ABSTRACT
Only rarely does one have the opportunity to watch the growth and development of a true literary genius, and too often that opportunity is lost in a failure to recognize, at first hand, the characteristics of such a genius. In recent years, however, we have had an opportunity to witness the development of a Canadian author who has marched in long strides from the promise of his first work to the publication of his most recent offering, a novel that signals the full flowering of his greatness. Hugh MacLennan, scholar, essayist, philosopher, humanist and dedicated observer of humankind occupies a unique position in the literature of modern times. His new novel, The Return of the Sphinx, represents a high point in a career dedicated to keenly wrought studies of the Canadian world in which he has spent his life. One of the most exciting aspects of his career has been the parallel growth of his skill as a writer and his perception of the agonizing crisis which has for half a century crept up on Canada and her culturally divided citizenry.
