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Douglas Coupland

Souvenir of Canada Paperback – March 19, 2004

by Douglas Coupland (Author)

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Full of surprises and insights, Souvenir of Canada presents us as we have never seen ourselves before in an irresistible flow of text and image.

Douglas Coupland offers new ways of seeing and experiencing Canada-looking at how it feels to be a Canadian right now and speculating what it might feel like in the future. From collective memories, he locates objects like stubbie beer bottles and ookpiks, Kraft dinner and maple walnut ice cream. And with the same unique sensibility, he considers significant events and relevant issues, like the flq crisis, Canada's relationship with the United States, medicare and the landscape itself.

In the section humbly titled "Cheese," he writes: "When you assemble them together, foods that feel intuitively Canadian look more like camping trip provisions than actual groceries...Canada is a cold and northern country...from a biological standpoint, it is imperative that Canadians stockpile concentrated forms of sugars, carbohydrates, fats and salt."

The 50 personal categories of the 30,000-word text are arranged alphabetically and matched with 100 illustrations (50 in colour)-new luscious photos taken by Coupland himself, images of Canadian ephemera and icons, historical photos and pictures from other quite startling sources. Included are photos of cultural installations created by Coupland himself.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre
Publication date

March 19, 2004
Dimensions

8.5 x 0.5 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

1550549170
ISBN-13

978-1550549171
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This may be the best work ever produced by Canadas greatest writer.

About the Author

Douglas Coupland was born on a Canadian NATO base in Germany and raised in Vancouver, where he still resides. Among his best-selling novels are Generation X, Shampoo Planet, Polaroids from the Dead, Microserfs, Miss Wyoming, Hey Nostradamus! and Eleanor Rigby, altogether in print in some 40 countries. Coupland also exhibits his sculpture in galleries around the world, indulging in design experiments that include everything from launching collections of furniture to futurological consulting for Stephen Spielberg.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Douglas & McIntyre; 1st Edition (March 19, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1550549170
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1550549171
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.5 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,112,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #405 in General Canada Travel Books
- #2,222 in General Travel Reference
- #5,575 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences

Customer Reviews:
20 ratings

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Douglas Coupland

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Since 1991 Coupland has written thirteen novels published in most languages. He has written and performed for England’s Royal Shakespeare Company and is a columnist for The Financial Times of London. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, e-flux, DIS and Vice. In 2000 Coupland amplified his visual art production and has recently had two separate museum retrospectives, Everything is Anything is Anywhere is Everywhere at the Vancouver Art Gallery, The Royal Ontario Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, and Bit Rot at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, and Villa Stücke in Munich this fall. In 2015 and 2016 Coupland was artist in residence in the Paris Google Cultural Institute. Coupland is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy, an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Officer of the Order of British Columbia and is a Chevlier de l'Order des Arts et des Lettres.

Customer reviews

5 star		79%
4 star		13%
3 star		4%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		4%

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A. Stone

Coupland's odd humor and appreciation for his country blend well

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2006

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You don't read Coupland for content, and you certainly don't read him to understand where he is coming from. Coupland is best read as a collection of highly eclectic - and in this case, almost loving - insights of a country he knows well. Like his previous book on Canada and the one on Vancouver, all of these stand as weird, human, insightful snippets of Canadian life. Its like a large relish tray - good snippets, but not all to your personal taste.

3 people found this helpful

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brucem

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2017

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What a hoot, an informative hoot! I wish there were one of these for every country on the planet.

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Charles Comer

a great little book

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2006

My familiarity with coupland prior to Souvenir of Canada primarily stemmed from Generation X and his City of Glass (his loveletter to Vancouver). Unlike his novel, Souvenir is utterly sentimental--even when seemingly critical. Not being Canadian, yet quite interested in Canadiana, I found Souvenir to be interesting on several levels, and I found myself not only enriching my knowledge of Canada, but also reflecting more deeply on the area in which I grew up--not so much America as a whole, which is a point inferred in the book as well. It's style makes it vastly readable: a series of photographs with relatively short passages with varying degrees of topic digression, yet all quite appropriate. I have often found myself picking Souvenir (and Souvenir 2) up again and again, thumbing through and randomly reading sections. I don't know what it is, but Coupland seems to have the knack for inviting the reader into a world and being a great host while you're there.

I might only add here that recently Coupland loosely turned his Souvenir books into a film of the same name, made somewhat in the same style. The film was great but does not include everything in both the books.

3 people found this helpful

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Brian Maitland

should be a zero (speaking as a "Western" Canadian)

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2011

I am Canadian (and no, I am not right now doing a Molson Canadian ad) and I just did not get much of the Canadiana the "artist" chose to stuff his installation house with. A Wayne Gretzky jigsaw puzzle--nice idea--but in an LA Kings' jersey. What was DC thinking?

I also thought this whole hunting, fishing and camping as Canada theme was wrong. That was his family. I do not see it as uniquely a Canadian thing considering I've never gone hunting or fishing in my life.

Maybe I'm just not Tim Hortons enough to appreciate this kitsch that Coupland gathers up. I just found the whole thing as lame as much of Canadian culture is. What can I say, as a Canadian, I'd agree with the Brits who viewed the traveling show of Canada House that Canada is boring. It isn't, but that's what this display makes Canada look like--a bunch of whitebread rubes.

I grew up around people of various backgrounds and cultures. Where is that in this Souvenir of Canada. To me, it's vanilla and although vanilla tastes good, it's not the whole pic of what Canada is.

By the way this was turned into yet another CBC-like lame-o movie on Canada. Didn't SCTV parody this much better back in the '70s and '80s?

Helpful

Moxalano

It gets you right in the Canuck

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2002

This little book about the subtle and not so subtle differences between Canada and it's favourite neighbour to the south will tickle any loyal Canuck's funny bone. Coupland's highly constructed photographs of Canadian cultural artefacts will delight as childhood items such as table hockey, Honey Bee corn syrup and clear bottles of white vinegar are recognized as simply, 'unidentifiable by an American'. The alphabetical listings and descriptions of Coupland's Canadiana are brilliant. The only thing missing from this book is an acknowledgement that perhaps persons from outside the North American continent may be interested in the book (let alone Canada!), thus these items may also be unidentifiable or perhaps just plain ordinary to the rest of the world ...

One person found this helpful

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Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod, author of the Seven Day Manuscript Machine and Writing the Bible for Kids

Clearly Canadian (though we're not alike!)

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2004

This collection of imagery and musings from Famous Canadian Writer Douglas Coupland didn't always strike a chord with me. I'm from a different part of the country, with different history and experiences, of course.

Yet enough was oddly, eerily familiar to convince me that there are few young writers better qualified to comment on the State of Our Nation than Coupland. Not as enjoyable as his fiction, but something fun to tide us fans over while we wait!

One person found this helpful

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Sr. Helena Burns

An Americanadian reflects....

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2002

This is a wonderful, passionate, heartfelt rumination. Not as hilarious as Coupland usually is--it just means too much to him.
Nostalgic beyond his years, he wants to capture all that Canada has been in his lifetime: that Canada which is rapidly tofu-ing and beige-ing in the face of globalization.
I'm a dual citizen (b. in USA, but lived 8 years in Toronto) and have very strong allegiances to the Truth North. If you're Canadian, Doug will probably unravel some of the subtle, mysterious essence of your own "Canadian-ness," to you. If you're an American, read very carefully and you'll get some amazing clues. Doug does define in relation to the USA more than a wee bit, but as Trudeau once said: "No matter how you try, you can't ignore it if you're sleeping next to an elephant. Every time it moves even a tiny bit, you feel it."

One person found this helpful

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Michael Younder

Like most souvenirs - neat but often misplaced.

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2002

I read this book in two sittings. The photograph compositions where clever and did evoke familiarity - good and bad - about Canadian images and icons. Coupland's ramblings though, are insights that I believe all Canadians feel or have felt at least once in their lives. Ironically I think this book would have the greatest resonance with non-Canadians, although judging by the few American reviews posted, this suggestion may prove to be a stretch.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Ian Coates

A great way to look at Canada

Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2014

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A great read and a great view of Canada almost from two simultanious view points i.e. that of a Canadian or insider looking in and at the same time an outsider looking in. It isn't a boring dizzyingly patriotic tome which is what I really like about it. Mr. Coupland talks about his vision of Canada, what and who we are as Canadians and as a Country intertwing the good and the bad. Summarizing it is difficult but I'll take a shot. Canada is a young counrty with hope and vision but that said we are really a colony of the United States and we need books like this to challege us as Canadians to see ourselves and our country for what it really is in order to become what we want Canada and Canadians to be.

James McWade

More then Expected.

Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

If you are Canadian and have an affinity for Douglas Coupland Part 1 and Part 2 are definitely worth taking a look at. Great commentary and some hilarious artwork that only a true Canadian would get.

Jenny

Shows some of the eccentricities of our great nation!

Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Unique gift for our Australian friends. Shows some of the eccentricities of our great nation!

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Souvenir of Canada Paperback – March 19, 2004

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About the author

Douglas Coupland

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