar Shipley, a 90-year-old woman struggling to come to grips with a life of intransigence and loss. The themes of pride and the prejudice that comes from social class recur in the novel.

Literary significance and criticism[edit]
Amongst other titles by Laurence, The Stone Angel is consistently listed as one of the greatest Canadian novels ever written.[1][2][3][4] School boards have been pressured to ban her novels.[5] The novel is studied at the grade 12 university level in other schools.[6]

Recognition and adaptions[edit]

 * The Stone Angel was one of the selected books in the 2002 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by Leon Rooke.[7][8]
 * Made into a movie The Stone Angel, filmed in Winnipeg and Hartney, Manitoba. Stars Ellen Burstyn, Dylan Baker, Ellen Page and Kevin Zegers.