Lori Saint-Martin
Translated by Peter McCambridge

The Closed Doorpreviousnext Ekstasis Editions

“Every couple has its pacts, spoken or unspoken,” says Catherine, one of the narrators. “Ours is more twisted than most: I don’t cheat on my husband, while he only cheats on me with his models. And then only once, when the painting is finished. That way it doesn’t count. He owns up, I forgive him: that’s our pact. Sometimes I think it has served us well.”
In a series of alternating monologues, both halves of a couple examine close to 35 years of marriage. Years of togetherness, and of growing apart; of opening up the door to their studios, and of shutting each other out.
Best known as a literary critic and one of Canada’s foremost literary translators, Lori Saint-Martin delivers an elegant and refined debut novel that explores the mystery of what connects us to each other.

“A delicately written novel. An intimate, mysterious book. A pleasure to read.”
~ Marie Hélène Poitras, Radio-Canada

“The novel is never sentimental, but reflects all the complexities of love.”
~ Francine Mathieu, Info-Culture

“The author’s style is meticulous, assiduous. It sometimes reaches what we might call perfection. It is finely chiselled, but unforgiving, sharp, and scathing.”
~ Danielle Laurin, Le Devoir

Lori Saint-Martin teaches literature at the Université du Québec à Montréal and has published various critical essays as well as three short story collections. She is a well-known and award-winning literary translator, working in tandem with Paul Gagné. Together they won the John Glassco Prize in 1993 and the QWF’s Translation Prize in 2004, 2006 and 2008. They have also been short-listed seven times for the Governor General’s Literary Award, which they received in 2000 and 2007. The Closed Door, which first appeared in French as Les Portes closes, is her first novel.

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ISBN 978-1-77171-093-0
Fiction
170 pages
5.5 x 8.5
$25.95
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