Published in French in 1968 and in English in 1970, La Guerre, Yes Sir! is part of a trilogy of novels in which Carrier explores the history of Quebec from the late 19th century to the 1950s. The first book to appear in the trilogy, though not the first in the stories' chronology, La Guerre takes place during the Second World War. The body of a young soldier named Corriveau is brought back to his village in rural Quebec in a coffin draped in the Union Jack and carried by English soldiers. The ensuing wake starts off with all the rowdy good humour of a celebration of the young man's life and the heroic sacrifice he's made for his country. But tension begins to trickle in bit by bit--Corriveau died fighting in an anglais war that has nothing to do with the Québécois--and the wake begins to turn nasty and violent, resulting in the death of one of the English soldiers.

La Guerre is brilliantly plotted, and Carrier's timing is impeccable, walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy without allowing the tensions between French- and English-speaking Canadians to overwhelm the story. Add to this a cutting sense of satire, an infectious sense of humour, and a perfect ear for the rich cadence of the language of rural Quebec and you have a stunning work of fiction. La Guerre was a great critical success in both French and English Canada and in 1972 was adapted for the stage at the Stratford Festival. --Jeffrey Canton