The Bishop's Man

Book: The Bishop's Man

Author: Linden MacIntyre

Chapter One

From what I have read of the Bishop's Man, it seems to be deserving of its Giller Prize victory. The chapter opens with a mystery drawing the reader into its plot. As you continue, you begin to find out more about the character. You find out that he is a war child and a priest. You find out his age and little bits about his past and what his job in the priesthood entails. MacIntyre uses a lot of detail in moments where detail is appropriate. His writing style is very thoughtful and seems to follow the same path that the mind would follow in real life. This effect makes the story feel interactive.

MacIntyre uses a lot of flashbacks in this excerpt. As a result of this, the reader can clearly map out the character progressions. What I found particularly unique about these progressions was the simplicity of some. For example the character progression of Dan MacKay was recognized by one exchange of dialogue. It showed his advancement from "Danny Bad" to a family man in Dan MacKay. The progress made by the main character, Father MacAskill, is all mental. He still does the dirty work for the Bishop as he did at the beginning, but he now has reluctance in his duties. The Bishop seems to remain a self absorbed man who does not want to get tangled up in anything from start to finish.

I felt that MacIntyre's usage of flashbacks and dialogue made this story an enjoyable and fascinating ride for the reader. His impeccable use of detail was unconventional and really seemed to compliment his writing style and the plot development. The end of Chapter One really enticed me to read on.