Alice Munro

As this is primarily a short story site, I think we should congratulate the great Canadian short story writer Alice Munro on winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. It is definitely one of the most deserved awards in recent years. And for the curious: Yes, there are some spanking scenes in Munro's stories, but they are quite critical.

It's a pity Alice Munro doesn't write spanking stories. (I didn't know there were spanking scenes in her stories, I never tumbled on one). The Academy took its sweet time to homage this great, 82 year old Canadian that can be compared to Anton Chekhov the master of short stories.

Well done, Canada.

I have never read anything of hers, but as a fellow Canadian I take pride in the fact she is clearly a great writer and a Canadian. What does one say to that..eh..eh..what does one say to that. LOL

CS

I throw my hat into the ring for Alice as well. It's good to see anyone win over something like this in life. I've never read anything of hers, but I'm sure she's well deserving. Congrats, Alice.

Btw, I read that she hates to be compared to Chekhov. She prefers as a reference the Irish writer William Trevor. For me doesn't matter. She wrote excellent short stories with powerful characters which is always difficult in short works. And her stories aren't light at all, some are quite dark.

KJM

A truly great writer, now acknowledged with this award, she has, along with fellow writer Margaret Atwood brought enormous artistic prestige to Canada. I urge any lovers of the written word to seek out the works of these two authors, you will not be disappointed.

If we are talking about great Canadian writers don't forget the greatest of them all, Robertson Davies. Purely a subjective assessment of course but I love his trilogies. For sheer entertainment and storytelling I would put him up there with my own personal favourites Richmal Crompton and Frank Richards.

I agree, Alef, Alice Munro is a fabulous writer, though I have never come across a spanking scene. I do think my favorite Canadian writer is Margaret Atwood; her range of subjects astonishes me as well as her smoothly written text.
Islandcarol

Well, I suppose I should follow up my original post, although spanking scenes (or spanking references, I should perhaps have said) are definitely not the best reason for reading Alice Munro.

The most detailed scene I know of (I haven't read everything) is the opening story "Royal Beatings" of the collection "The Beggar Maid". The punishments Rose get from her father are not really spankings, but brutal and uncontrolled beatings. Typical for the complexity of Munro's work, the father is not really depicted as cruel — the beatings are outbursts of frustration and helplessness.

The story (or chapter) "Fathers" in "The View from Castle Rock" contains references to beltings the author got from her father in addition to much harsher (but implicit) mistreatment of a neighbor girl by her farther. There is at least one similar scene in one of the other books — I think "Lives of Girls and Women", but haven't checked.

The only sexual spanking reference I recall, is from the title story of the collection "Runaway". It goes as follows, but is not quite as playful as it may seem as the relationship between the characters are complicated and lopsided:

"If you ever try to run away on me again I'll tan your hide," he said to her,
and she said, "Would you?"
"What?"
"Tan my hide?"
"Damn right". He was high spirited now, irresistible as when she had first
known him.