About the book
The winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Marian Engel’s most famous – and most controversial – novel tells the unforgettable story of a woman transformed by a primal, erotic relationship. Lou is a lonely librarian who spends her days in the dusty archives of the Historical Institute. When an unusual field assignment comes her way, she jumps at the chance to travel to a remote island in northern Ontario, where she will spend the summer cataloguing a library that belonged to an eccentric nineteenth-century colonel. Eager to investigate the estate’s curious history, she is shocked to discover that the island has one other inhabitant: a bear. Lou’s imagination is soon overtaken by the island’s past occupants, whose deep fascination with bears gradually becomes her own. Irresistibly, Lou is led along a path of emotional and sexual self-awakening, as she explores the limits of her own animal nature. What she discovers will change her life forever. As provocative and powerful now as when it was first published. Includes a reading group guide.
Editions of Bear
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780771030802
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771093227
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771093791
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771099588
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780771030130
- EBook
- ISBN 9780771030147
- EBook
- ISBN 9781551992921
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780771001642
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780771001659
Read an Excerpt
The winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Marian Engel’s most famous – and most controversial – novel tells the unforgettable story of a woman transformed by a primal, erotic relationship. Lou is a lonely librarian who spends her days in the dusty archives of the Historical Institute. When an unusual field assignment comes her way, she jumps at the chance to travel to a remote island in northern Ontario, where she will spend the summer cataloguing a library that belonged to an eccentric nineteenth-century colonel. Eager to investigate the estate’s curious history, she is shocked to discover that the island has one other inhabitant: a bear. Lou’s imagination is soon overtaken by the island’s past occupants, whose deep fascination with bears gradually becomes her own. Irresistibly, Lou is led along a path of emotional and sexual self-awakening, as she explores the limits of her own animal nature. What she discovers will change her life forever. As provocative and powerful now as when it was first published. Includes a reading group guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bear about?
The winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Marian Engel’s most famous – and most controversial – novel tells the unforgettable story of a woman transformed by a primal, erotic relationship. Lou is a lonely librarian who spends her days in the dusty archives of the Historical Institute. When an unusual field assignment comes her way, she jumps at the chance to travel to a remote island in northern Ontario, where she will spend the summer cataloguing a library that belonged to an eccentric nineteenth-century colonel. Eager to investigate the estate’s curious history, she is shocked to discover that the island has one other inhabitant: a bear. Lou’s imagination is soon overtaken by the island’s past occupants, whose deep fascination with bears gradually becomes her own. Irresistibly, Lou is led along a path of emotional and sexual self-awakening, as she explores the limits of her own animal nature. What she discovers will change her life forever. As provocative and powerful now as when it was first published. Includes a reading group guide.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Bear?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of Bear?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780771030802
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Bear?
Marian Engel
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Bear is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780771030802) and paperback(ISBN 9780771093227) and paperback(ISBN 9780771093791) and paperback(ISBN 9780771099588) and paperback(ISBN 9780771030130) and ebook(ISBN 9780771030147) and ebook(ISBN 9781551992921) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780771001642) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780771001659)
Where can I buy Bear online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Bear from below