Essayist, novelist, literary critic, and poet, Pierre Baillargeon was part of a group of young writers who set out to change the Quebec literary scene. Often shocking the public and critics with his bold criticism of Quebec, Baillargeon was praised for his pure and concise style, "son français impeccable ... soigneux, méticuleux autant qu'Asselin" (his impeccable French, ... as polished and meticulous as that of [Olivar] Asselin). Referred to sometimes as a moralist rather than an essayist, a fabulist rather than a novelist, Baillargeon published more than 420 poems, stories, and essays, occasionally using the pseudonym "Henri Brulard," as well as eight booklength works. He is now recognized as an important Canadian writer of the 1940s and 1950s. His condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church, the Quebec education system, and literary critics frequently earned him harsh criticism in the early part of his career, but he was...