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The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence is a contemporary look at Canadian small town life in the late nineteenth to the late twentieth centuries through the eyes of an upper class woman. This woman, Hagar, is in the winter stage of her life and reflects upon her experiences.
Margaret Laurence is so convincing in her biographical style of writing that I could not picture any one else as Hagar as I read this book. Although Manawaka is a town that does not exist, it is in many of her other stories. Margaret Laurence had made this association between Manawaka and her home town of Neepawa before on a Special done by The National Film Board of Canada as well as in other biographical works.
Margaret Laurence’s use of imagery gives the reader a vivid picture of where and when Hagar is referring to. The research Laurence did into the dialogue of those times is well used.
I enjoyed The Stone Angel because it gave me another perspective into human nature, not only the vanity of humans but their ability to recognise and try to change their ways. It is a very well written book and I am pleased to have read it. I must now read some of her other works.
Reviewed by Ken Veikley on April 6, 1998.