Enlarge Image
To embed a link to this book on your own website, please copy the script below.
Born on the twin backs of torpidity and obsession, In the Beggarly Style of Imitation is a voyage into the mind of one of the Canadian literary underground’s most unruly writers. Equal parts tribute to the historical genesis of the novel and the well-trodden subject of love, ... Read more
Born on the twin backs of torpidity and obsession, In the Beggarly Style of Imitation is a voyage into the mind of one of the Canadian literary underground’s most unruly writers. Equal parts tribute to the historical genesis of the novel and the well-trodden subject of love, the exercises of imitation contained in this collection offer a brief survey through the illustrious forms and genres of literary expression: epistolary, aphorism, essay, picaresque, romance and satire culminate in a celebratory brand of fiction that proves with finality that imitation is truly the vilest form of flattery.
Jean Marc Ah-Sen was born in East York, Ontario, in 1987. He comes from a family of Mauritian winemakers and was a frequent contributor to the Innis Herald, a University of Toronto newspaper. He lives in Toronto with his wife and son. Grand Menteur is his first novel. Find Ah-Sen on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jeanmarcahsen) or Twitter @jeanmarcahsen.
“Ah-Sen's work is a treasure—playful, curious and mischievous. Reading his work is like being guided through a storm by a generous but unhinged soothsayer, one who never forgets the pleasures of language or the vagaries of relationships. Ah-Sen is consistently capable of finding great beauty and piercing insight amidst the banalities of daily life. ”
“Jean Marc Ah-Sen is my favourite stylist among young Canadian novelists, as committed to creating contrasting prose effects for each section of In the Beggarly Style of Imitation as he is to forging unique characters. There's writing about race in this book that is vital, surprising, discomfiting, all the more so because Ah-Sen maintains a tension between play and dead-seriousness that doesn't allow readers to firmly choose a side: the game remains undefined. I never knew what was going to happen on the next page, which is perhaps the rarest experience in reading. ”
Sign Up or Sign In to add your review or comment.
This week's roundup includes new poetry, a performance edition of Indie Reading Room, book design, the healing power of art, and more!
At ALU we love bookish roundups and birthdays so we're putting them together and celebrating with a roundup of 6 + 6 books that made an impact on us over the last year. And we're taking 20% off any of our birthday selections for one week (until Sept 22) so you can enjoy them ... Read more
It's been an important, albeit heartbreaking news week. We continue to learn from Black communities and stand together in solidarity against anti-Black racism. Here's a list of books by Black writers on All Lit Up that we hope you check out.
Read on for more happenings ... Read more
We electronically chatted with Jean Marc Ah-Sen—author of the highly praised novel The Grand Menteur—who is back with a literary mashup of varying prose styles in his new short story collection In the Beggarly Style of Imitation (Nightwood Editions). Filled ... Read more
We'll send you bi-monthly updates to keep you in the loop on the best of our blog, special campaigns and offers, AND news on the latest in literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry from indie publishers across Canada.
We'll send you bi-monthly updates to keep you in the loop on the best of our blog, special campaigns and offers, AND news on the latest in literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry from indie publishers across Canada.
Copyright © 2022 All Lit Up. All Rights Reserved.
All Lit Up is produced by the Literary Press Group and LitDistCo. LPG and LitDistCo acknowledge the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Ontario Arts Council.
All views expressed by bloggers and contributors to the All Lit Up blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of All Lit Up or the Literary Press Group.
All Lit Up acknowledges we are hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis and the Inuit people, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to meet and work on this territory.
