Genre: Non-Fiction, Comedy
Rating: B+
I (almost) always love reading about the Canadian identity,
particularly when it’s done in Will and Ian Ferguson’s self-deprecating,
satirical manner. This is such a book;
presented as a guide for immigrants on how to become like a Canadian, and
allegedly inspired by a conversation with Margaret Atwood, it covers everything
from how to find Canada on a map to how to talk, and apologize, like a
Canadian, to how to have sex in a canoe – because a work truly isn’t talking
about Canada unless it broaches that topic.
I don’t agree with everything that the Ferguson brothers have to say
here, and I don’t always necessarily like the way in which they present
themselves, but the feel of the book overall is pretty good. It’s kind of like one of those comedies that
can be cheesy at times, comic gold at other times, and pretty satisfying
throughout. I did think that some of the
comedy was just a bit too meta fictional and could have done without the in-book
arguments between the authors, which really didn’t serve the book at all. At the same time, however, I really would
have enjoyed it if they had gone more into the different regions of Canada, or
if they had discussed Canadian politics and government more. The chapter on the way in which Canadian
government works was hilarious, but at the same time in taking the stance that
they did they also dropped what could have been a really rewarding and
insightful chapter. Instead of really
going for it they took the easy root and got the easy laughs. In general, I think that’s what How to Be a Canadian really is:
easy. It’s an easy read, it’s an easy
laugh, and I suspect it was a pretty easy write as well.
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