The Incomparable Atuk

The Incomparable Atuk is a satirical novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler.[1] It was first published in 1963, by McClelland and Stewart. The novel was published as Stick Your Neck Out in the United States.[1] The Incomparable Atuk tells the story of a Canadian Inuit who is transplanted to Toronto, and who quickly adopts the greed and pretensions of the big city.

The Incomparable Atuk

First edition
Author	Mordecai Richler
Country	Canada
Language	English
Genre	Fiction
Published	1963 McClelland and Stewart
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
OCLC	19973849

It satirized the Canadian cultural elites of Richler's day, who in the novel fetishize Atuk first as a noble savage and, when his corruption becomes apparent, as a symbol of Canadian nationalism and anti American sentiment. Many of the characters are parodies of real Canadian celebrities, including Hugh Garner, Nathan Cohen, Pierre Berton, and Nathan Phillips.[2]

A film adaptation was in the works in the middle of the 1980s to the beginning 1990s, but never followed through. The movie, which would have been simply called Atuk, has been called cursed, as several actors associated with the film died, including John Belushi, Sam Kinison, John Candy, and Chris Farley.[3] Rumours of the script being cursed were dismissed in February 1999.[4]

Many overweight actors were interviewed for the movie, and the actors who died early were said to have lived rather unhealthy lifestyles. It also attracted the interest of other actors who have survived well beyond the film's ceased production, such as Will Ferrell, Jack Black, John Goodman, and Josh Mostel, as well as Jonathan Winters, who lived to age 87, dying in April 2013 (though some might claim the "curse" indirectly led to the premature death of Robin Williams, Winters' virtual protege).[5]