6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great - and fun - read, even if you aren't a Canadian, November 26, 2007
This review is from: The Best Laid Plans: A Novel (Paperback)
Back at the beginning of 2007 I started listening as Terry Fallis released each week a new chapter of his book as a podcast episode from his website. Although not a Canadian, I rather rapidly got caught up in the adventures of Daniel, Angus, Muriel and the rest of the cast of characters and found myself eagerly looking forward to the next week to learn what would happen next! Once the book came out in printed form, I was delighted to be able to go back through and read it again. While the book is obviously about Canadian politics, the author provides enough background information that it is certainly understandable - and enjoyable - for the non-Canadian. In fact, as someone very interested in US politics the book was an interesting view in how politics works in our neighbor to the north.
Politics aside, the book is just a great *story*. I enjoyed the characters and how they evolved over time. I enjoyed the various different side stories... and I very definitely enjoyed the "Diaries of Angus McLintock" that ended each chapter once the book got beyond the initial chapters.
At the end of the day, no matter what our political system or country I think we all would love to have a few more politicians out there with the character and principles of Angus McLintock! Now we just have to wait to see what might come next for Angus, Daniel and friends.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A farting rookie MP tries to change Canadian politcs, February 12, 2011
In case you didn't know Best Laid Plans is the winner of the 2011 CBC Canada Reads contest. It was described as the "most essential Canadian novel of the decade."
It's not though.
If you allow the book to stand on its own merits - without hype or celebrity promotion - it fairs quite well. Best Laid Plans is funny, unique, and an enjoyable read. In the opening chapter you'll find this gem of a sentence: "Let's just say she was rather enthusiastically lobbying his caucus." Yeah, Terry Fallis went there.
I'm kind of glad Terry did too. Living close to America, some Canadians believe our politics to be boring in comparison to the antics of the Tea Party or the inspiration of Barrack Obama. It's not true. We have just as much quirkiness, just as much sliminess, and more then enough "huh?" moments. Most of it just goes unnoticed.
The novel takes place in the Ottawa area and centre's around a Liberal party political aide. In an effort to escape the party gives him one last assignment - to find a candidate for a riding that never votes Liberal. A few whips and chains later (!) the chosen candidate ends up being elected to office and we follow a rookie MP who just doesn't care about being re-elected or pleasing the party leader.
For many this book could be an introduction to Canadian politics. I wish there were more books like Best Laid Plans out there. But it's not grand or moving on the scale of "essential Canadian novel of the decade." It's just an entertaining and average read. Reading this will not change politics in the country as some claim.
Terry's main character, the political aide, is unfailingly whiny. He whines about leaving politics, he whines about a new relationship, he whines about politics, he whines about falling into dog poop... you the idea. The idea of one rookie MP changing politics is laughable as well. The perfection portrayed by MP Angus McLyntock is unrealistic, contrived, and equally as annoying. Its good that the books is about 350 pages because if it were any longer I would have said, "enough."
Indeed the only character flaw of the rookie MP is that he farts loudly. On that previous sentence, which aptly sums up Best Laid Plans, I end this review.
Rating (gouge my eyes out, below average, average, above average, more please)
Average
Enjoyed: Funny, an easy and quick read, rare Canadian fiction about Canadian politics
Disliked: Main character is whiny, unbelievable
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes funny, but not a particularly good novel, May 24, 2011
I listened to a podcast version of the novel, read by the author, after it won the 2011 Canada Reads competition. I've enjoyed some of the previous Canada Reads winners - for example, Frank Parker Day's Rockbound - but this one really didn't do it for me.
On the plus side, the book is genuinely funny at times - particularly the prologue, about the narrator's exit from Ottawa politics. The narrator's description of his girlfriend's infidelity is laugh-out-loud hilarious.
Unfortunately, while Terry Fallis is a funny, he's not a very talented writer. The novel is not strong from a stylistic perspective - the writing is mostly ham-fisted and didactic, and the dialogue is just bad. It's way too on-the-nose - this is dialogue the author wrote to hammer home his points, not to emulate the way real people actually speak.
The author also seems to be laboring under the false impression that split infinitives are grammatically incorrect. They're not - as almost any accepted style guide will confirm. That drove me a bit crazy, I have to admit.
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