Customer Reviews

The Best Laid Plans

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

This is a fun read. You won't want to put it down. If you want to be entertained, but aren't too concerned about believability or fairness, then this will work for you.

There are some problems however:

* The author's (and hence the characters') obsession with grammatical pedantry is boring at best, irritating and pretentious at worst.

* There is no attempt at political fairness. All conservatives are hypocritically puritan, lack compassion, and will do anything for power. Liberals are presumed to be "better" despite showing all of the same characteristics.

* The public humiliation of the conservative candidate is never explored. A popular and successful figure, his political career ends when he is accidentally revealed to be engaging in an entirely legal activity. The book has nothing to say about this great unfairness, except "tee hee."

* Angus is an elderly Scottish engineering professor who is also a radical feminist. He holds exactly the correct opinion on absolutely everything. This is very helpful in getting him elected; of course, it also means he could never exist.

But if you can skip over these cognitive road bumps, you will enjoy the ride. This is a very readable book, and the sequel is worth checking out too.

Considering this is the CBC Canada Reads 2011 winner, I was expecting a bit more. Yes, it was entertaining, but I wouldn't put it in the class of award winner by any stretch. I found the storyline a bit predictable, and somewhat contrived (as a Canadian, I couldn't imagine any of this actually happening). I had considered picking up the sequel at the same time as I bought this one, but by the end of this book, I had pretty much lost interest in the whole story.

THe story of this book is facsinating. Every authors' dream. He was turned down by all the publishers. So he self published the book. He then submitted it and won a Stephen Leacock award for humour.

I enjoyed the book (and I rarely read non-fiction). Political and humourous. Not fall down funny but I did smile.

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.

I loved the insight to the world of Canadian parliament and the books realistic portrait of Politics inner workings. This book kept me engaged and I was laughing out loud in the wee hours of the morning when I couldn't' put it down.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I smiled so much my face hurt!

I was soon routing for Angus and enjoyed his gruff nature. Angus for Prime Minister!

Terry does a great job drawing the mental picture of Ottawa, I often drifted back to my own childhood memories living in the Ottawa Valley and exploring the grounds of The Hill.

I just finished reading "The Best Laid Plans" and have already moved on to "The High Road". I really enjoyed "The Best Laid Plans", even though I am really not into politics at all. This book is heavily political and I'm sure that Terry Fallis must have spend some time on "the hill" (or at least have some fantastic researchers...) and so should be a book that I really would never pick up. But the characters in this book are incredibly likeable and Terry Fallis has a gift for humourous exchanges. Although the end becomes slightly 'over the top', you can accept it because it is truly what you want these genuine characters to do. I would definitely recommend this book as I never thought I would like it but ended up being very pleasantly surprised.

At first glance, this book is something a lot of people would overlook or put down once picking up off the table at the bookstore. Pick it up and read it, however, because it's a very entertaining read.

Yes, it's a political satire and, yes, it's a satire about CANADIAN politics. That will turn some people off, but it's well worth it. First of all, the average American will learn more about Canada in this book than you've probably ever known. Second of all, the humor is witty all the way through.

The book has won several big awards in Canada and, honestly deserves to be a hit in The States, as well. It's a very funny, very touching, very honest read. Give it a shot.

Oh, it's all about a scruffy, curmudgeon of an Engineering Professor being duped into running for Parliament and inexplicably winning his seat against all odds. But he doesn't even want the job. What's a campaign manager to do with a guy like that?

Read the book and fine out. You'll really enjoy it. Then, go read the sequel. Yes, the sequel.