INTRODUCING HUGH MACLENNAN'S BAROMETER RISING: A READER'S GUIDE George Woodcock Toronto, ECW Press, 1989. 75pp, cloth, $18.95 ISBN 1-55022-114-0. (Canadian Fiction Studies #2). CIP Grades 10 and up/Ages 15 and up Reviewed by Don Precosky. Volume 18 Number 3 1990 May What we have here is a long essay which delivers on its promise of introducing a new reader to Barometer Rising (McClelland & Stewart, 1989 (1941)). Thankfully, it is not a "sell" job on Barometer Rising but a balanced account of its strengths and weaknesses. In his "Chronology" and "MacLennan's Life and Work" sections Woodcock provides that same new reader with a broad orientation to MacLennan's career and accomplishments. The bibliography is excellent - read it carefully for the helpful commentary it contains on some of the more important critics. The bibliography also tells a story between the lines. Most of the material cited is quite old. It is not that Woodcock has failed to cite recent criticism; it's just that there is little recent critical work on MacLennan in general or on Barometer Rising specifically. Maybe this little book will stir up some action and save the novel from becoming one of those "classics" more praised than read. Don Precosky, College of New Caledonia, Prince George, B.C.