Controversial, unsettling, shocking. This is the story of a 27-year-old, lonely, woman who, alone on an island, who discovers an obsessive passion--one that breaks an ancient taboo and that could very well become deadly. "A quietly sensual, feminist story."--The New Yorker Lou, a shy and secretive young librarian is called to a remote Canadian island to inventory the estate of the recently deceased Colonel Cary. In a cabin on the island, she discovers the colonel had a secret as well. A bear is chained inside. Fascinated, Lou brings the bear into the house and slowly gains the animal's trust. She sinks her fingers into the bear's fur--and soon realizes her darkest desire is for this large, powerful animal to be her lover. But there's more to the story than the price to be paid for forbidden passion. This novel by award-winning author Marian Engel works within the logic of a fever dream as the young woman comes to an even greater, and unexpected, understanding of herself. Bear was first published in 1976 and won the Canadian Governor General's Award for English-language fiction. The novel has retained its power to shock, disturb, and move readers today.

'Bear,' she cried. 'I love you. Pull my head off.'

Lou is a librarian at the local Heritage Institute who lives a mole-like existence, buried among maps and manuscripts in her dusty basement office.

The chance to escape the monotony of her city life comes when she is summoned to a remote island to inventory the late Colonel Jocelyn Cary's estate. Hoping for an industrious summer of cataloguing, Lou heads north.

Colonel Cary left behind many possessions, but no one warned her about the bear. After a tentative start, Lou soon begins to anticipate the animal's needs for food and company. And, as summer blooms across the island, she discovers that the bear might satisfy some needs of her own.