Michael Crummey & Sin Lurking at the Door

 

      And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Genesis 4:4- 8 King James Version

Michael Crummey is one of Newfoundland's and Canada's preeminent writers, a poet and a novelist. His interviews are always insightful and entertaining and often humorous. While we were staying on Change Islands NL in September he observed during a CBC chat that Newfoundlanders, including ex-pats, have a great love for their land and sea, even though that love is often unrequited by the harsh and unforgiving environment.

His novels have leaned toward historical fiction, including his most recent pair, The Innocents and The Adversary. Both are set on the north coast of the province, in some respects companions to each other, and while the cove and community are themselves fictional they seem to be not far, geographically,  from the place where I began ministry 40-odd years ago and to which we regularly return. 

Crummey and reviewers have observed that The Innocents is an Adam and Eve story with two orphaned siblings, a boys and a girl, who barely manage to scratch out an existence in an isolated cove following the deaths of their parents. And The Adversary could be characterized as Cain and Abel, with a relatively privileged brother and sister who end up in a grim feud with each other in the fishing village and coastal trade centre where they are raised. 

I was struck by how much scripture there is in The Adversary, King James Version phrases which are often employed as darts and missiles to be hurled both in context and out, alongside the vulgar and profane language of everday life. Along with this there is a stern Anglican character who is described as "lenten-jawed", which is brilliantly more evocative than "lantern-jawed." 

I was also intrigued by the presence of a small group of peacable Quakers in the village, seemingly the only people who offer an antidote to the vengeful spirit of the place, although even this is tenuous. I had never heard of Quakers in Newfoundland but I discovered through some online snooping that 200 years ago there were congregations in a number of outports and towns around the island, even though there are virtually none today. Crummey has done his homework. 

In the interviews and articles about these two books there hasn't been much said about this religious content in The Adversary. Perhaps Michael Crummey will tell us more about how this came about along the way. 

Oh yes, both books are artfully written and compelling, but they aren't pleasant stories by any stretch. Would I recommend them? Yes, but "sin is lurking at the door"  (NRSV), so batten down your emotional hatches.