Raymond Fraser"s book "Costa Blanca" illustrates the barren, frightening landscape of alcoholism and leads us into the depths of a soul bereft of self. It's amusing, it's entertaining, but it's a book with serious intent, and snyone living with alcoholism either as a victim, enabler, or innocent bystander, would do well to read it. Fraser portrays his unlovely characters with a deep sense of compassion. Many of them are so depleted their attempts at hope-filled solutions with impossible odds are tinged with a kind of noble courage. "Costa Blanca" is a journey into a world a disturbing proportion of our society inhabits daily. It is a world not without love, joy, and wit but one that ultimately destroys. It is also a journey through a mind and soul in torment and can be likened to Lowry and Orwell, but with a distinct Maritimes flavour. Now looking forward to Fraser's next!

I have read the book on Yvon Durelle at least several times since it was first published. As a 11 year old kid growing up in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia during the time Yvon was at the height of his career, he will never know the impact he made on our daily lives. He was one of us, the fighting fisherman. The author could of spent more time on how the Durelle family lived during this period. The 40's and 50's were difficult times in the Maritimes to say the least. The book should of portrayed the struggle of Yvon's career more. For someone from a small fishing village in New Brunswick to fight the greatest light heavy weight Champion of all time, and almost K.O, is the greatest achievement reached by any Canadian boxer ever. I fully understand that the author in order to write the full story has to write the negetive as well positive side to ones biography. Today we have a tendency to get caught up in the sensational, if the author would of stayed more with the grassroots issues of the day, such as family, the struggle to build a career in a very difficult business, more in depth description of his earlier fights, it would have been a better read. I had the chance to meet Mr. Durelle and his wife 12 years ago. They are very gracious hosts and I look forward to visiting their boxing museum someday in the near future.

Hi - this book is one I read a few years ago and again recently. I feel it was an honest attempt to relate the story of Yvon - but I do feel that more of it should have dealt with the challenges he faced in his boxing career - and less to depict his personality - or the way the author perceived him. The book would have been more intriguing if the reader could 'see' the lifestyle and era that Yvon lived through - for example look at the popularity of Frank McCourt's books - T'is and Angela's Ashes - the style used there would be better used in depicting the story of Yvon - and his wife and kids too. I was a little dissapointed in the sensationalism of negative things in Yvon's life rather than portraying the 'whole picture". The culture, lifestyle, and sense of family and pride is not shown as well as it should be.