THE SLEEPING CAR PORTER
by Suzette Mayr
Every year when the Giller Prize, one of Canada’s top literary awards, is announced, I buy the book. I finally got around to reading the 2022 winner, The Sleeping Car Porter. This book was engrossing and beautiful and I would never have discovered it if not for the Prize.
Set almost entirely on a train from Montreal to Vancouver in the era when that was how one got between those two places, the novel focuses on the day-to-day (and night-to-night) life of a porter named Baxter. He essentially does the entire four-day run with only the occasional half hour of stolen sleep. When a mudslide strands them in the mountains for an indefinite period, Baxter's sleep deprivation causes his thoughts to unravel.
Baxter’s ultimate ambition is to become a dentist, so he judges the character of his guests, his boss and his fellow porters by their teeth. Tension runs high throughout the ride because any little complaint or accident could cost Baxter his job. I found The Sleeping Car Porter absolutely addictive, both for the plot and the fascinating way Baxter’s mind works. Suzette Mayr is new to me, but I will definitely be checking out more of her work. (Lily)
