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The Antagonist

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description The Antagonist Overview

The Antagonist is a 2011 novel by Canadian author Lynn Coady, structured as a series of unsent emails written by the protagonist Gordon Rankin Jr. to an old college friend who has published a novel using Rankin's life as material. The novel explores themes of masculinity, class, friendship, and identity. It was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2011.

help The Antagonist FAQ

Why does Gordon Rankin write emails in The Antagonist?

Rank writes to Adam, a former university friend who has turned recognizable parts of Rank's life into a novel. The emails are never sent, so Lynn Coady's 2011 novel reads as both an accusation and an involuntary autobiography.

What did Adam steal from Rank's life in The Antagonist?

Adam uses Rank's history as an intimidating college hockey player and his relationship with his volatile father as fictional material. Rank objects not only to the appropriation but also to being reduced to the role of a violent supporting character.

Is The Antagonist mainly a hockey novel?

Hockey shapes Rank's reputation and brings him to university, but the novel is more concerned with masculinity, authorship and who controls a person's story. Rank's enormous build makes others cast him as an enforcer even when that identity does not fit his inner life.

Was The Antagonist nominated for the Giller Prize?

Yes, The Antagonist was shortlisted for Canada's Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2011. Lynn Coady later won the prize in 2013 for her short-story collection Hellgoing.

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