54 pages 1 hour read

Jacques Poulin

Volkswagen Blues

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Volkswagen Blues, by Jacques Poulin, follows Jack Waterman, a French Canadian writer, and La Grande Sauterelle, a young woman of French and Native American descent, on a cross-continent journey from Quebec to San Francisco, searching for Jack’s missing brother. Their road trip becomes a broader exploration of self-discovery, cultural identity, and historical reflection, mirroring Quebec’s cultural and political struggles. The novel addresses the massacre of Indigenous peoples.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Jacques Poulin's Volkswagen Blues is widely praised for its lyrical prose and deep exploration of personal identity and American history. Reviewers commend the novel's richly drawn characters and evocative landscapes, though some find the pacing slow. Overall, the book's meditative charm and thoughtful narrative resonate deeply with readers.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Volkswagen Blues?

A lover of road novels and profound human connections, readers who favor the introspective and character-driven narratives seen in John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley or Jack Kerouac’s On the Road will enjoy Jacques Poulin’s Volkswagen Blues. They appreciate journeys that explore both geography and the human soul.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Education

French Literature

Canadian Literature

Topics

Education

Period

Classical Period